There are places that convey something sublime when you enter them. The majestic Wiesbaden Kurhaus is one of them. Anyone can walk through the columned portico into the foyer and you should do so, because under the 17-metre-high ceiling and the enormous glass dome, surrounded by statues and frescoes, you feel as if you have been transported to another era - to the time of the cosmopolitan spa town of Wiesbaden. Back then, the haute élite of Germany and Europe met here in the Neues Kurhaus, which opened in 1907.

The Old Kurhaus, built a good 100 years earlier, had become too small for the scene of spa guests who gathered here to gamble in the casino or attend concerts and soirées in magnificent halls. Emperor Wilhelm II, an avowed Wiesbaden fan, attended the opening himself - and was delighted. Architect Friedrich von Thiersch, who was also involved in the design of the Reichstag in Berlin, had also drawn on the full resources when building the Kurhaus. The project cost six million gold marks.

Money that von Thiersch did not have at his disposal, but spent anyway. From today's perspective, one can only say: Fortunately, because the rooms of the Kurhaus are a feast for the eyes. The huge Friedrich von Thiersch Hall with its richly decorated ceiling and large stage is a regular venue for top-class concerts, while other rooms such as the Christian Zais Hall, also known as the "Hall of Mirrors", or the famous Shell Hall are booked for conferences, balls and parties. Perhaps Kaiser Wilhelm I was right. For him, the Kurhaus was "the most beautiful in the world".