Nuremberg Pictures

Things to do in Nuremberg

Nuremberg has tons to do, so make sure you plan your time well! The city is separated into the “Old Town” and “New Town”, reflecting the two different parts of the city. Spend a day in Old Town and see all the incredible things there, such as the Castle, a 500 year old mansion that once was a store house. There’s also the city walls, built in the 13th century, to keep the city safe from attacks. Be sure to check out the St. Sebald and St. Lawrence Churches, both built in the 13th century, each with their own little treasures. Nuremberg also sports its own Zoo, known as one of the most beautiful zoos in all of Europe. Entry prices are relatively cheap, and the zoo is home to a new polar bear baby Snowflake, who has garnered a lot of media interest recently. Into really sweet museums? Nuremberg has tons! The best to check out are the German National Museum, Medieval Dungeon tour, Courtroom 600 (where the Nuremberg Trials were held), Albrecht Durer’s House, Documentation Center at the Reich Party Rally Grounds, the Toy Museum, and the Museum of Industrial Culture. Nuremberg is also host to Volksfest, a sort of small Oktoberfest, that happens twice a year and attracts around 1.6 million people each year.

Nightlife in Nuremberg

Nuremberg may not have crazy parties, but it does have the largest concentrations of breweries in the world, with about 300 breweries still in operation. It’s also knwon for its very high-quality wine, due to the climate and soil in the city. Some great bars to check out are the BarfuBer, Blauer Adler, Cubano, and Country Beer Paradise.

Dining in Nuremberg

Bratwurst is the signature food of Germany, which is usually served with sauerkraut or potato salad. To get the Nuremberg experience you have to hit up the Bratwursthausle, on Rathausplatz. Located in the old city, this place specializes in roasted sausages and is reasonably priced. There’s also La Creperie du Chateau, which serves up superb French cuisine, and is known for its amazingly thin crepes. Also try Kettensteg Biergarten and Tucher Brau am Opernhaus, both specializing in local cuisine with nice atmospheres, not to mention great prices.

Shopping in Nuremberg

Nuremberg’s main shopping district is the Lorenzer Alstadt in Old Town. There you can find the City Point Mall, Mercado Mall, and Franken-Center Mall, all within walking distance. Stores like Puma Sport, Crazy Fashion, Mac’s Mystic Store, Underground, and Vampiria can be found there. Sausages and Ginger bread make for great souvenirs and can be found all around the city.

Nuremberg Travel Tips

• The official language in Nuremberg is German.
• Convert your money to Euros beforehand to avoid charges.
• Nuremberg has one of the lowest crime rates anywhere.

Hanover Pictures

Things to do in Hanover

Lovers of art, Hanover is the place for you! The Hanover Opera, which hosts a number of operas played by international performers, is located in Kropcke. If you are looking to go to one of their featured performances then be sure to buy your tickets early as they sell out quickly. They sell for 14-55 euros and a student ID will get you a discount. Hanover also has a professional soccer and ice hockey club, the Hannover 96 and Hannover Scorpions respectively, who play many games during the year. Do you like festivals and great comedy performances? Hanover hosts The Small Festival in the Great Garden, a festival that attracts 30-40 performers from around the world including clowns, acrobatic performances, comedy theatre, and much more!There are performances during the day and fireworks at night. For those looking for a wild spring break, Hanover is home to a smaller version of the Oktoberfest.

Nightlife in Hanover

Hanover is a little sparse on the nightlife but don’t let that get you down, the few places they do have are great! There is the Eve Klub, voted one of the best 50 clubs in Germany by the magazine Maxim in 2004. Sanisbar plays 60’s soul music and is known to have reasonably priced drinks. If you venture just slightly east of Hanover, you hit Linden, where there are some great and interesting clubs. And go on and drink, the drinking age in Germany is 18!

Dining in Hanover

Hanover has a lot of world-type restaurants as well as many authentic German eateries. Paying individually is accepted in most restaurants and tipping is not required but 10% is recommended. There is the Asia-Garden for some great Chinese food in Ernst-August Platz. For burgers, pizza, and wraps, Extrablatt is a great place to go. It is located in List. Kabul Haus is a great Afghan place where you can get an all-you-can-eat-buffet for 5 euros. For great German meals, like sausage, check out Wurst-Basar.

Shopping in Hanover

For great souvenirs check out the Tourism Office. There is also a supermarket in Central Station, open 7 days a week. Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt in Kropcke are large department stores similar to Walmart where you can find just about anything you need.

Hanover Travel Tips

• The main language in Hanover is German.
• Avoid the less touristy areas at night as they can be a bit seedy.
• Traffic can be crazy before and after soccer games, so plan your travel accordingly!

Munich Pictures

Things to do in Munich

Museums and galleries will take up a big chunk of your time in Munich. Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is a major stop for any visitor here. You take a tour around the facility with audio accompany. Deutsches Museum is the largest technical museum in the world with hands on interactive models. Natural science meets the technical side here. The Pinakotheken holds 15-18th century religious paintings, the Neue Pinakothek 19-20th century Impressionist and Expressionist art and the Pinakothek der Moderne has 20th century paintings, modern art, design, and architecture sections. National Bavarian Museum is an important cultural history museum. Works from the middle ages to the 20th century can be found here. The Jewish Museum showcases the history, art, and culture of the Jewish people in Munich Germany throughout history, and more importantly during the holocaust. Schloss Nymphenburg is an incredibly large castle that was the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Hirschgarten beer garden is just around the corner from the castle. Oktoberfest is of course the main event and spectacle in the city. Every October this festival takes over. Although the summer has the best weather, this is the most exciting time to come. Enjoy fine beers and traditional German snacks, like bratwurst.

Find things to do in Munich

Nightlife in Munich

Beer is the drink of drinks in Munich. What else would you expect from the host of Oktoberfest? Beer Gardens and Beer Halls are what they’re called here. The Hofbräuhaus may be the most famous beer hall. Make sure you get a chance to stop in and grab some brew on tap. Snacks like Riesenbrezn (big pretzels) and Steckerlfisch (cured fish) will be found in most beer halls. Don’t expect to find too much else as far as food is concerned. The main focus is beer. Dark beer is more common. You can find some lighter varieties on tap though. Hirschgarten is obviously the largest with seating able to accommodate 8,000 people.

Dining in Munich

Everyone knows about the stereotypical dishes that hail from Germany. Weissbier, which is a wheat beer that is served up until noon with breakfast sausage. For dinner try either Schweinsbraten (roasted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig’s knuckle). They are both traditional dishes and will not disappoint. For a late afternoon snack there’s always Leberkässemmeln, a white roll filled with a thick warm slice of “Leberkäse”. And don’t forget about dessert. Maybe dinner meats and beer are the centerpiece for food in Munich, but the desserts are really delicious here. Cakes and tortes are popular. Hey, you can even have them with some light beer if you really want.

Shopping in Munich

The shopping in Munich is great. Maximilianstrasse is a large and familiar street in the center of the city. Everyone from here knows where it is because you can find everything here. The luxury goods are what you will find mostly here. Indulge yourself a little in some trinket. Or just go window shopping and pretend you’re one of the elite. Kaufingerstrasse is where you will want to go to for the more affordable goods. Clothing, jewelry, paintings, and souvenirs like the famous beer stein will be found here for you to shop for. There are lots of department stores, small shops, and cafes for snacking. Munich has some cool markets also. College students like meandering in Viktualienmarkt and Elisabethmarkt. Feel free to bargain down prices at either.

Munich travel tips

• Bring your photo ID with you, they card in this city. And p.s. the beer is really strong.
• Don’t walk alone in parks late at night.
• Bring a sweater, as the nights can get cold (even in the early autumn).

Frankfurt Pictures

Things to do in Frankfurt

The large number of high-rise skyscrapers (or buildings at least 150 meters tall) itself is reason enough why tourists find the city of Frankfurt worth visiting. Aside from that, Frankfurt also has huge parks stretching all over its city center. A visit to the numerous Art and Science museums and to cultural venues would also be a good option. FYI many of the museums are closed on Mondays, but they do have free admissions on Wednesdays. It’s also great to take a walking tour to the historical locations in the city or go strolling by the river Rhine.

Find things to do in Frankfurt

Nightlife in Frankfurt

Frankfurt has a large student population, and that means most discos, nightclubs, and bars in the city are not only affordable, but also have a very youthful vibe. If you happen to visit in July, then the Sound of Frankfurt is a must-see event; it’s a 12-hour open-air music festival with 70 performances on eight stages. Frankfurt also plays host to numerous friendly bars, which provide a perfect sanctuary for many English-speaking travelers who are into meeting new friendly faces and desire for a quiet drink.

Dining in Frankfurt

With the increasing inter-country relationships in Frankfurt, the selection of restaurants in the city is apparently expanding, which is an assurance that you would definitely find something that would suit your taste and appetite. The fact that Frankfurt is the city of bankers, finding inexpensive fine food is a little bit difficult. But if you’re really on a tight budget, then try the cafeterias of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University; it’s also the favorite spot for vegetarians. And of course, fast food is no problem in Frankfurt.

Shopping in Frankfurt

Normally, shopping in Frankfurt is not really cheap, especially when you’re in Goethestrasse, where you’ll find the big designer names, or in Schillerstrasse, where the best shoe shops are located. However, there are also small boutiques and second-hand shops that would be the better options if you don’t want to spend much. Also, there are small but interesting bargain shops found in Oeder Weg and Berger Strasse. Usually, shops are open from 10 A.M. to 8 P.M.; however, most of them are closed on Sundays.

Frankfurt travel tips

• English speakers call the city simply Frankfurt, but locals occasionally call it by its full name, Frankfurt am Main, to avoid confusion with the other Frankfurt in the German state of Brandenburg.
• During the rush hour, the streets of the city center are heavily congested.
• English is frequently spoken because Frankfurt is an international city, but trying to learn few German words would be of great help: “Danke” means thanks and “Bitte” means please.

Berlin Pictures

Things to do in Berlin

If you’ve ever seen a picture of the Berlin skyline, you’ve most likely seen the tower that soars above it. The TV tower, or Fernsehturm as it’s called in German, is a great way of seeing the city from above. Get there on a sunny, clear day and you’ll get 25 miles worth of view. Needless to say the tower is a tourist attraction, so expect lines. It’ll set you back less than $10 and it’s totally worth it. If you can manage to get up in the morning you should definitely get there early to avoid the longest lines, unless you’d like to chat up some people in the line that is. Berlin has a lot of museums and some of them are world known, such as the Ethnological Museum in Dahlem. The Mauermuseum at the historical checkpoint Charlie is also worth visiting. Berlin does not attempt to hide the dark sides of its history and if you’re interested in seeing and learning more about Nazi activity, the Cold War tension and the aftermath of World War II you should visit the following: The Memorial to the Murdered Jews, near the Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin Wall, which can be seen to the east of the city centre along the River Spree in Mühlenstraße near the Oberbaumbrücke. Berlin also has two zoos and an aquarium, the Berlin zoo, in the City West, is fantastic and has the largest range of species in the world. You can also visit Tierpark Berlin, which is the other zoo, it is located in Friedrichsfelde. Berlin is a huge city, so arrive prepared for the best travel experience.

Find things to do in Berlin

Nightlife in Berlin

Berlin is awesome and packed with students from all over Europe that are backpacking, studying abroad or that simply found a cheap flight to Berlin. Pub crawling is very popular and you’ll meet interesting people from all over. If you feel like going on a organize pub crawl there are actually companies that take care of that, you can sign up when you get to Berlin or take care of it before you get there. When you’re going out on your own you have to check out Warschauer Straße, where you’ll find a lot of bars and most importantly locals. Germans and especially Berliners love to meet up with friends before going clubbing, so you’ll find cool cocktail bars where young people meet before they move on to the clubs. Berlin is a bit tricky when it comes to clubbing, it has one of the best club scenes in Europe, but they’re a little scattered and a lot of the cool clubs may be a little hard to find if you’re not local. If you want to party in Berlin ask people your age, they’ll give you the best advice. That said, the clubs are mainly in the east, but some great clubs are also located in Charlottenburg and at Potsdamer Platz. You’ll be able to find packed clubs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Dining in Berlin

Ready for a currywurst? It’s a bratwurst covered in ketchup and curry powder and it’s a must try when visiting Berlin. Students love dining out in Berlin as it’s a lot cheaper than most other European cities. A really popular area for eating out is Hackescher Markt, but if you’re looking for cheap and good food you should try Kreuzberg and Neukölln, where you’ll find great Kebabs, pizzas and Indian food.

Shopping in Berlin

Berlin is great for shopping. Smaller shops usually close around 8PM, but malls usually close between 9:00 and 10:00PM. Ku’Damm and Tauentzienstraße are the main shopping streets, but if you’re looking for some more upmarket shopping you should check out Friedrichstraße as well. Student like Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain for the affordable but still very fashionable shopping and with a lot of young designers opening shops it’s definitely a cool.

Berlin travel tips

• Make sure you don’t plug your 110 volt electronics in the outlets. It’s 220 volts in Germany.
• Ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down at a restaurant.
• When in Berlin it’s common to tell the waiter how much you’re paying when you receive the bill. Don’t leave money on the table. 5-10% tip is good, but a lot of people just round it off.