Spas became popular in the late 1600’s, but the hot mineral waters of Aquae Mattiacorum had been serving as a Roman spa since 6 AD when the settlement became a military post along the Limes Germanicus, the fortified border between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribes. The hot mineral waters are still flowing today and have contributed in making Wiesbaden the largest spa city in Germany.
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Dresden has the distinction of being home to the oldest public museum in the world. Augustus II, the Strong, Elector of Saxony, founded the Grünes Gewölbe in 1723; the name translates as “Green Vault.” The museum is known for its large art collection featuring artist from the Baroque and Classicism era. The museum was heavily damaged during the 1945 Allied bombing, but has since been restored.
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Nürnberg is situated along the Pegnitz River, a small tributary flowing into the Regnitz and finally the Main River at Bamberg. The Fleischbrücke is one of several bridges crossing the Pegnitz in Nürnberg. Construction began in 1596 and when completed in 1598, the single arch bridge was the largest masonry bridge in Germany. It is a Renaissance styled bridge similar in design to the Ponte di Rialto in Venice, Italy.
