Wilhelmshaven didn’t get its name before 1869. It is located on the western side of the Jadebusen, a bay of the North Sea in Lower Saxony.

In Wilhelmshaven you can do lots of things like swimming, cycling or enjoying the cultural facilities of the city. And especially this year in June and July many sailing ships can be seen.

Sailing ship©flickr/Stefan Friedle

One of the city’s landmarks is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke (Emperor William Bridge), the largest swing-bridge in Europe. It was built from 1905 to 1907 and has a length of 159 metres and a width of 8 metres.  In 2007 the Deutsche Post released a 1.45 Euro stamp to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the bridge.

In 1983 the last steam-powered ship that had been laying buoys, the “Kapitän Meyer” shut down its service. But now being anchored it is a popular place for marriage ceremonies.

If you want to see windmills, you don’t have to travel as far as the Netherlands. The Kopperhörner Mill was built in 1839 on a site where mills used to be since 1547. If the weather is good you can see it in action. It is open to the public ever first Sunday of the month from May to October.

In the Wattenmeerhaus you can get lots of information about the Wadden Sea National Park of Lower Saxony. Here you can really experience the wadden sea and find out about the lives of lugworms or cockels and experiment with salt.

You can see many historical buildings in Wilhelmshaven. There is the beautiful brick building of “Werfttor 1” (Shipyard Gate 1). Its round arch double gate once used to be the main gate of the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard). There still is an old letter box with the label “Kaiserliche Werft” which is still in use today.

The Robert-Koch-Haus is a three-storey building with sand stone ornaments and a magnificent carillon in the upper gable. You can here it every day at 8 am, noon and 6 pm.

The city hall also is worth a visit with its very unique architecture. The clinker construction was built in 77 weeks from 1928 to 1929. Even today the tower with a height of 49 metres is still used as a water reservoir. From there you have a great view of Wilhelmshaven and the Jadebusen. Open to public from Monday to Friday.

The south side of the city is most suitable for a nice stroll. The Wind Watchers of the local artist Klaus Evenburg can be found at the Fliegerdeich. They are symbols of the forces of nature, wind and sea.

Of course there is even more to discover in Wilhelmshaven. There are the Aquarium Wilhelmshaven, the German Naval Museum, the Kurpark, and the NordseePassage with its shopping facilities and the Piratenmüseum, the Pirate Museum. In the old industrial building of the Pumpwerk (pumping station) many artists perform.

In the whale.worlds exhibition in the Costal Museum you can see a whale that was washed up the East Frisian island of Baltrum in 1984. Its skeleton and the plasticised organs are very impressive.

The Lüneburg Heath (or in English also Lunenburg Heath) is not only the largest heath area in middle Europe, but also about 3000 years old.

A very special landscape in Lower Saxony especially from August to September when the scotch heather is in full bloom.

Heather©flickr/foxypar4

You can get to the Lüneburg Heath by plane via Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover or by train. If you travel by car you shold take the motorway A7.

And at every time during the year the Lüneburg Heath abundant with water and wood has its special charm.

This spacious area really is suited for hiking, cycling or Nordic-Walking tours. And even for horse riding enthusiasts it is perfect. About 2000 Kilometres of cycling trails, hiking trails provided with signs and stables allow you to a variety of different tours. In the Elbtalau and on various rivers you can also go canoeing.

In the heart of the Lüneburg Heath you find the Wilseder Mountain. With it height of 169.2 Metres it is the highest peak in the North-West German Plains. From there you have a great view and when the weather is good you can look as far as Lüneburg or even Hamburg.

Lüneburg Heath©flickr/tramani_sagrens

Lüneburg is the most famous town in the Lüneburg Heath but Celle to is worth a visit. And of course it is not far to Bremen, Hannover or Hamburg.

There are 6 medieval abbeys in the Lüneburg Heath, all of them well preserved and built in the redbrick Gothic that is typical for the North of Germany but also Renaissance, and Baroque. There are the abbeys of Ebstorf, Isenhagen, Lüne, Medingen, Wienhausen and Walsrode.

The cuisine of the region is famous for its lamb (of the special moorland sheep (Heidschnucken) of the region), the potatoes, buckwheat pancakes with blueberries and the regional honey. Especially in spring you should try the local asparagus. And after a good meal you might even like Heideküsschen Schnapps.

Special places of interest in the region certainly are the International Wind and Water Mill Museum in Gifhorn, the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, with more than 1,500 exotic animals, the Heide Park in Soltau, with lots of entertainment for the whole family and of course Walsrode Bird Park with more than 4,500 birds.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a well known travel destination for tourists from all over the world.

It is famous for its medieval old town with its town wall. The town is located at the Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River in the district of Ansbach in Middle Franconia, Bavaria.

Plönlein©flickr/Alaskan Dude

No other town in Germany brings you closer to the Middle Ages than Rothenburg. You can either walk through the cobbled lanes lined with half timbered houses or walk on the town wall and have a great view over the town and the Tauber valley. During the Middle Ages Rothenburg used to be one of the most important cities in the South of Germany.

One of the landmarks and a must-see of the town is the Plönlein fork. It is one of the most taken pictures of Rothenburg.
St. Jakob Church is one of the major German pilgrimage sites. The Holy Blood Altar (Heilige Blut Altar) was carved by Tilman Riemenschneider and it is said that it contains a drop of Christ’s blood.

If you are more interested in the Thirty Year’s War, you should visit the historical vaults of the town hall with dark dungeons and exhibitions.

The Criminal Museum also is a place of interest. Here you can learn about the dark side of the Middle Ages and see the instruments of torture, items used for executions and weapons.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber©flickr/khloges

The historic festival called the ‘Meistertrunk’ takes place several time each year. You can see it for example at Whitsun. With the ‘Meisertrunk’ an event is celebrated that took place in 1631. The mayor of Rothenburg saved the town by drinking 3.25 litres of wine in one gulp. You can also see knights on horses and on the Middle Ages Market you can get special food.

All year you can purchase Christmas decoration items in the Käthe Wohlfahrt shops. You find handcrafted items made of wood and glass, twinkling lights nutcrackers and many other souvenirs. The prices are fairly high though but if you travel to Germany in summer these might be the only typical German Christmas decoration you get.

And last but not least one thing you shouldn’t miss is a walk at night with the night watchman. Especially by night you can get an impression of what life might have been like in Rothenburg ob der Tauber during the Middle Ages. From March to Christmas the walks with the night watchman take place each night at 9:30 pm and last for about an hour. Meeting point is the market place in front of the town hall.

Baden-Württemberg

Friedrichshafen:

Zeppelin-Museum

The Zeppelin-Museum is home for the world’s greatest collection of the history of aviation. Besides the technical collection you will also find a large art collection of the Lake Constance region. www.zeppelin-museum.de

Furtwangen:

Deutsches Uhrenmuseum

In the museum with about 2,500 exhibits you can learn about the long tradition of clock-making in the Black Forest. www.deutsches-uhrenmuseum.de

Mannheim:

Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit

Here you can learn more about the industrialisation of the country and how scientific experiments can lead to technical inventions. www.landesmuseum-mannheim.de

Sinsheim:

Auto- und Technik-Museum

From the Concorde to locomotives, vintage cars and racing cars you can find about everything here. A visit is really worth it. www.technik-museum.de

Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen:

Porsche Museum

Here you can see 80 Porsche cars and experience the history of Porsche. www.porsche.com

A recipe from Lake Constance

1.3 lb fillets of different fish, celery, 1/2 leek, 1/2 carrot, 1 small spring onion, 6 fl oz cream, 8 fl oz of dry Riesling wine, salt, olive oil, vermouth, dill, 18 fl oz fish stock

Heat the fish stock, add the wine and let it boil till the amount of liquid is reduced, then add the cream.
Sweat the diced carrots, onions, celery and leek in olive oil and deglaze with fish stock. Puree it with a hand blender, heat it again and season it with vermouth.
Cut the fillets of fish into bite-size pieces and cook it for about 10 minutes in the soup. Decorate with dill when you serve it.
Riesling wine is good with it.

Mainau is an island in Lake Constance not far from the city of Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg. The island belongs to the Lennart Bernadotte Foundation and used to be a park that had run to seed.

Tulpen in Mainau©flickr/Allie_Caulfield

The late Lennart, Count Bernadotte af Wisborg, formerly a Prince of Sweden and Duke of Småland transformed it into a park with many flowers and a park landscape with views on Lake Constance. In Mainau you can also find a greenhouse with tropical climate and many butterflies.

Now in spring it is just the right time to spend one or even several days on the island. Besides the flowers on plants in Mainau there always are changing exhibitions, courses and concerts.

• If you want to take part in the course on macrophotography you will have to be fast because it takes part 24-25 May, 2010.
• Until May 2, 2010 there will be an Orchid Exhibition in the Palm Tree House.
• Several times every year you can find a scent and seasoning herbs stand in Mainau.
• In May till October there will be the Show “Sensationelle Gärten” (Sensational Gardens) where you can see futuristic gardens created by university students.
• On May 8, 2010 there will be a concert called “Klingendes Mainau” with school students playing music.
• At the end of August there will be a dahlia show at the south side of Mainau.

Mainau©flickr/DHausBT

The first signs of settlement on the island can be dated back as far as 3000 BC. And even after that Mainau was very popular. For some time the island belonged to the Order of Teutonic Knights and even the Swedes made it till there.
The first exotic plants on the island date back to Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy. After that Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, built a summer palace there.
Count Lennart Bernadotte owned Mainau from 1932 to 1974 when he transferred the island into a foundation.

Especially for families the island is a great travel destination as there are many things to do for kids. There is the “Kinderland” with lots of attractions for the kids. There are a farm, a model railway, they can go pony riding, and play on the playground.

The island is open from dawn till dusk between March and October. You can either get there by boat or walk over the bridge from the mainland.
On the island you also find a distillery, a vineyard and you can also buy self made honey.

Lower Saxony

Brunswick:

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)

The PTB is he national metrology institute and stands for reliability in metrology. It was founded in 1887. www.ptb.de

Bückeburg:

Hubschraubermuseum

In the Helicopter Museum more than 40 helicopters are shown as well as engines and gear mechanisms. www.hubschraubermuseum.de

Clausthal-Zellerfeld:

Oberharzer Bergwerkmuseum

Here you can learn about ore mining from mediaeval times to the end of the 19th century. www.oberharzerbergwerksmuseum.de

Gifhorn:

Internationales Wind- und Wassermühlen-Museum

In the museum you find more than 15 wind- and water-mills from 12 different countries. It is unique in Europe. www.muehlenmuseum.de

Goslar:

Rammelsberg Museum & Besucherbergwerk

The old ore mines, with a tradition of more than 1000 years of ore mining, now are a museum. The Rammelsberg mines and the historic town of Goslar were placed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1992. They are a cultural heritage for all humanity. www.rammelsberg.de

Lüneburg:

Deutsches Salzmuseum

After the salt-mine was closed in 1980 it was transformed into a museum. www.salzmuseum.de

Wolfsburg:

Autostadt Wolfsburg

In the largest car delivery centre in the world you find lots of interesting information for adults and children. www.autostadt.de

Braunschweig (the English name is Brunswick) is located north of the Harz Mountains and east of Hanover on the Oker River in the federal–state of Lower Saxony.

Burgplatz©flickr/m.prinke

The St. Blasii Cathedral and the Dankwarderode Castle remind us even today of how closely the history of Braunschweig was linked to the Guelph Henry the Lion and his son Otto IV who was the only Guelph emperor. Henry the Lion turned  Braunschweig into his residence in the middle of the 12th century. His lion has been standing on the Burgplatz (castle square) for many centuries in form of a bronze statue. It was cast in bronze in 1166. The original you can see in the museum of the Dankwarderode Castle. The lion statue on the Burgplatz is a copy that was made to protect the original from getting corroded by air pollution. The lion is not only the city’s landmark but also the heraldic sign.

The Guelph Palace built from 1833 to 1841 was destroyed during WW2 and was recently rebuilt with its impressive façade. On top of the palace you can see Europe’s biggest quadriga which can be reached via a visitor’s platform. From there you have a good view over the old parts of the city.

In the area around St. Magni Church you can find many picturesque and well preserved half-timbered buildings. This area also is very lively at night with its many pubs. Braunschweig is pretty famous for its good beer and food.
Another sight inBraunschweig is the Happy RIZZI House which is both a building and a sculpture.

Klosterkirche Riddagshausen©flickr/m.prinke

There are many cultural events taking place in Braunschweig every year like for example the Braunschweig Classix Festival, the medieval market, the culture night, the CityJazzNight, the festival ‘Kultur im Zelt’, the international film festival and the open-air opera of the Staatstheater Braunschweig.

The Oker River allows visitors and of course residents to circle almost the whole city centre by boat. Braunschweig also has many parks and the European bird reserve with numerous fish ponds in Riddagshausen. This area is perfect if you want to escape the city and enjoy the nature.

With its closeness to the Harz Mountains and the Lüneburger Heide (heather reserve) Braunschweig is a good starting point for day trips.
Here you can find interesting city tours for tourists in Braunschweig: http://www.braunschweig.de/english/touristservice/tours/city_tours.html

Rhineland-Palatinate  (RLP)

Germersheim:

Deutsches Straßenmuseum

In this museum you can learn a lot about the history of road construction. www.deutsches-strassemuseum.de

Imsbach:

Bergbau Erlebnis Welt

In the two mines “Grube Maria” and “Weisse Grube” visitors get information on the mining products and their use. www.bergbauerlebniswelt-imsbach.de

Ludwigshafen:

BASF

In the visitor centre of BASF you can experience the world of chemistry and find out why things are the way they are. http://besucherzentrum.basf.de

Mainz:

Gutenberg-Museum

The museum founded in 1900 is one of the oldest printing museums in the world. It presents Johannes Gutenberg’s technical and artistic achievements to the visitors. www.gutenberg-museum.de

Oppenheim am Rhein:

Deutsches Weinbaumuseum

In the winegrowing museum you get information on the winegrowing from mediaeval times up to now. You can see old tractors as well as old wine casks and bottles. Even wine that is more than 300 years old you can see. www.dwb-museum.de

Pirmasens:

Dynamikum

Here you can learn interesting things about nature, technology and movement and even try things yourself. www.dynamikum.de