Top 3 Places to Visit While in Germany

Hello everyone. I hope everything is quite well back in Valpo or wherever you are reading this post. Sorry for the long gap between posts. I got a little lazy I admit it. However I did have a great spring break traveling to 6 different countries and 9 cities in our 2 week spring break. It was tough, but beyond worth it! The semester is coming to an end! Let the lack of motivation and cramming begin! For R-95 however, besides getting ready for finals, we have to start preparing to pack our things back up and head home. Our days are limited here in Germany and that got me reflecting on what some of my favorite places were in Germany. So without further adieu I’ll give a quick list of my top 3 places in Germany that I have visited:

3.  Leipzig 

My reasoning for choosing Leipzig can basically be summed up in one word: music. Anyone who has visited Europe knows that in the bigger cities there always seem to be street performers with accordions, violins, or any other instrument they can find. However in Leipzig it was not just the street performers who were excellent, but also because of the musical history that surrounds the city. Musical powerhouse names such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, and many others have made their way through this city. Any music lover would have a field day here with the amount of museums dedicated to various artists and churches where Bach or Wagner worked and composed. Two of the most famous, for example, are the St Thomas Kirche and St Nikolai Kirche where Bach performed his great works centeries ago.

However, Leipzig is not just for your classical music lover. Leipzig was also where the battle of nations took place in 1813. The combined forces of Austria, Germany, and Sweden helped push Napoleon out of Germany after his retreat from Russia. Today you can visit the monument and museum. This would be a great thing to do for half a day in my opinion. The monument itself lies about an hour and a half walk from the city center and is near some other museums.

 

 

More recently, Leipzig is also a location of many protests within East Germany during communist control. Leipzig is a place where people with all different interests can come together and find something interesting to do. Overall, Leipzig was very interesting to experience. The city was safe and fairly nice to English speakers if you are not fluent in German. I highly recomend giving Leipzig a visit.

2. Bremen/Munich

I should just be honest with you, Bremen, Munich, and the number 1 are all really tied for number 1, but I thought that would be nasty to have a three way tie. After much thought, sweating, and blood letting, Bremen and Munich rank number 2 on my list!

Bremen is a place that I would love to visit again. At first glance, Bremen is not a megga city with a population over 1 million, but let me tell you, with the amount of things to do there, it sure does seem like it. From visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Rathaus in the old town center, climbing up the spires in the St Peter’s Cathedral that originaly dates back 500 plus years, visiting the old windmill, walking along the River Weser, eating at Rathskeller restaurant which houses the largest selection of wine in Germany, or just walking down the shopping district and finding a nice cafe to sip some great coffee. Along with the numerous things to do, Bremen was also home to the friendliest people I have ever met in Germany.

Whether you are lost in the middle of the night with 100 dollar bills tapped to you while handcuffed, someone will make sure to point you in the direction of a bank, place to stay, and a mental institution because you are crazy if you tape 100 dollar bills to yourself while handcuffed. In all seriousness though, Bremen has some of the most down to earth and overall general nice people. They will go out of their way to say hello to you, ask to offer help if you look lost, give you suggestions on places to see, eat, or visit. People from Bremen are proud of their city and they rightly should be. Bremen comes in 2nd place because of the ability to see most everything in the city in about 2 days visit, but is tremendously increased because of the people. They really made the experience special there for us.

Munich on the other hand, is just a wee bit bigger than Bremen. By a wee bit I mean its more than double the size of Bremen. With a population of over 1 million and during Oktoberfest up to 3 million, you can always find something to do in Munich. Munich is truly the city where it is totaly normal to see a man in lederhosen eating a pretzel and drinking a mass of beer (1 liter mug). Home to some great sites, cool museums, and great food! When you imagine Germany, you are most likely thinking of Munich. From the famous glockenspiel to Oktoberfest to the original Hofbrauhaus, Munich is home to many Bavarian traditions that are cool to take in.

Now, the time you have all been waiting for. THE number one place (in my opinion) to visit in Germany. Well you are about to find out. After this long article post, you will walk away knowing a great place to visit. Knowing what to see and just a couple of things to do. The time is now, the city you have all been waiting for. The place is……………….Going to be given to you in the next blog post because this one is pretty long already.

Thank you all for reading! Let me just say though, every place I have been to in Germany has been fabulous and I highly recomend traveling outside of my recomendations. Anywhere you go you will find some sort of history to discover. I challenge everyone to come visit Germany and make your own top 3 list! Find out my number 1 city and possibly a list of my favorite cities outside of Germany to visit next week. Thanks again for reading and I will see you all sooner than we both know!