Stories from my life and travels as an American immigrant in Germany!
The Brocken is the highest peak of the Harz mountain range in Germany. It’s also the highest peak in Northern Germany, at 1,141 meters. This, of course, pales in comparison to the 2,962 meters of the Zugspitze in Bavaria…but who’s comparing? You can easily climb to the Brocken in a few hours, making it perfect for a day trip; especially for us,…Continue Reading
If you’re in Germany in December, visiting a Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) should be one of your top priorities. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tourist, an expat who has already been here for a few years, or a native German. You need to go! Why? Well, they’re easily the best part of German culture; that’s why. For those who don’t know,…Continue Reading
Tierpark Hagenbeck is a zoo in Hamburg, Germany. It’s notable for being the first zoo to use moats, rather than barred cages, for their animal enclosures. It’s also known for being the filming location of my favorite German TV show, Leopard, Seebär und Co. I’ve been wanting to visit for a very long time. In fact, I’ve had tickets since…Continue Reading
Hamburg was the third city I visited during my first trip to Germany, way back in December 2015. Out of the three cities we visited, it was my favorite. Fast-forward nearly 3 years later, and we finally made time for a second visit. Planning one of your own? Here are some of my favorite things do in Hamburg. Canal or…Continue Reading
Playgrounds in Germany range from the average to the impressive. There are a lot of them, too; in my little city of Wolfsburg alone, with a population just over 120k, you’re within a 5 minute walk of a playground from basically any starting point. Depending on where you live, that might not sound so impressive; for me, though, it’s definitely…Continue Reading
The Hannover Zoo is the fifth-oldest zoo in Germany and contains around 237 different species. My husband and I, along with two good friends, recently had the chance to visit. There are several different themed areas, including the African savanna, the jungles of Asia, the Australian outback, and the Yukon. They also have an area called Gorilla Mountain, which houses…Continue Reading
Cologne was the beginning and end of our cycling vacation this year. My husband drove from home with our bikes, and I took the NightJet all the way from Vienna. Then, we left the car in Cologne and took the train to Mainz; over the next five days, we biked at a leisurely pace back to Cologne, stopping at castles…Continue Reading
My husband and I recently completed a 5-day cycling trip along the Rhine River in Germany. This post covers the last three days of our vacation. If you’d like to read about the first half, which is full of castles and deadly toboggan rides, click here! Day 3 On our third day, we stopped to explore Stolzenfels Castle. Many important…Continue Reading
Cycling along the Rhine River is a popular Summer vacation here in Germany. So much so, that there are tourism companies dedicated to planning your entire cycling trip. They book all your hotels and transport your items, so you don’t have lug them around on your bike like some kind of peasant. Not sure where you’re going? No idea how…Continue Reading
By Sunday morning, Düsseldorf was a ghost town. We didn’t see a single person on our way to get breakfast. Perhaps, they were all still asleep after a night of partying extra hard to Schlager music. There were a few other guests getting a bun or coffee, but the place was by no means full. About halfway through our breakfast, another guest sat…Continue Reading