In February 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries came together to memorialize the fall of the Berlin Wall. Their incredible plan was to create a visual representation of the joy and energy felt in Germany and worldwide. When they finished in September 1318 meters of Wall were painted with a string of murals that would become the East Side Gallery.…
Category: Travel to Germany
Water Castles or Wasserschlösser in the Münsterland
As a child, I always drew my castles the same way. A medium large building with a turret on each side, completely surrounded by water. I wasn’t drawing Neuschwannstein or Burg Eltz… I was drawing the Wasserschlösser or Water Castles I remembered seeing in the Münsterland. You see, whenever we visited my Oma and Opa, we always visited their Castle,…
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Story-800 Year Mystery Wrapped in Fairy Tale
When I was growing up, one of my favorite German fairy tale vinyl records had the Rattenfänger von Hameln story, the Pied Piper of Hamelin Story. As a child, the idea of all those kids being snatched up because the town fathers didn’t want to pay the exterminator’s bill made a HUGE impression on me. I listened over and over,…
The Loreley- The Legend, the Song, and How to See It
You are cruising down the Middle Rhine, admiring the castles towering over vineyards and small villages when suddenly, near Sankt Goarhausen, at the base of an imposing rock cliff, the whole ship breaks into song. You’ve reached the Loreley. But WHAT is the Loreley? It’s not just a pile of rocks; it is a place of song and legend that…
What is a Schrebergarten or Kleingarten? Germany’s Little Gardens
You are traveling along in Germany, and suddenly, on the side of the railroad tracks, there is a cluster of fenced-in tiny houses surrounded by small gardens. Are these actual homes? Is it a campground for seasonal workers? Is this where the Garden Gnomes live when they aren’t in your garden?? These little plots of land are called Schrebergarten or…
Berlin Food Tours- One City, a World of Tasty Food!!
One of my favorite things about visiting Germany is the Food. The bread, the sausage, the Souvlaki, the Sushi… Sound odd? But the BEST “ethnic” foods I’ve ever eaten were in Germany. As you can see from the image above, the city with the what has to be the most diverse restaurants in one small place is Berlin. Something about…
Visit the DDR Museum Berlin- An Interactive Museum of East Germany
Maybe it’s because I loved the TV show Deutschland 83 and the film Good bye Lenin, maybe it’s because I’m forever haunted that a city can be divided in half, or maybe it’s the wild wallpaper… but the DDR Museum in Berlin ranks as one of my favorite German museums. This little hands-on museum is a fascinating look back into…
The Best Currywurst in Berlin? What is Currywurst? And where to FIND it!
It’s not a shock, if you are looking for the best Currywurst Berlin is the place to go. After all, Currywurst was invented in Berlin… and there is a currywurst stand on every other corner. There is even a Berlin Currywurst Museum! On my last visit I tried as many as I could (in the name of science, you…
My Week in Berlin- Museums, Currywurst, and a LOT of Cake!
My daughter spent a semester as an Exchange Student in Berlin, and I decided it would be a good time to visit. Let me begin by saying… A Week in Berlin is not enough time to see/do/experience and EAT everything I wanted to. But! I’m proud to say that we did give it a try, and we managed to squeeze…