Northern Germany Recommendations from a Reader
Hi Rick,
In October my girlfriend and I went to USA. Within three weeks we've seen the cities of LA, Vegas, San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Naples and Miami. It was a great experience. On the last days we had some time to watch TV and we've seen your tour through the Netherlands and Germany. It's very funny to see a report about your own country when being on holiday. And the next day I read your article in USA Today, stating that Americans should travel more. Today I went to your site and was confused that only Southern Germany (and a little bit Eastern Germany) is mentioned there.
So, I want to support you informing the American people about travel destinations in Northern Germany:
- The "Meyer Werft" (shipyard) where the largest cruising-ships of the world are built. The company is not located at the coast, the ships they build are nearly as wide as the channel connecting them to the North Sea. Imagine a ship about 1,000 feet long, about 100 feet width cruising through gates/bridges which are only a few (three-ten) feet wider. So when ships are leaving there are many visitors watching the spectacle.
- Volkswagen AutoStadt, a large theme-park
dedicated to all the products (cars) of the companies belonging to VW
(Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and more). Here you can see
cars from all ages, see the technology, make a safety/economy training
and visit the factory to see the hard-working people. All attractions in
a very entertaining way. (I would say a must for every car-loving American ;-)
- North Sea. Our coasts (North Sea and Baltic Sea) are not very
attractive to sun-loving tourists. But some islands in the North Sea are
very attractive for people looking for relaxation: "Baltrum": On this island cars are forbidden (only
emergency), even garbage collection is done by horse carriage. You can
circle the island within a few hours by feet. You can visit tideland,
see seals in their natural environment. And when the weather is OK, you
can go to the beach. On stormy weather in spring and fall it's nice to
see the rough sea. The winter is too cold in this area!
- "Centro" in Oberhausen. One of the very few big malls here in germany. I would compare it (in size and type of shops)
to Lakewood Mall in Los Angeles.
- Ruhr basin (known as "Ruhrgebiet" or "Ruhrpott"). With the cities Essen (indoor skiing), Dortmund, Duisburg, Oberhausen and much more, each having its attractions.
- Köln (Cologne) and Düsseldorf. Famous for Carnival and much more attractions. Düsseldorf is destination for LTU-flights to/from USA.
- Sauerland. Famous for its nature. Some big storage lakes (not as large as other famous lakes of the world!), interesting caves with gemstones.
- Emsland. A region mostly famous for moor and turf. Very long and interesting biketours possible here. In Haselünne you can visit a schnapps distillery.
- Oldenburg. A city near the coast with a beautiful street-mall, and outdoor Christmas market in December (not as big as in Nuernberg or other cities, but very nice).
- Bremen: a 1,200 year old city, belonging to the "Hanse." Now known for its contributions to space technology.
- Hamburg. One of the bigger cities in northern Germany. Famous for its fish market, harbor and "Reeperbahn."
- Osnabrück and Münster. The cities of the Westphalia peace (350 years ago, ending a 30-year lasting war). Some beautiful historic locations. The Münsterland ("county" around Münster) is famous for its castles (water-surrounded, because of missing natural barriers).
- Dülmen in the Münsterland is famous for its undomesticated horses. Riesenbeck, also in the Münsterland, is known for horse carriage world championship.
- Bad Bentheim. Mentioned on your railway map at the border to the Netherlands. It has a relatively small castle. A night-watchman tells tales/stories about the city (in German, don't know if English is possible). You can get a knights meal (without dishes, fun!). Bentheim has a casino (no roulette/black jack) and a sulfur bath.
- Nordhorn is the town I'm living in (near Bentheim). A good brewhouse, selling very good beer (you can find brewhouses in nearly every big city). Some old buildings (watermill from 17th century, industrial ruins (now museums) from 20th cent.). In this area I know of interesting geocaching locations. Nordhorn is very central within the above locations, most can be reached within 1/2 to 1 hour, some require up to 2 hour driving time. Within 1 hour you can reach Airport of Düsseldorf, 2 hours to Amsterdam, 3 hours to Hamburg, 4 hours to Frankfurt (Main), 6 hours to Berlin, 9 hours to Munich.
If you are interested in any of these locations I would be pleased to provide you more information. If you want to visit these locations yourself, I would be happy to be your guide (car included, but no lodging). This offer is real, not only politeness, so contact me if you are interested.
Regards
Alexander Brickwedde