Germany Blog

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

  • A (Virtual) Tour Of Ten Magnificent German Cathedrals

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    Germany is home to many amazingly spectacular cathedrals. If you don’t have time to see them all during your visit here, you can take a virtual trip to ten of the most famous ones right now.

    Aachen Cathedral

    This ancient place was patronized by none other than Charlemagne himself, the first Holy Roman Emperor. The highlights of the Aachen Cathedral include relics that Charlemagne gathered, including the cloak of the Virgin Mary and the swaddling clothes of a baby Jesus Christ, among others. Pilgrims have flocked here for centuries to view these artifacts, which can still be found within.

    Augsburg Cathedral

    The Augsburg Cathedral is the High Cathedral of the Virgin Mary and can be dated back to the year 823 A.D.! From its soaring spires to the depths of its underground crypts, this is one destination you won’t want to miss.

    Berliner Dom

    The Berlin Cathedral was built for the Prussian Royal family. It was intended to be the Protestant version of the Roman Catholic St. Peter’s Basilica. Although heavily damaged during the war, it was reconstructed to its present condition in the 1970s.

    Cologne Cathedral

    The Gothic Cologne Cathedral was built in 1248 and not completed until over six-hundred years later, in 1880. This is a local joke, as renovations are still underway and residents joke that the end of the world will arrive before it is ever completed. Nevertheless, this UNESCO World Heritage Site (once the world’s tallest building) has plenty to see. A true highlight is the Shrine of the Three Magi, which is said to contain relics from these ancient pilgrims.

    Erfurt Cathedral

    This 14th century Gothic cathedral (with Romanesque towers that date back to 742) is where Martin Luther was ordained as a priest. Erfurt’s highlights include its stucco altar with a depiction of the Madonna and saints, as well as its superb stained glass window designs.

    Hildesheim Cathedral

    The Hildesheim Cathedral is a medieval masterpiece, allegedly constructed on the divine will of the Virgin Mary through Charlemagne’s son, Ludwig the Pious. Bernward’s Door, a set of beautifully decorated bronze doors, is one of the amazing treasures on display.

    Magdeburg Cathedral

    Magdeburg Cathedral’s official name is the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice. It is the resting place of Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great and took over 300 years to construct.

    Mainz Cathedral

    Saint Martin’s Cathedral, or Mainz Cathedral, was constructed in 975 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Romanesque in Germany. This is where Frederick Barbarossa took up the call of Crusade, as Pope Gregory VIII proclaimed.

    Münster Cathedral

    This Münster sight is a 13th century Gothic and Romanesque-style cathedral. On the exterior of St. Paul’s, there is an astronomical clock with hand-painted zodiac signs. There’s a performance each day at noon as the clock plays a Glockenspiel song.

    Like so many other ancient architectural marvels in Germany, it sustained heavy damage during the Second World War. It has since been restored, but the destruction is still documented in pictures found inside the Cathedral.

    Worms Cathedral

    This spectacular cathedral is known by many names: Worms Cathedral, Kaiserdom or Dom St. Peter, to name just a few. In its thousand year history, it has been a strong presence in the town with its soaring towers and spires. There are many highlights housed within these ancient walls. Be sure not to miss the Baroque altar created by Balthasar Neumann, the dark and spooky crypt or the Chapel of Saint Nicholas.

    —Marcus

  • Germany Is Home To Some Of The World’s Most Unusual Museums

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    Germany offers its visitors some of the best museums in the world! From the Museum Island in Berlin to the Museumsufer in Frankfurt, you will always be surrounded by this country’s rich and vibrant museum culture.

    But it isn’t always ancient artifacts, religious treasuries or modern paintings that you can see. The following is a list of some of Germany’s most unusual museums and galleries. If you crave a unique and memorable experience, then check out these places!

    Zeche Hannover and Kiddies Colliery in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia

    The Zeche Hannover, known to English speakers simply as the Hanover Coal Mine (Günnigfelder Straße) was the last coal mine to be closed in Bochum, back in 1973. It has been preserved and expertly restored as a heritage site for Bochum’s industrial history.

    If you want to know more about the dirty history of coal, a once-important resource, then look no further! The Kiddies Colliery is a fun place to bring the children (or the young-at-heart) to find out all about the inner workings of the coal mine. Bring your hard hat

    Chocolate Museum in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

    This museum is a dream come true for the chocoholics of the world! The Schokoladenmusem (Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a) at the Rhine River in Cologne features the fascinating history of chocolate-making where you can learn all about how this beloved substance gained its popularity. The best part is, after the tour, you can sample some of this delicious treat at the Cafe or the Beach Terrace. Yum!

    German Cookbook Museum in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

    Whether you love cooking or eating, the German Cookbook Museum (Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum, An der Buschmühle 1) in Dortmund is sure to please. There is a fine collection of delicious recipes, most courtesy of the 19th century German cook Henriette Davidis.

    In addition, the museum features an interesting exhibit about the role of women in this time, and the evolution of cooking technology through the 1960s. It’s the perfect place to whet your appetite for an authentic German meal.

    Giraffe Museum in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

    We have another entry from the city of Dortmund with this interesting museum that is the perfect place for lovers of these long-necked animals. This private collection (Wickeder Hellweg 25) is a strange gathering of all things giraffe — from giraffe-shaped sculptures to giraffe-adorned teapots — make this a one-of-a-kind museum.

    Don’t forget to make a reservation in advance.

    German Hygiene Museum in Dresden, Lower Saxony

    If you’re in the mood for a more off-beat location then head to the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden (Lingnerplatz 1). You won’t see celebrated paintings or famous sculptures here, but you will see an intriguing collection of antique grooming and ophthalmology equipment.

    Some items on display include old dressing tables, razors, powder boxes and wig stands. The ophthalmology exhibit shows some fascinating old examination equipment and antique spectacles.

    Museum of Inland Navigation in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia

    As the site of an inland port, Duisburg is the natural place for a Museum of Inland Navigation (Apostelstraße 84). This Duisburg museum was actually once an indoor swimming pool but was renovated and is now presented in an Art Nouveau design. The museum offers an idea of the life of a sailor. Inside you’ll find model ships as well as real ones.

    Don’t overlook the highlights of any trip to this museum! The Oscar Huber, a paddle steamer from 1921, and the Minden, a bucket dredger from 1882, are both docked within a few minutes walk of the museum. If you have your heart set on visiting these interesting ships, be sure to check the weather.

    In very cold and icy conditions, the boats are closed to the public.

    Mustard Museum in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia

    This Düsseldorf museum is a place you won’t find just anywhere but Germany. Of course, our country is famous for its delicious mustard. The Mustard Museum (Berger Straße 29) opened in 2004 and has since been offering visitors information on this wonderful condiment that is such an important part of German cuisine.

    Bring your own bratwurst. ;-)

    Dialogue Museum in Frankfurt, Hesse

    For a “slightly different” kind of museum experience — one with nothing to see — head over to the Dialogue Museum in Frankfurt am Main (Hanauer Landstrasse 139-145). The blind museum offers a pitch-black exhibit in which visitors must rely on their other senses to “see” them through.

    This sensual museum will leave you with an experience you’ll never forget.

    Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg

    Our last unusual museum brings us to Hamburg. Miniature Wonderland (Kehrwieder 2-4) features model railways, trains and scenery. It made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest computerized model railway.

    This impressive display boasts 250,000 miniature trees, 15,000 m (almost 50,000 ft) of tracks with 15,000 carriages and 5,000 houses and bridges. The whole complex encompasses an area of 4,000 square meters (13,000 square feet)!

    —Marcus

  • November Is The Anniversary Of A Reunited Berlin

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    November 1989 was a very special month, and November 9, 1989 in particular was a day that we Germans will remember for a long time, as will the rest of the world. It was on this day that the East German government announced that they would no longer stand in the way of their citizens who wanted to travel to West Germany, like they had done for over 30 years.

    Citizens of both West and East Germany were overjoyed, and rushed to the hated Berlin Wall to make these once-impossible crossings. But for those of you whose German history is a bit rusty, or who can’t remember this historic event, let me present a nutshell version of this darkly fascinating time in our past!

    Most people will remember from their old history classes that Germany (and the capital city of Berlin) was divided into partitions after the loss of the Second World War. Each of the four Allied countries — the USA, France, Britain and the USSR — maintained control over one part each.

    The trouble began when the Soviet Union tried to consolidate their power and worked against its former allies. Ultimately, they blockaded the city of West Berlin. The Berlin airlift, one of the greatest diplomatic interventions of recent times, followed and brought food and other necessary items into a troubled city.

    As East Germany and East Berlin became more and more repressive, naturally, people began fleeing these harsh conditions. The Soviets realized that this “brain drain,” the loss of its best and brightest citizens, could no longer be tolerated. In the early morning of Sunday, August 13, 1961 the border between West and East was closed entirely and the construction of the Wall began.

    While the Wall is symbolic of some of the darkest times in our country, it also was a time of great heroism and sacrifice. The dire situation of East Germany led some to risk their lives in order to cross over into the west.

    One of the most famous and tragic of these stories is the tale of Peter Fechter. This 18-year-old boy tried to escape with his friend, Helmut Kulbeik in August 1962, by jumping out of the window of a tall building that sat right on the border of the wall, and then running across the “death strip” to scale the Wall on the other side.

    While Fechter’s friend managed to evade the bullets of the East German border police, Fechter was not so lucky. He was shot in the pelvis in this “no-man’s land” between the two borders. Even though his shooting was witnessed by many bystanders in the West, no one could help him, for fear that they themselves could also be shot by entering the death strip.

    And so, the tragic life of Peter Fechter ended with him slowly bleeding to death, screaming for help in plain sight of both Western and Eastern German guards who both could not and did not haid him. He died one hour later.

    The cruelty of Fechter’s death was a wake-up call to the rest of the world, who could see clearly now just how repressive the East had become. It would take another 37 years for the Wall to come tumbling down.

    While most of the Wall was dismantled during the months following this time, there are still sections of it remaining, left as a memorial. When you visit Berlin, be sure to take a walk along the last remaining segments, like the East Side Gallery at Mühlenstraße, or the more authentic Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Straße to see for yourself where freedom triumphed.

    —Marcus

  • The Fantastical Castle Creations Of Mad King Ludwig In Bavaria

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    Everyone knows Neuschwanstein as perhaps the most famous castle in the world, and as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Palace.

    But what some may not realize is that the patron of Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II, better known as the “Mad King” had many other whimsical and fantastic castle constructions as well.

    Let’s take a look at two of his lesser-known masterworks.

    Linderhof Palace In Ettal

    Linderhof Palace may have been the smallest of his palaces, but it must have had a special meaning to Ludwig. It was the first — and only — palace where he lived to see its completion.

    His untimely and rather mysterious death came in 1886, when he was just forty years old. Schloss Linderhof was completed in the same year.

    When Ludwig was a young boy, he used to go hunting on the grounds of the Königshäuschen (King’s Cottage). Linderhof’s construction began by first enlarging that very cottage, only to have it torn down and begun again from scratch.

    Linderhof Palace is a late rococo style building, but it evidently and proudly borrows aspects from the world-famous Versailles Palace in France. Louis XIV was the Sun King, and in homage to him, the emblem of the sun can be spotted all around Linderhof. There are some other elements that are close replicas of its French sister, particularly the magnificent staircase and the hall of mirrors.

    Herrenchiemsee Castle On The Island Of Herreninsel

    King Ludwig II was not the original benefactor or architect of the Herrenchiemsee Castle, yet it is still considered one of “his” creations.

    The original Schloss Herrenchiemsee dates back to the year 765 when a Benedictine Abbey was constructed on the northern part of this island in Chiemsee on the orders of Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria. By 969, Emperor Otto I had given the land to the bishops of Salzburg who converted the abbey into a monastery for the Canons Regular monks living under the Augustinian rule of poverty and seclusion.

    In 1215, there was another change in management for this abbey-turned-monastery. Under the orders of Pope Innocent III, Herrenchiemsee would become a Roman Catholic cathedral of the Bishopric of Chiemsee.

    The Catholic rule lasted for many centuries, until the early 1800s. At this time, the Abbey became a secular place and the diocese was disbanded. The new, non-religious owners had no need for a Catholic cathedral. They destroyed it and put up a brewery.

    Here is where our King Ludwig enters the picture. By 1873, the entire island was slotted for deforestation. Luckily, Ludwig stepped in and put a stop to any further demolition. He preserved the remaining structures as the “Old Palace” and began to construct a new one. This was just one more palace that Ludwig would not live to see in its finished glory. Construction stopped just after the king’s demise and many of the unfinished sections were later demolished. A year after his death, the palace was opened up to the public.

    Although the palace was never completed to Ludwig’s original vision, it remains an impressive sight to behold. The State Rooms and Court Garden are among the highlights. But be sure not to miss the Ludwig Museum. Here, you can learn all about the man who helped to create such wondrous, fantastical castles — the Mad King Ludwig II himself.

    —Marcus

  • Follow In The Footsteps Of Germany’s Classical Music Superstars

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    If you are in search of classical music in Germany, you won’t have to look very far. My country has bred some of the most famous composers in the history of the world.

    Everyone knows the names, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Wagner. Let their music be your soundtrack as you visit the old haunts of these legendary musicians.

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Wolfgang Amadeus may have been born in Salzburg — once part of Germany, but today found inside Austria’s borders — but he is still embraced by us Germans. Cue up Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, one of his most signature pieces as you tour around Germany.

    For an authentic German-Mozart experience, visit Munich, where he wrote his opera La finta giardiniera.

    The Mozart family also spent a lot of time in the Swabian city of Augsburg. Explore the Mozart House, home of the great composer’s father, which showcases many exhibits about the life of the world-famous Wolfgang.

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Ludwig van Beethoven is another native son of Germany, and undoubtedly one of the most loved and respected composers the world has ever seen. Listen to his instantly-recognizable Für Elise as you board a train to his old stomping grounds, the city of Bonn.

    Bonn was Beethoven’s birthplace and hometown. Guests here can have a chance to see how the great composer lived with a visit to his house — the Beethoven Haus on Bonngasse — an essential stop for those seeking Beethoven’s legacy here. You can also view one of the theaters where he used to perform — like La Redoute.

    The current Beethovenhalle is the third incarnation of a concert hall dedicated to him. It is well-known for its excellent acoustics and is regarded as an important piece of Bonn’s cultural history. Currently, it is the home to the Bonn Beethoven Orchestra and a venue for the annual event, Beethovenfest.

    Johannes Sebastian Bach

    While not as revered as his two heavyweight compatriots, Mozart and Beethoven, Johannes Sebastian Bach made his own impression on world classical music. His most famous piece, Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor, conjures visions of haunted houses, vampires and an assortment of nightmarish imagery.

    With a trip to Leipzig, you can learn all about this famed composer. You should start with a visit to St. Thomas’s Church. These days, it is doubly famous as the home of the eponymous boys’ choir and because of their former cantor, none other than Bach himself. In fact it is thanks to Bach that the choir enjoys the international reputation it does today.

    Each summer, the city hosts a tribute to their favorite son, the Bachfest. You can also learn more about his life and music at the Bach Museum. It is home to one of the world’s largest collections of research on Bach.

    Richard Wagner

    For a true appreciation of Richard Wagner, you must head to Bavaria. Wagner enjoyed the patronage and respect of the Mad King Ludwig II, and helped to inspire many of the king’s castles.

    Scenes from Wagner’s operas, like Tannhäuser and Lohengrin, may be seen in many of these Bavarian palaces, most famously at Neuschwanstein Castle.

    While Tannhäuser was the inspiration for many paintings, many people will be most familiar with Wagner’s epic piece, Ride of the Valkyries.

    —Marcus