Hessen

Hessen is a state in central-western Germany and a financial powerhouse, home to Frankfurt, the country's banking capital and the seat of the European Central Bank. Its capital is Wiesbaden. Combining global finance with forests, spas and historic towns, it sits at the economic heart of Germany.

Hessen is a varied land of low mountain ranges, forests and the fertile Rhine-Main lowland where Frankfurt lies. The Rhine and Main rivers shape its southwest. The climate is temperate, milder in the river valleys.

Hessen blends the international, high-finance culture of Frankfurt with traditional towns, apple-wine taverns and spa resorts such as Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg. It has a strong literary heritage, including the Brothers Grimm.

Formed from historic principalities after the Second World War, Hessen became the financial center of West Germany as Frankfurt grew into a global banking hub. Its fairy-tale towns are linked to the Brothers Grimm.