Sights Archives ⋆ The Passenger

February 15, 2026February 17, 2026

ISK

The Internationaler Sozialistischer Kampfbund, usually shortened to ISK, emerged in the mid‑1920s as a small but remarkably disciplined socialist cadre group centred on the Göttingen philosopher Leonard Nelson and his circle. It broke away from the broader workers’ parties of the Weimarer Republik and aimed to educate and train future leaders for a new, ethically grounded socialist society rather than chase mass membership. Politically, the ISK rejected both Marxist orthodoxy and clerical influence, placing a strong emphasis on individual responsibility and moral steadfastness, which gave its members a very distinct profile in the crowded left‑wing milieu of the time. Göttingen played a key role in this, because the university and Nelson’s teaching there served as a magnet for young people willing to combine philosophy, pedagogy and political engagement. From this provincial academic town, ideas were carried into wider networks of the labour movement across Germany.

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026

Planetenweg

The Planetenweg in Göttingen is a fascinating blend of science, art, and landscape – a miniature model of our solar system mapped onto the real world. Stretching roughly 2.5 kilometres through the city centre to the outskirts, it’s built to a scale of one to two billion. That means every metre you walk represents about two million kilometres in space. The trail starts near the Göttingen railway station, where the Sun is depicted. From there, you can follow the path through the city up the hill, tracing the order of the planets as you move farther from the railway station.

February 8, 2026

Haus Loufried

Lou Andreas-Salomé was born in 1861 in St. Petersburg and died in 1937 in Göttingen, where she had spent the last decades of her life and intellectual work. She moved within the great intellectual currents of late nineteenth- and early twentieth‑century Europe, shifting from theology and philosophy to literature and, finally, to psychoanalysis. Her life feels like a continuous journey between cities and languages, but it comes to rest, symbolically and quite literally, in Göttingen, where her grave still draws visitors who know her name more through others – Nietzsche, Rilke, Freud – than through her own books.

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026

Iberg

Rising gently above Heilbad Heiligenstadt, the Iberg mountain offers a rewarding and well-marked hiking circuit known as the TOP-Wanderweg „Erlebnis Iberg“. This route showcases the diverse natural and historical features of northern Thüringen. Although the trail involves a noticeable incline, particularly during the gradual ascent through the Langes Tal (‘long valley‘), the climb unfolds in a comfortable rhythm, making it suitable for anyone with moderate hiking experience. The path is well-maintained, with clear signposts and rest areas that invite you to take in the surrounding forested landscape.

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

Brunate

The Funicolare Como-Brunate is one of those engineering marvels that beautifully blends practical transportation with scenic delight. Opened in 1894, it was conceived as a way to connect the bustling lakeside city of Como with the hillside village of Brunate, perched some 700 metres above. Initially powered by steam and later electrified, the funicular became a symbol of 19th-century ingenuity, offering both locals and visitors a reliable and fascinating ascent up the steep incline. Its red carriages, gently swaying as they climb, feel like a journey back through time – a reminder of how elegantly the past solved challenges of geography.

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

Lago di Lugano

Straddling the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, Lago di Lugano is one of those rare lakes that feels at once luxuriant and unspoilt. Its emerald waters wind between steep alpine slopes and densely forested hills, creating a semi-Mediterranean landscape that’s markedly different from the larger, more polished lakes like Como or Maggiore. The air here feels softer, touched by olive trees, camellias, and lemon groves that thrive thanks to the lake’s mild microclimate. What makes it truly special is the blend of Swiss precision and Italian flair: orderly lakeside promenades lined with elegant villas contrast with the lively warmth of the cafés and trattorie where Italian is the dominant tongue.

January 1, 2026

Sindone di Torino

The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista in Torino stands as one of the most remarkable examples of Renaissance church architecture in northern Italy. Built between 1491 and 1498 under the direction of Amedeo de Francisco di Settignano, known as Meo del Caprina, the cathedral replaced a cluster of medieval churches dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the city’s patron saint. Its elegant façade of white marble, rare for Piedmont at the time, reflects the transition from Gothic to early Renaissance design, pairing classical balance with restrained ornamentation. In the late 17th century, the complex gained its most distinctive silhouette when Guarino Guarini added the magnificent Baroque chapel designed specifically to house one of Christianity’s most venerated relics – the Shroud of Torino.

December 31, 2025December 31, 2025

Navigli

It is one of Milano’s most atmospheric districts, known for its winding canals, artistic flair, and lively spirit that blends old-world charm with contemporary urban life. The area takes its name from the navigli – the historic network of canals designed between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries to connect Milano with Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, and eventually the Po river. These waterways once made the inland city a thriving commercial hub, transporting goods and even the marble used to construct the Duomo. The system was an engineering marvel of its time, with Leonardo da Vinci contributing significantly to the design of the canal locks during his stay in Milano .

December 31, 2025January 1, 2026

Brescia

Often dubbed the ‘Lioness of Italy‘, Brescia rests quietly in the Lombardy region between Milano and Lago di Garda, yet carries a history as fierce as any of Italy’s more famous cities. Its origins reach back to pre-Roman times when it was a Celtic settlement, later transformed into a Roman colony under the name Brixia. The city’s archaeological remains from that era, including the Capitolium Temple and the Roman theatre, serve as a tangible reminder of Brescia’s status as one of northern Italy’s most important Roman centres. During the Middle Ages, it grew prosperous under the rule of various powers – Venetians, French, Austrians – each leaving architectural and cultural marks that blend into a remarkably layered urban fabric.

December 31, 2025January 1, 2026

Bergamo

The city of Bergamo is one of those Northern Italian cities that seem to balance elegance and authenticity in equal measure. Nestled at the foothills of the Alps in Lombardy, it has long served as a link between the plains of Milano and the mountain routes leading to the lakes and beyond. Its dual layout – Città Alta (the Upper Town) and Città Bassa (the Lower Town)– immediately captures the imagination. The medieval walls enclosing the old upper city stand in stark contrast to the modern avenues below, a physical reminder of centuries of transformation and resilience.