Altstadt Frankfurt, Germany

On May 14, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany10 Comments

One of our favorite places in Frankfurt was the old town, or Altstadt, and we spent many afternoons there during our time there. Frankfurt has a reputation for being a very modern city and is considered the Manhattan of Germany, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still have some historic charm. Although many of the historical buildings were not rebuilt after World War II as they were in many other cities in Germany, the old town area still has some wonderful buildings that are hundreds of years old.

Not surprisingly, the heart of the old town area is a courtyard with a wonderful fountain. Just like the hearts of most of old towns, this was a gathering place for everyone in the city and it is certainly still true today. During the festival season, the courtyard gets transformed into a bustling market with plenty of vendors selling food, drinks, and a variety of products.

There are some traditional restaurants around the courtyard where you can certainly get your fill of schnitzel, bratwurst (or other wursts), sauerkraut, beer, and wine. Our favorite little pub called Alten Limpurg was also located in the plaza and we became friends with all of the staff there. Like many places in Europe, people can be found sitting at tables on the patios outside of the restaurant throughout the year, with heat lamps providing warmth during the cold winter months.

The old town in Frankfurt is also just a few steps away from the Main River where you can go for a walk along the river, get a tour on a sightseeing ship, or just sit on one of the benches and people watch. It is hard to believe that is has been three and half years since we moved to Frankfurt for a while and one of the things that we miss most about living there was our time in the old town plaza. If you want to get away from the historic feel of old town, the heart of the modern shopping area is also within walking distance.

The town hall is also located in the old town plaza and one of our favorite memories was seeing wedding ceremonies take place there. The people would come out of town hall dressed in their wedding attire and celebrate with all of the people in the plaza. One of our favorite weddings concluded with the bride and groom climbing onto an old tractor to be whisked off to their reception. We really felt as if we were one of the locals.

Unique KölnTriangle Tower in Cologne, Germany

On March 30, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

When visiting Cologne (Köln), if you want amazing views of the city and cathedral, going to the observation deck of the KölnTriangle is an absolute must. The building sits just across the Hohenzollern Bridge, which spans the Rhine River. The glass tower is clearly visible as you walk along the shore of the river with the sides of the building reflecting the surroundings. It is an easy walk across the bridge with all of the locks, passing the statue of Wilhelm II, to get to the KölnTriangle.

Without a doubt, the reason for going to the top of the tower is to see the panoramic views of the city. The cathedral is certainly the star of the view, but as you look around in all directions, there are amazing views everywhere that you look. Even on a cloudy day, such as the day that we visited, seeing the incredible cityscape was a highlight of our time in Cologne.

Even if you decide not to go to tower and see the views from the observation deck, the building itself is architecturally interesting. It is named the triangle due to the three convex sides that surround a circular core. The sides of the building are made up of transparent glass and aluminum sides, which makes up the reflective surface. It only takes an hour or so to go to the observation deck at the KölnTriangle, so we would definitely recommend taking the time as you will definitely be rewarded.

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz, Germany

On March 16, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany2 Comments

Castles are certainly one of the most interesting sights to see while visiting Germany and there are literally hundreds of ruins along the coasts of the Rhine River. Sometimes, though, a simple military fortress without the opulence of the wealthy ruling class can be as fascinating to view. When we visited Koblenz, one of the most striking sights was the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress that sits on the top of the mountain across the Rhine River from the town itself.

The fortress is definitely worth visiting for several reasons. First of all are the views from the cable car that traverses the river up the side of the mountain to the summit where the fortress overlooks the region. Obviously, the fortress itself is worth seeing, walking along the walls that once housed hundreds of soldiers poised to protect the town from the advances of the French or other invading armies. With that said, the highlight of visiting the fortress are the spectacular views of the town below and the cathedral and the statue at the German Corner.

The German Corner is where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers meet, making for stunning scenery. We were fortunate to have wonderful weather that particular day and the hills were full of color from the changing leaves. We wish we could have captured some images from our train ride to Koblenz along the Rhine River as it was probably one of the most amazing hours of scenery that we have ever seen. After about thirty minutes, we were already teasing with each other, “there is another castle” or “there is another church”. We were too enthralled with all of the sights to stop and take any pictures or take a video, so we will have to hold on to those memories in our minds.

Statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I at the German Corner

We feel very fortunate for the opportunity to see the things that we have seen. Seeing the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress has definitely been one of those experiences that we will cherish. If you are in Germany and near Koblenz, we would highly recommend taking the time to go to the fortress and look down upon this fairy tale town and enjoy the views of the rivers as they merge together. If you really want it to be special, get there around sunset and see the town cast in a lovely orange hue with the sky reflecting off of the rivers.