Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
After completing three Mammutmarsch events earlier this year – in Leipzig, Hamburg and Nürnberg – I was already familiar with the particular mixture of endurance, organisation and camaraderie that defines the series. Those walks had been useful preparation for climbing the Brocken later in the year, but the Nachtmammut Ruhrgebiet offered an entirely different experience: this was the only genuine night walk among the events I had attended.
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The Tetraeder at Bottrop is a striking steel sculpture and viewing platform that has become the town’s most recognisable landmark. Officially called the ‘Haldenereignis Emscherblick‘, it takes the form of a giant tetrahedron: a three‑sided pyramid made from steel tubes and cast nodes, resting on four concrete pillars. Its geometric silhouette seems to float above the summit of an artificial hill, giving the structure an almost weightless appearance despite its industrial materials.
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A Taxiteller is a substantial German takeaway dish, usually consisting of chips topped or served alongside currywurst, a portion of gyros, tzatziki, onions and often mayonnaise. Recipes vary from one snack bar to another: some replace the gyros with döner meat, while others add extra sauces or salad. It is best understood as a generous combination of familiar Imbiss favourites rather than a strictly standardised recipe.
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Zeche Zollverein in Essen was once one of the world’s largest and most advanced hard-coal mines. Together with its enormous coking plant, it formed a highly efficient industrial complex where coal was extracted, processed and converted into coke for the steel industry. Its striking winding tower, steel framework and red-brick buildings make it an outstanding example of modern industrial architecture.
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The Red Dot Design Museum in Essen is one of Europe’s most distinctive design museums, housed within the former boiler house of the Zeche Zollverein coal mine, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rather than focusing on fine art or historical artefacts, it showcases contemporary industrial and product design from around the world. The museum presents everyday objects – everything from household appliances and furniture to bicycles, electronics, and even small aircraft – chosen for their outstanding design quality.
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The Ruhrmuseum in Essen is the regional museum of the Ruhr area, housed in the former coal-washing plant of the Zeche Zollverein colliery. Rather than being a conventional industrial museum, it presents the entire natural and cultural history of one of Europe’s largest conurbations, from the formation of coal hundreds of millions of years ago to the present-day transformation into a modern metropolitan region.
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The Stadium am Millerntor is FC St. Pauli’s home ground, situated beside the Heiligengeistfeld in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. It is one of Germany’s most distinctive football stadiums, not because of its size or luxury, but because of its atmosphere, urban setting and close connection with the club’s supporters. The ground’s stands rise almost directly from the surrounding streets, giving match days a lively, neighbourhood feel.
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The Universitätsreitstall, also known as the Akademisches Reithaus, was a remarkable Baroque complex built between 1734 and 1736 for the newly founded University of Göttingen. It included a covered riding school, stables, an outdoor riding arena and accommodation for the university’s riding master. This was not merely a practical facility: equestrian training formed part of the education of young aristocrats, while riding demonstrations could also serve as prestigious public events.
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The Cyclassics in Hamburg are one of Germany’s best-known road-cycling events, combining a WorldTour professional race with mass-participation rides through the city and its surrounding region. The race began in 1996, quickly gained prestige, and has since become a major fixture in Hamburg’s sporting calendar.
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Dittsche – Das wirklich wahre Leben is a German comedy series centred on an unemployed Hamburg man who regularly visits a local snack bar. Wearing a dressing gown, jogging bottoms and bathing sandals, Dittsche exchanges empty beer bottles for full ones and then launches into elaborate theories about politics, sport, science and everyday life. His arguments are based on what the programme humorously presents as dangerously incomplete ‘half-knowledge’, making him both exasperating and oddly endearing.
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