C2 Writing - Places to visit

Friedrichshafen

By Helena Hörmann

Friedrichshafen is a beautiful small city in the South of Germany, located on Germany's largest lake, Lake Constance. The city is named after the most important King the region ever had, Friedrich I of Wuerttemberg, with “Hafen”, simply meaning harbor. 

The harbour is in fact the pulsing focal point of the city. Walking up the promenade along the lake, you will find plenty of first-rate restaurants and bars where people enjoy the mesmerizing lake scenery while basking in the sun. Right at the lakefront stands the Moleturm, a black 22-meter-high tower. Many couples fasten locks on the tower and throw the keys into the lake to represent their everlasting love. In addition to that, is the tower the best lookout over the whole region. The astonishingly shiny blue lake instantly creates a holiday feeling. You can almost believe you are by the Mediterranean Sea in Italy. The cherry on top is the mountain range that looms in the background. The Alps.

The lake region interconnects Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, making it incredibly easy to travel from one country to another. The lake at it's widest can be crossed in less than an hour, which makes for an extremely multicultural region, not to mention the spectacle of countless of watercraft of all shapes and sizes criss-crossing the lake. Boating is accessible for everyone either through owning or renting one. Pedal boats are a very popular option to have a great day on the lake in summer. Even the smallest kids are allowed to take one out on the water. Motorboats are only rentable if you are 18-plus.

Fiedrichshafen is extremely proud of being the birthplace of the Zeppelin. In 1890, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838 - 1917) started to work on his first airship. His distinctive airships were later used in the military and the Second World War. Strolling further along the promenade you will come along a statue of Ferdinand in front of the most imposing building of the city, the Zeppelin Museum. Today, Zeppelins are still very common in Friedrichshafen. When visiting, you will see at least five floating above you on a daily basis, but they are only used for tourism or advertising. Many buildings and streets named after Ferdinand of Zeppelin and chocolates can be bought in zeppelin shapes as a souveneir.

The last word should go to the locals, who feel so blessed to live here that they refer to it as place where living feels like being on a vacation every day.

Vevey, Switzerland

By Robin

If you are travelling to Switzerland do not forget to stop in Vevey. This little city is located on Lake Geneva in the region called Riviera. The first thing that will surprise you on arriving in this city is the noise level. With only 2.4 km² in which to squeeze around 20,000 inhabitants, Vevey is a very busy place with people everywhere.

Are you searching for some calm? Walk down to Lake Geneva, have a seat on a bench and breathe the fresh air. You can walk along the lake from the Nestlé’s huge global headquarters swarming with employees in suits, to the port of the Old City where you can see painters trying to capture the landscape. Admire the elegant Fork planted in the Lake and then have your selfie with the statue of Charlie Chaplin who spent the last 25 years of his life here. Now go deeper into the Old City, past the smell of fresh flowers and cafés to find something to eat. You will maybe get as far as the Place du Marché (the Marketplace), the biggest lakeside open air marketplace in Europe. Here traditional restaurants will welcome you warmly.

Are you tired of walking? Find a museum to entertain you. The Alimentarium, one of the first museums about nutrition in the world, is perfect if you are with kids. Nestlé has also opened its own museum in the factory where milk chocolate was invented. There you can learn everything about the company and their different brands.

Vevey has one of the most renowned photography schools in Switzerland and is the hometown of the Swiss Camera Museum. To celebrate this love of photography, the city organizes the biannual “Images Festival” in the main building of Vevey which features huge pictures and installations by artists from all over the world. If you prefer cinema, you must go to Chaplin’s World, the only museum in the world dedicated this great actor. You can visit the mansion where Chaplin lived and an extensive studio nearby where you will be transported back in the 50s.

By the end of the day you'll want to listen to something different from the traffic and people in the street. Take a bus to the upper part of Vevey and go to the Rocking Chair, a very small concert hall with some local bands. The variety of music there is boundless. Or you could just go and hang in a bar for a beer or two and some live music. Oh, and don't miss the sunset. It metamorphoses the lake into a beautiful pink/orange/red puddle!  

 

Bern

By Dominik Moser

As soon as you leave the quiet small train station of Bern you find yourself in the bustling station square, where you can hear and see the traffic, and countless students and business workers. Crossing this square and walking a short distance you reach the government’s house of Switzerland, built out of sand brick with a slightly corroded green copper roof. In front of the building there is a plaza with 26 fountains, where, if it’s a sunny day, you can see children enjoying the wet refreshment. Sometimes there are other attractions on this square like a market or an ice rink in winter. 

Continuing a little way you reach the Zytglogge (a clock tower). If you're here at the hour, you can see a little carousel on the clock tower turning to the loudly ringing bell. Walk through the arc of the tower to reach the old part off the city, which is entirely built out of sand brick, creating an age-old atmosphere that takes you back centuries. You can enjoy an Italian coffee in one of the many bleaks or just stroll down the main street and be immersed in the sights and sounds of the old town. And don't forget to listen to the river, which is flowing underneath the street.

Bern is on a kind of peninsula, or its one of those old cities sited in the land between a great U-shape in a river, the river Aare. When you cross the Aare and leave Bern you can go to the bear park. The bear is the city animal of Bern; in fact the name Bern derives from the German word for bear “Bär”. Walking up the hillside, which starts at the bear park, you come upon a cherry tree garden. In spring the whole garden is covered in white blossom, and if you picnic there you can feel the mild spring sun and enjoy the stunning view over Bern.

At the top of the Hill is the rose garden, a lovely little park with many rosebushes in it. If the season is right there is the beautiful fragrance of thousands of roses in the air. To end your day, you can simply take the bus back to the main train station and climb to the top of the building where you surprisingly discover yet another park. Buy some beer in the nearby supermarket, and just sit on the edge of the “roof” of the station building, right by of the University of Bern, another sand brick building, and enjoy the sun sinking slowly behind the Alps.

Nuernberg - My Home Town

By Catharina

In former times Nuernberg was an important city for trade. Especially in the Middle Ages it was the center for trade in Germany. Nowadays Nuernberg is not of the great importance, it once was, but you can still imagine the old times while sauntering through the old part of the city.

One of the places to feel the past is the Kaiserburg (the Emperor's Castle), which sits enthroned above the city. There you can really get in touch with medieval times. From the castle you have a great view over the city. You can see the beautiful old houses from different centuries and the combination of old and new architecture. I really adore this view, especially in the evening when all the lights are switched on.

If you look down on the city, you can spot some churches. Not only can you see them, but you can also hear their bells. There are also a lot of street musicians playing their songs, and in the summer there is a big open-air concert in a park. I go there with a group of my friends and my family and we have a picnic in the afternoon, before the orchestra plays in the evening. Although I normally don't listen to classical music it is very beautiful and it always gives me goose bumps when in the end everyone lights sparklers and holds them in the air, while a huge orchestra is ardently playing music.

If you go through the city you can mostly smell food, especially Nuernberger sausages and prezels. Alongside the street there are many small kiosks selling them. During the Christmas season you can also smell the fruity aroma of gluehwein (warm spiced wine) which is a great pleasure to drink on cold winter days, because it warms you from inside. There too you can enjoy the delicious ginger breads for which Nuernberg is famous.

Culinarily, winter is a particularly good time to go to Nuernberg. Besides that it is also a good time for the eyes. I love to look down from the castle on the marketplace upon which the Christkindelsmarkt, a famous Christmas market, takes place. There are many bright and sparkling lights and a big, decorated Christmas tree. If there is snow it looks magical, straight out of a fairytale.

Donauinsel

By Dominik Maletschek

The train stops. I am about to step out into my favorite place in Vienna, just ten minutes from the city center. The green lung of the city – Donauinsel, the Danube Island. Located between the old city center and the modern financial area it offers a holiday feel to Vienna’s two million inhabitants. My day trip starts at the train station located on the famous Reichsbruecke. This bridge actually spans the island and you

descend some stairs to get on to the island.  Once I’m down on the ground I start to feel like I’m no longer in a big city . It’s like paradise.

The first cyclists are passing me and their airstream refreshes my skin. They are followed by joggers, skaters and rollerbladers. Walking on towards the center of the island, the sound of a violin is growing more distinct, filling me with a day dreamy sense of home. Mozart.

A hard noise jolts me back to reality. A big ship passes on the right side. Ducks and swans are flying over and my thoughts change immediately to prayers saying “please don’t shit on me”.

Around noon my body tells me that I’m hungry. Lucky me that dozens of restaurants are just seconds away. The incomparable smell of Schnitzel catches every cell of my body and makes me feel ravenous. I decide to sit down as soon as possible and give my stomach what he wants. I order a glass of Almdudler with it, a herbal lemonade which reminds me of the alps.

After lunch I go and lie down in the fresh grass. In the background I can hear diggers and other machines building up the stadium for the beach volleyball world cup, starting in two weeks. Fortunately the island is now less crowded and I can enjoy the slight breeze on my skin. Bees are buzzing around me while I stare at the St. Stephens Cathedral and reminisce about my childhood when my grandparents took me there.

When I feel rested enough I start my journey back. While passing a playground, a football lands in front of my feet. I kick it back to one of the kids who responds with a shy thank you. I smile back and turn my head towards the train station. I already feel grumpy that I have to leave soon but on the other hand I am already looking forward a lot to my next time on the island. I put in my earphones and play “Vienna Calling” by Falco and so the day goes on.

 

“Rotterdam, de mooiste rotstad die er is.”

 - Rotterdam, the most beautiful shit city there is.

By May de Graaff

When I step out of the train into this city my sight will be overwhelmed with cultures, people who all look different and have their own identity and backstory. People who have their own worldview and their own sense of nationality, combined in one city called Rotterdam.

The sound of the trams and the trains is always there, but sometimes it can fade to almost nothing.  Also there is the sound of networking, restaurants and shop owners making money.  Rotterdammers are a hardworking lot, everybody needs education, and a good job to make sure you will get a decent livelihood. This is the model everybody wants to fit in with. In fact we consider people who are not working hard as unemployed, lazy and dragging society down. You can feel this in the streets of Rotterdam. On one side the hardworking people and on the other side people who try, but aren’t able to fit in with the model society has created.

Before I step back into the train back to my village, Ridderkerk, I smell all the different cultures we have. I can’t come up with specific Dutch food because have such a variety of in Rotterdam. There’s market in the middle town called De Markthal, where you can get all the food of the world, and all the cultures come together. There, I can’t identify who is native and who isn’t. We are all from Rotterdam and we learn from other societies.  I’d say that’s the most powerful thing we have, a multicultural society.

Schoonhoven

By Manouk

Schoonhoven is a charming small city at the confluence of the Vlist and the Lek. The best way to visit the heart of the city is by taking the Newport-Schoonhoven ferry. This might not be the fastest way, but at least you will get a beautiful skyline view of the small city. When you enter the city center through the ferry gate you can actually smell the surrounding farmland. 

Schoonhoven is nicknamed Silver City, because it has been home to silver smiths for centuries. In the city you can still find the Silver School and plenty of silver and gold smiths. By visiting these silver smiths with their narrow shops and small workplaces you get the feeling that you are going back centuries. With such a reputation it’s more than logical that there is a Silver Museum in the city, which is highly recommended.

Non-locals will probably tell you that Schoonhoven isn't a real city. True, it's really small, and situated amidst the Hollands three major cities, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. However, in the beginning of the 13^th Century a castle was built and by the the early the 14^th Century it was the fastest growing and most influential settlement in the region. Economically of the fortified town was a hub for shipping, breweries, stock raising and fishing. The exact date is unknown but probably at the end of the 14^th century Schoonhoven attained  official city status, and until to this day the inhabitants are extremely proud of this and will fight for their lives when someone says that “Schoonhoven isn’t a city, but a township”. We’re especially proud of the fact that we got city rights so early and, moreover, that The Hague, Holland's political centre never got them!

Two years ago I moved to Rotterdam to study, but every Friday I take the bus to the most charming city in the Netherlands to spend my weekend where I really belong. When I get off the bus I smell the farms and the silver fumes. Every time I get off the bus, I’m home again.