I am curating a twitter account this week that works by the rotation curation principle. It is called @i_amgermany and a different German or lover of Germany tweets on it every week, changing Sunday nights. Of course that makes me want to write about Germany on here this week, but I don’t exactly have a post in the drawer, and to be honest, taking care of two twitter accounts takes a lot of time.
So truthfully, it is a bit out of lack of time that I am bringing you a photo essay this week. Then again, when I look at the beauty I have to offer in this, I don’t think you will take it too badly. I am trying to show you the variety of what my beautiful home country has to offer, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did picking the photos for you.
Of course there are the thriving cities of Germany – Berlin, the largest and the capitol, surely comes first and foremost, but next in size are Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, and they are not to be neglected. All of them are very different, yet charming in their own ways.
The Speicherstadt, that is, City of Warehouses, shows you how functionality and beauty go together in Hamburg
When in Munich, climb up Alter Peter’s church tower – the view will be worth it!!
Cologne’s Cathedral is bound to leave you speechless with its gothic grandeur
But there is also landscapes! I had to cut down to a very small introduction of what Germany has to offer in that department. There’s the North and Baltic Seas in the North, and the Alps in the South, and a whole lot of rivers, mountain ranges, forests, lakes and fields in between.
Lake Constance borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland and brings maritime flair to the Southern most part of the country
Very dear to my heart, although I’m usually more fan of flat landscapes, are the rolling hills of Swabia, especially on a beautiful winter day like this
Would you have ever guessed that this is… Berlin?! Schlachtensee is a popular day trip destination in the summer
There are the castles that so many people associate with Germany. I have to admit I have never been to Neuschwanstein, the famous one that inspired the Disney castle, but there’s plenty of others worth visiting:
Castle Schwerin in the North East of the country is a true fairytale place to me
The Bayreuth Eremitage in Bavaria is worth a visit too – next to the castle you have a large park with beautiful grottos like this one
And in general there is much architecture to admire. Be it sacral in churches and monasteries or functional in post offices, train stations, hospitals, universities and so many more. Germany is just really pretty. Nothing to argue about that!
Bebenhausen in Southern Germany is one of the prettiest monasteries I have been to
The Fulda cathedral may not be as famous as the one in Cologne, but it surely makes for a beautiful stop right in the heart of the country
Lübeck with its hanseatic beauty of red brick stone holds a very special place in my heart!
Would you mind going to school here? This is Greifswald university, right by the Baltic Sea in the North East of the country. I absolutely loved my years as an undergrad student here.
Sometimes the beauty is not taken such great care of. This former hospital complex in Hohenlychen in Brandenburg is slowly left to decay. Such a shame.
Tübingen, another university town, has charmed everyone I know of. Studying there for my Master’s wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to me.
I could have and would have wanted to show you so much more, but I had to stick with places I had decent footage of this time around. Time and time again I think that travel in Germany alone could take years and years.
What are your favorite places in Germany? Or your dream destinations? Any places you think are must-sees – or need to be avoided?
April 9, 2013 at 11:38 am
I really enjoyed Schwerin when I visited last month (just for the day, though). There’s a lot more I plan to see here, too. Germany is just so BIG!
April 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm
I know… and if you ever need advice, shout! Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has much to offer, not just Schwerin. The islands… te Baltic Sea coast… lovely lovely lovely.
April 9, 2013 at 12:15 pm
I really like Hamburg but my all time fave must be Berlin!! I’ve seen quite a lot of Germany so far but I still don’t mind visiting it again 🙂
April 9, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Well Hamburg and Berlin are very different in many ways. Hamburg will always be out of reach for me, it is just home. Berlin is amazing though, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else right now! Do come by anytime you’d like to! 🙂 and hey, how about a Poland post from you?
April 9, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Munich is my favorite city, but I so love visiting all the small towns so much too. I feel like everywhere has something so special to characterize it! Love all the photos. And so fun you’re tweeting that account this week! I’ve heard about it before!
April 9, 2013 at 2:31 pm
Curating it is SO MUCH FUN, Alex, you should consider it!! Such great people you get in touch with and such interesting discussions. Would be fruitful for research for your from the minds of males thing as well 😀 xx
April 9, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Whilst I lived in Germany I visited Berlin, Cologne, Hannover and Munich of the big cities but for me it was the smaller places that delighted me most, places like Minden, Paderborn and Münster which were in the general area of where I lived and worked. I get the feeling that, in some ways, big cities are all the same but in smaller towns you get something of the local flavour and character which makes each place special in it’s own right. You also get the chance to be surprised by something nice you hadn’t expected. Your Tübingen pic reminds me of Paderborn.
April 10, 2013 at 9:27 am
But the big cities are NOT the same! Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne all have completely different vibes. I agree though, the smaller places are lovely, and there’s so many of them to discover. I hear great things about Paderborn, I think it’s time I went there to check it out.
April 10, 2013 at 9:30 am
My favourite restaurant is in Paderborn, one I’ve used many times. Table for two?
April 10, 2013 at 8:17 am
What a shame I sometimes forget how beautiful our home country is! But every time I’m in Southern Germany I’m charmed all over again! And I love Hamburg – wish I could afford living there 🙂
April 10, 2013 at 9:30 am
Well now that your thesis is gonna be done you will get a great job that will allow you to live anywhere you want to 🙂 We do live in a charming and ecclectic country. There is so much to see! My friend got the English Lonely Planet Germany recently to discover more hidden gems in our own country. There is such an infinity of things to discover!
April 10, 2013 at 11:51 am
I fell in love with Munich when I was there and have long wanted to visit Hamburg and Berlin, so I certainly didn’t need more convincing! But I do love your photos. Germany is indeed a gorgeous country and it is so full of history, culture and yummy food! I’m a big fan of sausages so I was pretty much in heaven in Munich.
April 13, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Hehe, much to discover for you then, dear! Shout if you make it to Berlin any time soon. Great currywurst abounds! 🙂
April 10, 2013 at 7:27 pm
I love the pictures, especially the one full of snow – it looks soooo magical love love!
April 13, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Yes, I stumbled about the snow one preparing this post, I had completely forgotten it. That was a lovely day, walking from Tübingen to Wurmlinger Kapelle – highly recommedn that walk in any season to anyone who’s in the area, gorgeous!
April 15, 2013 at 9:29 pm
I love the idea of the twitter account I_am_Germany and you were fantastic in curating! loved the „Marialla-Week“ 🙂 all the best from Switzerland!
April 16, 2013 at 7:18 am
Aw, thank you so much Anita!! I had a great time! Surely there is a #RoCur account for Switzerland? If not you should found one 😉 xx