Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Rias Baixas is a Spanish restaurant within the city quarter Linden of Hannover, Germany – close to the old Hanomag plant, once producing railway locomotives, motor lorries and construction machines. It offers food from Galicia; wonderful tapas, fish and meat. And of course some Estrella beer to make the evening complete.
The Irish Pub is one of my favourite bars in Göttingen, Germany. In the summer a nice beer garden invites you to enjoy a Guinness, Strongbow or Cider under the trees within the center of the town. When the weather conditions are bad or in the evenings, there are two floors inside with a dark but very hospitable atmosphere.
The Stadion am Böllenfalltor – its name referring to a city gate and cottonwoods standing there in earlier days – is a soccer stadium in Darmstadt, Germany. It currently holds up to 17.000 supporters and is home to the SV Darmstadt 98, wearing blue and white and calling themselves “The lilies” – because the lily is part of the city arms of Darmstadt.
Things aren’t that obvious in Halle (Saale), Germany. You won’t expect to find a lovely old city center behind those GDR-style Plattenbauten close to the railway station. You might not think that there is a chocolate factory and museum. But one thing you can’t ignore if you arrive: a big advertisement in form of a globe between the railway tracks reminds you that there is a zoological garden.
The Festwiese is a festival ground in Leipzig, Germany. It is located close to the soccer arena (Zentralstadion) in the West of the city. It is 41.000 m² large and offers enough space for up to 75.000 people. It is used for big outdoor concerts and U2, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones already played here. If you are lucky you can get there by streetcar – elsewise it is a 35 minutes walk from the main railway station.
The culinary highlight of the German capital is of course – Currywurst. And there is no place like Konnopke to taste it. The traditional diner is situated at Schönhauser Allee directly underneath the elevated railway. Take a ride to Eberswalder Straße and order a “Menü weiß“: sausage, curry sauce, fries and mayonnaise. It all started in 1930 with selling sausages from mobile cookers; a well-established enterprise.