Laboe

The Laboe Naval Memorial in Laboe commemorates the sailors of all nations who lost their lives during both World Wars. It is a 85-metre high tower overlooking the Baltic Sea. On a good day (and we had one), you can enjoy a scenic view from the top. There is also a museum about the history of the German navy exhibiting ship models and naval paintings.
At the site, there is also a former German war submarine U-995 that houses a technical museum. The submarine was captured by the allies in 1945 and then it served in the Norwegian navy. Later it was sold for a symbolic price to Germany and became a museum ship in 1971. Inside the submarine, you can see how complex the inner workings are and get an idea what it was like to be a sailor locked in the belly of such a machine. They must have been on edge. Big time.

Grave-hill field in Boltersen

Buckelgräberfeld in Boltersen is a protohistoric graveyard with around 300 graves, some of which are dating back to the 3rd-5th century AD. The Lombards buried their dead in urns under or between tumuli, but tombs from the Neolithic, the Bronze and Iron Age, as well as the Roman times have also been found here. This is a one-of-a-kind historical site, still I have to admit that I enjoyed the scenery more than the history lying below the ground.

Beatlemania

Most of the people think of the Beatles as being a quintessentially British band. However, they got their start in Hamburg, performing in clubs along the Reeperbahn back in the early 1960s. Their famous mop-top haircut was also inspired by the hairstyle of a guy they saw in Hamburg. Beatlemania, a museum dedicated to those early years of the band, opened its doors on 29 May, 2009. On its five floors, rare memorabilia along with original objects from the era are displayed, featuring several interactive stations that take visitors back to the Beatles' heyday to re-live the unique atmosphere of the sixties.

Herr Max

For a delicious, "good-for-you" cake in Hamburg, Herr Max is a great place to go. It is a quirky, laid-back cafe with great, organic cakes and drinks. I adore how they have created their signature look with mix-and-match vintage chinaware and found objects. On the flip side, some of the interior solutions look a bit more shabby than chic and considering the reviews read, I have expected a larger selection of cakes.

Chistmas Fair in Lunenburg

The traditional Christmas market in Lunenburg takes place in front of the Lüneburger Rathaus (Town Hall) from whose balcony Siegfried Knoop, trumpet soloist plays a Christmas song every afternoon. Stalls sell handcrafted Christmas decorations and gifts, Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Glühwein (mulled wine). There are also beautiful scenes staged from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm all over the city center.
Wherever you are, soak up the magic of Yuletide markets and indulge in the delicious traditional Christmas treats.

Lüneburger Heide

Heide just as its English equivalent, heath can mean two different things: it can either be the natural habitat for low-growing evergreen shrubs or the plant of the genus Erica. The Lüneburger Heide (Lunenburg Heath) is the largest heath area in Central Europe and most of it is a nature reserve. Ideally, it is the best to visit around late August when the Scotch heather is in full bloom; we were a bit late so its bright pink color had already turned into brownish. Nevertheless, we very much enjoyed the special charm of the scenery ("Heidelandschaft") from a horse-drawn carriage (thank you, Mario and Diego for the hard work!) and the little feast of local specialties (Frikadeller in a bun, pea stew, buttermilk, coffee and buckwheat cake) we had at a guest house halfway through our journey.

On the Lüneburg Heath
In that beautiful land
I went up and I went down
All sorts on the way I found
Valleri Vallera ha ha ha

And yoohirassah
Dearest love
For you know it sure

Engineering Wonders

The Scharnebeck twin ship lift is far from being described as "oh-so-cute", but the time spent with technical translation has given me a sense of appreciation for such impressive engineering structures. The ship lift is situated 10km to the north-east of Lunenburg, on the Elbe Lateral Canal which connects the Midland Canal with the River Elbe. The 61m height difference between the water levels is overcome by a lock in Uelzen, and the boat lift in Scharnebeck. More than 21,000 ships with a maximum displacement of 1,350 tonnes pass through the lift each year.

The Local Charm

For many, beach holiday means heading abroad and soaking up the sun from a towel laid directly on the warm sand, on one of the Mediterranean coasts. But due to the tough economic climate (and maybe some nostalgic affection), a lot of British, Swedish and German travellers opt for so-called staycations, so the old-fashioned, glorious seaside holidays are making something of a comeback in these countries. To get the taste of what it is like to have a "cooler" vacation, think of the film version of Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun or the Polo Sylt catalogue or Daniel Bergman's Sunday's Children.

In Travemünde, the weather was fair, still I did not feel like taking a dip into the icy water of the Baltic Sea. Luckily, Strandkorbs (beach basket) provide a solid shelter from the elements of nature. Since its invention in 1882 by Wilhelm Bartelmann, the Strandkorb has developed into a cult object and has become a hallmark of German seaside vacations and coastal living all over the world.

Free Hanseatic City of Bremen

1. Market Square (Rathausplatz) with the statue of Roland
2. Mühle am Wall in the Wallanlagen Park
3. Tee-Handels-Kontor
4. Hachez - Bremer Chocolade Manufaktur since 1890, chocolate bonbons with the 'Town Musicians' motif
5. Böttcherstraße
6. Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum

Konditorei Niederegger

Theoretically, marzipan is the mixture of ground almonds and sugar. The German version is made of two parts almond to one part sugar, it is cooked, then the paste is partially dried. Established in 1806, Niederegger is regarded as producing the finest quality marzipan in Germany with only 35% sugar content. The Konditorei-Café Niederegger in the centre of Luebeck is a marzipan institution featuring a café, a shop for their own-branded sweets and a marzipan museum on the upper floors. Their Fürst-Pückler-Torte (Neapolitan cake) with a cup of marzipan coffee is a must-have when in Luebeck.

Bleckede

Where sun and wind play on a ring of bright water,
that's where my heartland will be.
The deer on the hill in the first snow of winter,
the gull in the sky winging free.

I wandered away from the dark crowded city,
leaving my old life behind;
and came to a place where a ring of bright water
dazzled the care from my mind.
So, I live with the wonder of the sky and the sea,
and I'll always remember who revealed them to me.

/Val Doonican: Ring of Bright Water/

The Rooftops of Lunenburg

The Hansestadt Lüneburg (Hanseatic Town of Lunenburg) is well-known for its ancient gabled and half-timbered houses. Turn your head up to the sky to get a full view of them.

The Journey Begins

During the college years, I did my industrial placement in Nuremberg and now, I had the chance to pass by this lovely city again. It was great to see how little it had changed during these 12 years and how wonderful the Franconian cuisine still tastes. We had everything from Nürnberger Bratwurst and Sauerkraut to Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) and Haxe (grilled pork knuckle). I daresay, it tastes the best with a glass of Radler (shandy). An Guadn!