I usually book hotels with HRS and select them by plain categories like price, location and availability of a car park – when doing road trips. When I needed a place to stay at Dresden, Germany a simple but very special harbourage came to my mind: the ship hotel “Pöppelmann” (named after the architect of the Zwinger).
Kassels oldest
The bar and restaurant Lohmann’s in the Königstor street in Kassel, Germany claims to be the oldest restaurant in the city – dating back to 1888. It is not far away from the city center in a calm side street and offers a restaurant and a beer garden where you can enjoy some fresh air in addition to your meal and drink.
Continue reading “Kassels oldest”Unusual concert location
I’ve seen a lot of concert locations during the last months – but none of them seemed as odd as the Stadthalle in Göttingen, Germany. A much too high ceiling, a too bright atmosphere, medium quality sound, people sitting on the upper floor and a supporting act playing in front of a plain white banner. Not the best preconditions for a nice evening.
The Batschkapp
The Batschkapp in Frankfurt am Main, Germany is a legend: a left-wing rock music club founded in 1976. It was first located in Eschersheim and moved to a new place in the city district Seckbach in 2013. There it has been enlarged to a modern music club which can also host big concerts – and even the old Batschkapp has already been a stage for R.E.M., Nirvana and Die Toten Hosen.
Ischa Freimaak!
Some cities in Germany have their own events and special times of the year: like Karneval in Cologne, Oktoberfest in Munich or the Canstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. In Bremen it is time for the Freimarkt in the last two weeks of October; always beginning on a Friday. It’s a tradition reaching back to the year 1035 and as the typical limitations and monopolies of markets in the city where revoked within this time frame, the name free market was established.
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
The airport of Düsseldorf, Germany is a modern and very well designed airport. It is the third largest passenger airport in Germany after Frankfurt and Munich. If you arrive here by long distance train you’ll have to take a hanging monorail train to the terminals; fun already at the beginning! As Düsseldorf is the main air base of Air Berlin the counters are directly behind the entrance – five minutes after arriving my luggage was correctly checked in and I had a lot of time left.
The old Tiergarten
The zoological garden of Heidelberg, Germany (“Tiergarten Heidelberg”) is located in the north-east of the city, between the river Neckar and the famous university. It dates back to 1934 and in some parts you can really see that it is an old zoo – sometimes because the animals don’t have that much space and sometimes because of the special flair of the old houses surrounding the area.
The biggest playground
The Deutsches Museum in München, Germany (official name: Deutsches Museum von Meisterwerken der Naturwissenschaft und Technik) is a vast technology museum located on the museum island south-east of the city center. It has been opened in 1925 and attracts 1.5 million visitors a year. It is the biggest natural science and technology museum of the world and you can roam the 28.000 exhibits for hours and days.
Little Italy
The Bar Centrale is a wonderful Italian bar in München, Germany. It is located close to the city center near to the Hofbräuhaus. From the outside you wouldn’t expect what’s inside: a traditional bar and coffee bar in the front and a small room to sit down and enjoy some pasta in the back. The staff is all-Italian, the coffee is classy and it is a good hint to stop by for an Aperol Sprizz.
Battle of the Knights
Schloß Berlepsch is a castle in the no man’s land surrounding Witzenhausen, Germany (close to Göttingen and Hann. Münden). Situated within the hills along the river Werra it can be seen from near and far. It has been built from 1369 on and has been invaded by several armies crossing the country during the centuries. Today it is a well preserved castle still owned by the family that once built it.