Deutschland
Dezember 6th
Thankfully this trip I was able to get direct flights from Denver to Munich totaling a little over a 10 hour flight. I started planning earlier this year and it was unbelievable that the time had finally come. My sister Kirsten met me in Denver and our flight left for Germany at 8:20 PM with an arrival in Munich in the early afternoon.
Day 1 - München
We arrived in Munich around 2:00 PM and it was nearly 4 by the time we arrived at the cute Airbnb that I rented. I don’t remember seeing in the booking that we were staying on the 4th floor but it was no problem because it came with two kitties who were curious about our presence in their home. Our host recommended we go to the little Christmas market right down the street. Weinnachtsmarkt Unter die Bahnbrücke was so adorable with live music and lots of food and alcohol. Afterward, we went for a short stroll around Munich checking out some of the town.
Day 2 - München
Starting our day relatively early we stopped at a little coffee shop close by. Ended up ordering macchiato’s along with a pretzel with ham and cheese. Continuing on we decided to walk along this little trail following a river leading near the city center. There was this neat little shrine along the trail where people had left candles and other miscellaneous items. During the course of this trip we ended up taking a lot of odd photos like the porta potty, I feel like the genders reactions are opposite of Americans - do men cross their legs when they have to go? The last picture is of a cross walk sign - it was adorable that they were holding hands and there was a cute little heart. I wonder if this is government issued or if someone modified the existing signal.
Heilig Geist
A random little church that we decided to stop in while we were passing. Unfortunately, we didn’t take many photos because we thought that it was against the rules. As the day continued on and we went to more churches we realized that maybe the “No Cell Phone” sign was like for making phone calls and less about photography??? At least that is what we were telling ourselves as we continued to potentially be rule breakers.
Marienplatz Square
On day 2 we found ourselves in Marienplatz Square enjoying the Christmas Market. Starting off with some Glühwein, Hot Chocolate with a shot of Peppermint Liquor, and an Apfelstrudel with Vanilla Sauce. Something totally different for us was having to pay a deposit for cups, bottles, and plates. Once you are done using them you bring them back to the vendor and they give you your deposit back, kind of neat way to not use single-use items. This area was insanely busy for two reasons the Neues Rathaus was getting ready to start the famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel and the Krampus parade was set to start within a couple of hours. There were numerous vendors with treats, ornaments, and handmade goods. At the bottom of the post, there are videos from the trip - here you can see the Glockenspiel. Thousands of people stopped what they were doing when the bells started to ring, everyone pulled out their phones to record including us. Lunch we decided to keep it light and went to The Victorian House and had tea, biscuits, clotted cream & jelly, along with a plate of meats and cheeses. When I was choosing dates for the trip the Krampus Run helped determine when and where we came into the country. It was really unfortunate how crazy this area was. When we decided to make our way to the parade area it was nearly impossible to see anything due to the sheer amount of people. Thankfully Kirsten got a little bit of video while standing on her toes and holding her phone in the air above the crowd.
St. Peter
Right next to Marienplatz you can find St. Peters Church. This is the oldest parish church in the city. Inside the church there a numerous treasures such as some of the bells were cast in 1327, weathered grave slabs on the outer walls, 300-year-old Baroque high altar with a golden figure of St. Peter, and the remains of the catacomb saint, who lived in Rome around 250, arrived Munich as a gift in the 17th century.
Odeonsplatz & Wittelsbacherplatz
Odeonsplatz & Wittelsbacherplatz were places I wanted to go to see monuments and neoclassical architecture. This area was really beautiful but unfortunately, there were so many barricades and construction it made it so that photography was poor. While we were in the area we decided to spend time in Hofgarten instead due to a large Syrian rally celebrating the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, whose brutal attacks on civilians drove hundreds of thousands towards Europe in search of safety. We had no idea what the rally was for but there were a lot of police officers and I was unsure if it was going to remain civil so we decided to not stay in the area.
Augustiner-Keller
Ready for dinner we struggled to find a place to eat after the Krampus Run due to the sheer amount of people everywhere. A place I had on my list of must eat at was Augustiner-Keller which was established in 1328. We only wanted to grab a beer but they asked in German if we wanted to eat and drink and I said yes so we were committed to food now. My sister ordered potato soup and me a meat salad of some sort - it was a lot of cured meat with a light dressing, onions, tomato, pickle, and some bread. Apparently, there is a meat and cheese version and I totally should have gotten that for some variety.
Day 3 - Köln
Super early morning leaving Munich with our train departing at 5:30 for a 5-hour ride to Cologne. The first time using the train station was an adventure, the tickets I purchased online were written in German which really wasn’t the problem it was that the information about the seats was a little unclear how to read which car our seats were in. Thankfully an innocent German who spoke little to no English helped me figure out where to find our car on the tickets and its location. Surprisingly enough the cars weren’t all in order numerically. When we arrived in Cologne and got off of the train onto the platform we had no idea where we were going. After walking from one end to the other we figured out the only way off of the platform was to take the stairs and go underground. Anyone who was watching us might have laughed seeing us wandering around lost.
Brauerei Pfaffen
This was a highly rated restaurant in Cologne and a must go to. The food was absolutely amazing Kirsten got the goulash and I got roast pork with gravy and potatoes. Our waiter was a funny guy and the art/decor was interesting.
Heinzels Wintermärchen, Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom, & Advent Village
Initially, when planning this trip I had hopes of spreading out the Christmas markets so we could do one a day. It just didn’t seem to happen that way. Quickly we found out how insane these markets get after dark. During the day there are a lot of people but it’s manageable after the sun sets all the people come out and it is nearly impossible to get around some of the markets. Pictured below are some mind-blowing mushrooms that we ordered. I have no clue what they are called but they had amazing garlic sauce on them. They were life changing and I will forever dream of these mushrooms.
Dorint Hotel am Heumarkt Köln
Random pictures throughout the day
I love how so many things are covered in this green moss. It gives so much character and shows the age of some of these sculptures. I was honestly shocked to see how green everything was in Germany. Coming from Colorado where everything is already brown it was unexpected. The temperatures were hovering around freezing yet there are still flowers!
Day 4 - Köln
Basilica of St. Gereon & Mariensäule
On our way to visit St. Gereon’s Basilica, we stopped at a bakery for a macchiato and breakfast. I ordered a Berliner and Kirsten got a sandwich with salmon on it. The first mention of this church was in 612 but in its current configuration, it is shown in transcripts from 1151. Going to this basilica was a treat as they had the organ playing while in there, giving it a special feel. No other churches in the area did this. This was my favorite out of all of the churches we visited. The Cologne Mariensäule is one of the oldest Marian columns that started to be built when Pope Pius IX announced the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This column is well hidden in the grassy area, just in front of St. Gereon.
Eigelstein-Torburg
Eigelstein City Gate is one of the three surviving gate castles of Cologne's medieval city wall. The wreck of the small cruiser "SMS Cöln" can be visited. The warship named after the city was sunk in the North Sea during the First World War, with the loss of 509 lives.
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
Declared a world heritage site in 1996, it is Germany’s most visited landmark. It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and the second-tallest church in Europe. The Tomb of the Three Kings is a reliquary traditionally believed to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men. This shrine is a large gilded and decorated triple sarcophagus situated above and behind the high altar.
Museum Ludwig
The biggest Pop Art collection outside the USA, the world’s third-largest Picasso collection, masterpieces of Expressionism and the New Objectivity style, photographs from the beginnings of photography to the present day, and contemporary art.
Random Köln Photos
Day 5 - Köln
Breakfast, Parade, Rudolfplatz, & Random Photos
Happy to find a coffee shop we were able to get something other than coffee! Matcha Latte and Chai Lattes with breakfast was a nice treat. After eating there was this march or parade that was passing by. It was going in the same direction as us and we ended up getting mixed into it. I think that they were marching for children, LGBTQ+, and women’s rights? Not entirely sure. Here you can also see a little Christmas market we stumbled upon along with a funny picture of me demonstrating how to use the sidewalks.
Melaten-Friedhof
The Melatenfriedhof (Melaten Cemetery) is Cologne’s largest graveyard holding over 55,000 gravesites. Not until we were back home did I realize that we missed a very well-known gravesite. There is a grim reaper somewhere within this cemetery - what a bummer we didn’t find it. The graveyard was built on the site of a former leper colony on the model of Pere Lachaise and inaugurated in 1810, has been destroyed and restored several times throughout history. There are four war memorials, an old and new mourning hall, and many old expired grave sites preserved by sponsors. Something we noticed is this graveyard was so different from the ones in the United States. It is well cared for and loved. Many people continue to come back and care for their families as you can see from the watering cans to maintain the sites.
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
The museum has one of the world’s leading collections of medieval paintings. Housing works by the Baroque masters, ranging from Rubens and Rembrandt to Murillo and Boucher, the German Romantics, French Realism, and Impressionism. With over 700 years of art history, you can clearly view how art changed over time.
Bei Oma Kleinmann
After a long day of walking in the cold, we had reservations for Bei Oma Kelinmann. Waiting for it to open I could clearly see that I made a good choice as this place was popular. Almost exclusively they make schnitzel and Kirsten ordered traditional Jager Schnitzel where I ordered the Holland. The food was amazing and the portions were enormous, I have no idea how someone could complete one entire portion.
Day 6 - Nürnberg
Surprise from the Deutsche Bahn our train from Cologne to Nuremburg was cancelled. Thankfully the next train was 7 minutes later and we hopped on. Unfortunately, we now didn’t have seats and had to move around to accommodate the other passengers who reserved the same seats we had. Our Airbnb host needed to postpone our entry into the apartment so we wasted time eating sushi and going to the post office to ship some postcards. Also below there is yet another crosswalk sign that is different (ignore the man who looks mad at me taking his picture).
St. Lawrence Church (Lorenzkirche)
Guess what? Another romanesque church! Completed in 1400 this Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria was badly damaged in World War 2 and later restored. With the three-part pipe organ, the church of St. Lawrence owns the biggest pipe organ of the world. More than 12.000 pipes and 165 organ stops.
Weißgerbergasse
Weißgerbergasse is a picturesque alley in the heart of Nuremberg. This charming street is a journey back in time, with its cobblestone pavement and colorful half-timbered houses lining both sides. The street is the perfect spot for a leisurely walk or some quiet exploration. It's a very quaint neighborhood with some beautiful buildings.
Christkindlesmarket & Kinderweihnacht
Look - more Christmas Markets! Ok, can you tell we are about done with them? They are all pretty similar to each other with some subtle differences. generally, they all have the same food, drinks, and souvenirs. Nuremberg did have some very interesting sculptures. We decided since we had tried most of the different drinks we still needed to have the Eggnog. The hot Eggnog was loaded with Rum… And I am not just saying a strong taste of Rum - that was all we could taste. I wonder if because it was heated and maybe ordered less frequently it was somehow condensed and more alcoholic? At one of the little stands in the market, we decided to buy some olives, cheese spread, and fresh bread. This ended up being an amazing dinner and cheap.
Society Nürnberg (The Club)
A surprise to us our Airbnb host gifted us a bottle of wine to apologize for the late entry into the apartment. After sharing some of his dinner with us he invited us out to the club where he DJ’s. After way too many drinks that night we ended up at the club enjoy music and dancing. An unexpected experiences in Germany to be enjoying latin music and having a crazy unplanned night out.
Day 7 - Nürnberg
Kaiserburg Nürnberg (Nuremberg Castle)
The Imperial Castle is the symbol of Nuremberg. Since the Middle Ages, its silhouette has represented the power and importance of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. First mentioned in a document as a royal property in 1050, played an important part in the imperial and domestic policy of the Salian and Hohenstaufen kings and emperors. I didn’t do any tours of the museum inside but enjoyed viewing the grounds from the outside.
St. Sebaldus Church (Sebalduskirche)
So I have to admit, by this point, I was questioning if I was in this church before or if it was a new one. Nuremberg's oldest city parish church was built around 1215 as a three-aisled Late Romanesque pillared basilica. Destroyed during World War II like the rest of the city, St. Sebald was reconstructed in 1957 and reconsecrated. The reliquary shrine in the tomb cast in bronze is prominently located in the interior of the church. The bones of Nuremberg patron saint Sebaldus are presumed to rest in the silver embossed casket.
Nuremberg Palace of Justice
World history was written in a courtroom of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. It was historic Courtroom 600 where leaders of the Nazi regime had to answer for their crimes before the International Military Tribunal between November 20, 1945, and October 1, 1946. The trials had an enormous influence on the development of international criminal law right up to the present. The Memorium Nuremberg Trials is an information and documentation center which is located on the top floor of the courthouse. It provides insights into the defendants and their crimes, the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials of 1946-49, and the impact of the Nuremberg Trials until today.
Random Photography
Day 8 - München
Our train departed from Nürnberg at 8:00 AM and Kirsten decided she really wanted vending machines soup at the train station. It really added to the homeless look she had going on.
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
On the last day of our trip, I booked a tour of Dachau. Unknown to me was that our grandfather was stationed here in the 1960’s. Dachau is located approximately 20 minutes from Munich. This humbling experience is something that really makes you think about how horrible these people suffered. Dachau was not considered a “murder” camp yet still killed approximately 41,000 people during the course of 12 years. Dachau served as a prototype and model for the other German concentration camps that followed. The gates read "Arbeit macht frei" meaning “Work will set you free” - this camp was a work camp and literally worked people to death. With 6 crematoriums to dispose of the bodies and a gas chamber to euthanize sick prisoners, it is unbelievable the atrocities that occurred here.
Augustiner-Keller
Recommended by our tour guide we decided to go to Augustiner-Keller not remembering we had been to the other one across town. Thankfully they had a different menu. The food was amazing and so was the atmosphere.
Dezember 15th
On our last day in Germany with no plans but to sleep in and go to the airport. At this point, both of us are sick and ready to not be on vacation anymore. At the airport, we got a pizza and a Coke and patiently waited for our flight home.
Videos
All the Fahrt’s!
Congratulations if you made it this far in my post. At the beginning of the trip, Kirsten asked me where there were farts everywhere. Needless to say, this became a thing and we took photos of many of the Fahrt’s across the three cities we visited - I promise we didn’t take a picture of everyone, many of them seemed like duplication and we got a little pickier as time went on.
