John's German city reviews

by professor , South Bend, IN, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 18:43 (242 days ago)
edited by Jay, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 07:13

Background: https://bluegraysky.com/forum/index.php?id=530806

Leipzig: This was home. I adore it. Probably wouldn't hold your attention for more than 3-4 days as pure tourists, but it's a near-perfect place to live for a while. (Unless you need to find a proper Catholic mass, which, well ...) Highlights:

• Zoo Leipzig, which is truly world-class and takes at least 3-4 visits before you've begun to see it all.
  
• Thomaskirche and Nioklaikirche, both in the beautiful historic part of the city, which has great restaurants and shops and is largely free of cars. (Though, it's not a proper medieval quarter like in a city like Bremen.) Thomaskirche is where Bach lived and worked, and his grave is in the sanctuary, and Nikolaikirche was central in the anti-Soviet protests of 1989. Both churches host concerts most every evening, many of them free. There are good walking tours that will lead you around this area and teach you a lot of history, plus help you find other places you'll want to check out.
  
• The Volkerschlachtsdenkmal ("Monument to the Battle of the Nations"), which is on the outskirts of the city and *must* be seen and climbed. Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Battle_of_the_Nations.

General tips: great tram system; extremely bike-friendly city; beautiful parks and playgrounds; there are places where you will need to pay in cash; the food is incredibly cheap unless you are eating at very fancy places; plenty of people -- including vendors -- don't speak English, so have a good translation app handy.

Berlin: It's too big of a city for me. We rode the tour bus and visited the zoo, which is great. I'd been once before, but still it would take me a long time to get my bearings here. That's not to knock it, though -- this is just a personal preference.

Cologne: Pretty gritty, at least by German standards. The Dom is amazing, but most everything else around it was torn down after the war. There is a good zoo and a lovely botanical garden, and it's fun to walk the bridge across the Rhine from the cathedral, then go up the river and take the Seilbahn (basically a cable car) back to the other side. We visited the church that has Albert the Great buried in its crypt, and near there is a beautiful memorial to Edith Stein that's right along the city sidewalk. If you're going to visit I'd consider staying in Bonn, which is older and prettier and just a short train ride to the south.

Bamberg: This tiny medieval city is basically a postcard. A tourist trap, sure, but the topography is amazing and there are some beautiful churches, including a 13th-century cathedral with a very nice museum attached. We were there for just a day, as we stopped there on our way from a different city into Leipzig. Possibly my wife's favorite place we visited.

Dresden: I didn't love visiting Dresden. It's the site of an unforgivable crime against humanity, and that hangs in the air for me. Still, the rebuilt old city is pretty spectacular, and it's amazing to think of what has gone into its reconstruction. I visited one of the palaces with my kids. We'll return for sure if we are back in the area.

Bremen: This was a surprise -- maybe my favorite place we stopped and stayed. It's in the north of Germany, near where the river that runs through it empties into the North Sea. The houses along the river are beautiful and the medieval quarter is a treat. There was a street there where my 8-year-old daughter could reach with her hands to the buildings on each side. Loved it.

Tübingen: Another amazing medieval city with spectacular topography. I was doing things at the university, and meanwhile my kids had an absolutely legendary couple of days at the public pool there. Getting lost in the old streets is a trip. My sons and I were staying in an apartment that was across the hills from the main part of the city, which we'd access through a cycling tunnel that went right through the mountain. Five stars.

Zürich: Right, it is not in Germany. But it is still one of my favorite cities in the world. Pro tip #1: Most everything in Zürich is unbelievably expensive, but you can take a genuinely cheap, and very relaxing, boat trip around Lake Zürich by riding the public ferry: https://www.zsg.ch/en/timetable-prices. Pro tip #2: We stayed at an incredibly fun and family-friendly Vrbo in a small Swiss village about 45 minutes north of Zürich by train, not far from the Rheinfall (which is amazing ......). Drop me a line if you want the link.

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travel