Drachenschlucht

Drachenschlucht, Eisenach

A narrow valley, a beautiful gorge: the Drachenschlucht (dragon canyon) at Eisenach, Germany is a good place for a nice walk; in fact one of the most beautiful I‘ve ever done in a gorge. Through the Mariental you can walk on a well-maintained path consisting of wooden and sometimes metal walkways. It leads along and above the water of the small river and sometimes the gorge is very narrow (at minimum 68 cm) – only one person can pass at a time.

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Logotel

Logotel, Eisenach

The Logotel is a hotel near the city center of Eisenach, Germany. It is not a beautiful boutique hotel but solid standard and absolutely sufficient for a nice weekend. The hotel feels a bit old-fashioned but it has all you need and also offers Sky television. Next to the hotel you can find the Greek restaurant Athen that is highly frequented and seems to be a good choice. Two supermarkets are close-by.

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Goldener Löwe

Goldener Löwe, Eisenach

The Goldener Löwe at Eisenach, Germany was once an ordinary restaurant (first mentioned in 1533). But on August 7th, 1869 an important event happened here: August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht founded the Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei (SDAP) during a congress. It was later merged with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Arbeiterverein (ADAV) founded by Ferdinand Lassalle. The organization created is today known as the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) – the oldest still existing political party in Germany.

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Helfensteine

Helfensteine, Zierenberg

It’s a bizarre landscape. A vast area without bushes and trees, strangely formed rocks on one of the surrounding mountains, many people walking around and climbing these rocks and gliders starting on an airfield in between. That is what you can all find close to Zierenberg, Germany (15 kilometers northwest of Kassel). The strangely shaped rocks are called Helfensteine and are visible because of the erosion of the surrounding area over a very long time.

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Unused waterfall

Neuer Wasserfall, Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel

It is a lost place within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany: the Neuer Wasserfall (new waterfall). During the ancient water show the water runs from down from the Herkules monument to the Steinhöfer Wasserfall. It passes the Teufelsbrücke and the Aquädukt ruin before a large fountain starts. But there was another section that was added in 1826 – another waterfall. It was last in operation in 1943 before it was hit by bombs. It hasn’t been destroyed much but it can’t be used until today and most people don’t know about it.

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Up and down

View from the northern tower of the Martinskirche, Kassel

The city center of Kassel, Germany was largely destroyed during World War II (80 %). Before 1943 it must have been a wonderful place with many half-timbered houses. Today it feels like there is not much to show on a guided tour; tourists normally book art tours during documenta times or visit the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with guides. But yet there are some hidden gems and fortunately a club of history enthusiasts offers special tours.

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