Bad Kreuznach

Bad Kreuznach's signature landmark is genuinely unusual: the Bruckenhaeuser (bridge houses), a row of half-timbered buildings built directly onto the piers of the Alte Nahebruecke, a stone bridge dating to around 1300. Building on the bridge wasn't technically allowed, but as space inside the town walls grew scarce between 1480 and 1600, townspeople built anyway -- using the old gunpowder stores in the bridge fortifications as cellars. It's one of only a handful of bridges in the world with buildings still standing on it, and the view from the nearby Geissenbrucke bridge is the classic photo spot. Beyond the bridge houses, Bad Kreuznach earns its "Bad" (spa) designation honestly -- the local baths use radon-containing water, believed since the 19th century to have curative properties, and the surrounding Nahe Valley is genuine wine country, with the Nahe Cycle Path offering one of Germany's more scenic rides past vineyards and forest. The Roemerhalle Museum and Puppet Theatre Culture Museum round out a quieter, more relaxed alternative to a big-city day trip.