Nürnberg – A Guide to Nuremberg

With 500 000 inhabitants, Nuremberg is Bavaria’s second largest city and is situated in the Franconia area. It is especially crowded with tourists during the winter season due to the famous Nuremberg Christmas market. Nuremberg used to be a very popular destination for German kings during the Holy Roman Empire. Even Martin Luther described Nuremberg as the sun among the moon and the stars. Nowadays Nuremberg is a city well known for its quality of living and is ranked number 25 in the Worldwide Quality of Living Survey.

Sights:

Christkindlmarkt: The most favourite sight in Nuremberg is the Christmas market at the “Hauptmarkt”, which is the bustling square in the heart of the city. In the Northwest of the square is the famous fountain “Schöner Brunnen” (Beautiful Fountain). This fountain is 19m high and was built in the late 14th century. The fountain is decorated with a vision of golden figures. A local superstition says that if you turn the small black ring three times (located on one side of the fountain) your wish will come true. It is a common tourist mistake to think you should turn the more obvious golden ring instead.

Felsengänge: There is a four storey passageway under the Albrecht Dürer Platz (picture left). The passageway is called “Felsengänge” and was burrowed into the sandstone in the 14th century. The passageway was used as a shelter during the Second World War. You can only see this tunnel as part of a tour. Tickets are sold at the brewery “Hausbrauerei Alstadthof” and cost €4,50. It’s best to take a jacket with you as it can get pretty cold down there.

Kaiserburg: The impressive castle “Kaiserburg” (picture left) is a must see. Built in the 12th century and used as residency for kings and queens. Take a look at the tower “Sinwellturm” and the 48m deep well “Tiefer Brunnen” which still yields drinking water.

Nuremberg Trials Courthouse: This is the place where the Nazi war criminals were sent to justice. The courtroom was closed down for renovations but reopened in 2010.

Tours:

The best English tour is the Old Town walking tour which is a 2.5 hour tour. The tour leaves from Hauptmarkt and costs €9 per person.

Sleeping:

Prices can get high during Christmas time and the toy fair in late January. So book well in advance during this time of year.
The Lette ‘m sleep (Frauentromauer 42) is the place to go if you are on a budget. A dorm room will cost about €18 per night.

A good mid range hotel is the Aria Hotel (Zufuhrstr. 10) which is situated close to the city centre. The hotel is a three star hotel and has very modern and light rooms. A double room costs €50 per night.

Also situated in the city centre is the hotel Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nürnberg. A real luxury hotel with stunning rooms. A double room costs €400 a night.

Eating:

A traditional German restaurant is the Sudhaus (Bergstraße 20) where you will get German and Franconia specialties like “Nürnberger Bratwurste”(Nuremberg sausages) or “Fränkischer Sauerbraten” (Franconia sour beef). Meals cost around €12.

Another traditional restaurant is Alte Küch’n im Keller (Albrecht-Dürer-Straße 3). The medieval decoration makes you feel like a knight and the food is traditionally German. You can even order “Ritteressen” (knight food) or “Kaiseressen” (emperor food). (Picture left)

It’s not German but you can get absolutely delicious Greek food at DELPHI (Innere Laufer Gasse 22). Mains cost about €22.

Drinking:

Scandinavian decorated bar Stockholm (Innere Laufer Gasse 21) offers Swedish and international food and very delicious cocktails. Don’t miss the “Nordic Hour” Sunday to Thursday at 11pm and Friday + Saturday at midnight where the cocktails are much cheaper

Bar Nürnberg (Theresienplatz 1) offers great cocktails too. The owner is well known in Nuremberg and the bar is always crowded. (Picture left)

Shopping:

Nuremberg’s main shopping miles are Breite Gasse and Karolinenstraße. This is the place where you will find all the chain and big department stores. If you’re looking for a souvenir head to the castle. There are small shops with typical Nuremberg and German things.

Tips:

You can avoid expensive shopping if you head to the Outlet Store Butzers (Klingenhofstraße 70-72). Here you can find brand clothes for men, women and children. If this outlet is not enough you can head to Herzogenaurach which is the home of Adidas. Here you can find the Adidas, Puma, Nike and S.Oliver Outlet.

Berlin: Berlin is capital, city and county in one. Berlin has 3.4 million inhabitants. The area of Berlin is 891.85 km² and is, with 3880 inhabitants per square meter, the most populated city in Germany. Berlin became part of the Federal State of Germany in 1990 after the fall of the wall. Since that time, many things have changed and Berlin is still struggling for an identity. For more info about Berlin read our blog Berlin – A Guide To Berlin

Brandenburg: The county Brandenburg has 2.5 million inhabitants and has only 85 inhabitants per square meter. Its vast land with an area of 29,478.61 km² surrounds Berlin and borders Poland in the east. Brandenburg is a quiet county with unspoilt scenery and is shaped by water from the three rivers Oder, Havel and Spree. Most of that scenery is a protected nature reserve. The capital of Brandenburg is Potsdam which is “Germany’s Versailles” with its stunning palace, parks and museums.

Saxony-Anhalt: Magdeburg is the capital of the county Saxony-Anhalt which has an area of 20,446.31 km². Saxony-Anhalt has 2.3 million inhabitants and lies in the north east of Germany. Saxony-Anhalt is known for its Wörlitz Park, for their fancy Hundertwasser houses in Magdeburg and Wittenberg and for the Reformation of Martin Luther in Wittenberg. Many people get on their bikes and explore the scenery around the Elbe River. Unfortunately Saxony-Anhalt still has a reputation for high unemployment rates and ugly buildings from its GDR time

North Rhine Westphalia: This is Germany’s highest populated county with a population higher than Austria and Switzerland combined. Nearly 18 million people live in an area of 34,088.01 km². This is 523 people per square meter. This county is well known for its big steel and coal industry which began in the industrial age 100 years ago. Population grew rapidly as there were many jobs to offer in this steel and coal industry. However this growth didn’t last as the demand for steel and coal reduced greatly in the 60′s and many factories were forced to shut down their machines. The top “must sees” in North Rhine Westphalia are Cologne with its stunning dome, the Beethoven town Bonn and the capital Düsseldorf. For more information about Cologne read our blog Köln – A Guide to Cologne. And for more information about Düsseldorf read our Düsseldorf guide.

Lower Saxony: If it comes to physical size, Lower Saxony is the second biggest county after Bavaria. The area is 47,634.90 km². The capital of Lower Saxony is Hanover with about half a million inhabitants. Hanover hosts big communication shows like the CeBit and has quite a few museums to go to. Near Hanover is Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is home to one of the most successful automobile brands in the world; Volkswagen. Many people living in Wolfsburg also work for VW. Other big cities in Lower Saxony are Celle with its “rat-ridden” Hamelin, Braunschweig and Osnabrück.

Bremen: Bremen is the smallest county with an area of just 419.23 km². Bremen has about 660,000 inhabitants and most live in the city of Bremen. Bremerhaven, 65km north of Bremen, is politically linked with Bremen and therefore belongs to Bremen. The county is one of the three Hanseatic cities. Bremerhaven is the sea gateway to the world while Bremen is playing the lead role as a commercial and political centre.

Hamburg: The county of Hamburg has an area or 755km² and the capital is Hamburg. Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany and has the biggest port. Business is growing fast thanks to the growing economy in Eastern Europe. There is so much more to say about Hamburg, it’s probably the best to read our blog Hamburg – A Guide to Hamburg.

Schleswig Holstein: The German answer to Cote d’Azur is Schleswig Holstein with its sandy beaches, lighthouses, seals and fjords. It is Germany’s number 1 summer holiday destination and its peninsula looks never ending and is only interrupted by wind farms. Schleswig Holstein’s capital is Kiel with 240,000 inhabitants. The whole state itself has a population of only 2.8 million people. Schleswig Holstein once belonged to the neighbouring country Denmark but since 1864 is part of Germany.

Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania: Last but not least is Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania with its sandy beaches and glittering seas. This is another famous holiday destination among the Germans with three romantic island resorts called Rügen, Usedom and Hiddensee. The state capital is Schwerin with an incredible castle in the heart of the city. The state itself has an area of 23.180,14 km² with a population of 1.6 million.

Düsseldorf – A Guide to Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is the capital of the county Nord-Rhein Westfalen but is by far not the biggest city in the county with only 585 000 inhabitants. That’s why rivalry between other larger cities is high (So don’t mention Cologne in Düsseldorf). Düsseldorf is a very posh and wealthy city with modern architecture. Düsseldorf is not only the state’s capital, it is also the fashion capital of Germany. The bar-hopping scene in Düsseldorf is huge. The city centre (Altstadt) is the longest bar strip in Germany while the bar scene at the redeveloped harbor Medienhafen is growing rapidly too. The biggest event taking place in Düsseldorf is Carnival. Thousands of people celebrate this event in the city centre of Düsseldorf.

Sights:

Medienhafen: The Media Harbour (picture left) is in the south of Düsseldorf and used to be an industrial area which was not even considered a part of Düsseldorf. But in 1990 a lot of effort was put in this area to make it nicer and bring people back to the harbour. It’s now an entertainment area with fancy buildings in which cinemas, restaurants, clubs, bars and stores are located. You can imagine how busy it can get on a Saturday night

Schloss Benrath: This castle was built in the 18th century for Elector Carl Theodor and was designed by Frenchman Nicholas de Pigage. The castle is open in summer from 10am – 6pm and in winter from 11am – 5pm. Entrance is €7 and there are guided tours in German.

Rheinturm: The Rhine Tower is 240 meters high with a revolving restaurant at the top. To go up the tower you have to take the lift which costs €3.50.

Rheinuferpromenade: At the bottom of the Rhine tower is the river walk (picture left) which is full of people sitting in coffee stores and on benches when the weather is good.

Tours:

The best tour is a 90 minute combined walking and boat tour. The tour’s starting point is the tourist office in the Altstadt. The tour costs €10 per person and starts at 2:30pm.

Sleeping:

The Backpackers Düsseldorf (Fürstenwall 180) is the place to go if you are on a budget. A dorm room will cost about €22 per night.

A good mid range hotel is the Hotel Sir & Lady Astor (Kurfürstenstr. 18) which is situated close to the central station. The hotel is in two different buildings. Sir Astor has a Scottish-African flair while Lady Astor has a touch of French. A double room costs €95 per night. Book well in advance as this place is quite popular.

Situated in the harbor is the hotel Hyatt Regency Düsseldorf. A real luxury hotel with stunning rooms. A double room costs €300 a night.

Eating:

For a light snack or late breakfast go to Bistro Zicke (Baeckerstr. 5a) – a bohemian restaurant serving typical German meals such as Stammer Max, bread with ham, fried egg and potatoes. Light meals cost between €5-10.

Zum Schiffchen (Hafenstr. 5) – a cosy historical restaurant, first opened in 1628. They offer filling German and Rhenish meals, ranging from €8-19.

For a more luxurious dinner, go to Benkay (Immermannstr. 41) – a fancy 5* Japanese restaurant. Chose from grill, sushi-bar and Tatami rooms. Prices range from €9-130.

Drinking:

Schlösser Quartier Boheme (Ratinger Str. 25) offer meals between €9-17, a mixture of traditional German and French food. There is a club that opens at 10pm, entry €4-6. This is an old beer hall converted into a modern and stylish club in the middle of Düsseldorf’s Altstadt.

You can enjoy a bit of an arty atmosphere at the Salon des Amateurs (Grabbeplatz 4). It’s part of the Kunsthalle where you can enjoy snacks during the day and move on to some cocktails and music in the evening.

Ellington – one of the best cocktail bars in Düsseldorf, hidden in the dark area round the train station. Opening times: 8pm-3am, ask for a drink recommendation from the owner Robert, you won’t regret it. Nice atmosphere, good music and the best cocktails in town.

Shopping:

Germany’s most expensive shopping mile and the German answer to the French Champs-Élysées is the Kö (Königsallee) in Düsseldorf. There are mainly banks and designer stores on that street. So if you are on a budget we recommend you to go to Shadowstraße or to Altstadt to get some bargains

Tips:

You can avoid expensive shopping if you head to the QVC Outlet Store (Oststraße 10). Here you can find brand clothes for men and women, jewellry, books, home accessoires and electronical equipment at reduced prices. Don’t miss out on a bargain

The 7 South German Counties

Bavaria: At 70,538km², Bavaria is the biggest county of Germany. It’s capital is the metropolis Munich, which is famous for its yearly Oktoberfest (beer festival) and a laid-back traditional atmosphere. Bavaria has a population of 12.5 million. It divides into 3 areas: 1. Franconia to the north, 2. Historic Bavaria around Munich, Regensburg and Passau, and 3. Swabia that begins in Augsburg. Also the popular Romantic Road leads through Bavaria and takes you to the world’s most famous castle Neuschwanstein. For more info about Munich read our blog München – A Guide to Munich

Baden-Württemberg: Its capital Stuttgart is famous for its futuristic car museums. Baden-Württemberg has got a population of 10.8M and spreads over an area of 35,751km². It begins with the Black Forest in the south, the Lake Constance in the south east and Mannheim in the north. Baden-Württemberg is home to Albert Einstein, DNA, the Zeppelin and Bosch. You will find baroque palaces in Karlsruhe and Ludwigsburg, and roman style in Baden-Baden’s spas. University towns such as Heidelberg, Freiburg and Tübingen are popular for their active nightlife. For more info about Stuttgart read our blog Stuttgart – A Guide to Stuttgart.

Rhineland Palatinate: This county covers 19,847 km² and has a total of 4.01M inhabitants. It’s capital is Mainz. The river Rhine runs through Rheinland-Pfalz and strechtes over 1390km from the Swiss alps to Rotterdam. The county is also famous for its wine as most of Germany’s wine comes from Rheinland-Pfalz. You will also find famous historic cathedrals throughout the county, for example in Mainz, Worms and Speyer.

Saarland: Little Saarland is 2,568.70 km², is in the south west of Germany and borders France. It has about 1 million inhabitants. The capital is Saarbrücken and has around 200,000 inhabitants. Saarland used to be an industrial centre. Nowadays its more known for its French flair.

Hesse: Hesse is in the heart of Germany. The total population of Hesse is around 6 million but most people live in the busy Rhine-Main area. Frankfurt, the financial centre of Germany, is the biggest city with more than 600,000 inhabitants. Frankfurt is the biggest city in Hesse but the capital is actually the attractive spa city Wiesbaden. The north of Hesse has some great scenery to explore like the Lahn River valley or the National Park Kellerwald – Edersee. For more info about Frankfurt read our blog Frankfurt – A Guide To Frankfurt

Saxony: Saxony, the tenth-largest state, is located in the south east of Germany and covers an area of 18,413 km². With 4.3 Million inhabitants it is the sixth most populous state. Away from the city, the low hills of the Erzgebirge and the rock formations of the Saxon Switzerland are a tranquil bliss.
Dresden, the capital city, is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. It is best known for its beautiful baroque and rococo city centre, which has been restored after the bombings towards the end of World War II. It is definitely a must see.

Thuringia: Thuringia, which is also known as “the green heart of Germany”, is located in the central part of the country. It has an area of 16,171 square kilometers and 2,29 million inhabitants. Thuringia is well known in Germany for nature and winter sports. If you want to shake off all those civilizing influences, explore the Thuringian forests and the sleepy villages. Even though Erfurt is the capital city, Weimar has become a keystone of German culture. It´s been home to famous writers and musicians, such as Goethe, Schiller, Liszt and Bach.

Stuttgart – A Guide to Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the county Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart has nearly 600,000 inhabitants and is among Germany’s most populated cities. The city’s population has grown rapidly in the last decades. Stuttgart is home to Mercedes Benz, Porsche and some other big companies. On the other hand, Stuttgart is a city which is surrounded by beautiful landscape like vineyards. Stuttgart is truly a rural heritage with a passion for technological innovation.

Sights:

Schlossplatz: Schlossplatz is the heart of Stuttgart with its castle Alte Schloss (old castle) and the column. The fountains represent the 8 rivers of Baden Württemberg. The new palace Neues Schloss is not far from here and was designed by the Duke Karl Eugen as an answer to Versaille. A lot of events take place at Schlossplatz.

Königsbau: North of Schlossplatz is the colonnaded Königsbau which is now a shopping mall. (see picture on the left)

Mercedes-Benz Museum: This fairly new Museum (Mercedesstrasse 100 ) guides you through the history of Mercedes Benz. There is a free English tour at 1:45pm. The entrance for the museum is €8 per person. (see picture on the right)

Porschemuseum: Stuttgart is an automotive centre and if Porsche is your favourite car, head to the Porsche Museum (Porscheplatz 1). Here you can get a guided tour through Porsche’s history. Entrance is €8.

Wilhelma: Wilhelma is Stuttgart’s biggest park (Rosensteinpark). It is a zoo and botanical garden in one. Entrance to the zoo is €11,40 per person.

Cannstatter Volksfest: The second biggest beer festival in Germany after the Oktoberfest is the Bad Cannstatter Wasen. (see picture left) The festival starts at the end of September and lasts 3 weeks.

Tours:

There is a bus tour in German and English which lasts 2.5 hours. The tour costs 18€ per person and starts at the Hotel am Schlossgarten.

There is also a boat trip available from May to October on the River Neckar. This tour is operated by Neckar-Käpt’n and departs from the dock at Wilhelma in Bad Canstatt.

Sleeping:

A nice hostel in Stuttgart is DJH Hostel. This hostel was recently renovated and offers clean rooms with private bathrooms and fantastic city views. The location is fabulous too. (Haussmannstrasse 27) A dorm room will cost about €23 per night.

The City Hotel (Uhlandstrasse 18) is a great mid range hotel in the heart of Stuttgart. A double room costs about €100 a night.

A real luxury hotel is the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin Hotel (Arnulf-Klett-Platz 7) where double rooms starts at €220.

Eating:

Imbiss zum Brunnenwirt: This is the place where you get Stuttgart’s most famous Currywurst (curried sausage). It’s always busy here. No wonder – a sausage costs only €3.

A real Swabian restaurant and brewery is the Calwer-Eck-Bräu (Calwer Strasse 31). This is the place where you get Maultaschen (ravioli), Flädlesuppe (noodle soup) and Fleischkäse (meat loaf). Mains costs between €10-18.

The Portuguese restaurant Tasca im Feu (Haußmannstraße 235) has received the best reviews from critics. It is a small cozy place which serves great Portuguese and Spanish dishes.

Drinking:

Theodor-Heuss-Straße is the drinking mile in Stuttgart. It is here where you will find one bar after the other. One of the biggest newcomers is the bar T-O 12. (see picture on the left) This bar is so popular, that it received 2 awards. Even stars go here.

For a nice cold beer head to Biergarten im Schloßgarten. This 2000 seat beer garden serves pretzels and cold beer and is very popular among the locals in summer. There are regular live bands too

Shopping:

The main shopping mile in Stuttgart is Königsstrasse which starts at the central station and goes all the way to Rotebühlplatz. That’s where you’ll find all the retail chains and department stores. Marktstraße has some good stores too and all the designer stores are in Stiftstrasse.

Tipps:

For a free 360-degree view above Stuttgart head to the CUBE (kleiner Schloßplatz 1) in the Kunstmuseum (art museum). This is coffee store and restaurant in one. (See picture on the left)

You will feel like you’re back in the 30′s when you sit in the cable car in Stuttgart. This Seilbahn (cable car) was built in 1929 and at 11km/h, it was the fastest cable car in Germany at this time. The cable car itself was technically refurbished in 2004 and since then is back in use. The outside, however, still looks like the original from 1929. You can use the cable car with an ordinary public transport ticket.

Don’t miss the Ritter Sport museum 20 km from Stuttgart in Waldenbuch (Alfred-Ritter-Straße 27 in 71111 Waldenbuch). Ritter Sport is one of the most famous chocolate brands in Germany and is sold world wide in supermarkets. Here you can find a chocolate museum and a chocolate fan shop where you can buy all sorts of things to do with chocolate. They even have their own coffee store in there, offering yummy chocolate shakes and pastries.

Population:

Germany has nearly 82 million inhabitants and is the most populated country in the European Union. It has 16 counties. Every county has their own parties with a party leader. Germany has 9 neighbouring countries. These are Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Weather:

Germany can get chilly in winter with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius. But it can also get very hot in summer. Especially the south of Germany which is blessed with a lot of sunshine in the summer and temperatures can rise to more than 40 degrees Celsius. Germany is not as cold as many people think

Politics and Economy:

The current chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel who has been in power since 2005. This makes her the most powerful woman in the world.

Germany is an industrial state and its economy is the strongest in Europe. In fact, Germany’s economy is the fourth strongest in the world. Big companies like Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW, Siemens, E.On and many more are German companies with their headquarters in Germany.

The official currency in Germany is the Euro. The Euro was introduced in 2002 and has replaced Germany’s former currency Deutsche Mark. The Euro wasn’t very popular when it was introduced in 2002. Nowadays people have accepted the Euro and it is very handy if you want to travel to other European countries with the same currency.

Formalities/Traditions In Germany:

When meeting someone for the first time strangers will often shake hands and say “hello” whereas in other countries it is more common to hear “nice to meet you” after being introduced to someone. Just a “hello” may sound a little bit rude but for German people it is not rude at all. So don’t get offended if people greet you just with a “hello”

Another common thing to say is “Gesundheit” when someone sneezes. It would be rude not to. And at every mealtime before eating everyone will say “Guten Appetit.”

On the eve of a wedding it is tradition that anything made from china is dropped and smashed on the floor. This is called in German “Polterabend” which is said to bring good luck to the couple’s marriage.

Food:

Some German food specialties are Kässpätzle, Weißwurst and Schnitzel. Kässpätzle (cheese pasta) is a Swabian dish from south Germany. This is a self made pasta with a lot of melted cheese and roasted onions on top. The Weißwurst is a traditional Bavarian dish. It is a white veal sausage which is served with sweet mustard and pretzels. And last but not least there is the yummy Schnitzel. I think Schnitzels are well known to everyone

Cost of Living in Germany:

The amount of money needed for a trip to Germany will depend on how long you wish to stay.
If you are living on a budget, you will need about €175 for a week in a hostel dorm and you will need about €15 a day for food (if you are not planning to eat in a restaurant). If you want to do some sightseeing, you will easily spend another €20 a day (depending on where you go).

One litre of unleaded fuel costs about €1.53, a coffee will cost between €2 and €3 and a dorm room in a hostel about €25 per night.
If you have a little bit more spending money and you would rather stay in a hotel, you will be paying about €40 to €50 for a single room and about €60 or higher for a double bedroom. If you want to dine a bit more up market, you will spend about €30 a day for one person.

A very good Internet page for booking journeys by train is www.bahn.de . This is the Homepage of the German rail. You can buy your train ticket online or direct at the desk in the train station in Germany too. You can often find better prices in the internet and some special offers too, for example they often have travel journeys through Germany for 29€. Traveling by Bus in Germany is not very common. The train is the first and most convenient choice, but unfortunately quite expensive. That’s why I would recommend everyone to buy their tickets online rather than at the train station.

Good web pages for affordable hotels are www.hotels.de or www.hotels.com or www.hotelclub.net . The hostel webpages www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelz.com also offer a range of hotels too, not only hostels.

Sights:

Kölner Dom: Kölner Dom is the heart of Cologne. With its twin spires it is one of the largest churches in the world and therefore the main attraction in Cologne. The construction started in the 13th century but wasn’t completed until 1880. The cathedral is a World Heritage Site since 1996. Inside the cathedral are many treasures like the Shrine of the Three Kings (the kings who followed the star to the stable of Bethlehem) whose bones were brought from Milan to Cologne in 1164 under Colognes powerful Emperor Barbarossa. This made the cathedral a pilgrim place and attracts about 20,000 people a day. To get a great view over Cologne, climb up the 509 steps to the top of the south tower (2,50€ admission).

Kölner Zoo: The zoo in Cologne is a very popular zoo in Germany. There are about 500 species and 7000 animals in total. You can find many types of animal here; crocodiles, snakes, elephants, monkeys, giraffes etc. The zoo is in the north of Cologne (Köln-Riehl, Riehler Straße 173) and only a street separates the zoo from the popular botanic gardens called “Flora”.

Schokoladenmuseum: The chocolate museum (Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a) located at the River Rhine is the only chocolate museum in the world and attracts 650,000 visitors every year. This is the most visited museum in Cologne and one of the top 10 museums in Germany. This museum is a must see for every chocoholic as every visitor has the opportunity to try the chocolate which is running down a chocolate fountain. The museum also offers a live production factory and will guide you through the history of chocolate. Entrance is 7,50€ per adult.

Karneval: Cologne is well known for its carnival scene. Therefore there are plenty carnival festivals. The highlights are: “Kölschfest” which is an equivalent to the Oktoberfest in Munich, “Weiberfastnacht” which is the day where the mayor of Cologne hands over the keys of the town administration to the carnival people. And last but not least the famous “Rosenmontagszug” where 10′s of thousands of people walk through the city centre in fancy dress and which attracts around one million visitors.

Tours:

The classical tour is the Hop on Hop off bus tour which is about 1.5 hours long. A ticket costs 11€ per person.

There is a 90 minute guided walk tour in English which is offered by the Cologne tourist information. The tours take place every Saturday from May to October. Tickets will cost about 10€ per person.

Alternatively there is a daily English bike tour in summer which costs 15€ per person and lasts 3 hours. There is also a boat tour in summer along the River Rhine. Tickets will cost about 8€.

Hotels:

Hostel Köln (Marsilstein 29) is a nice, clean and affordable place if you travel on a budget. This hostel has a great location with many facilities. A dorm room will cost about 26€ a night.

A quality mid range hotel is Mercure Hotel Koeln im Friesenviertel (Friesenstr. 44-48). A doubleroom will cost about 80€. The hotel is very convieniently situated in the city centre and the staff all speak excellent English.

The luxury hotel Hyatt Regency Köln (Kennedy-Ufer 2a) is situated on the right side of the Rhine River with gigantic views onto the cathedral and the river. A night in a double room will cost about 185€.

Eating:

For proper German food head to the restaurant Gaffel am Dom (Bahnhofsvorplatz 1). They serve mainly food from the regional Rhine area which is so tasty Mains cost about 12€.

The LizBÄT (Geisselstr.6) is a good place if you fancy crêpes. They have about 50 different crêpes creations (including vegetarian options). The LizBÄT is a very cosy place and quite popular among the cologne people. A crêpe will cost about 7€.

The Vis À Vis Cafe/Restaurant (Westendstraße 8 ) is famous for its special menu days. Tuesday is for example pancake day while Schnitzel day is Wednesday.

Drinking:

The local beer in Cologne is called “Kölsch” which is served in skinny glasses. If you fancy one of these beers head to Früh am Dom (Am Hof 12-18). This is a very traditional German beer hall near the cathedral.

The Ice Bar (see picture left) in the Hilton Hotel (Marzellenstr. 13-17) has more than 100 different vodka variations from all over the world. The very cool thing about that pub is, that it has a bar made of ice.

The Shepheard bar (Rathenauplatz 5) is a glamorous cocktail bar which offers 190 different cocktails. The shepheard bar team is very friendly and was even voted as the “Best Bar Team” in Germany in 2004.

There are many more pubs in Cologne. Most of the popular pubs are in the quarters “Zülpicher Viertel” and “Belgisches Viertel”.

Shopping:

You will find everything in Cologne. Designers, vintage stores, department stores and the classic retail chains. All the big chains are along Hohe Strasse which is one of Germany’s oldest shopping mile. There are many more shops at Schildergasse and there is a big mall called Neumarkt-Gallerie. The expensive designer stores are in Mittelstrasse and Pfeilstrasse.

Insider Tipps:

Get a great view for free in Osman 30 (see picture on the left) This restaurant is on the 30th floor of the KölnTurm (Cologne Tower) (Im Mediapark 8 ). Enjoy your food at 108 meters high with a fantastic panorama view.

The most fancy way to disover Cologne is by cable car which is called Köln Seilbahn. (Riehler Straße 180). The night trips are especially interesting and spectacular with all the lights in the city.

An awesome fleamarket is held once a month in Köln- Riehl. This fleamarket is full of old antique stuff. In fact, people are not allowed to sell new products.

If you visit Cologne in the summer then cool down at the km 689 – Cologne Beach Club (see picture on the left) (Rheinparkweg 1). What you can expect: White sand, sparkling river, great views of the cathedral, lots of music and food. A true beach feeling.

You can get a glimpse of Oriental Cologne at Weidengasse behind the train station. Many people from Turkey, Greece and Iran live here and hold oriental markets with exotic spices, vegetables and fleamarkets.

Sights:

Rathaus: This baroque town hall with its 647 rooms was built in the 19th century. The city hall was the center of many events and a lot of famous people visited this town hall. The town hall is open to the public and you can get a 40 minute guided tour for 3€. The town hall is used nowadays for exhibitions and concerts.

St. Nikolai: St Nikolai church used to be the tallest building in the world in 1874. The church was badly damaged in the Second World War and is kept as a memorial. You can go up to the 75.3 meter high viewing platform by a glass lift. Admission will cost 3,70€.

Kunsthalle: This museum consists of two buildings which is linked by an underground passage. Inside are 20th century classics. The entrance fee is 8,50€.

Speicherstadt: The world’s largest warehouse complex is Speicherstadt in Hamburg with its 7 storey redbrick warehouses. Speicherstadt is a symbol for Hamburg. The houses have green roofs and are surrounded by a narrow canal. The constructions for that huge complex took place from 1885 to 1927. You can simply walk around the narrow streets or have a look from above with the High Flyer Balloon (15€ a flight). After the war, warehouses were also used for museums. One important museum is the International Maritime Museum with 26000 model ships, many construction plans, military uniforms etc.

Hamburg Dungeon: The chamber of horrors is at Speicherplatz. Live actors will make your trip through the Dungeon especially terrifying. Entrance is 18,95€.

Port of Hamburg: Each year, 12,000 ships deliver 70 million tonnes of goods at Hamburg’s huge port. You can get a great view of the port at the Underground station Landungsbrücken.

Reeperbahn: Reeperbahn is the Hamburger equivalent to the red light district in Amsterdam. A lot of people go there just to see what the all fuss is about. The strip with all the bars, sex clubs and pubs is also known as Kiez.

Blankensee: Blankensee was once a fishing village which is now one of the most expensive areas in Germany.

Tours:

If you fancy a boat tour, you can either do a tour at the Port of Hamburg or you can do a tour at the Alster Lake (Alster-Touristik, 1,50€)

There is also a bus tour, the Hamburg City Tour, with a double-decker bus which will take you to all the sights in about 1.5 hours. You can hop on and off whenever you like. (Tickets cost 15€.)

Hotels:

Book your hotel ahead, especially at the weekend. There are a lot of festivals going on in the summer and hotels get booked up quickly.

If you are on a budget, head down to Backpackers St. Pauli (Bernstorffstrasse 98) A dorm will cost about 23€ the night. The stuff is friendly and the location is great.

If you are looking for a mid-range Hotel, we can recommend the Mercure Hotel Hamburg Arena. The location is great and it is very clean. A double room will cost around 75€. (Kieler Strasse 333)

A very nice top end hotel is the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten (Neuer Jungfernstieg 9-14) The hotel is situated directly at the waterfront at Inner Alster Lake. Prices will start at 200€ per night.

Eating:

Hamburg is well known for its seafood. Unfortunately, the city centre doesn’t offer very much. That’s why you should head to either Schanzenviertel, the Port or to the Speicherstadt.

To get delicious seafood, head to the restaurant Fischereihafen (Große Elbstraße 143) in Hamburg-Altona. This is Hamburg’s top seafood restaurant and queues are likely. To guarantee a seat here, book in advance. Mains will cost about 30€.

Very good German cuisine is served at Das Parlament (Rathausmarkt 1). The restaurant is inside the town hall and definitely worth a visit. Their drinks are worth trying and have a look at the “Rose Room”.

One of the most popular German restaurants in Hamburg is Ständige Vertretung (Stadthausbrücke 1-3). It has 200 seats and you can often see prominent German people in there. The restaurant is decorated with pictures from important German politicians and it is never empty in there.

Drinking:

Bar Rossi , located in the district Schanzenviertel (Max-Brauer-Allee 279, is a nice bar next to the Instant Sleep Hostel (in the case you are a party animal, book your stay in that hostel). The bar is pompous and has a very elegant touch. Mariah Carey once recorded a video in this bar.

Hamburg has some nice beach bars thanks to shipping tons of sand into the Hamburg industrial waterfront. The beach season starts in April and lasts until September. One nice bar is Strand Pauli (Hafenstrasse 84). This bar overlooks the docks and has excellent beer and sausages

Shopping:

The main shopping districts in central Hamburg are West of the Hauptbahnhof along Spitalerstrasse and Mönckebergstrasse. Other shopping districts are in Schanzenviertel, Hamburg-Altona and St. Pauli/Reeperbahn.

Insider Tips:

To get away with a cheaper boat trip, take the city harbour ferries. They will take you up the river on an ordinary ticket price. Ferry number 62 from Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder is a good ferry to catch.

If you want to see a very rare sight, head to the Hamburg harbour. There is a floating church on one of the containers. There is a service every Sunday at 3pm. (Hohe Brücke 2)

Enjoy the view above Hamburg for free at the bar 20up im Empire Riverside Hotel (Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 97). Enjoy the amazing view 90m above Hamburg from that cocktail bar with a giant Panorama platform. Their bar is 21 meter long with such a big choice of different cocktails.

Frankfurt is the only skyscraper city in Germany with about 660000 inhabitants. The urban area alone has 5 million inhabitants. Frankfurt is the financial heart of Germany, indeed, it is the financial heart of Europe with the European Central Bank. Frankfurt’s stock market is one of the world’s largest stock exchange. Besides the financial side, Frankfurt hosts a lot of international fairs too.

Sights:

Main Tower: One of the main attraction is the 200 meter high Main Tower (admission: adult 5€). There is a cocktail bar and restaurant on the 53rd floor. Book well ahead if you want to gain a seat in there. On that platform you will see the Commerzbank Tower which is Europe’s tallest office block with 258 meter and the Messeturm with its 256 meter.

Frankfurter Dom: This is one of Frankfurt’s few surviving structures after the bombing in 1944, which was built in the 15th century and completed in the 19th century.

Römer: This is Frankfurt’s old town hall which is made up of three 15th century houses. It used to be a side of celebrations during the Holy Roman Empire but nowadays it’s only used as the town hall.

Börse: This is the stock exchange which was built in 1843. You can get a free tour in English or in German. But book at least 24 hours in advance to get a tour and bring your ID. Outside the Börse Building are the two animals “Bulle und Bär” (bull and bear) which represents the good (Bulle) and the bad times (Bear) at the stock market.

Goethe-Haus: If you are a fan of Goethe, the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is a must see (admission: 5€; Hirschgraben 23-25)

Alte Oper: The old opera was burnt out in 1944 and reconstructed. It is very modern inside.

Hotels:

The prices for a hotel room depends on the season. Low season is on weekends and school holidays. High season is during the week and especially during fairs. Prices can triple during the book fair.

If you are on a budget, we recommend the Frankfurt Hostel next to the Central Station. This is a lively hostel with free spaghetti on Saturday. A dorm will cost around 20€. (http://www.frankfurt-hostel.com, Kaiserstrasse 74)

Another affordable hotel with river view is the IBIS Hotel Centrum. A double or single room will cost 79€ during the week and 59€ on weekends. (http://www.accorhotels.com/de/hotel-1445-ibis-frankfurt-centrum/index.shtml, Speicherstrasse 4)

A Top End Hotel is the Concorde Hotel. A double or single room will cost around 120€ per night during the week. On weekend however it will drop to about 85€. (http://www.hotelconcorde.de/, Karlstr. 9)

Restaurants:

A traditional German restaurant with affordable prices is the Pielok Restaurant (Jordanstrasse 3). It is still run by the same family since 1945. Mains will cost around12€.

The Paris Bar Cafe im Literaturhaus (Schöne Aussicht 2) is the right place for excellent meat and fish dishes. A main will cost around 18€.

Clubs:

The biggest clubs in Frankfurt are King Kamehameha (Hanaer Landstrasse 192), the Cocoon Club (Carl-Benz-Strasse 21) and the U60311 (Rossmarkt)

Shopping

The main shopping mile in Frankfurt is die Zeil. Goethestrasse and the western streets of Goetheplatz are very good for shopping too. The latest big shopping center which opened in 2009 is MyZeil. It has 6 levels and is an impressive glass construction.

Insider Tips:

And here are some insider tips, which you wouldn’t necessarily find in a Frankfurt Guide

If you want an affordable and yummy snack, head to the Maggi Kochstudio (Neue Kräme 27). Maggi is a traditional German brand since 1910 which is widely used in a German kitchen. Another nice bonus are the delicious recipes which you can get in there for free.

For a nice coffee with a great view for free, head to the Dachcafé-Zeilgalerie (Zeill 112) which is situated at the top of the shopping center Zeil.

In this blog, we want to give you some useful information about Munich

The main tourist attractions are in the city centre (Altstadt) of Munich.

Sights at Marienplatz and around:

Neues Rathaus: The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) in the middle of Marienplatz gains a lot of attention from tourists all over the world for its famous Glockenspiel (carillon). The Glockenspiel takes place at 11am and 12pm daily. In Winter, it will take place at 5pm too. Don’t miss out on the great view from top of the 85 meter high Town Hall tower.

Frauenkirche: You can’t miss this church with its twin onion domes. Inside the church is the tomb of Ludwig the Bavarian.

St Peterskirche: St Peterskirche is opposite the New Town Hall and if you want an even better view of Munich, walk up the 92 meter high tower of this church.

Sights at Viktualienmarkt and around:

Viktualienmarkt: This is one of Europe’s greatest food markets. Prices are quite expensive, but you will receive the finest quality in food.

Hofbräuhaus: You can’t leave Munich if you haven’t been to the world famous beer hall Hofbräuhaus. It’s not only a place where you can get food and beer, it even has a souvenir shop inside where you can buy pretzle-shaped postcards, beer mugs, T-Shirts and many more.

Maximilianstrasse: This is Munich’s high end shopping boulevard with all its designer stores. Right there you can see the Bavarian State Opera which puts even more glamour to the boulevard.

Residenz: This huge palace housed all the Bavarian rulers until 1918. There is a musem and a Residence Treasury inside

Sights at Königsplatz:

Alte Pinakothek: One of the most important collections in the world are in here. In this museum you’ll find old paintings from the 16th century and much more. For some newer Art from the 18th century onwards head to the museum Neue Pinakothek.

Englischer Garten: And if you want to relax after sightseeing, head to Englischer Garten. This is Munich’s largest park (even bigger than Hyde Park in London and bigger than Central Park in New York). Well, even here you can do some sightseeing. There is the Chinese Tower with beer banks all around, a really lovely lake called Kleinhesseloher See and a Japanese Teahouse.

City bus 100 is an affordable way to discover Munich. This bus doesn’t cost you more than a public transport ticket. If you prefer a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, you should take the Münchener Stadtrundfahrten bus (13€ adult).

Hotels:

A good and affordable hostel is the Wombat’s City Hostel at Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central). A dorm will cost 12-24€, a double room 70€. (www.wombats-hostels.com, Senefelderstrasse 1)

A nice hotel is the hotel Cocoon . Very good location and clean. A single room will cost 69€ and a doubleroom 89€. (http://www.hotel-cocoon.de/, Lindwurmstrasse 35)

If you want a top end hotel, there is a Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten Hotel in Maximilianstrasse 17. A doubleroom will cost 252€. (www.kempinski-vierjahreszeiten.de)

Restaurants:

Weisses Bräuhaus: Here you can get traditional Bavarian food. Enjoy your beer with a Weisswurst (veal sausage) and a Bretzel (pretzel). Mains will cost around 10€. (Im Tal 10)

Prinz Myschkin: The best Vegetarian Restaurant in town. The menu is very Asian influenced. Mains will cost about 12€. (Hackenstrasse 2)

Bars:

Löwenbräukeller: Huge beer hall in Munich Neuhausen. (Nymphenburger Strasse 2)

Roxy: This trendy bar is a truly see-and-be-seen place. (Leopoldstrasse 28)

Clubs:

Munich has its own village of clubs. This village is called Kultfabrik and Optimolwerke which is next to the Ostbahnhof (Munich East Station). Her you’ll find about 40 clubs, pubs and bars.

The poshest place to go is P1. That’s the place where you’ll find celebrities.

Festivals:

The biggest festival is of course the legendary Oktoberfest which takes place every year from mid September to the first Sunday in October. Millions of people around the world come every year to experience the Oktoberfest. Here you will find many beer tents, food stands with sausages, pretzles, gingerbread hearts and many roller coasters. If you are planning to visit Munich during Oktoberfest, make sure to book your hotel well in advance.

The main shopping mile is Kaufingerstraße and Neuhauser Straße. Here you will find all the big names and brands. I personally like Sendlinger Straße (turn into Rosenstraße at Marienplatz and you will automatically come out in Sendlinger Straße) for shopping. That’s where you’ll find some unique stores.

There are two big shopping centres which are not too far from the city centre (but you need to catch the undergrond to get there). One is the OEZ near the Olympiastadium, the other one is the Riem Arcaden near the Messe (Fair).

Insider Tips:

And here are some insider tips, which you wouldn’t necessarily find in a Munich Guide

Leopoldstraße: Leopoldstraße in Munich-Schwabing has a few good options. This street has plenty of bars and restaurants but you will find good shopping there too. The best way to get there is the underground. Take Line U3 or U6 to “Giselastraße” or “Münchner Freiheit”. I always loved to go to the Mexican Bar Don Luca (Leopoldstraße 44, http://www.donluca.de/). They do really yummy food there and great cocktails. The atmosphere in there is nice and the place is really popular among the Munich people.

Not far from Leopoldstraße is the shopping mile “Hohenzollernstraße”. Great place to get trendy clothes and shoes. Another good spot for shopping is Residenzstraße and Theatinerstraße.

Munich is the most expensive city in Germany and therefore the prices are quite high when it comes to rent, shopping, restaurants, hotels, food and drinks. That’s why I recommend getting a drink in the Wombats Hostel Bar if you are on a budget. I haven’t seen any other place in Munich which has the same low prices.

If you want a great view over Munich for free, go to the Cafe Glockenspiel (http://www.cafe-glockenspiel.de/) Marienplatz. This Cafe is in the 5th floor and you will also have a great view of the Glockenspiel.