Germany
This country is so large in comparison to its neighbours that is seems to make up Central Europe on its own. The long and turbulent history of the states that now are united in the German Republic has lead to the existence of castles, fortifications and old towns almost everywhere.
My visits to Germany are innumerable: lots of weekends visiting relatives in Bad Bentheim near the Dutch border, about 10 holidays with my parents to Hinterstein in the South and 3 months working in Frankfurt am Main. I visited relatively few Worldheritage sites, probably because there is so much more to see in Germany than the collection of heritages on the List.
List of world heritage sites in Germany
Tentative list of Germany
20th Century Berlin SettlementsBeech Primeval Forests of GermanyBergpark WilhelmshöheFormer Benedictine abbey and monastery church of CorveyHeidelberg, town and castleL’œuvre architecturale et urbaine de Le Corbusier – deux maisons du Weissenhof-Siedlung à StuttgartMarkgräfliches Opernhaus BayreuthMine of Rammelsberg and historic town of Goslar - Extension by the "Oberharzer Wasserwirtschaft", i.e. the "Upper Harz WOre Mountains: mining and cultural landscapeSchwetzingen, castle and castle gardensShoe last factory Carl Benscheidt, Fagus-WerkThe Chilehaus in HamburgThe Franck Foundations in HalleThe Naumburg CathedralWadden Sea Area
Visits
Northern Germany
December 2007
Only a short trip for Christmas this year - I've used all my days off for my China trip.
Relatively close to home there were two sites left to tick off: the Hanseatic heritage of Lübeck and Stralsund&Wismar. These towns belong to Germany but face Scandinavia, with which they share also a common history.
Saxony-Anhalt
February 2007
In the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt one stumbles over world heritage sites. There are four of them, all with multiple locations. In Dessau for example I encountered road signs pointing to the Bauhaus site, to several parts of the Garden Kingdom and to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, all within easy reach.
Basing myself in Quedlinburg, is spent an enjoyable weekend in this region. My total score for Germany now has reached 23 (out of 32). Only 9 to go....
Darmstadt
August 2006
In about two years I plan to 'complete' Germany: then I will have visited all 32 German WHS. Most of those I have seen on weekendtrips: I think I need about 3 more of them to achieve my goal. Or almost: two geographical extremes (Muskauer Park and Reichenau) probably will be left.
This weekend I stayed in Darmstadt, just below Frankfurt, for the Messel (Fossil) Pit and Lorsch.
Goslar & Hildesheim
January 2006
A temperature of -10 degrees that freezes your face and toes in half an hour couldn't prevent me from going out again for a weekend. In Central Germany I stayed in the rich medieval town of Goslar, that owes its prosperity to the nearby Rammelsberg mines. It's a pleasant, cosy place that has preserved its monuments very well.
On my way back home I did a quick detour to the world heritage listed churches in Hildesheim.
More industrial heritage
September 2005
This summer, after visiting the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, I ran out of WHS daytrips. Not able to withstand my urge to see some more, I experimented this weekend with a 1.5 daytrip. This involves an overnight stay (in picturesque though quite tacky Monschau in the Eifel region in this case), and a visit to the WHS of choice the next day.
Although it still involves a fair amount of driving, it was relaxing enough: new surroundings, reasonable weather, local food and WHS number 190 - the impressive industrial monument in Völklingen.
Berlin
July 2005
The German capital is a city in transition, construction works are still everywhere although many places already had their facelift. The formidable new parliament buildings were blinking and glowing when I arrived late in the evening.
Berlin's atmosphere is somewhat less chic than that of many other German towns, 80's looking punks and anarchists are a common sight. It has a lot going for it as a place to shop, eat, drink and party.
Although it had more than its fair share of historic events, it's mainly a living city and not a monument. For me personally, the lack of historical landmarks was sometimes disappointing: the Brandenburger Tor for example turned out to be much smaller than I had anticipated. But I only had two days here, and obviously it takes more time to really get to know this great city.
Weimar at Easter
March 2005
The historical city of Weimar had been on my WHS wish list for long. After a three day visit this Easter I can truly say that I wasn't disappointed at all.
Weimar is a friendly town where one can see fine architecture, enjoy one of the local museums, have a walk in the park and eat a hearty Thuringian meal.
Bremen Christmas style
December 2004
Most German cities are dressed up in the weeks before Christmas. Shops have longer hours, the streets are decorated with a lot of tiny lights. And there's always a Christmas market that attracts visitors from far.
So does Bremen, a city in Northern Germany, where the Altstadt features a World Heritage Site since 2004.
Industrial Sunday
August 2003
Somewhere in the middle of the 'Ruhrgebiet', Germany's major industrial area, lies the huge Zollverein mining complex. It's been recognized as a world heritage site since 2001, and makes a somewhat disturbing daytrip.
Rhine trip
July 2003
I had wanted to save visiting the Rhine Valley until I am in my sixties or so. The Rhine, its castles and the Lorely have something oldfashioned about them. But the scenery is really great, so you easily forget about the tacky and somewhat rundown Rhine-side hotels, restaurants and souvenirstalls. I didn't go on a boattrip though (there are limits).
Trier
February 2003
Beautiful weather always inspires me to leave my house and go worldheritage hunting. This freezing but sunny weekend I spent in Trier, a lovely town next to the Moselle and with a Roman heritage unusual rich this far from Rome.
Autumn
November 2002
What is more beautiful on a shiny autumn day than to be in a forest? The park and woods around the castles of Brühl were most colourful today, turning my 105th visit to a world heritage site in a worthwhile daytrip.
Aachen
August 2001
Sunny Aachen offered more attractive distractions than visiting the Cathedral that is featured on the World Heritage List. Dutiful as I am though I visited Aachen Cathedral and its Treasury before heading for one of the terraces in the city center. The Cathedral I found a bit disappointing, the Treasury is well-presented. And the food and drinks in Aachen I can also recommend after today.
