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Rathaus in Bremen

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.

St Thomas Kirche

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.

Battle of Nations Monument

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.

Rathaus in Bremen

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.

Marienplatz in Munich

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!

Six Cities in Nine Days

February 24, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

n the Reutlingen study abroad program, one of the courses is all about Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach. It’s an interesting mix of history and theology, and as part of it, we all take a five day tour of Luther and Bach Land. That’s Leipzig, Wittenberg, Eisenach, and Erfurt. Following that, we have five days for free travel, just like after the Berlin trip. This time around, we chose to go to Munich and Salzburg. So many cities, so little time! We did so much this week, it’s impossible to talk about it all, so I’ll pick one or two highlights per day.

Saturday:
We actually arrived in Leipzig late on Friday, but Saturday was our first real opportunity to explore the city. While both Luther and Bach spent significant time in Leipzig, the guided portion of our day was more about Bach, who’s still clearly a local celebrity:

For a different kind of musical experience, that night, I found myself somewhere I never thought I would be: An opera house. By some miracle, we were able to buy very cheap, good seats for that night’s performance of Der Rosenkavalier. I wish I could be one of those truly sophisticated people who knows how to appreciate opera, but I’m still working on it. However, even though I didn’t know what was going on most of the time, the music was really beautiful, and I do recommend that everyone go to the opera at least once, at least just to say you did it.

Sunday:
On Sunday, we took a day trip to Wittenberg. Here, Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis on the door of the Castle Church almost 500 years ago. Unfortunately, the church is currently undergoing a major renovation in preparation for the anniversary. I do think that the Lutherans in our group got more out of the day, but it was still very interesting to see where such pivotal events took place.

Monday:
On Monday, we moved on to Eisenach, the birthplace of Bach and the location of the Wartburg castle, where Luther translated the Bible into German. For the history, as well as the wonderful views, the castle was my highlight.

That evening, we continued to Erfurt. Okay, my other, smaller highlights of the day were the charmingly eccentric Opera Hostel we stayed in in Erfurt and the surprisingly good steakhouse named “Texas” next door. I didn’t realize how much I missed American food.

Tuesday:
After a tour of Luther’s cloister, we had the rest of the day free to explore this city that pleasantly surprised me. At the beginning of the week, I really didn’t know what to expect of the former East Germany, but I was pleasantly surprised by all four cities, especially Erfurt. Because it’s a well-preserved, medieval town, it reminded me of why I fell in love with Germany. After exploring and enjoying the views from the Petersburg Citadel for a few hours, I spent the next two just sitting in an Eiscafé talking to a friend. It was the first real break I had all week, and while it may sound less than thrilling, it was probably my favorite day of the trip.

Wednesday:
To my surprise, I found out that the 10-day rail pass provided by the program is also valid on trains to Salzburg, Austria. Even though I’ve already been to Austria, I had to jump at the first chance I had to go to another country. Most of the day was spent on the train, but once we got to our hostel in Salzburg, one of our roommates invited us out with some of the other people staying there. Now, I’m not sure yet, what I think of the hostel experience. One the one hand, I had a fabulous, authentic Austrian meal at a table of people from 8 different countries, and that’s an amazing experience. On the other hand, I don’t know how comfortable I am wandering around at night in a foreign county with a bunch of strangers. Plus, it’s really hard to sleep in a room of 8 people snoring, coughing, and sniffling. So the jury’s still out on that one…

Thursday:
On Thursday, we saw the whole city, but the clear highlight was taking a cable car up to the top of the world. Yes, little old me, who’s afraid of heights , stood on top of a mountain. Like a real one… with snow and everything!

Friday:
I’ve been to Munich before, but I really did enjoy going again. We started the day with a free walking tour, which I highly recommend. It’s a great way to see the highlights if you don’t have a ton of time or money, and I know that many cities offer them. That night, I did the one thing I regretted not doing the last time I was in town. I went to the famous/infamous Hofbräuhaus. Honestly, I didn’t have terribly high expectations of the place because it is a known tourist trap, but still, it’s one of those things you just have to do at least once…like the opera. Anyway, the food was just okay, the beer was beer, and the Apfelstrudel was incredible. (Of course the dessert would be the highlight for me.) But the real reason why you go to the Hofbräuhaus is for the atmosphere. Surprisingly, there were actual Germans there, and we did share a table with them, and we did sing silly German songs. It was delightfully stereotypical!
It was a long week, and I’m glad to be home, but so grateful to have had all of there experiences. Sure, it’s hard sometimes, but this whole study abroad thing, this is the life!

Lessons From Leipzig

February 15, 2012 / sarahtiemann / 0 Comments

Growing up in the United States, the Cold War seemed like a faint memory that we only learn about in our history classes. Having to memorize all the political agreements, the unsaid tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., it just seemed like one long stalemate. However, after visiting Leipzig I have realized that for the German people, the Cold War and the East verses the West was not just another chapter out of a history book. The city is famous for being the start of the protests against the Communist government. By just touring around and seeing the buildings that have been rebuilt within the last twenty years, as well as, the people who were witnesses and protesters during the peaceful revolution to unify their country, these events are very much alive today.

One of the most striking moments was visiting the Stasi Museum (Museum in der “Runden Ecke”). The building, itself, was the headquarters for the East German Secret Police (Stasi). Just walking into the building, you feel as if you are entering the Communist run building. Your eyes immediately focus on a banner hanging in the entrance stating, “This building will be secured on behalf of the Government and the Citizens Committee of the People’s Police” hanging right next to a security camera. The museum takes you through the original offices while showing you all the equipment used to spy on their own people. From hidden cameras in briefcases, to phone tapping machines, and disguises, it is hard to believe these were still being used until the 1990’s.

The most moving exhibit for me, however, was an essay written by a ninth grader. He criticized the society and policies that he had to live under, even though he knew the consequences of writing this would be severe. According to the museum, the essay found itself in the hands of the police and they kept record of the boy until 1989 when German Communism fell. When I chose to study abroad, I figured that I would be able to connect my studies to my History major, more so than my Education major. However when reading about this student’s (translated) essay, I realized that this is a memory that I could pass on to my future students. I cannot only talk about the history surrounding the story, but also share the message that one person no matter how old, can speak out against what they believe is wrong and truly impact their future.

Check out more pictures of my ten day trip to at https://plus.google.com/photos/113496106333285759017/albums?banner=pwa

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