Easy hikes in East Germany
You may have never heard the name before, but Görlitz in the extreme south-eastern corner of Germany is a serious contender for the crown of the country’s Most Beautiful Town. In a part of Europe that has been devastated by violent conflicts time and again over the centuries, Görlitz has managed to survive the horrors…
In the final instalment of our Sachsen-Anhalt Trilogy, we will tell you what to do and where to go for a scenic and interesting walk in the state capital of Magdeburg. Magdeburg does not sit in the first row of popular German city destinations, not even in the second row, but chances are that most…
For a federal state that few people outside of Germany have ever heard of, Sachsen-Anhalt has more than its fair share of UNESCO World Heritage sites. There are, to begin with, the sites connected with Martin Luther and the history of the Reformation: Eisleben where he was born and, above all, Wittenberg where he lived…
Germany is a country rich in history and natural beauty, but it does not get the number of foreign visitors it deserves. And what is more: the visitors who do come all gather in the same few places. There are days when you seem to hear more English than German voices in Berlin, the Black…
The city of Potsdam is the number one daytrip destination from Berlin. And for good reasons, too: it is surrounded by parks and forests, contains several picturesque bodies of water and provides paths for hiking and biking. Above all, however, it is full of history: old history – as the former residence of Prussia’s most…
Leipzig, of course, is more than “Hypezig”, as the scene quarter of Plagwitz is sometimes known So in today’s post, I will first tell you what we did to explore this interesting and historical Old Town of Leipzig in the heart of Germany, and then what we should have done. We started our walk to…
There are not many things that East Germany (that most joyless country in the annals of the world) and Italy have in common, but here is one: a conservation policy that closely mirrors the principles of “triage”. In analogy to the requirements of battlefield medicine, both Italy and East Germany divided their cities or cultural…
… and when the twain finally did meet, two worlds collided – and two rival viewpoints of history. Two trillion dollars have been spent. This is not a trifling amount, even for one of the world’s richest nations. Still, East Germany – after 25 years of reconstruction – has preserved an Eastness about it which…
As seen on an iconic, world-famous painting – and by Kaiser Bill’s mother Ruegen is Germany’s largest island and one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Unsurprisingly, considering the German love for hiking, Ruegen also has a dense network of hiking paths, all centred on the 140 km long Hauptwanderweg – the “main hiking path”…
Scenic landscapes and a historical monument on the beach promenade of Rügen, Germany’s largest island It may be a truth universally acknowledged (at least across that section of the universe where English is spoken) that Binz Means Heinz. In modern Germany, Binz means beach It has always stood for sandy beaches and seaside fun –…