Germany
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Saarburg: Fairytale Town on the Saar
Saarburg is a gem of a town nestled amidst the rolling hills of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It enthrals visitors with its rich history, beguiling medieval architecture, and captivating natural beauty. Unlike the brash clamour of modern German cities, Saarburg offers a tranquil escape. Time seems to have slowed its pace here. Sturdy medieval ramparts pierce the…
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Quedlinburg: Unearthing the Timeless Magic of Germany’s Hidden Gem
Immerse yourself in the captivating charm of Quedlinburg, a quaint town nestled in the heart of Germany’s Harz Mountains. Esteemed for its impeccable preservation of medieval architecture and striking antiquity, Quedlinburg boasts a timeless allure that attracts travellers from across the globe. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it stands as a living testament to…
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A classic recipe for a Dark Forest Gateau (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
Typically I am not a cake person but there are definitely exceptions. The Dark Forest Gateau (German: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, literally “Black Forest Cherry Cake”) definitely falls into those exceptions! A wonderful mix of chocolate, cherries and rich cream is a great ending to any traditional meal from Baden-Württemberg (especially Maultaschen or Spätzle). You can find…
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Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany – That’s one busy port!
The seaside resort of Warnemünde is located on Germany’s Baltic coast, just above the city of Rostock. History Founded in approximately 1200, it has been a fishing village for most of its history. The city of Rostock financed a harbour near the village, signing a contract with the patrician of Rostock to maintain the waterway…
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Maultaschen (“mouth pockets”) from Swabia, Germany
(The photo of the Maultaschen in broth is by Matthias Haupt) When I lived in Germany, my favourite cuisine from the country was easily that of Baden-Württemberg. As I am someone who eats little meat, I loved the vegetarian options from the region, including a variety of spätzle and the vegetarian Maultaschen. Maultaschen, which translates…
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Grutenhäuschen, Trier, Germany – A temple with a view
On the bank of the river Moselle not far upstream from the city of Trier lies a Roman temple with a beautiful view of the Moselle valley just before the Saar and Moselle rivers merge. This Roman temple (Grutenhäuschen) dates back to the 3rd/4th century AD to the time after Trier had become one of…
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Bismarckturm Schoden, Germany – A silent sentinal
Standing on a hill above the Saar River in Germany near the town of Schoden in Rheinland-Pfalz/Rhineland-Palatinate stands a Bismarckturm (Bismarck tower); a standardised monument built to honour Germany’s first chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. These towers were built around the turn of the 20th century to honour him. They conform (more or less) to a…
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Stralsund, Germany – The gateway to Scandinavia
Stralsund is a town with a population of just over 60,000 on the coast of northern Germany. It is the fourth largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Stralsund is a Hanseatic city: it was part of the Hanseatic League. It certainly reflects that and the wealth that it in brought from the city’s historical buildings. One of…
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Eltz Castle, Germany – A Living Castle
Eltz Castle is a majestic little castle. It sits on a rock in a small wooded valley in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) in Germany. Although definitely among the lesser-known castles (unlike Hohenzollern or Neuschwanstein), it is extremely appropriate for its location and has a few unique features, both physically and as well as features of its history.…
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Bautzen, Germany – The Land of Mustard
In the former East German state of Saxony lies the town of Bautzen, a medieval town that is famous across Germany for its architecture and its mustard (yes, mustard). The city centre of Bautzen sits up on a hill overlooking the more modern areas of the town as well as the river Spree (the same…
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Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, Germany – The sea is calm tonight
You may not connect Germany with the ocean in your mind. However you would be remiss to forget that Germany actually has two coasts. One the eastern side of the country, directly north of Berlin, lies the Baltic Coast. On the Baltic Coast lies the Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, or the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National…
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Schiefergebirge, Germany – My Heart’s in the Highlands
The Thüringer Schiefergebirge, known as the Thuringian Highlands in English, is an area of the German federal state Thuringia (German: Thüringen) featuring steeply hilly areas on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia, through which the Saale River cuts. As the German name suggests, this area contains a lot of slate rock. There are very few…
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Hiddensee, Germany – Baltic Island Hideaway
In the Baltic Sea just off Germany‘s northeastern coast lies the island of Hiddensee, an island known for its beautiful nature and for the fact that there are absolutely no cars on the island. As the island is long and thin with an area of 19 square km (7.34 square miles), the 1300 inhabitants and…
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Aachen, Germany – A capital of emperors
Aachen is a city with a long, proud history, which stretches back to Neolithic times (3000 BC). From the Romans using it as a source of hot springs to Charlemagne using the city as the capital of his Frankish empire to being the capital of its own country (very briefly, the Rhenish Republic). Aachen has…
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Black Forest (Schwarzwald), Germany – Here there be witches
The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a major feature of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It runs from flatter areas in the north to mountains separating Switzerland and Germany in the south. The Schwarzwald contains a cornucopia of geography, geology and topography. These include mountains, valleys, large lakes and even the largest waterfall (in Triberg) in Germany.…
