Lighthouse on Helgoland
In 2003 I was with my mother on the german island Helgoland. I start in my hometown Bad Oeynhausen near Hannover in the morning to reach the ferry from Cuxhafen to the Helgoland. It was the second time on this island in the opensea. Because of the distance to the mainland is here a duty free zone. In highseason between easter and autum many people come for a daytrip to see the mainatraction ” die Lange Anna” and for shop cigarettes and alcohol. The “Lange Anna” is a high redrock in the north sea with many rare birdspecies.
The landmark of Helgoland, "Lange Anna"
When i arrived at Cuxhaven i get bad news: the waves are to high for the ferry. Than i took a small plane which land on a sandbank close to the german highsea island. We had a arpartment at “La Mer Kurmittelhaus” with a balcony to the seaside and a small kitchen for make typical “ostfriesland” tea. Because of the mass of bird kinds and the seals on the “Dühne” (=sandbank) is this area a nationalpark of Germany. Helgoland is realy small, in about 15 minutes walk you can reach once around the island. There are two parts: the highland (hochland) and the downland (unterland) which are conected by steps and a lift. On Helgoland it´s forbidden to drive car, even bikes are not aloued. The onliest car on the island in north sea belongs to the ambulance.
A Redrock from the Highland on Helgoland.
Between Helgoland and the small sandbank a small boat travel every hour. The sandbank is famous for many kind of seals aswell the rare coneseals (Kegelrobben). This animals are nice to watch while they come out of the cold north sea. On the highlands are some holes from english bombs of the WW2. Here is everything covert by grass and the nature dominate. The most buildings on Helgoland are on the underland. The most restaurants offer fresh fish from the northsea. On the highland is the “Krebs Café”, the owner like to tell stories about the island in the past or show some videotapes about Helgoland in the evening by a fresh draft beer.
Seals on Beach from Helgoland.
The lonely beaches at lowseason invide for long walks, after you can rewarm in one of the small pubs by a egggrog. Even Palms you can find on a place in middle of the small village. Because of the many sunhours they grow good aswell by low european temperatures and strong wind. Helgoland is beautiful but cold and windy, i can recoment this german highsea island for a weekendtrip to relax from the boring allday turn and to see something new. For more information look inside the Lonely Planet Germany. Which you can order online from this site.
2001 i was with my father at Berchtesgaden by car. It was the first holiday in Bavaria for me, but not the last. Berchtesgaden is a national park in south Germany close to the border of Austria. The landscapes are dominated by mountains, Forrest and cold but beautiful lakes. Till this travel tour i don´t know how beautiful Germany can be! The people are relax and friendly. In the summer You have allot of beautiful viewpoints over the mountains with tight Forrest and small villages in the valleys.
Mountains at Bavarian
This part of Bavaria have many sights and memorials of the WW2 because Adolf Hitler had a residence on the “Obersalzberg”. The eagles nest (ger.: Kehlsteinhaus) is on top of the mountain with a beautiful view of the surrounded mountains, sometimes the view reach till Salzburg in Austria when the weather is sunny. A. Hitler did allot of important meetings with leaders of the SS and other heads of the WW2 here at the eagles nest. Near the “Obersalzberg” is a museum in a old bunker who documentate the time of the second world war for the locals.
Eagles Nest on the Obersalzberg
At Bavarian you have many options for walking thrue woods and climbing on walls, the Watsmann for example is famous for wallclimbing. Of the valley of the Watsmann mountain is the Kingslake (ger.: Königssee) where you can make boots tours to a beautiful church with a red roof. The St. Bartholome church is one of the main sights of Berchtesgaden and landmark of the kingslake (Königssee). As well famous is the echo of the walls around the kings lake. On the boatstrip a man blow for a small tip into a bugle and let bang the echo.
Kingslake at Berchtesgaden
The national park Berchtesgaden is a paradise of nature friends! If you are lucky you can see the landmark of Germany the stone eagle while it is huntings mouses and other small animals. There are a lot trekking ways to clime up the mountains or you have on many places the option to take a cablecar or a lift witch brings in winter the sportler on the apex. The villages around Berchtesgaden invite with small glacier rivers and beautie churches for a visit.
Bavarian Church
In the evening You can enjoy bavarian draft beer in beergardens, restaurants or in the widespread small pubs in the small cobblestone streets in the center. Many time the “berchtesgadener Hofbraeuhaus” invite to a Bavarian night with draft beer, good German food and people in Bavarian liveries who make traditional dances. In the valleys you will see old Bavarian frame houses decorate with European blooms and flowers. Many guesthouses are family established and most of them still have companion animals. In this kind of hotels they will serve you homemade yoghurt, chease, fresh milk and many more homemade Bavarian dishes.
Alp in south Germany
My result for Berchtesgaden in summer: Nature, nature and again nature! The national park is beautiful and the food, the wheat beer and the hospitableness of the locals is great! This part of Europe is for sure one of the beauties places in Germany. Visit Berchtesgaden and take a priese of the fresh air of the national park. This holiday region have many thinks to visit and to explore, visit here the official homepage.
