I went to Garmisch Partenkirchen the first time with my father, a soldier in the US Army, and we spent a week wandering around the old market square of Partenkirchen and gazing up at the snowy peaks beyond Garmisch. The small, alpine twin-city in Germany was merged for the 1936 Olympics and after that one […]
Located on the banks of the Rhine, at the border between Switzerland, France and Germany, Basel is a culturally rich city. It is home to world-class museums, outdoor sculptures, theaters, and concert halls. Basel also hosts Art Basel, an international art show for modern and contemporary artists that draws over 60,000 visitors to the city during […]
Tübingen, Germany: the great German writer, Goethe, barfed here; the renowned German author, Hermann Hesse, handled books here; and even the current Pope, Benedict XVI, was formerly known as Herr Professor Ratzinger here.
I’ll admit it. When my Berlin-savvy friend asked if I’d like to stop by the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor), I said “yes, of course!” As we strolled past the Hotel Aldon (of Michael Jackson fame), I racked my brain trying to think of what I remembered (or had ever learned) about the Brandenburg Gate and […]
endlich himmelblau Berlin is the capital and metropolis of modern Germany with a population of approximately 4.2 million. In Berlin, you’ll find grand public buildings, chic restaurants, vibrant cafes and pubs, lively dance and nightclubs, numerous museums and theatres, historic palaces and sites of interest, and many shopping centers and boutique stores shelved with the […]
Germany’s long history can be traced through its rich array of castles and palaces that are scattered throughout the countryside. Germany’s castles span various eras and genres and most are very well preserved. All year long, castles play host to a multitude of festivals and events that capture the medieval and Renaissance cultures from ancient […]
Light, colors and glass Konstanz is a university town situated on the Rhine River and at the western end of Lake Constance, which is not too far from the Swiss border or the Swiss Alps. The city of Konstanz was the site of the Church Council from 1414-1418, a period during which religious reformer Jan […]
Once a sooty, black industrial powerhouse, Dortmund, Germany is now going hi-tech and green as part of Germany’s attempt to turn the unemployment-ridden Ruhr Gebiet region into a Green Corridor with Silicon characteristics. Not many people visited this place for fun in the past; workers came here to make money in the steel mills and coal […]
Freiburg, located in Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg region, is normally associated with Black Forest cake (cherry-and-chocolate gateau) and cuckoo clocks. Although you can find all this here, Freiburg has many other things to offer: gothic architectural highlights mirroring the city’s changes through history, excellent wine, numerous cultural events and an eco community that has its own political […]
While Dresden may be known for its Altstadt (old town) and its many landmarks, the Neustadt or new town offers a lively alternative to crowds of tourists and souvenir sellers. In the 1990s, the Neustadt was known for its alternative scene and carefree attitude. Some of that attitude can still be seen in graffiti covered buildings […]