Dec 22, 2011

(December 19, 2011) – Northern Germany’s top chefs in Berlin and Hamburg continue to rack up Michelin stars, firmly establishing the two cities at the top of the country’s gourmet food chain. Their young, inventive and creative chefs have solidified the trend toward a modernized, German cuisine with local recipes and strong regional influences. Both Berlin

The train shudders as it crosses the bridge to Cologne. Barges and cruise ships pass below on the Rhine. Cologne straddles the river for miles; a million plus citizens call it home. Koeln Hauptbahnhof is one of Germany’s major train stations, its tracks spreading like spaghetti underneath a giant glass roof. I’m lost in a sea of people — 280,000 travelers

Jun 21, 2011

Eurail Group G.I.E. wants to alert travelers to Europe, especially ardent soccer fans on their way to the Women’s World Cup Soccer in Germany, that Eurail Passes continue to offer great value for money and provide tremendous flexibility in planning itineraries for travel throughout Europe. Germany, its people known for their hospitality and love of soccer, is

Sep 21, 2010

Standing in the historical center of Munich, the Marienplatz, while looking at the massive Rathaus, I got a first impression of toys at play. Every hour, the Glockenspiel chimes and out comes the figurines of Bavarians dressed in traditional clothing, dancing high up in the bell tower. They are mechanical toys of the highest quality and never fail to delight the

What to do on a rainy day in Munich? I looked at the information leaflet I had picked up at the Tourist Information Centre on Marienplatz and found, to my delight, two quirky sounding museums. One was the Nachttopf Museum (chamber pot museum) and the other the Kartoffelmuseum. (Potato museum). Chamberpots first I decided and set off. It wasn’t easy to

Apart from it being Germany’s richest city, the nation’s advertising and fashion capital (where Claudia Schiffer was discovered), and the hub of many Japanese corporations and banks, it’s also a city of eclectic art — ultimates and extremes, a sensational mix of over-the-top, old and new. Radical architecture dominates the Media Harbour were, instead

Maryl Celiz gets a few answers from Munich’s rep, Mary Phillips at the Visit Europe Media Exchange held in Los Angeles. Munich is known for its great food and beer. Can you say Octoberfest? I have. It may have been a while, but I remember the suds overflowing. Not just from the ample hands of the Octoberfest waitresses, but from the me as well. This

In what could be the largest vote ever, the world will soon choose the New Seven Wonders of the World to stand alongside the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World. In January, the New7Wonders committee, chaired by Dr. Federico Mayor, selected 21 finalists out of the 77 nominated sites. You can have a say in the selection of the final seven by casting your vote.

On the runway in Germany’s Magic Cities this fall are unusual shopping environments created in elegant promenades, charming passageways, historic buildings and futuristic, glass arcades. The cities of Germany’s nine-member city alliance, including Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich and Stuttgart, are brimming with

Oktoberfest 2005: one festival, 17 days, six million visitors, 6.1 million steins of beer, 95 oxen, 482,000 chickens and 560,000 pork knuckles. Yes, the hedonistic Munich-based beer festival is rowdy, raucous, and raunchy. The kind of hazy place where tourists and proud Bavarians stagger together to clink steins of amber lager and eat mountains of oversized