Highlights from Germany
I wanted to visit Germany for so many years. Not only had I heard it was a wonderful country from people who had been there, but my paternal side of the family has a predominantly German heritage.
Beginning in the 1980’s my Great Uncle began reconnecting with family members that had not been in communication for decades. Our first ancestors to move to the United Stated in the 1800’s, and they landed in Minnesota in 1856, before it was even a state. He wrote a book 100 pages long with the family tree as far back as he could find, for both his mother and father’s side of the family.
It took me nearly 10 years to read this book… and once I began, I finished it within a week, and then started over to read it again. 3 months later, we booked a trip to Germany. Here are some highlights.
South of Hannover, this is the town of Pattensen
In the distance, you can see their expansive fields and wind turbines.
Marienburg castle was built between 1858 and 1867. It's a wonderful place to visit and tour if you're going through Hannover.
With such a beautiful landscape, the castle is often booked for private events and ceremonies.
You'll find medieval-inspired architecture along with some modern removations.
Marienburg Castle has a gift shop and cafe open to the public as well.
From a distance, you can really appreciate the silhouette.
Wernigerode was our next stop. We spent one night here.
Located to the north of the Harz mountains, Wernigerode is a quiet town with all the amenities and shops a tourist could want.
There are some incredible restaurants and biergartens. Walking the town was so much fun, even though it was drizzling!
This gem shop was one of the only shops open when we arrived on Sunday afternoon. It was quite a spectacle!
The main reason we visited Wernigerode was to ride this narrow-gauge steam train up the mountain. You can get the most incredible views of Lower Saxony from the top.
FYI - check the conditions before buying tickets. Visibility was nearly ZERO! It was still a great ride, and we enjoyed the restaurant at the top.
In Hamburg we visited the Church of St. Nicholas - where its original wooden chapel was finished in 1195, and later replaced by a brick church in the 14th century.
That first brick church was destroyed in a fire in 1842.
Having been rebuilt in 1874, the Church of St. Nicholas was then the tallest building in the world from 1874 to 1876.
Hamburg was bombed in WW2, which destroyed most of the church.
The remains of his church are the second tallest structure in Hamburg today, and visitors can reach the top of the spire in an elevator.
The site serves as an important landmark and continues to be visited by locals and tourists alike.
It's an incredible site with ample pictures and historical texts that you can appreciate as you walk through.
We recommend taking in this church from all angles.
Finally, a visit to Hamburg's warehouse district. This is the postcard shot that the city is most famous for.
Looking up, you'll notice the pulley systems on nearly every building that were used to list cargo from the canals.
We didn't walk the area too much as we had to get to the airport.
But first, espresso and a croissant!
Video from the trip
This trip was obviously very special, so I did my best to capture photos, video and also write about my experience. Here are a few clips I put together from our journey through Germany. Enjoy!