Travelrific® Travel Journal
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Bach is Back
By Linda Tancs
This weekend marks the 325th birthday of composer Johann Sebastian Bach. In perfect conjunction is the opening of the newly restored Bach Museum Leipzig, highlighting his original manuscripts and a multimedia exhibit. Saturday offers concerts and programming for the whole family. Sunday’s official opening coincides with the traditional celebration of Bach’s birthday at Thomaskirche, complete with a birthday concert to ring out the festivities.
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No Worries
By Linda Tancs
“Don’t worry, be happy” must have been the mantra of choice for the Prussian king Frederick the Great when he commissioned Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Sanssouci (from the French sans souci, meaning “without worries”) was commissioned in 1747 as the ultimate getaway for a harried king on the battlefield. The largest World Heritage Site in the country, the rococo-styled mega-mansion is perhaps equally known for its expansive park. Combining the best of European Baroque garden settings, it’s probably no wonder that the property is often referred to as the “Prussian Versailles.” In other words, when en vogue, do as the French do.
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Culture Capital Marks 25th Year
By Linda Tancs
Happy New Year, readers! 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Europe’s Capital of Culture program. Sharing the spotlight this year will be Germany’s Essen, Hungary’s Pécs and Turkey’s Istanbul. Emphasizing a spirit of cooperation among this year’s honorees, an opening ceremony in Pécs at Széchenyi Square will take place on 10 January. In Turkey, university theatre groups from Europe and Turkey will convene during the year to showcase Istanbul’s standing in the arts community. And in Essen the cultural kudos kick off with the grand opening of RUHR.2010 and Ruhr Museum on World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein. Amidst the celebrations the European Commission will likewise commemorate its silver anniversary of cultural diversity recognition with a celebratory event and strategic conference on 23 and 24 March in Brussels to mark the event, to look back at the achievements of the past 25 years, and to reflect strategically on its legacy and impact.
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Tattoo You
By Linda Tancs
The 19th International Tattoo Convention gets underway in Berlin at Arena Berlin from 4 to 6 December. Here’s where you’ll find Isobel Varley, the most tattooed senior woman in the world, as indicated in the Guinness Book of World Records. Also appearing are legendary tattoo artist Herbert Hoffman and well-known illustrator Sarah Horwath. Will Elaine Davidson of Brazil, the most pierced woman on Earth with 6000 body piercings, make a return appearance? Some things really must be seen to be believed.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Currywurst Museum Opens
By Linda Tancs
Think you know it all about German sausages? Well, forget your brats, bocks and weisswursts. These days, currywurst is king. Enjoying a cult-like status, the wurst has its own museum in Berlin, a stone’s throw away from Checkpoint Charlie at Schützenstrasse 70. This national dish of hot pork sausage and curry sauce claims its origin there. At the museum you can enjoy a multimedia experience complete with a spice chamber, experimental eat-in kitchen and faux snack bar for photo ops. There’s even a personality test to determine the type of curry you are. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bring your appetite.
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World Natural Heritage in Germany
By Linda Tancs
Wattenmeer, or Wadden Sea, is an area stretching from the northern coast of Germany to the Dutch island of Texel. This region, comprising the largest continuous area of mud flaps in the world, is home to millions of migratory birds. Now it will likely see a boost in tourism thanks to its designation as a world natural heritage site by UNESCO, joining such other luminaries as the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos and the Serengeti. The appointment couldn’t have come at a better time, considering UNESCO’s stinging removal of the Dresden Elbe Valley as a world cultural site thanks to a four-lane bridge spanning the river and spoiling the view.
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The Wedding Pageant
By Linda Tancs
European royalty have been uniting (in a familial sense) since the earliest of times. But it isn’t all that common for a medieval union to continue to be celebrated–unless, of course, you’re in Landshut, Germany. Every four years the historical association presents the Landshut Hochzeit 1475 (Landshut Wedding), a 5000-strong procession in period attire celebrating the union of the daughter of a Polish king and the son of a very rich duke, one of the grandest events of its time in 1475. The town, over 800 years old, is known as much for its classic Bavarian hospitality as for its famous nuptials. The event runs from 27 June to 19 July. The bridal procession makes its way through town on 28 June, 5 July, 12 July and 19 July.
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Konstanz Blooms
By Linda Tancs
Each spring over a half million bulbs start blooming in Mainau, an island in Lake Constance, Germany. For gardeners, this event is no doubt topped with the orchid show in the Palm House. The springtime bonanza, planned and cultivated by the late Swedish prince Lennart Bernadotte and run by his children, attracts over 1 million visitors a year. Those without a green thumb need not spare themselves a visit. The 111-acre site, open year round, also boasts an arboretum, a children’s playground, a butterfly house and what else–a castle. Get there via the scenic route by boat from Meersberg and Unteruhldingen.
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Spring in Willingen
By Linda Tancs
The last drifts of snow are melting away at the foot of Ettelsberg in the skiing mecca of Willingen, the Sauerland region of Germany. But that doesn’t have to portend a mass exodus from the area. The spring thaw exposes a countryside rife with nature parks, hiking trails, and moorlands, not to mention a slate mine and even a milk museum. Take it all in from the panoramic views atop the Hochheide Tower, the highest point of elevation in northwest Germany. The closest airport is the Paderborn-Lippstadt airport (approx. 50 km). Other airports are at Dortmund (97km), Düsseldorf (160km), Frankfurt am Main (175km) and Hanover (200km).
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Mini Wonderland Draws Mega Crowds
By Linda Tancs
If you thought Legoland was the only expression of world travel in miniature, that would be no surprise given that it receives the lion’s share of publicity. But there’s another micro world drawing large crowds in Hamburg, Germany. That’s where you’ll find Miniatur Wunderland, a warehouse sporting three floors of tiny replicas of life in Europe and America–a dollhouse world of such sights as alpine pistes, Scandinavian castles, the glamor of Las Vegas and a bird’s eye view of the host city, Hamburg. Although the site has been in operation since 2001, it has gained distinction for its labyrinth model railroad system comprised of eight miles of track winding its way through this little universe. Sort of gives new meaning to the expression, “it’s a small world.”
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