GoJoel
Senior Travel Member
Posts: 65
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Post by GoJoel on Jan 10, 2007 0:47:08 GMT -5
Can anyone give me some advice on favorite cities to see in Germany that are not in the south? I'm planning on spending a week or so in the country but most of the places I want to see are either in Bavaria or elsewhere in the south. I just figured I should see the rest of the country but nothing has really caught my eye yet. Berlin might be a possibility, but I was sort of looking for something different. Any help would be appreciated.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jan 10, 2007 2:44:29 GMT -5
Hey GoJoel, nice to see you exploring other parts of Germany than just the south - they are totally different and worth seeing.
Berlin is well worth a visit - for history and energy - so try to keep it in your itinerary if you can. Some others to consider are Dresden (totally rebuilt after WWII but still interesting city), Bremen (OK, I lived here and Berlin years ago so I'm biased, but it has the Bremen Town Musicians, great old town and cool parks), Munster (great University town and v pretty too), Cologne (lots written about it on this site recently - good for a day of sightseeing), a cruise on the Rhein (you could go from Cologne), Trier (in the heart of the Black Forest, but any other town nearby is good too, try Triberg or Freiberg), Rothenburg ob der Tauber (technically it's in Bavaria but the north, is a well-preseved example of a medieval town and it's Christmas all year round!), Heidelberg (University town and worth a stop if you're going by), Hamburg (I like the town and it's good for a day of sightseeing and a night on the town), Luebeck (again, only if going that way, which you wouldn't necessarily do). There are also lots of great little villages/towns in Ostfriesland (borders with the Netherlands) like Osnabruck, Cloppenburg and Oldenburg, but it depends on how much you want to experience.
No doubt the others will chime in shortly so you'll have plenty to choose from. Let us know what you come up with.
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Post by herrbert on Jan 10, 2007 7:26:25 GMT -5
For some other experiences, you might want to consider the Island of Sylt (on the Northsea), or Rügen (Baltic Sea or Ostsee as the Germans call it), which is famous for it's rockformations, similar to one on the Danish Island of Mon. I think Rügen is the best accesible, by train from Berlin it would take something like 4 hours. The downside to both these options would be that you could find yourself, with a long trip to get of there, towards your next city, town (depending on your planning)
The Madam already mentioned Cologne and the Eiffelregion. There are some smaller places like Zell (an der Mosel), that are good for a quick visit. I am no expert on these rivercruises, but I guess there would be a way to combine a trip on the rhein, with a trip on the Mosel. (Maybe Koblenz would be a better startingpoint).
Monschau is a little town in the Eiffel, where you can find a lot of old houses, in the tyipcal style. (in a way similar to Riquewihr in France). And also in this region, you could combine a visit to Aachen, with a daytrip to Maastricht in the Netherlands (about one hour from Aachen by train)
Another place that is drawing more and more attention in Germany is the Härz. I only passed there once, and very quickly but it looked beautiful. Maybe somebody else can give more information on the towns in that region.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jan 11, 2007 2:40:17 GMT -5
Another place that is drawing more and more attention in Germany is the Härz. I only passed there once, and very quickly but it looked beautiful. Maybe somebody else can give more information on the towns in that region. Yeah, the Harz Mountains, good call Herrbert! There are great stories about witches and spirits and Goethe, among others has written (in Faust) about the mountains, gorges and forests. Brokenberg (the mountain) is good for hiking, Goslar (medieval and UNESCO World Heritage site) and Ilsenburg (large castle) are two towns worth a visit. If you like spas, try Bad Lauterburg. |
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Post by me on Jan 11, 2007 22:27:54 GMT -5
Bremer Stadtmusikanten will mean little to someone who's not a Brothers Grimm fan. but Bremen is an interesting (somewhat inland) port with a history as a Hasa city. as Madam sez, Münster is pretty town with, due to its big university, a great student scene. but, i'm biased. i studied there one Semester many years ago. Münster also holds great historical significance; "Treaty of Münster," half of 1648's "Peace of Westphalia" was negotiated there. the "Westphalian System," for those unfamiliar with the term, has been the basis for our international system for hundreds of years. [except, ironically, the Europeans have largely rejected it with the EU concept of "shared sovereignty."] . . . Neoliberal arguments in support of the Iraq invasion, in spite of no WMD, also rejects the Westphalian System. (hey, i studied politics - this stuff still interests me.)] PS: people from Ostfriesland are often the butt of jokes in some of Germany. as a Texas, the best anology i can come up with are Aggies. [do people outside Texas know Aggie jokes?] Hey GoJoel, nice to see you exploring other parts of Germany than just the south - they are totally different and worth seeing. Berlin is well worth a visit - for history and energy - so try to keep it in your itinerary if you can. Some others to consider are Dresden (totally rebuilt after WWII but still interesting city), Bremen (OK, I lived here and Berlin years ago so I'm biased, but it has the Bremen Town Musicians, great old town and cool parks), Munster (great University town and v pretty too), Cologne (lots written about it on this site recently - good for a day of sightseeing), a cruise on the Rhein (you could go from Cologne), Trier (in the heart of the Black Forest, but any other town nearby is good too, try Triberg or Freiberg), Rothenburg ob der Tauber (technically it's in Bavaria but the north, is a well-preseved example of a medieval town and it's Christmas all year round!), Heidelberg (University town and worth a stop if you're going by), Hamburg (I like the town and it's good for a day of sightseeing and a night on the town), Luebeck (again, only if going that way, which you wouldn't necessarily do). There are also lots of great little villages/towns in Ostfriesland (borders with the Netherlands) like Osnabruck, Cloppenburg and Oldenburg, but it depends on how much you want to experience. No doubt the others will chime in shortly so you'll have plenty to choose from. Let us know what you come up with. |
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jan 11, 2007 22:39:21 GMT -5
PS: people from Ostfriesland are often the butt of jokes in some of Germany. as a Texas, the best anology i can come up with are Aggies. [do people outside Texas know Aggie jokes? Nope - is it something to do with farmers (agricultural)? That's the best wordplay I could come up with. Ostfriesland borders with the Netherlands so their dialect is often called Platt Deutsch or Flat German, meaning farmers' land as it's pretty darn flat and moor-like up there - great for cows, witches on the moors and artists (good sunsets!). |
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Post by me on Jan 11, 2007 23:25:58 GMT -5
Aggies are students at Texas A&M University. [the A&M did in the past refer to "Agricultural and Mechanical"]
A&M is flagship of one a big state university system in Texas. [we once discussed University vs. College. in America, a university is a collection of colleges. A&M has 10 colleges (i just looked)]
America's new Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, had been president of Texas A&M University.
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jan 12, 2007 0:06:18 GMT -5
You learn something new every day!
Ta! ;D
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