Live music in Hamburg

If you love live music, you will certainly enjoy a stay in Hamburg! Naturally, big cities are always more frequently visited by musicians on tour, and the north German metropolis is one of the cities in Germany where they usually stop. But there are also some things that are special about Hamburg’s music culture and I’d like to share some of my experiences here.

As far as genres are concerned, there is really something for every taste. Of course, Hamburg is famous as a host to several award-winning musicals and it’s actually the third biggest musical location in the world, only outdone by New York and London. As for classical music, you have the Music hall Hamburg (Laeiszhalle) where both the Philharmoniker Hamburg and the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra play regularly. The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is still under construction at the time of writing. This massive concert hall located at the harbour in central Hamburg calls itself “Europe’s largest cultural construction site”.

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Discovering Münster

Compared to cities like Berlin or Munich, the German city of Münster has certainly been more of an insider tip for tourists. We Germans, however, know that “Westphalia’s capital” is well worth a visit!

The University City combines the old and the new and is something for everyone who likes a city that is laid-back and safe, but at the same time very cultural and stylish.

Münster has always been one of Germany’s most popular cities for students so it’s no wonder that the city is also one of the youngest in terms of its population.

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Picturesque Heidelberg

The city has a great cultural programme. Every day over 50 different events ranging from festivals, music, theatre, dance and art exhibitions take place across the city.

The castle illuminations which take place each summer, the medieval autumn fair and Christmas market are particularly worth a look!

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Lederhosen and dirndl – Oktoberfest I am coming!

Last year I did a German language course in Munich – it was really amazing! In my second week on the course, me and a few people I met whilst sightseeing went to the Theresienwiese, to see the tapping of the first barrel at Oktoberfest. It was unbelievable, with so many crazy people from all over the world. Over 6 million people, dancing, laughing, eating and DRINKING! I love the German beer and it’s so huge. They serve it in a jar (“Maß”), 1 litre per person.

Amongst the many attractions, the beer is probably the most important thing. The food is also great though. I ate different Oxen specialties, real German Bratwurst with “Kartoffelsalat” (potato salad), massive Bavarian Pretzels and the Oktoberfest special of “Händl” (grilled chicken).

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Nikolaus School Party

On Friday the German “Nikolaus” came to our school here in Munich. He looked a bit Santa Claus, but they told us that it‘s a completely different tradition. Anyway, it was fun!!!

In the morning, we started school like every morning, but then we got a bit suspicious, as our teacher told us a few minutes before the break to stay in class, he would be back in a few minutes. In fact, when we left our room, we found out that the cafeteria and another room had been decorated in some Christmas style. Biscuits, gingerbread and candles everywhere…

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German with a good taste!

I’m here studying German in Berlin and really enjoying it, but I’m really learning more than just German – I’m also learning how to cook!

I must tell  ou about my favourite German class. Actually, I hadn’t imagined, before coming here, that the words ‘German class’ and ‘favourite’ would really combine in my world… but at this school in Berlin I’ve learned that studying and fun really can be combined.

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A Dream Come True!

Hi! My name is Sophie, I´m 20 years old and I come from Sweden. Here I am, second from right, along with some of my new friends.

I have during the last three months been studying German on the little island in the south of Germany, called Lindau. I decided to take a year of from my school in Sweden because I wanted to do something else, something fun, interesting but also something that would be educational.

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Five fun-filled weeks in Frankfurt

It is hard to believe, now that my 5 weeks on a German course in Frankfurt are drawing to a close, but when I arrived, I was actually quite nervous. A foreign country, a language I then hardly spoke and living with perfect strangers – of course I was nervous!

But when I saw the smiling face of my host mother, holding a sign with my name, I somehow knew everything would be all right – and I would come to realize that it would be so, so much more than that!

Upon arriving at my home for the following 5 weeks, I immediately felt most welcome. I had dinner with my host family and after getting over my initial shyness, I actually began joining in already. Everybody in Germany was so nice to me – My hosts, the teachers at the school, even random people on the street!

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My (second) trip to Cologne!

I got my first taste of Cologne in 2006, when I travelled there with a few friends during the Football World Cup and camped out with thousands of other fans on the meadows by the Rhine. So when it came to deciding on a location for my German course, I can’t say that I took a long time to think about it!

The memories of welcoming, friendly locals, the spirit of fun and excitement and all the sights and places that I hadn’t gone to on my first visit, immediately convinced me – I definitely wanted to go back to Cologne!.

So, I travelled to Cologne to start my German course. The school was great, located right in the centre of the city, with great teachers and a great mixture of students from all over the world!

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Christmas Markets in Berlin – Accept no substitute!

I’m from the UK and nowadays it seems like every town here has a visiting Christmas market at some point over the Christmas/New Year period, complete with wooden toys, scented candles, woolly gloves and dodgy sausages!

Christmas/New Year in your own country can be fun, but there are alternatives!

The Christmas/New Year period is such a wonderful time to get away and really enjoy these holiday days abroad – seeing how other cultures celebrate Christmas/New Year and joining in the fun!

Last year, I travelled to Berlin with my girlfriend and in my opinion Germany – and in particular Berlin – is one of the best places to go if you want to enjoy Christmas/New Year abroad, with all you could hope for, including amazing Christmas markets!

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