The historical port area of Hamburg is on the rise these days. The districts of HafenCity and Speicherstadt are once more buzzing with people and cranes. Towering over it all is the crown jewel Elbphilharmonie, inaugurated in 2017.
It’s a cold night in Frankfurt. We are walking along silent streets where Christmas displays are providing light and comfort. As I walk by, I look up towards the facade of the house where Goethe was born in 1749. But it’s really cold, so instead we visit a chocolate shop across the street.
So I’m back from another trip to Berlin. This unique city has a kind of deliberate urban decay which I find quite compelling.
I’m currently in Munich, the heart of Bavaria. While it’s the most popular city in Germany to live with high living standards and a bustling economy, unfortunately many associate the name with the tragic events of 1972. During the Olympic Games 17 people were killed in a terrorist incident.
I spent the weekend in Köln, attending the 8th Amphi Festival. 16 000 visitors dressed in black invaded the German town for an overdose of electronic music.
I recently got back from a trip to Berlin. My last time there was a decade ago, where I remember a sky full of construction cranes in the eastern parts. The city has seen some serious improvements since then and some sites had changed beyond recognition.
Twenty years ago, the Berlin Wall was opened and Germany was reunited about a year later. I remember reading about it on 9th of November 1989, maybe a bit too young to fully understand the impact of this monumental event.
The Aussie Brian Thacker is a tour guide and travel writer. The book covers his day job of herding tourists on a bus trip through Europe but is really a lot more entertaining than it sounds.
