Germany Blog

Stories, tips, and reflections about life, travel, and culture in Germany.

  • Hike In Bavaria And Experience Amazing Scenery

    Filed in , ,

    Bavaria offers untold adventures among its landscapes. You will find historic sights, towering snow-capped peaks and abundant wildlife. When visiting Germany, this is one outdoor experience you shouldn’t neglect.

    There are so many hiking routes to take advantage of around Munich and within lovely Bavaria, that it is impossible to list them all in one short article. But below you’ll find some of the best.

    Close to Munich, there are a number of places to take off for a day trip for a walk along a marked trail. A favorite seems to be Jochberg Mountain. In the summer it might get a bit crowded, but it is an easy climb for the whole family. Allow yourself about an hour or even two and a half hours if you want to take it slow. Between May and September there will be no snow, making it easy to reach the summit.

    Another Bavarian trail, this one starting in Gunzenhausen, takes you on a long trek of 198 km, but you don’t have to go the whole way. Called Altmühltal-Panoramaweg, this trail leads all the way to Kelheim. Visit ancient ruins, medieval houses, fortresses and darling little towns and villages.

    Lake Ammersee offers some scenic hiking for the outdoor lover! Hike along the river Lech. Take an easy jaunt around the lake. It’s very relaxing to walk through gorgeous alpine pastures, across quaint bridges and into lush valleys.

    The German section of the Allgäu Alps is one very popular place to go to get in some hiking. Lying on the German/Austrian border, these mountains have a varying terrain which attracts people from all over. If you don’t want to have too much difficulty, you can always hike among the smaller hills that rise from the pastures. These are the Allgäu Prealps and provide stunning views.

    Traveling south from Munich, you will find that Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the perfect place to go in summer months for great hiking. In this deep valley, you can enjoy walking on trails around the blue, sparkling lakes or try something more strenuous, like climbing across some glaciers.

    For some well-kept trails, you’ll find plenty around Lake Tegernsee. You can take some easy hikes or go for the longer and steeper trails. Many of these are cleared in the winter, making it possible for all-year-round hiking.

    There are many trails in the Pfaffenwinkel area, where you will find enchanted forest landscapes and much natural beauty. The Lech-Höhenweg trail is one that provides breathtaking views of river valleys. Others trails include the König-Ludwig-Weg and the Prälatenweg.

    Stop for a filling Bavarian meal with delicious beer when you hike around Lake Chiemsee. You can even take some time to enjoy other activities here, such as rafting the Tiroler Achen River, cycling or mountain biking.

    The city of Starnberg is known as the heart of the Five Lakes Country, and you can hike a number of trails in this area. Strolling along the shores of the lake is quite a relaxing pastime.

    Throughout Bavaria, you’ll find a wide choice of trails, from many easy and well-marked trails to those where you can set off on an adventure along unmarked pathways. Whether trekking in Berchtesgadener Land, in the Bavarian Forest or through Lower Bavaria, hiking in this region of Germany is something you simply can’t pass up.

    —Marcus

  • Hike Through The Gentle Landscapes Of Brandenburg

    Filed in , ,

    Taking a day of pleasure in beautiful Brandenburg, Germany means some time to get away from the hustle and bustle of the workaday world. Hundreds of kilometers of trails offer you some incredible scenery and a multitude of places to stop and take in the fascinating history of Germany.

    For instance, starting at the Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam you can take a long circular tour on the trail known as 66-Seen Wanderweg. It takes you through Marquardt, Melchow, Wendisch Rietz, Trebbin, and then comes around once again to Potsdam. This 416-km trek provides such sights as lovely regional parks, Roman baths and palaces of exquisite beauty.

    You’ll run across secluded areas where you can swim, enjoying a refreshing dip before continuing on your way. Walk on lakeshores and soak up the sun.

    Visit Charlottenhof Palace, dating from the 18th century. This is where the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel worked his magic by transforming a farmhouse into a thing of wonder.

    This “66-Lake Trail” is, of course, named for the marvelous lakes along the way. Rivers also run nearby, such as the Havel River and the Spree. The hike will take you all around Berlin and outlying areas. You will find places to stay all along this path.

    Naturally, you don’t have to hike the entire 416 km. You’ll discover shorter sections, dayhikes around the city. From Potsdam to Marquardt is only 17 km, an easy trek at any time of year. This is a quiet route starting out in Potsdam and taking you on pathways in the city and suburbs. Although you won’t tour every sight in Potsdam, you get a great cross-section of the area.

    Take off from Marquardt for a 20-km hike north to Brieseland. As you follow the Havel River, you’ll marvel at the scenery and solitude of this adventure. It’s a spot not often frequented, with many quaint towns along the way.

    Some of the other shorter hikes on the 66-Lake Trail include from Brieselang to Hennigsdorf, 23 km of beauty, Hennigsdorf to Wensickendorf, a hike of 24 km, and many more. You can take a hike of 24 km from Wendisch Rietz to Neuendorf am See or from Wünsdorf to Trebbin, 27 km.

    The last leg of the journey is from Seddiner See to Potsdam. This 25-km hike is almost all natural woodland trails, out of town for the most part, and nicely quiet. Wander through a wonderful hardwood forest, the shores of the Havel River and visit at last the park of the Sanssouci Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    You should take time after your long trip is over to tour Potsdam. Here you can visit historic sites that give you a real taste of the past in Germany. Stroll through ethnic quarters, such as the Dutch or Russian sections of the city.

    There is another wonderful trail close to Berlin that you can embark on — the Naturpark Hoher Fläming. This is a long 122-km path starting in Bad Belzig and looping around through Rabenstein, Wiesenburg, Görzke and Groß Briesen (part of Friedland). Once you finish and return to Bad Belzig, you can brag how you have seen the best Germany has to offer.

    Of course, this trail also is divided into sections, each from 15 to 19 km each. You can take shorter hikes in this way, in case you don’t have time to travel the entire way. You should plan your trip so you are sure to see the area near Dippmannsdorf with all the beautiful springs. There are numerous castles, stone churches and other cultural highlights to this adventure.

    You see, hiking in Brandenburg is simply a pleasurable pastimes for outdoor enthusiasts in Germany. You simply must try it to see why.

    —Marcus

  • March 8, 2011 — The 100th Anniversary Of International Women’s Day

    Filed in ,

    That’s right, this year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the first celebration of International Women’s Day, known here as Internationaler Frauentag.

    These days, International Women’s Day is treated almost as a second Valentine’s Day, a time to smother your favorite gal with love, flowers or candy.

    But the holiday actually began as a Socialist tradition and was even instrumental in ushering in Communism in early twentieth century Russia. With the fall of communism and the end of East Germany, International Women’s Day isn’t widely celebrated by Germans these days but this is the country where it all started.

    Clara Zetkin, who was a leader in the Social Democratic Party in Germany, helped to bring it all about.

    In Copenhagen at the second International Conference of Working Women, she spoke about the need for a special day to mark the struggles of women everywhere. This would be the day where, in each country, women could step forward and demand their equal rights, air any grievances and work together to make the world a better place for themselves. The other participants at the conference agreed unanimously and so, International Women’s Day was born.

    March 19 was the day chosen for the first holiday, but it was March 25 that ended up as the day to remember. While the original holiday came and went without much fanfare, the tragedy that hit just six days after would do much more to illustrate the plight of women. On that day, a terrible fire broke out in New York City.

    The “Triangle Fire” claimed the lives of more than 140 women workers, the majority of whom were poor immigrants of Jewish and Italian descent. Only in the face of such senseless loss did the squalid working conditions and deplorable labor practices come to light.

    Later, in 1917, the holiday would again garner worldwide attention. This time, women were picketing for “bread and peace” in Russia, distraught over the high death toll of the First World War. The women’s strike was one nail in the coffin of imperial Russia, and soon the Bolsheviks seized on the moment to depose the tsar and begin the reign of Communism.

    While this was less than ideal for the citizens who lived under the regime for more than seventy years, it shows the power that the holiday could command.

    In modern times, the day is used for much more peaceful purposes, but still as a way to showcase wrongs and crimes against women. It is an official holiday in countries like China, Russia and Vietnam when men will give small gifts to their wives, mothers, female friends and colleagues.

    So while these small gestures are always appreciated, there are larger issues that are still not resolved for the women of the world. This is a day to appreciate the women in your own life, while trying to make a better life for those all around the world.

    —Marcus

  • Germany’s Amusement Parks Help You Escape The Winter Blues

    Filed in ,

    Winter time can be a bit of a downer. The weather is cold, the excitement of the holidays is over and summer seems a long time coming.

    While most of Germany’s amusement parks are closed for the winter, mid-March signals the beginning of their new season. So, if you’re longing for an escape from the winter doldrums, then an amusement park vacation may be just what the doctor ordered. ;-)

    Europa-Park

    The biggest of them all is Europa-Park in Rust north of Freiburg with over four million visitors each year. Europa-Park has fifteen parts or “lands” you can visit, from Russia and Iceland to Spain and Portugal. The park was founded by the vehicle-making Mack family, who opened it in 1975 as a showcase for their latest inventions.

    Don’t miss one of the newest super-thrill roller coaster and the first upside-down ride, the Blue Fire. Balthasar Castle is the Cinderella centerpiece, complete with its own moat.

    Bayern Park

    A more traditional and charming outing can be found at Bayern Park in Reisbach, 126 km (78 mi) east of Munich.

    The Bayern Park is not your everyday modern amusement park filled with adrenaline rides, but its charm lies in the simplicity of its attractions. Relaxing train rides, beautiful mock architecture and fun family rides ensure that you’ll still have a great time. Highlights include the mandatory roller coaster, river rafting, pirate ships, boat rides and the Schweinchenbahn (pig train).

    Holiday Park

    Holiday Park is a popular destination for the whole family, located in Haßloch in the Palatinate region. Here you will find carousels, extreme roller coasters, free fall rides, log flumes and relaxing boat and train rides.

    With over one million visitors each year, Holiday Park is half-theme park, half-nature park with a very green, wooded environment.

    Bavaria Filmstadt

    Movie lovers will want to check out the Bavaria Filmstadt in the Geiselgasteig district of Grünwald (just south of Munich).

    Bavaria Filmstadt gives its visitors a behind-the-scenes peek at the world of TV and movie making. The guided tours of Filmstadt offer some great insider stories and anecdotes about life in the movies. You’ll also gain some insight into the production of movies and TV. The film tour takes you through many famous sets of German programs and the 1980s kiddie film, The Never-Ending Story.

    Some highlighted shows featured at this park include German soap operas and the comedy Raumschiff Surprise-Periode 1.

    Phantasialand

    Finally, the adrenaline junkies will want to book their tickets for my personal favorite German theme park, Phantasialand in Brühl (just south of Cologne). Rides like the Colorado Adventure, Talocan and Black Mamba will take you through hairpin turns, corkscrews, dark tunnels and a final splash as you barrel along on these extreme coasters. If that weren’t enough, there is also a unique collection of Chinese architecture, reconstructed German capitals and world folk music.

    You’re missing some of our theme parks?

    Don’t sweat. There are much more incredible theme parks in Germany, all of which will thrill, entertain and help you create new, wonderful memories.

    —Marcus

  • Get Ready For The Crazed German Carnival Season!

    Filed in ,

    Carnival is a time for partying in Germany! And although it technically begins on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at 11:11, the celebrations don’t really ramp up until the Weiberfastnacht (“Fat Thursday”) and the manic mayhem continues right up until the solemn religious events of Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday).

    This year, the Crazy Days of Carnival take place from Thursday, March 3th until Tuesday, March 8th, with the peak being on March 7th with the Rosenmontag (Rose Monday).

    Most Germans will tell you that if you want to experience the true Carnival spirit, you must go to Cologne. As one of the oldest cities in Germany, Cologne certainly has the longest tradition and the biggest parties of the holiday.

    But, don’t despair if you aren’t in the city limits during the “crazy days” of Carnival. There are a handful of other German cities, mostly in the Rhineland, that throw a pretty decent party as well (ex., Mainz, Düsseldorf).

    If you’re not a religious person, you might be a bit confused about the fuss surrounding the Carnival season. Just what exactly is it and why do people celebrate?

    Well, not that anyone needs an excuse to throw a party, but the excess that comes with Carnival is all a lead up to the forty days of Lent, when Christians usually follow the example of Jesus Christ and give up something they love. To compensate for the month of deprivation, they eat, drink and party to excess in the days that come before.

    There are many wonderful traditions that you can see each and every year at Carnival. One of these is the Triumvirate, the Jungfrau, Prinz, and Bauer, that is a virgin, a prince and a farmer. It is the highest honor of the Carnival to be named the Prince. He is the one in charge of the festivities and appears in all the big parades during the week.

    You’ll be able to pick him out by the peacock tail crown, purple jacket and a glittery girdle. In his arms, he carries a royal scepter as well as a slapstick. This is a sign of the village fool but also a strong fertility symbol. The farmer is the solemn and serious keeper of the city. He wears the key to the city on his waist. And the “virgin” — who is typically portrayed by a man in drag — is clad in a crown and holds a mirror in her hand.

    Arm yourself with the phrase “Kölle Alaaf!” or “Cologne alive!” This is the customary greeting during these crazed days.

    Each year, you are certain to see colorful costumes (don’t leave without one!), experience bars that never close and view a fair amount of festive parades.

    Again, the culmination comes on Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, on March 7th this year. The parade on Rose Monday is one for the record books. It boasts a length of six kilometers (3.7 miles), over 10,000 participants, several hundred horses and over a hundred musical bands.

    And the party revelers come with their fair share of festive accessories. Over 140 tons of candy, sweets and flowers are brought to the parade and thrown to the crowd, including 700,000 chocolate bars, another 220,000 boxes of chocolate, 300,000 flowers, and thousands of stuffed toys.

    So I hope you can collect bags full of sweets, but do “protect” yourself well to not get one of those edgy chocolate bars thrown on your head! ;-)

    —Marcus