Fellow collectors' trip to Germany
Dear fellow ICCC and collector’s community members.
This is the more detailed version of the text, published in the ICCC newsletter of March 2016. Here I have more space to provide much more information and links for your better understanding and hopefully planning to make your trip to Germany a most enjoyable one. J
We had informed you about the planned trip to Germany in the earlier newsletters already. The overview map for the entire trip is also available on the main blog website.
Today we're providing some more detailed information to tease you and make your mouth water. As mentioned already, the trip will include some sightseeing, historical and other interesting places and a meeting with fellow collectors to enjoying their displays of European GPAs.
After arrival at FRANKFURT airport a trip though the city will be your first highlight. I’ll provide more details about the airport once the trip and arrival is clearer. Frankfurt is one of the busiest cities in Europe with its many businesses incl. chemical, software, banking (incl. head office of the European Central Bank) etc. As you can see from the pictures there is some history and a new, modern part of the city alike.
Frankfurt Skyline with Main River and financial district, Old downtown City Hall, the “Römer”)
Here is a hint to a virtual city tour. As you can see, there are many interesting things and places to be seen right within the city. The guided tour might take us as well further outside to see other parts of the city in some village-style suburbs. Perhaps we’ll also have a little time to enjoy some of the famous Frankfurt Appelwoi (apple-wine = Cider) which is very popular in this area. However, a good selection of German beers and other drinks is also always available. ;-)
A link to the virtual tour with even more information is right here for you to explore: http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=317578&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=177743
1 The late afternoon will provide time to rest and for getting adjusted to the European time zone.
After a good night’s sleep the following day is planned for relaxed travelling from Frankfurt to Muenster, our next destination. This includes an enjoyable boat trip on the Rhine River with its beautiful scenery. Let the countryside go by and watch the views of several cities and wine villages as well as old castles and ruins along the route. The Rhine River is Germany’s most important river, although not to be compared by length or widths with the Mississippi and other major rivers in the US. However, the beauty of the small villages along the cruise with their wine growing businesses, the small guest houses and restaurants provide a cozy atmosphere and one would want to spend more time around here with tasting some of the local wines and food alike.
(On the Rhine river)
2 Here some general information from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine . We’ll most probably sail some time on the “Middle Rhine” section (see description). After that we’ll again take the bus to the city of MUENSTER in Westphalia province which is next on our list. Muenster is famous for its rich history, a great surrounding countryside, excellent local food, hand-crafted beers and many very interesting nearby palaces. Today Muenster is a very busy university city. Be careful when you walk as bikers are everywhere and bikes are one of the most important means of transportation within the city.
Muensters old City Hall Prinzipalmarkt
There is a lot of interesting things to be read about the city. Here’s a link for you to explore: http://www.muenster.de/en/
The city is very well known for the “Westphalian Peace” treaties, signed in 1648. More information here: http://www.muenster.de/en/city_of_peace.php
The “Kiepenkerl” (Pannier-man) in his typical outfit is one of the synonyms for the “Muensterland” area. It was in earlier centuries that those men walked throughout the rural areas, bringing local food (e.g. air-dried Westphalia ham J ) and other goods for everyday needs to sell and trade to their customers. There are some monuments to remember these men and perhaps we’re lucky and see one walking around…..
A visit to Nordkirchen castle, a Baroque palace which is only abt. 30mins away from Muenster will be next. It was originally built in the Medieval Ages, re-built and extended several times and received it’s more or less final appearance by the German master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun in the 17 th century after the inspiring example of Versailles castle near Paris. That’s why it is called the “Westphalian Versailles”. Today most buildings are occupied by the state government to educate and train the next generations of tax officers.
3 Nordkirchen castle and parks Entrance way
From Muenster we’ll drive to the city of HAMBURG on the Elbe River which connects the city to the German sea. Although located abt. 60 miles upstream from the sea, Hamburg is the most important German harbor with its free trading zone and is the 2 nd biggest harbor in Europe. It also belongs to the 20 biggest container harbors in the world. There is also a lot of history and culture with more than 60 museums and a great variety in sightseeing, shopping and entertainment (abt. 60 theaters with shows and musicals) as well as a well-known adult nightlife area at the “Reeperbahn” in the St. Pauli’s quarter! Big businesses include air and space industries (Airbus), bio technologies, information & media technologies, banking, insurances and others.
(Vi View of Hamburg inner harbor with entrance to the old Elbe River road tunnel
Wikipedia provides a very good overview of the city with its many faces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg
Here’s the Hamburg city website for you to explore. The “visitors” section will give you an excellent overview about what to do and see: http://english.hamburg.de/
4 The old warehouse district Hamburg’s city hall and senate
Two musical halls with their own landing pier (Hamburg waterfront with the old cargo sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers against St. Michael’s church)
Some more links which might be of interest:
- Museums and Galleries: http://english.hamburg.de/museums-and-galleries/ - Emigration station in the port of Hamburg: http://www.ballinstadt.net/BallinStadt_emigration_museum_Hamburg/Welcome.html The old cargo sailing ship, right at the waterfront: - Traditional ships right at the waterfront: http://hamburgtourist.info/sehenswuerdigkeiten-hamburg/traditionsschiffhafen-hamburg.html - The largest model railway in the world (right in the old warehouse district): http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/ (DON’T MISS THE VIDEO ON THEIR WEBSITE!!!)
There are so many more interesting things and locations. Let’s see what the tour guide will show us during the guided city tour.
Make sure you find interesting things to see during your free time (or just relax at the waterfront and have a drink on board of the old lighthouse ship with a nice harbor view: http://www.das-feuerschiff.de/ )
If you have the strength to enjoy some nightlife after a busy day you can go to one of the many musicals, enjoy some entertainment on the “Reeperbahn” or just sit with a good beer or a glass of wine and enjoy the (hopefully) nice and sunny evening.
Enjoy a good night’s sleep and make sure you get up in time for the trip to Germanys Capital.
5 The next day brings us to the German capital BERLIN.
There is so much to be seen about historic buildings, lively quarters, museums, culture as well as alterations due to more recent political changes that it would be worth an extra week-long stay. There again is rich history, traditional neighborhoods, the “Museum Island”, a wealth of shopping, entertainment and river boat trips throughout the city to be enjoyed. We hope the tour guide will give his utmost to cover the most interesting things and get you excited in the short time available.
I don’t know what to praise first. There are so many impressive buildings, places and areas that I don’t know how to show them. Below is a short selection of the most attractive items. Some other very interesting places are the Boulevard “Unter den Linden” (former East Berlin) from the Brandenburg Gate to the “Berliner Dom” (near the Museum Island), the “Potsdamer Platz” with its new hotels and the SONY entertainment center, the Holocaust museum (directly next to the Brandenburg Gate) and many more beautiful places.
One of the most photographed objects: The Brandenburg Gate at Pariser Platz….
…. and the old “Reichstag”, now “Deutscher Bundestag”, the German Parliament with its glass dome
6 “Museum Island” with five different museums, incl. the Pergamum museum, at the top with the green cupolas is the “Berliner Dom” (Cathedral).
Sunbathers at the Spree river in the midst of the Chancellor’s (Mrs.Merkel’s) office, right behind the city, near the Parliament building “Bundestag” sunbathers and opposite of the “Bundestag”
Nikolai quarter with tower of “Red Town Hall” Checkpoint Charlie and East Berlin’s TV tower at Alexander place
7 Boulevard “Unter den Linden” in former East Berlin, Alexander von Humboldt University leading from Brandenburg Gate to Museum Island at “Unter den Linden” boulevard
Left picture: Kurfürstendamm Boulevard with the Emperor Wilhelm Memorial Church (old and new), the main focus in the western part before the re-unification Right picture: The KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) is THE place to shop from items for everyday life to the most luxurious things. The food court in the 5 th floor is simply breathtaking, from the good old Berlin style “Currywurst” to Lobster and Champagne, everything is there!!!
Interesting links: - History of Berlin: http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/geschichte/index.en.html - Visit Berlin, Sights A – Z: http://www.visitberlin.de/en/see/sightseeing/sights?tid=82 - Museum Island: http://www.berlin.de/en/attractions-and-sights/3560564-3104052-museum-island.en.html - Checkpoint Charlie Museum: http://www.berlin.de/en/museums/3108687-3104050-haus-am-checkpoint-charlie- mauermuseum.en.html - GDR Museum: http://www.ddr-museum.de/en - Berlin Wall: http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html - Hackesche Höfe: http://www.berlin.de/en/attractions-and-sights/3560128-3104052-hackesche-hoefe.en.html - Nikolai Quarter: http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/nikolai-quarter - KaDeWe Food court: https://www.google.de/search?q=kudamm+berlin&biw=1280&bih=890&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source= univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYp9TJt7HLAhXoDpoKHSIFAYoQsAQIMw#tbm=isch&q=kadewe+berlin+leb ensmittelabteilung 8 I’m pretty sure that you have enjoyed BERLIN so far and regret that the time was too short. There were so many things you’d also have liked to see. Perhaps next time…….
Anyway, the bus is waiting for our next destination POTSDAM which is less than 1 hour from Berlin.
POTSDAM is another historical place near Berlin, known as a residence for various kings of Prussia, with a great ensemble of beautiful palaces and royal parks. King Frederic the Great (1712 – 1786) initiated the building of the Sanssouci Palace (from 1745) with its beautiful gardens and a rebuild of many of the city’s public buildings to establish Potsdam as a residential city.
There is a long way from the Prussian kings to the more recent history when the allied forces signed the peace documents which ended WW II. The city itself also has many interesting places which will be explained to us during another city trip.
(Sanssouci Palace of “Frederic The Great”, King of Prussia)
View of Potsdam city Glienicker Bruecke, where spies were exchanged during the cold war. Left side is West Berlin; right side is Brandenburg State, East Germany. The color of the bridge changes right in the middle.
9 What looks like a Mosque is in fact the steam House in the former Russian colony engine machinery house of a power station “Alexandrowka”
Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam Street view in the Dutch quarter
Cecilienhof Palace, place of the “Potsdam conference” after end of WWII
Interesting links from Wikipedia: - Potsdam city: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam - Sanssoci palace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanssouci - Cecilienhof palace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilienhof
10 The next day is more or less a driving day. We’ll need most of the day to drive the German Autobahn through a changing countryside from Berlin through the states Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony to a smaller town of LUENEN in North Rhine-Westphalia state again to Erwin’s and Gudrun’s neighborhood. There we’ll try to organize a get-together and have the chance to meet some German collectors and enjoy their GPAs the next day.
View of Luenen city at the Lippe River
We hope we can attract many fellow collectors with a lot of “Unkown-to-you” stuff to make this meet an enjoyable one for all of us. We haven’t publicly invited to that gathering and to meet with everyone yet but we have a confirmation from some collectors already. If that’ll work out you’re going to see some very (!) unusual items. We’ll try to get a meeting room in a hotel to display things during the day and present everything to you. We hope that we’ll have a fun day with lots of nice discussion among friends. When everything works we’ll also try to arrange a light-up around dinner time.
Unfortunately after this city it is time to think about travelling home. The last leg will bring us back to Frankfurt where another city tour and a final night finalize the round trip. Then it’s time to say Good Bye the next morning and drive to the airport for flying home. L
We hope the above description and pictures give you some more ideas and highlights about the trip and make you want to register as soon as possible. ;-)
Again for your information: All information can be found on the main blog website under: https://colemanfriends.wordpress.com/
In case of any questions pls. contact Erwin and Gudrun Schaefer under: erwin_sch (at) freenet dot de, or Steve and Robin Miller under adirondacklanterncollector (at) yahoo dot com.
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