MARCH 2000  -  OCTOBER 2001  -  DECEMBER 2002

My first trip to Germany was for a football match played between Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund in March 2000. We flew to Frankfurt and stayed there for a while and drove to Dortmund.

The atmosphere was great. 55,000 people capacity Westfalen Stadium was full of Turkish supporters coming from other cities in Germany and around Europe, and Galatasaray won the game 2-0.

Frankfurt

Unfortunately we could only spend one night in Frankfurt. A nice thing for visitors of Frankfurt is to take a walk starting by the Skyscrapers that gave Frankfurt am Main the nickname "Mainhattan" as these are Europe’s highest buildings. Mainly used by banks or other financial companies they have some nice modern architecture... From there, take a walk in direction to the River-Main, pass the "Römer", the old town centre with its timbered houses, which are the direct opposite to the Skyscrapers. Then just walk on until you reach the River and the iron bridge, and take a walk at the riverside...

Because of all the skyscrapers in Frankfurt, there is a beautiful skyline and much more to see from those high buildings. Many of the skyscrapers have viewing platforms on the top floor of their building. One or two of the buildings also have cocktail lounges on the top floor... great views, good people and delicious cocktails!

One thing I realize about Frankfurt was the fact that it is so clean for a huge city.
They seem to really be into recycling as well with bins everywhere marked off for different paper, plastic and bottle sections. If only everywhere in the world could be so conscious of how nice a clean city is!

Nightlife is very present in Frankfurt. After staring all day in the monitors and turning money from side to side, people quickly change (or even not) and go to pubs, restaurants or to the opera house. The best zone for night walks or drinking in pubs with your friends is the Sachsenhausen region that is on the lower bank of the river Main. You cross the Main on one of the nice bridges and you are in the residential and pub area of Frankfurt. You'll find here traditional restaurants but especially lots and lots of pubs. Watch out for happy hours!! Every pub has to have a one!

Munich

Second trip to Germany was only for one day in Munich in October 2001. As a result of missing the last cable car from the mountain Dachsteinberg, Austria, we had to walk down to German border on the other side of the mountain, take a local bus to Munich, and spend the day there.

Berlin

I always wanted to see the capital Berlin and we decided to include Berlin in our European

Tour in 2002-2003. Actually we spent the first two days of 2003 in Berlin.

Berlin is a city of immense size. It simply cannot be covered on foot and requires the use of its comprehensive public transportation systems - I think the Germans have the largest and most complex I have ever seen.

Berlin Wall

Berlin is, as unfortunate as this may be, a city defined by two things - the rise and fall of the Nazis and the subsequent occupation that gave rise to the need for the Berlin Wall, and 28 years of a truly divided city.

The city was divided after the war in 1948 and the infamous Berlin wall was built in 1961 to separate the East from the West. Although the wall was torn down in 1989, there are still small sections of the wall remaining as a memory of the past and a tourist attraction.

Siegessaule (Victory Column)

It is worthwhile visiting, but it urgently needs to be cleaned. I should add that there is a spiral staircase going up the tower. Only 285 steps!

This spectacular monument, at the meeting point of five large avenues, is one of the Berlin’s most recognizable sights. It was built in 1873 in memory of Prussian’s victories over Denmark, Austria-Hungary and France.

A viewing platform on top of the column has a wonderful panoramic view of the city. As you climb up, you will see thousands of names, signatures, poems, pictures, etc. on the staircase walls.

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