1. Taylor Swift was inspired by a painting in the Museum Wiesbaden for her music video "The Fate of Ophelia" (opens in a new tab)? The scene in which she steps out of a painting is based on Friedrich Heyser's "Ophelia," (opens in a new tab) which can be seen in " (opens in a new tab) which can be seen in the museum's Art Nouveau exhibition. The Museum Wiesbaden has since become a pilgrimage site for Swifties from all over the world!

2. The foundation of the Statue of Liberty in New York was built with cement from Amöneburg? In 1884, Wilhelm Gustav Dyckerhoff and his company Portland-Cement-Fabrik "Dyckerhoff & Söhne" (opens in a new tab)delivered around 8,000 barrels of cement—the concrete mass produced from this was the largest in the world at that time.

3. The poet Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (opens in a new tab) lost his fortune playing roulette at the Wiesbaden casino in 1866? As a result, he had to deliver a novel to his publisher at short notice. The result was "The Gambler," in which he dealt with his gambling addiction in literary form.

4. The Marktkirche's carillon (opens in a new tab), with its 49 bronze bells, is one of the few that can be played by hand? The melodies change weekly and according to occasion—on Shrove Tuesday, for example, the Narhallamarsch is on the program.

5. Around two million liters of hot mineral water bubble up every day from Wiesbaden's 26 thermal springs (opens in a new tab)? W26 thermal springs (opens in a new tab)? With temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Celsius, they are among the hottest springs in Germany and its neighboring countries. Their age is estimated to be at least 200,000 years.

6. The bust of Nefertiti (opens in a new tab) was temporarily on display at the Museum Wiesbaden? After the war, the museum served as a central collection point for art treasures hidden in mines during the Nazi era, including the bust of Nefertiti and Rembrandt's "The Man with the Golden Helmet."

7. The cost of building the Nerobergbahn railway (opens in a new tab) was significantly overestimated? In 1888, the original estimate for construction was 100,000 marks, but in the end it cost more than twice as much—namely, 222,352 marks.

8. The Hessian State Theater in Wiesbaden (opens in a new tab) was built in just 22 months? On the initiative of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who often stayed in Wiesbaden for spa treatments and wanted a prestigious theater, the building was constructed and ceremoniously opened by him on October 16, 1894. Just two years later, the first International May Festival (opens in a new tab) took place here, which is considered the second oldest festival in Germany after Bayreuth.

9. There is a real robber's cave in Rabengrund? Heinrich Anton Leichtweiß was a respected citizen until the age of 65—until he was accused of poaching, sent to prison, and then struggled to survive in the forest until he was arrested again and died in prison. The Leichtweiß Cave (opens in a new tab) is open to visitors.

10. the piccolo was invented in Wiesbaden (opens in a new tab)? In 1935, Karl Henkell, grandson of company founder Adam Henkell, took a bold step: he launched his brand of sparkling wine, Henkell Trocken, in a handy 200 ml sparkling wine bottle for the first time. A revolutWiesbaden (opens in a new tab)? In 1935, Karl Henkell, grandson of company founder Adam Henkell, took a bold step: he launched his brand of sparkling wine, Henkell Trocken, in a handy 200 ml sparkling wine bottle for the first time. A revolutWiesbaden (opens in a new tab)? In 1935, Karl Henkell, grandson of company founder Adam Henkell, took a bold step: he launched his brand of sparkling wine, Henkell Trocken, in a handy 200 ml sparkling wine bottle for the first time. A revolutionary idea at the time! Inspired by the Italian word "piccolo" for "small," Henkell gave his invention the Germanized name "Pikkolo" and had the name trademarked.

11. Wiesbaden is the "parakeet capital of the Rhine-Main region" (opens in a new tab)? Two-thirds of the region's population lives here. With the ring-necked parakeet and the Alexandrine parakeet, two species of parrot have settled permanently in the city.