Germany Archives ⋆ The Passenger

August 10, 2025August 10, 2025

Lenbachhaus

Located in the vibrant heart of München, the Lenbachhaus is a true gem for anyone with an appreciation for art and history. Originally, the building was the villa of Franz von Lenbach, a prominent 19th-century painter, who designed his home in a Tuscan style reminiscent of Italian Renaissance villas. In the early 20th century, the city of München acquired the property and transformed it into a museum, aiming to preserve and showcase Lenbach’s legacy and the city’s rich artistic heritage. Over the years, the Lenbachhaus underwent several expansions and updates, allowing it to evolve into one of Germany’s most esteemed art institutions.

August 9, 2025August 10, 2025

Green oasis

The Botanischer Garten Nymphenburg in München, nestled adjacent to the famed Schloß Nymphenburg, is a serene oasis with a rich legacy dating back to the early 20th century. Originally founded in its current location in 1914, the botanical garden replaced the city’s older botanical garden near Karlsplatz. Its development was strongly shaped by a desire to create a thriving centre of horticultural education and research, one that would also serve the public as a place for enjoyment and tranquillity.

August 9, 2025August 10, 2025

Nymphenburg

On the western edge of München you can find Schloß Nymphenburg, a splendid testament to Baroque architecture and the grandeur of Bavaria’s royal past. The palace was commissioned in 1664 by Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, in celebration of the birth of their son, Max Emanuel. Initially conceived as a summer residence, it began as a modest cubic pavilion surrounded by gardens and auxiliary buildings, but over centuries expanded into a lavish complex under successive members of the Wittelsbach dynasty. The palace’s transformation mirrored the dynasty’s aspirations: its façade, gardens, and interiors were continually embellished, culminating in a breathtaking ensemble of halls, museums, and parkland.

August 9, 2025August 10, 2025

Hirschgarten

The Biergarten in the Hirschgarten is truly a quintessential München experience, blending tradition, nature, and conviviality. Hirschgarten itself claims the title of the largest beer garden in the world, with thousands of seats beneath sprawling chestnut trees. As you settle in with a stein of locally brewed beer, the air hums with the lively chatter of locals and travellers alike. It is a place where families, friends, and solo explorers can relax, share laughter, and enjoy the simple pleasures of a sunny afternoon or a warm summer evening.

August 9, 2025August 10, 2025

Dachau

The Konzentrationslager Dachau, located just outside München, was the first Nazi concentration camp established in 1933. Originally designed to hold political prisoners, especially Communists and Socialists, its brutal regime soon expanded its targets to include Jews, Roma, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and prisoners of war from various nations. Dachau became infamous as the model on which other camps were based and as a training ground for SS camp guards, making it a key site in the Nazi repression apparatus. The conditions and systematic cruelty left thousands dead and countless more scarred.

July 6, 2025July 6, 2025

Sachsenhausen

Visiting the Konzentrationslager Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg, just north of Berlin, is a sobering and deeply educational experience. Established in 1936 by the SS, Sachsenhausen was intended as a model camp, both in its design and its function. Initially, it held political prisoners, but over time, its population expanded to include Jews, Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Soviet prisoners of war. The camp became notorious for its harsh conditions, forced labor, medical experiments, and systematic executions. After the end of the Nazi regime, the site was repurposed by the Soviets as a special camp for political prisoners and former Nazis, where thousands more perished.

June 22, 2025June 23, 2025

Bunker Valentin

Located near Farge on the banks of the river Weser just outside Bremen, Bunker Valentin is one of the largest above-ground bunkers in Europe and a haunting reminder of the final phase of World War II. Construction began in 1943, as the Nazi regime sought to protect its crucial submarine production from relentless Allied bombing. The plan was to assemble the advanced Type XXI submarines here, using innovative assembly-line techniques inside a massive, bomb-proof structure. The parts would have been preproduced in Hamburg and Danzig; the idea was to release a new U-Boot every 56 hours. The bunker stretches an astonishing 426 meters in length and 97 meters in width, with walls and a roof several meters thick – designed to withstand even the heaviest aerial attacks.

June 21, 2025June 22, 2025

Germany’s only high-sea island

Helgoland, Germany’s only high-sea island, has a rich and turbulent history shaped by its strategic location in the North Sea. Originally inhabited since prehistoric times, the island belonged to Denmark for centuries before passing to the United Kingdom in 1807 and finally to Germany in 1890 through the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty. Since 1932, Helgoland has been part of the Landkreis Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein, a unique administrative arrangement that ensures efficient governance despite its distance from the mainland. Pinneberg was selected as it is close to Hamburg, which has the best connection to the island.

June 20, 2025June 22, 2025

Halunder

The Halunder Jet is the most efficient and enjoyable way to reach Helgoland. This high-speed catamaran is designed for comfort and speed, whisking you from Cuxhaven to Germany’s only true high-sea island in a bit more than an hour. If you prefer a longer ride you can also already start your trip at the harbor of Hamburg, giving you a nice tour on the Elbe river. The Halunder Jet is modern and has panoramic windows as well as spacious decks, and great amenities. The timetable gives you the option to either explore Helgoland in four hours (which is possible with good preparation) and return the same day – or to stay overnight and skip one boat.

June 20, 2025June 22, 2025

Hapag

Stepping into the world of Hapag is like opening a chapter of German maritime history that shaped global shipping for more than a century. Founded in the bustling port city of Hamburg in 1847, the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Aktien-Gesellschaft – better known as Hapag – quickly became synonymous with reliable transatlantic travel and trade. In its early days, Hapag connected Europe and North America, carrying both hopeful emigrants and valuable cargo across the ocean. Over the decades, it grew into one of the world’s most prestigious shipping lines, pioneering new routes and building some of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners of its time.