Well known, fattening but very tasty!

Dough: 4 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 6 oz sugar, 2.6 oz starch flour, ½ tsp baking powder, 5.6 oz flour, 1.8 oz butter, salt, lemon zests, butter for the baking form.
Buttercream: 2 cups of milk, 4.4 oz sugar, 1.5 oz custard powder, 1 egg yolk, 13 oz butter, a little rum
Filling: 10.5 oz morello cherries out of the glass, 1.5 oz starch flour, 8.8 oz hazelnut brittle, 16 red cherries for decoration

Dough: Mix eggs with sugar, add starch and flour and baking powder, stir well and add liquid butter and the lemon zests. Bake at 374 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes in a Bundt pan (Bundform Pan). When it is cold cut it into three rings.

Buttercream: Boil the milk add sugar stir it well and then add the custard powder and the egg yolk. Stir it till it is cold. Then slowly add the liquid butter stir well and flavour with rum.
Filling: Boil the juice of the morello cherries add the starch add the cherries and let it cool down. Mix 1/3 of the buttercream with the morello cherries and spread it on the bottom layer of the cake. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream on the second layer of the cake and put it on. Add the third layer and spread the rest of the buttercream all over the cake. Spread the hazelnut brittle all over and divide the cake in 19 pieces. Decorate each piece with a cherry.

As you can reach Frankfurt, Hesse easily from about everywhere it is ideal for a weekend-trip.

Accommodation will be available in all price ranges, and you can decide spontaneously to discover Frankfurt. You can get even reduced tickets for public transport and museums.

Frankfurt am Main©flickr/cdngrinaomi

One of the most famous sights in Frankfurt is the Römerberg from where the destiny of the city has been directed for more than 6 centuries. The patrician houses really are magnificent. The Römer had been important even beyond the city limits, as German emperors had been elected and crowned in the imperial hall.  The halls also served as halls for markets and fairs. From the famous Römer balcony many famous people waved to a cheering crowd. Because of space considerations the National Assembly was moved to St. Paul’s Church in 1848.

The Imperial Cathedral (Kaiserdom) of Frankfurt is not a cathedral at all because it never was a bishop’s church. But the Gothic St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral is one of the few to receive the designation “Imperial Cathedral”, because from 1356 onwards kings were elected here and from 1562 to 1792 even 10 monarchs. The steeple of the cathedral has a height of 95 metres (311 ft) and from April to October you can climb up the 324 steps to enjoy the great view over Frankfurt.

For families with children the Frankfurt Zoo and the Palm Garden might be of special interest.  The Zoo is located in the city centre and one of the oldest in the world and presents a total of 500 different species. The zoo is Europe’s largest home for nocturnal animals and became famous because of Professor Bernhard Grzimek who was not only a famous zoologist but also a filmmaker and conservationist. He rebuilt the zoo after WW2 and introduced modern animal keeping to the visitors.

Frankfurt also enjoys an excellent reputation concerning cultural offerings of all sorts. There are for example the Frankfurt Opera and numerous museums. And if you need some time to relax, how about a walk along the River Main. And in the “Eppelwoi Pubs” in Old Sachsenhausen (Alt-Sachsenhausen) you can drink the famous Eppelwoi, a special apple wine.

Bremen:

Heinrich Fockes Windkanal

The Focke Wind Tunnel was finished in 1963. From 1998 to 2003 it was completely restored and is now working again. www.focke-windkanal.de

Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum

In the German Maritime Museum you find a lot about medieval shipping, shipping in the early modern age, fishing and whaling, oceanography and naval research. www.dsm.museum

Universum

The Universum has three different parts. “In the Science Center” and the “Entdecker-Park” you find lots of information about mankind, earth, cosmos, movement and wind and weather. In the “Schau-Box” there are exhibitions on different subjects. www.universum-bremen.de

Hamburg:

Airbus Deutschland

On a guided tour you will learn everything about how an airplane is built. www.airbus-werksfuehrung.de

Maritimes Museum

Here you can find ship models, construction plans, paintings, photos and uniforms. www.internationales-maritimes-museum.de

Miniatur Wunderland

Here you can see the largest model train exhibition in the world. The Miniatur Wunderland grows steadily. www.miniatur-wunderland.de

Museum der Arbeit

In the Museum der Arbeit you will learn how life and work have changed during the last 150 years and what influence the industrialisation had on our lives. www.museum-der-arbeit.de

The “Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost“ can give you amongst others an answer on the question about why weather is the way it is.

Visitors can travel through nine different climatic regions of the earth and learn about the physics of the climate with the help of interactive displays in the exhibition area called “The Elements”.

There are three further exhibition areas called “The Journey”, “Perspectives” and “Opportunities”. Visitors can learn about the climate from the beginning of time to the future. What you see and experience in the Klimahaus Bremerhaven, certainly is unique and the information really is sound.

With a few exceptions all areas in the Klimahaus Bremerhaven are barrier-free. Access is possible to people with mobility difficulties as well as to visitors with prams. There are lifts, ramps and alternate route directions for those visitors in wheelchairs. If you need a wheelchair for loan it would be wise to book it in advance.

Food and drink you can either get in the café “südwärts” or in the restaurant “Längengrad”. So why not find out why the weather and climate are the way they are, especially when the weather happens to be not so good and you are looking for something interesting to do indoors.

The opening hours are as follows:

• November to March: Mon-Sun: 10 am – 6 pm
• April to October: Mon-Fri: 9 am – 7 pm, Sat-Sun: 10 am – 7 pm

Munich the capital of Bavaria might be the most expensive German city but also has a lot to offer.

You find castles, parks, churches, museums and many sights around the city. One of the most famous sights certainly is the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) in the city centre. It is the church of the Archbishopric of Munich-Freising and has a late Gothic nave from the 15th century and onion domes. Another famous building in Munich is the “Hofbräuhaus” where most tourists go to experience the Bavarian beer drinking culture.

Frauenkirche and New Guildhall © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

If you love good food you should do your shopping on the also well known Viktualienmarkt. Here you can get hight quality food. In the city centre you can also see the new guildhall built from 1867 to 1909, with the carillon which shows parts of Munich’s history. The famous carillon was made in 1908. And the famous church of St. Peter which is the oldest parish church in Munich. If you climb up the 306 steps of the steeple you will have a great view over the city.

In the museums “Alte Pinakothek”, “Neue Pinakothek”, “Pinakothek der Moderne” you can see art of many centuries from the middle ages to modern times. Another very famous museum is of course the “Deutsches Museum” which is a special highlight for all lovers of technology. One special branch of “Deutsches Museum” is the Verkehrszentrum at Theresienwiese, where the famous beer festival the Oktoberfest takes place every year, and the airfield in Oberschleissheim.

Nymphenburg Palace © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Especially when the weather is good you should take a walk in the English Garden, the most famous park of Munich. Here you find ponds, shaded areas as well as sunny places and four beer gardens. A special landmark is the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm). The 900 acre park stretches from the city centre to the northern outskirts. Of course you should also visit the Nymphenburg Palace and Park. The baroque palace was the residence of the Bavarian monarchs and is located in the western part of the city. The park with its waterways is ideal for walking and exploring because of the many smaller buildings you can find there.  Of course you can also visit the Botanical Garden nearby.
And of course the good restaurants and shopping facilities of the city should be mentioned as well.
There are many magnificent sights around the city you will be able to read about on this page and you from Munich you can easily get to Austria and Italy.

Saxony

Augustusburg – Schloss:

Motorrad-Museum

Here you can find one of Europe’s most important motorcycle collections. It is an exhibition of DKW and MZ bikes. And on October 3, 2010 there will be a vintage car meeting. www.die-sehenswerten-drei.de

Dresden:

Gläserne Manufaktur

Here visitors are able to see how the Volkswagen Phaeton is made by hand. www.glaesernemanufaktur.de

Technische Sammlung der Stadt Dresden

Here you can see exhibits concerning information and communication technology in an old factory for photo cameras. www.tsd.de

Meißen:

Staatliche Porzelan Manufaktur Meissen

Here you can see where the famous chinaware made in Meissen has been made during the last 300 years. www.meissen.de

Zwickau:

August Horch Museum

Here you can experience automobile history from Horch to Audi and in East German times the Trabant. www.horch-museum.de

Dresden is the capital oft he Free State of Saxony located on River Elbe and can easily be reached by car, plane, train and even by bus from Berlin and Munich.

The city has a lot to offer and especially in the old city center you will find many historical monuments like the Dresden Zwinger, the Frauenkirche (Our Lady’s Church) the Semper Opera House and the Royal Palace.

Dresden©flickr/Hardo

The Frauenkirche was built from 1726 to 1743 following the designs of George Bähr. On February 15, 1945 it was destroyed during the bomb raids of WW2 and was an anti-war monument until the 1990s.

The church now is reconstructed, has regained its original appearance and beauty, and was again consecrated in October 2005.

The Semper Opera House built from 1871 to 1878 following plans of Gottfried Semper, was also destroyed in 1945 and was reopened in 1985 after reconstruction.

Semperoper©flickr/Hardo

The Frauenkirche and the Semper Opera House might be the most famous buildings of Dresden but there are of course many more to see.

And you can also visit interesting museums in the city and walk along the River Elbe and enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Elbe Meadows or visit the botanical garden. The Albertinum Museum is going to be reopened in June 2010 and shows art from Romanticism to the Present. And in the “Japanese Palace” you will be able to see a special exhibition from May 8 to August 29, 2010 called: “Triumph of the Blue Swords. Meissen Porcelain for Aristocracy and Bourgeoisie from 1710 to 1815”.

From 1864 to his death in Lake Starnberg in 1986 Ludwig II. was the King of Bavaria.

In 1868 he started to make plans for Linderhof Palace and it turned out to be the only large palace of his he ever saw completed after a long period of building and rebuilding.  Linderhof Palace developed around his father’s old forester’s house and within the years became a real Palace. And the fact that the “Alpine Hut Building” became a Palace made it necessary to also create a landscape park.

Linderhof Palace © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

The first you can see when you come into Linderhof Palace is the “Spiegelsaal”, the Hall of Mirrors. From there you can walk around the whole palace in a circle.

There are of course guided tours only as can be expected. The rooms are marvellously furnished and especially the large bedroom, the largest room in the palace is very impressive.

In the park you can find two of King Ludwig’s special refuges, the artificial Grotto, an artificial dripstone cave, with colourful electrical illumination, lakes, and waterfalls and the Moorish Kiosk, which was originally built in 1967 as the Prussian contribution to the World Exhibition in Paris.
The castle and park are really magnificent not only in summer but also in winter with snow everywhere.

You can get to Linderhof castle from Munich, Bavaria by car on the A95 motorway and the road B2 to Oberau. From Oberau you take the road B23 to Ettal and from Ettal the road ST2060 to Linderhof. Or you can also get there by train to Oberammergau and from there take the bus to Linderhof.

Linderhof Park © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Moorish Kiosk/Maurischer Kiosk © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Bavaria

Berchtesgaden:

Salzbergwerk

In the salt mines you can see where the famous Bad Reichenhall brand salt comes from. We cannot live without salt. www.salzzeitreise.de

München:

BMW Museum

Since 2008 you can see here BMW cars, racing cars and motorcycles. www.bmw-museum.de

Deutsches Museum

The Deutsches Museum probably is the most famous German museum. You can experience science, technology, materials and production, transportation and much more here and in the in the Verkehrszentrum with lots of vintage cars and at Oberschleissheim airfield with the aviation collections. www.deusches-museum.de

Nördlingen:

Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum

Here in the railway museum you can see steam and diesel engines and the old restored running shed. www.bayerisches-eisenbahnmuseum.de

Nürnberg:

Museum Industriekultur

In the Museum for Industrial Culture you can experience the technical, social and cultural history of Nuremberg. www.museen.nuernberg.de/industriekultur

Verkehrsmuseum

Here you learn a lot about the post and telecommunication as well as the history of German railway. You can see a reproduction of the first steam engine going from Nurembert to Fürth in 1835. Don’t miss it. www.museumsstiftung.de, www.dbmuseum.de

Heilig-Geist-Spital/Holy Spirit Hospital © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Nuremberg, Bavaria is located in the administrative region of Middle Franconia, about 170 km north of Munich.

It is situated on the River Pegnitz and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. It is the largest city of Franconia with a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants.

The most famous building and on many post cards certainly is the Nuremberg Castle. The “Heilig-Geist-Spital” (Holy Spirit Hospital) founded in 1332 was one of the largest hospitals in the Middle-Ages. With all its sights Nuremberg is one of the largest tourist draws in Germany. Albrecht Dürer lived here and you can learn more about his works in the Albrecht Dürer House, which now is a museum. The Hauptmarkt is the main market square and here you can visit the Frauenkirche , Our Lady’s Church, which dominates the Hauptmarkt.

Nuremberg also is famous for the Nürnberger Bratwurst, small sausages, and for the Nünrnberger Lebkuchen, a special kind of gingerbread that is very popular in Germany during Christmas. The first German railway line from Nuremberg to Fürth was opened in 1835; you can see a reproduction of the first steam engine amongst others in the Verkehrsmuseum, the German National Railway Museum.

Something you shouldn’t miss is the Ehekarussell, the Mary-Go-Round of a Marriage, set up in 1984, and located in front of the White Tower in the city centre, and the magnificent Gänsemännchenbrunnen made in 1550, situated in front of the guildhall. And of course you get good food and find good shopping facilities in the city, as to be expected in a city of this size.

The city though is not as hectic as could be expected and is surrounded by the splendid Franconian landscape. You can go on day trips to Ansbach, Bamberg, and Bayreuth or to the Franconian lake district. When the weather happens to be not so good, you can visit one of the many museums or exhibitions in the city.

City and Castle © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Ehekarussell © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

Gänsemännchenbrunnen © Julia Höfer-von Seelen