Deutschland

Germany is a country which is also close to my heart because it has given me shelter for 3 months of my life. I started my Euro trip from Germany as I had landed there on 6th September and could get my residence permit only on 26th of the same month. I took at least a week to settle into my new residence and understanding where to get what. And being a foodie I also marked all the decent restaurant and pubs in Vallendar.
Germans are the most punctual people I have found in the whole of Europe. Their trains run on time they start work early and on time and the list goes on and on. First weekend I was shocked to know that their malls were closed on Sunday. In India one can imagine thousands of people thronging a mall on a weekend.
Going ahead, in Germany I got the opportunity of visiting a few cities like Berlin, Cologne, Hannover, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Baden Baden, Munich, Stuttgart and Nurnberg.

Berlin is a historic city with a great history associated with the World War II and has very nice architectures. They have about 70 large museums in Berlin. There is a nice free city tour (walking) that starts from Starbucks Coffee Shop at the Brandenburg gate everyday at 11am. The tour guides are knowledgeable and carry the crowd along with them very nicely. They also give a free entry to the pub crawl at the night if you take the free tour. I personally didn't go there but have heard that the pub crawl is really awesome experience. Apart from walking tour of the city there are other tours that take you to Saxtion Housen a concentration camp about 30 Km from the city. Spending 2 days in Berlin is a worthwhile experience for anyone visiting Europe.

Cologne is a very young city with lots of places to hang out everyday. The Cologne university houses 90000 students, so the average age of population that you see in cologne is lesser that other parts of Germany. Cologne has an epitome Dom which is right outside the railway station. There are 501 steps to the Dom which one can hike and get a very nice view of the city with river Rhine flowing along. Other than the Dom, there are a few museums in cologne which may interest people. The Chocolate museum of cologne is really good and demands a visit. You also get free chocolates (schokolade) there.After that it is advisable to take the Cologne-Dusseldorf cruise on the Rhine which is free on Eurail pass. Half a day in Cologne is enough to get a feel of the city.

Hannover is a city which is famous for its university, theatres, Opera House and nicely structured buildings. I spent half a day here and saw a nice aquatic museum called Sea Life on the outskirts of the city. They say that the village of Pied Piper is about 40 odd kilometers from Hannover, but I didn't give that a try. Hannover is a business city like Hamburg and hene tourist attractions are less. However I have heard that their Royal Gardens which is opposite to Sea Life is one of the best in the world. However you need a whole day to see that gardens with the kind of variety that one can get there.

Hamburg is a completely business city. It is called the city off the luxurious. In fact there were some gardens near Hamburg lake which were completely private until 1990s owned by the rich and the famous. The only thing worth doing in Hamburg was to see the Hamburg port which is very grand. The port connects the city to the North Sea. I also went for a air balloon ride near the railway station which takes you to 450 feet and gives a very nice view of the entire city and the canals flowing near it.

Frankfurt is the fastest business city in the whole of Europe. Even I, who has lived in Mumbai which is know to be a fast city was foxed by the scheme of things there. Skyscrapers all around, trams, metros, buses , taxis etc. Its not a good city for any tourist. I just went to see the World Auto Expo there. Generally Frankfurt is a good change point for people going to East Germany or Czech Republic.

Baden Baden is in the heart of the Black forest and is yet another luxurious town. The per capita income of people there is known to be very high. There is a nice casino there but the entry is allowed only in a 3 piece suit. They have a central place called Leopold Platz from where one can catch the bus no. 45 to lake Mumelsee in the center of Black Forest. Its a small lake at an altitude of 1200 feet. It takes about a hour to reach there. The bus service in Baden Baden is very cheap if you go in a group of 5 or less. At Mumelsee you get original Cuckoo clocks and an original black forest cake which is really worth a try. It can get very cold up there at Mumelsee even in October so carry warm clothing there. It was at Mumelsee that I experience my first snowfall. Baden Baden is also famous for its Spas'. They are located near Leopold Platz.

I went to Munich only for the purpose of Oktober fest which starts from September 24th and goes on till 6th October. Its a gala time out there in teh city where people from all parts of Germany come to get drunk. The area of Oktober fest has many pandals but finding a place can be difficult. Some people book their places before going there. The mood there is awesome and the area around the pandals is full of games, gift shops and rides. The wheat beer come for about 9 euros for a liter but every drop of it is worth it. Its is a bit different and 2 liters of it can get you drunk easily. There are live bands at these huge pandals that make it a rocking time.

Near Munich there is a nice concentration camp called Dachau. It was the first concentration camp in Schwarzland. Dachau is about 30 minutes from Munich. People who are sensitive to seeing provoking pictures may avoid this. But it teaches the entire history behind the origin of such camps and the atrocities committed on the Non-Germans

Stuttgart has a very good Mercedes Benz museum which is worth seeing. The tremendous museum marks the industrial growth of Germany. The tickets for students is about 9 euros and there are 8 floors in the museum.

Nurnberg is famous for its Christmas markets, but I found it to be a bit disappointing as I went there a bit late in December and had seen many other Christmas markets before in Europe. But yes one gets Indian food there near the Nurnberg Dom.