Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Lübecker Dom is one of the richly decorated churches in the city. Its foundation stone was laid by Henry the Lion in 1137, the church was inaugurated in 1247. Formerly a Catholic church it has been converted during Protestant Reformation and it changed its appearance from a Roman to Gothic style. After a bomb partially destroyed the Dom in 1942 it needed until 1982 to restore it properly.
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It is a little bit spooky but worth a visit: the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital in the city centre of Lübeck, Germany. A beautiful Gothic building made from red bricks containing a former hospital dating back to the year 1227 CE. When you enter it you will feel like in a church – there are giant religious wall paintings, a pulpit and some sculptures. You can also enter the main hall of the hospital where you can see wooden cabins that were once used to separate the ill. Hard to imagine to stay for a longer time in one of these.
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In the North of Europe everybody knows the Hanse – an association of merchants that organized itself between the 12th and the 17th century, collectively agreed on trading rules and supported each other. It began with merchants travelling together in the direction of Sweden and Russia to share knowledge and be better protected. The Hanse left many traces still visible today; especially throughout the countries along the Baltic sea. They also met regularly and most often this Hansetag happened in Lübeck – a good reason for opening a museum here.
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If you give a place a name as long as Musik- und Kongresshalle then it’s pretty normal that the locals will start to abbreviate. For them this concert hall and event centre opened in 1994 is simply ‘die MuK‘. Philharmonic concerts use a special room within the building, for other concerts the stage is placed in a giant foyer. A multifunctional building saves money but everything feels a little bit improvised: the windows closed with cloth hanging from the ceiling and mobile barriers (called Hamburger Gitter) needed to ensure a proper entrance check for the crowd.
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The Lübecker Handelshof is a beautiful building from the year 1924 and directly attached to the main railway station of Lübeck, Germany. It is today a building protected by law and inside you will find a quite good hotel, the H+ Hotel. It is a modern hotel which is nice, well-designed and clean. For visiting the city it is in a very good position: extremely close to the railway station and it is also only a short walk to the city centre and the concert hall MuK.
Continue reading “Sleeping at the station”
If you want to go swimming in Kassel, Germany, then the Auebad might be your best choice. It is a combination of an indoor family spa with water slides, a sauna area, a pool for sports and an outdoor pool. The Auebad is located next to the river Fulda and the Staatspark Karlsaue. Swimming has a long tradition there as already in 1923 the mayor of Kassel, Philipp Scheidemann (yes, the one that in 1918 announced the German Republic) created a place at this location where it was safely possible to swim in the river.
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The Sambesi is a restaurant at Göttingen, Germany, named after the river running through central and Southern Africa. I have a little bit mixed feelings about this place as you can get nice African-style dishes here but it is often too loud and the restaurant has the atmosphere of a waiting hall at a railway station. Additionally, I never had the desire to eat ostrich, crocodile or zebra meat – which seems to be the unique selling proposition of this restaurant.
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The city centre of Baunatal, Germany, is no extraordinary beauty. The reason why people from Kassel and the region around sometimes visit it can be found at its centre: the Stadthalle Baunatal, a location used for concerts and other cultural events. On 800 square meters, up to 1,000 people can attend events. But it can also be used for smaller meetings and fairs.
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The Brasselsberg mountain close to Kassel, Germany, is full of rock formations of volcanic origin. There were different volcanoes and over time erosion washed weaker material out and left bizarre rocks throughout the mountains. Some are better known as they are located next to frequently used hiking paths (like the Porta Lapidaria) and some are very special like the Teufelsmauer and facilities like protective huts have been created next to them. A rather unknown beauty are the Bilsteinklippen, a collection of large volcanic rocks near the Bismarckturm.
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When you’re hiking within the Habichtswald near Kassel, Germany you might find signs leading you to the Hirzstein – a 500 meters high rock formation with a nature preserve. Access is possible from the Teufelseck near the Teufelsmauer. It is just a one kilometre long way along the mountain through beautiful forest until you reach a viewing platform. Here you will find benches and very good views on Baunatal and Schauenburg. A detour is absolutely worth to take!
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