Where should Ira and I go in Germany? We will be spending 2 days in Heidelberg, one day in Berlin and 2 days in Frankfurt. Comments will be helpful here
Ideas from Readers
Categories: Bulgaria
Tags: Berlin, Bulgaria, European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany, Heidelberg, Peace Corps, Peace Corps Bulgaria, States, Timothy Geithner, travel, United States
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Well, you can spend practically an entire day at Heidelberg University. Many legendary figures in academic history were affiliated with that university. Take the self-guided audio tour and be sure to allow for a good amount of time in the historic student jail. Some of the graffiti written on the walls and ceilings of the jail by students centuries ago bring those years to life. Then, the other day of your stay can be spent enjoying the street scene, or cross the bridge and enjoy hiking along “The poets’ walk” on the side of the mountain across the rive from Heidelberg. But set aside most of the day to hike up the mountain on the edge of the city to the Heidelberg Schloss (Castle). A long & steep hike, or take the cable car. There, again, the audio self-guided tour is worth it. However, my wife and I have been there several times and we have also enjoyed the live guided tour. Either way, be sure to end up in the wine cellar where you can see and learn about the world’s largest wine cask (>55,000 US gal) and its role in taxation centuries ago.
As for Berlin, there is so much to see. The Holocaust Memorial is worth some time. Of course, you should spend some time visiting the Berlin Wall (Checkpoint Charlie), Potsdamer Platz, the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and the Tiergarten (oldest public park in Berlin with 14 miles of walkways) as well as several other sights (if you move quickly and read up on things beforehand.
As for Frankfurt, try to see Paulskirche (church), Goethe’s Haus, and the Alter Oper (a major concert hall using the old opera house). There are many beautiful platz’s (Town squares) and the mixture of centuries old architecture with strikingly modern designs is a fascinating experience. The riverfront area is beautiful. Walk out on the bridge and take in the whole city-scape with the mixture of architecture styles from different centuries. As for modern, try to see the mall building near the transportation center , which is underground, that was designed and built with a hole going through it from the street side and exiting up through the roof (all glass). Seeing it from the escalator inside is unique.
Two years ago, my wife’s career took her to Germany for most of a year and she lived in Dreicheichenhain (near Frankfurt). We traveled extensively throughout Germany. If you would like to see some of our photos, or ask more specific questions, please feel free to contact us.
Oh, I forgot to mention the beer. Many good beers brewed in different cities. Of course, the wine is also very good. But stick with the Rhine wines (whites, such as Riesling, Ice wine – - – which they refer to as ‘angels’ piss, Liebfraumilch, etc), because the Germans just never mastered the reds. Get the reds in Italy.
Regardless of what you do and how much time you spend at any one place, you will have a wonderful time.