Germany Archives ⋆ Page 33 of 114 ⋆ The Passenger

February 2, 2020February 4, 2020

Hansemuseum

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.

February 1, 2020February 3, 2020

The MuK

Kettcar, Musik- und Kongresszentrum, Lübeck

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.

February 1, 2020February 3, 2020

Sleeping at the station

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.

January 27, 2020February 9, 2023

Auebad

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.

January 11, 2020January 12, 2020

Sambesi

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.

January 10, 2020January 10, 2020

Stadthalle Baunatal

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.

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

Bilsteinklippen

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.

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

Hirzstein

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!

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

Burgruine Schauenburg

The municipality of Schauenburg, Germany, is (like also, for example, Baunatal) a combination of different villages: Breitenbach, Elgershausen, Elmshagen, Hoof and Martinhagen. Its centre is at Hoof and the symbol of the municipality is the Schauenburg, a former fortification on a volcanic cone (the Burgberg). It dates back to the 11th century CE and the structures are clearly visible on top of the mountain – different walls are still standing and even some crop plants from these times have survived.

January 4, 2020January 5, 2020

Wet grave

Different stories about bridges could be told at Guntershausen. The village belonging to Baunatal, Germany, is an important railway junction where the tracks from Kassel to Frankfurt (Main-Weser-Bahn) and from Kassel to Bebra (Friedrich-Wilhelms-Nordbahn) meet. Since 1848 a large and beautiful bridge leads over river Fulda, but its centrepiece was destroyed during World War II by the Nazis. It was rebuilt in 1952 in modern style. The most macabre story happened during the construction works of a nearby road bridge. High water stopped the construction works in 1924 right after the piling walls had been placed.