Exploring and Sleeping in the Castles of Northeastern Germany

7/29/2019 Exploring and Sleeping in the Castles of Northeastern Germany

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Exploring and Sleeping in the Castles of Northeastern Germany

By Kent E. St John

Over dinner a few nights ago I had a friend mention that European travel has left him

cold lately. He has been to many places already and they all seemed the same to him. I

disagreed, because I had just returned from what was once the northern part of East

Germany. My trip there certainly dispelled his feelings towards a European jaunt. Ithought it charming, different and affordable and

pretty darn unique.

In these tough economic times, affordable certainly plays a part in picking a destination,

especially in Europe. I found my trip to the one time East Germany to fit the bill quitewell. Its part in modern history as a satellite of the Soviet Union gives it an additional

intrigue.

Because it was a part of the Holy Roman Empire, there are plenty of castles and ruins. Inkeeping with that feeling it was a Schloss or castle stay almost every night.

Potsdam: Regal

Not far from the Berlin airport lies a city filled with parks and palaces founded by a manwho arguably forged the modern German nation. Frederick the Great was a Prussian.

The Great Frederick wasnt going to be outdone by Versailles and the French so he undertook the building of Sanssoucii his greatest palace. Frederick brought in workers from

Russia and Amsterdam to get the city up and running, soon an imperial and garrison
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bastion was built. Other standout palaces nearby are the Orangery, New Palace (Neues

Palais) and Charlottenhof Castle.

The Schloss Charlottenhofis where the Potsdam Conference was held between HarryTruman, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin to decide how Europe was going to get

sliced and diced after World War II. It was said that Truman was lost because Rooseveltconstantly kept him in the dark, and that he thought Churchill was a bore. In return

Winnie thought Truman was a party pooper.

Sanssouci Castle, Northeastern Germany. Click to enlarge this photo.

Uncle Joe was a bit paranoid and needed the prime spots and biggest accommodations.According to my guide, Kevin Kennedy, Uncle Joe Stalin ordered 21 shots of primeRussian vodka to get the party rolling--or perhaps he hoped to keep Truman baffled and

Churchill snoring. The palace also has a hotel incorporated within it for those that want

that fly on the wall feeling.

After seeing the sites Potsdam offers I realized that the Universities keep it young andvibrant. The favorite area of mine was the two-street Dutch Quarter (Hollandisches

Viertel) that is filled with buildings done Dutch style in red brick. Frederick had them

built for the artisans and craftsmen he brought over to help with building the city. People

stroll to shop and eat with some good night spots tucked away in its alleys. A restaurant

stand out was Zum Fliegenden Hollander which was charming yet upbeat and lively.That's a great description of Potsdam itself. North of the city center is the Russian colony

of Alexandrowka, a reminder of Russian influence on Potsdam.

The city truly has earned its UNESCO title. One tradition that remains strong even during

the Soviet times is Potsdams place in the motion picture industry; the word on the street

is that Tom Hanks was walking the city not long ago.
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Radisson Blu Resort Schloss Fleesensee, Northern Germany. Click to enlarge this photo.

Brandenburg, the State

The name is far more than just a gate in Berlin; it is a German state with more than 500

castles. Fifteen large protected areas, complete with park rangers, are a nature-lover'shighlight. Four rivers including the Oder, and Spree and the Havel meander through

Brandenburg, and there is a 106 km national park located there too.

Our first stop in the state was the pretty lake front town of Rheinsberg anchored by the

Rheinsberg Castle, the childhood home of Frederick I. The palace is also home to arenowned music academy with extensive gardens and grounds. Its position near Muritz

National Park make it a great place to hike, paddle and explore some of the prettiest areas

in Germany.

It is also the first place I really started to notice subtle differences between what was onceEast Germany and West Germany. The pace slows down and little English is heard.

Seasonal cuisine is not just a catch phrase, it is literally what is grown or caught at a

certain season of the year.

After a wonderful day it was time for this serf to head to some royal surroundings, the

Schloss Fleesensee, a Radisson Blu Resort. The main part of the castle holds lobby,dining rooms, lounge and spa. Some rooms are in this section but two wings have the

modern rooms. A tradition often seen in castles...dividing the rooms from the historicallypreserved areas. The main building fit the castle look perfectly and service was regal.

There is even a luxurious castle suite with picturesque views of Muritz National Park for

those looking for something even more romantic!
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The Schloss is surrounded by several well-maintained golf courses with views down to

gorgeous lakes. The main dining room served a buffet style dinner with once again

seasonal dishes of this eastern German region. A final cocktail by the huge fireplace inthe main building was peaceful and relaxing, all for a price that a Holiday Inn in any

large American city would cost.

Shining Schwerin

Biking on the Baltic near the Schlossgut Gross Schwansee.

A shining example of what a regional capital should look like is Schwerin, capital of the

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state. On an island on the edge of Lake Schwerin is the fairytale looking Schwerinen Schloss its golden roofs blinding in the sunshine. The castlelived up to its reputation as the Neuschwanstein (Disney Castle) of the north.

Schwerinen castle is reminiscent of a French chateau and was once home to the

Mecklenburg royal family but today half is used as legislative space. The rest is

meticulously restored royal rooms and a museum that will greatly help you follow thecomings and goings of an area that was once filled with regal families.

At the rear of the castle are gardens and a grotto resplendent on a sunny day, on

weekends a procession of newlyweds wait to have their pictures taken. Luckily Schwerin

escaped bombing during WWII so the narrow streets and quaint buildings remain intact.


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Mecklenburger Strasse is pedestrian only and the main square is perfect for people

watching. If lucky enough to be there in the evening the Weinhaus Uhle has been servingsince 1740 and has an impressive wine list as well as hearty food long associated with

German cuisine. The soups are especially wonderful.

Green ist Gut

Im not one to push a vegetarian lifestyle but as for living green, Im a big fan. The award

winning Hotel Gutshaus Stellshagen is an amazing place and testament to just what canbe done under the banner of true green living. Like all of the castles we visited the

Guthaus (Manor) has its share of interesting stories. During WWII when the Russians

closed in, the current matriarch of the family had to flee. The family bought the propertyback fifty years later. She oversees her son-in law and daughter from the house she fled

so long ago.

The main manor house houses the dining room, conference space and a cozy lounge as

well as a bakery. Most of the rooms are in several outbuildings, all different and welldone. The surroundings are farm fields, stands of forest and pond and the pool is a natural

one.

Linden trees line the driveway and orchards lie beyond, the fruit used by the hotel.

Greenhouses are filled with vegetables also used in the kitchen. In fact I must admit I felt

Student restoration workers at Rheinsberg Castle.
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down right relaxed and well after my tour. To top it off the vegetarian buffet lunch was

delicious! This is a place that might just be able to convert a serious carnivore.

A Baltic Royal Retreat

Once again our stay at Castle Hotel Wedendorfis done with a Manor house as an anchor.Several rooms are within but two wings hold deluxe rooms built for style and comfort.

There are four different categories of rooms pretty much something for everyonespocketbook. The grounds are vast and

The new castle in Potsdam.

well kept and trails spread in every direction. A bike path from several quaint villagesend here and the trail often follows the Baltic Sea. This is the kind of place that after a

full day youre so grateful that you are booked. Peace, quiet and elegant spaces to help

charge up the batteries.

My room in the old stables was large and well laid out as an added plus they all havebalconies or porches so the views are always in reach. With the huge cave like shower I

felt no need to rush to the Spa and indeed a most pleasant pre dinner sit in the warm sun

was just perfect.

The Schloss offers two types of dining; a brasserie style in the old stable building of theelegant and French influenced 1745 Room in the main building. As it was my last night

as a Lord in residence I opted for the 1745. The food peerless and a wine list to match

made my final night in eastern Germany ever so memorable. In fact as I wondered thebeautiful grounds I had a chance to reflect on just what made this trip through the one

time East Germany different that other European destinations.
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A painter in the Rheinsberg castle.

What is different about this part of Europe?

One of the first things I liked about traveling to this area was the feeling that much still

remains of days gone by, it hasnt been sparkled up and the feeling isnt such that you get

the feeling that everything has been done for tourists and to part visitors from their

money. Yet still careful building is going on as I saw in all of the castle stays. They weredone with almost every kind of traveler in

mind, such as the different categories of rooms.

Life follows the seasons, for example if it is plum season then most deserts or coffee-accommodating tortes will be made from plums. The menus reflect that very same

attitude. Not because of some food trend but because that is the way it has always been

done, surprisingly refreshing. Rare is the tourist menu and I say good riddance.

While the roads are well maintained and driving is easy that was a treat as instead offeeling like your trip was hopping on the autobahn exit to exit you had the feeling that

you actually were seeing a place, not just spots. I had many moments of reflecting on thedays when my parents would take my sisters abroad during the 1960s.

During the Soviet era many of the larger buildings including some of the castles were

used as orphanages, schools, plants and storage facilities. In many of those structures

university students learn and painstakingly restore and that was wonderful to see. The

look into that historic period Soviet isnt done in to many places and is fascinating.


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If Youre Going

As always I recommend starting your research on the Germany Tourism Website, it is

particularly well done and covers all sorts of information on activities as well as some ofthe practical stuff you will find handy.

Kitesurfer on the Baltic Sea. photo by Kent St. John.

It has been quite a few years since I flew on Lufthansa Airlinesand I was pleased with

the trip. Though crowded the flight was smooth and well managed. The food was goodand the dozens of movies on the seatback entertainment system were enjoyable. Even

baggage cleared at a good rate. All in all I considered a good journey.

Lodgings

It is said that in the German State of Brandenburg alone there more than 500 castles and

castle ruins. This part of Germany is turning many of these properties into lodgings anddoing it well from huge international corporations to families rebuilt properties, perhaps

more than any other place Ive traveled before. In all regards they are fascinating, unique

and fit all price ranges.

The largest one I stayed in was the Radisson Blu Resort Schloss Fleesensee, large with

many amenities including golf. A great place to base for exploration of the lake countryarea of Mecklenburg and the Muritz National Park.

The Green and bio Gutshaus Stellshagen was one remarkable testimony for the benefits ifclean use yet keeping standards amazingly high. The property is beautiful and perfect for

losing ones self. The Spa and treatments are hardcore and zoned in to making you feel

better in everyway. Check the movie on their site it is well done.
http://www.germany.travel/en/index.htmhttp://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/us/homepagehttp://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/us/homepagehttp://www.radissonblu.com/resort-fleesenseehttp://www.gutshaus-stellshagen.com/en/surroundings.htmlhttp://www.germany.travel/en/index.htmhttp://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/us/homepagehttp://www.radissonblu.com/resort-fleesenseehttp://www.gutshaus-stellshagen.com/en/surroundings.html


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The Schlossgut Gross Schanseeis so elegant you may be tempted to slip a Von before

your last name.

Kent St. Johnis the Senior Travel Editor of GoNOMAD.He writes a daily blog calledBeOur Guest.

Read more articles about Germany on GoNOMAD

Germany Celebrates 125 Years of Car-Loving Tradition

By Elayne Badrigian

This summer, join in Germanys celebration of the 125th anniversary of the car by taking

part in a multitude of events on the theme of the automobile with special exhibitions at

three state-of-the-art museums.

Mercedes-BenzBMWPorsche... all car brands that scream luxury, class, and style

just as loudly as the noise of their engines. Over the past 125 years, their interior and

exterior designs have changed dramatically, but the goal of building vehicles of highquality and excellence in functionality has never faltered. Germany remains the epicenter

of fine car building, and they're celebrating with a long list of activities centered on the

automobile.
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Baden-Wrttemberg and its capital city, Stuttgart, are synonymous with the automobile.

There, the first motor carriage was invented 125 years ago. Today, production plants andworld-renowned museums remain.

Also in the city are the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, the roots of which

are firmly planted and grab a hold of the people who live there. Its a car-crazy place andits the place to be this summer if cars are your thing.

In 1886 in Mannheim in Baden, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his three-wheeled

motor car. Around the same time, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach produced the

worlds first four-wheeled vehicle in the Wrttemberg capital of Stuttgart. Theautomobile may have been born in Germany but it has been bred throughout the world.

Still, its production has and will always be the most successful in this land where the car

was born.

Carl Benz with his first automobile.

Through the power and influence of the automobile, Stuttgart has become one of theGermanys most charismatic regions--with high incomes, technical innovation and

economic vitality. The Mercedes star on the top of the tower at Stuttgart central train

station has been revolving without interruption since 1951. It should come as no surprisethat the city will serve as the focal point of the Car Anniversary celebrations in Germany.

Tennis legend and entrepreneur Boris Becker said, The atmosphere in Stuttgart is great.Its full speed ahead when there are normally radar traps. Everyone here is a car freak. I

like driving a lot and do it a lot, and its interesting to get acquainted with history.

The momentous event continues this month with Motorissimo, the automobile festivalthat wouldnt be complete without Bertha Benz, the wife of Carl, who in 1888 took the

worlds first overland drive from Mannheim to her home town of Pforzheim in the Benz


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three-wheeler, with her two sons, Eugen and Richard. To mark the event, more than 140

classic cars will travel along the same route as this earliest woman driver.

Bertha Benz, immortalized in the museum and history's first woman driver.

For those whose dream it has been to get behind the wheel of some of the marvelous cars

being showcased, they have the great opportunity to do so at the Klassikwelt

Bondensee trade fair. Those curious about the future of the automobile can check out theKarlsruhe Institute for Technology in July. Are flying cars within sight?

A Car Symphony

Top-notch vehicles are known for the crisp sound they emit from their speakers, but they

can also produce a symphony! Witness this event at the first performance of a symphony

played by 80 automobiles, accompanied by the SWR Baden-Baden and Freiburg

Symphony Orchestra and the SWR Vocal Ensemble Stuttgart in September.

Make sure to be in attendance at the world premiere of autosymphon-ica musical-

visual combination of the arts by composer Marios Joannous Elia and multimedia artistHorst Hamann. This event will bring the aspects of the automobile to life with music,

pictures, video, light and laser effects with vocals and language for an awe-inspiring treat.


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Inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Do you have a need, a need for speed? In July, historic race cars, sports cars and racingmotorcycles will zoom around the historic Solitude ring located between Stuttgart and

Leonberg. The future of the automobile will once again be on display with a

demonstration of vehicles with alternate means of propulsion.

The celebration wouldnt be complete without a visit to the relic-filled museumsdedicated to cars the in the region. The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen is a

feast for the eyes; the building looks as if it is about to propel into the sky. Around 80

vehicles and many smaller exhibits are on display in the museum, in addition toPorsches most iconic cars such as the well-known 911 model.

A moving walkway gives visitors a spectacular view of the collection. The very first

Beetle, designed by Professor Ferdinand Porsche, is also on display. The Professors son,

Wolfgang, remembers watching his father take the first Porsche he built in 1947 on theroad. Theres lots of pictures, theres not much more you can say. Its moving, he said.

The double-helix shaped Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart documents the 125-year history that began in a

tiny workshop and grew into a legendary brand.

Over 160 vehicles and more than 1,500 items are on display, including the Grand

Mercedes Type 770 once owned by the Emperor Hirohito and the Emperor Wilhelm II,

and Princess Dianas red SL.

The museums are just as famous for their cars as they are for their architecture; the

Mercedes-Benz Museum is in the shape of a double helix.


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For an experience designed for the senses, BMW World is the place to be. The

architecture is an eye-popping double cone made of glass and steel designed to look like

a tornado that supports a cloud roof that provides a floating faade. Inside, visitors aregiven the opportunity to hop inside a driving simulator that imitates the feeling of driving

a real BMW.

The building boasts the worlds biggest exhibition of BMW cars. The museum nearby

details the 90-year history of the company and features seven themed areas, each ofwhich are located in its own house. BMW enthusiasts are sure to feel like kids in a

candy shop.

Aerial view of the massive BMW World, part shopping mall and part museum. Click to enlarge this photo.

The only thing better than seeing these works of art on display is getting behind the wheeland driving one. Get up close and personal with Southern Germany and the cars produced

there by booking the automobile tour Premium Cars of Southern Germany. The

package includes a tour with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW and Audi to Munich,Stuttgart and Ingolstadt. Participants can choose their favorite vehicle to drive, or give all

three a spin.

History buffs have the opportunity to follow the inventors trail and learn about the

development of the automobile. The trip begins in Schnorndorf, the birthplace of GottliebDaimler. After visiting the house where he was born, a tour guide impersonating Lina

Daimler, the pioneers wife, will take participants for an informative and engaging walk

through the old town. The trip is topped off with a visit to the elegant Mercedes-BenzMuseum.

For two days, you can live the lives of a king or queen by visiting the regions castles,

monasteries and ruined strongholds, in your own vehicle or in a hired classic car. German

culinary delicacies such as spaazle and the areas legendary beers in local restaurants aresure to keep your engine purring.
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The tornado that is the BMW World museum.

Continue your journey into the past by learning about Baden-Wrttembergs automotive

history while driving one of a fleet of classic cars built between 1959 and 1983, including

compact models, sports cars or limousines. These will be available to test drive during thecelebrations.

The environmentally conscious have not been forgotten during this German summer ofthe car. During the Automobile Summer, Black Forest communities are offering guests

overnight stays in climate-neutral accommodations. Additionally, hosts will offer electricvehicles, electric bikes and Segway Scooters to their guests.

Car collector, Josef Mast, brought his rare 300B Mercedes-Benz convertible to the party.

Its a great event, I must say. The automobile set the world in motion and it willcontinue to do so in other forms and with other engines, but always emotionally.

Elayne Badrigan is an editorial assistant with GoNOMAD. She drives a lowly Toyota

and she writes our daily Travel News Notes blog.

Read more articles about Germany on GoNOMAD

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Dsseldorf: A Beautifully Incongruous Hodgepodge of Old and New

By Gary Singh

Eighty percent of Dsseldorf was destroyed during the war, explains Renate Morton as

she escorts me through a supreme navigation of the city streets. A tiny firecracker of apersonality, Morten says shes been around for a long time.

Although she spent years living in both England and South America, she is Dsseldorfs

resident woman-about-town. A walking encyclopedia, Renate is on familiar terms with

every single crack in the pavement and every juicy tidbit behind every new developmentproject. She knows both old and new.

As we embark on a walking voyage, historical facts gradually emerge like bubbles in a

boiling pot of water. Renate tells me that Claudia Schiffer was discovered in a nightclub

in Dsseldorf. I learn that Dsseldorf has Europes largest Japanese population. She spillsthe goods on statues, galleries and herbal liqueurs. Her enthusiasm is infectious.

The hits keep on coming. As we segue into a store called Tchibo, which sells coffee and

womens underwear, she informs me that Dsseldorfs primary historical hero is Johann

Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. He accomplished three main things: He started an art

collection; he gave the brewers the right to form a guild; and he allowed Protestants tosettle in the area.

As I ingest Renates enlightening rapid-fire explanation of all things Dsseldorf, I cant

even take notes. I felt like Ive awakened to a great multi-dimensional quantum fieldfrom which the rest of my experiences would derive. Every aspect of my subsequent

spree through Dsseldorf feels like a quantum wave function of her supreme tour. What

follows here are just a few of those trajectories.
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Pearl of Aesthetic

Guests' Living Room at the Breidenbacher Hof

One of the Capella Hotels, the opulent Breidenbacher Hof tops all the lists, but theaccommodation can also claim unique status as the only one in Dsseldorf attached to a

full-blown elite plastic surgery clinic. Inquiring minds can enter Pearl of Aesthetic from

either the hotel or by a private door down the street.

Naturally, the place exudes a crispy-clean antiseptic aura that one would expect. A fewminutes after I enter the facility, Dr. Branislav Matejic appears from around the corner.

Tall and thin, with gray hair and glasses, hes dressed in a sportcoat and jeans and exudesthe air of a laidback movie personality. In fact, he resembles the German director WimWenders.

A leading surgeon in Europe and an internationally acclaimed superstar, Dr. Matejic has

operated on numerous celebrities and members of royal families. Aside from owning

Pearl of Aesthetic, he frequently appears on radio and television and consults at clinics allacross the globe.

Getting a tour of this private plastic surgery clinic straight from the maestro himself was

nothing short of awe-inspiring. Facetiously speaking, its like visiting the legendary

Gruhn Guitar shop in Nashville or the J.M. Capriola saddle shop in Elko, Nevada bothbastions of cosmetic repair in their own right.


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The Palace Benrath

Medical tourism is big in Dsseldorf, especially with folks from Russia and the United

Arab Emirates. Many plastic surgery clinics exist, but the Breidenbacher is the only

luxury accommodation providing a convenient all-in-one package. Everything is underone roof. Patients can go directly from the hotel to the clinic and vice versa. They dont

have to walk outside after surgery or in bandages.

Dr. Matejic explained that patients often bring their entire families with them when theystay at the hotel and subsequently undergo an operation. The Breidenbacher provides all

the privacy one needs.

Palace Benrath

With huge slippers on my feet so as not to disturb the priceless flooring inside Palace

Benrath, I spend an hour with yet another a remarkable tour guide. I cant imagineanyone knowing more than Nadine Odenthal about the famous late-Baroque mansion.

With impeccable English, she explains the sordid details on each and every room weexplore. The slippers are awkward to put on and take off, but each visitor is required to

wear them.


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Swans at Palace Benrath

As the story goes, Benrath Palaces original intended owner, Karl Theodor, built it for his

wife, who never used actually used it. From outside, the palace looks like it has twostories, but it actually has four. Theres also a hunting lodge, a separate restaurant,

extensive gardens and three separate museums. In a postcard sight, the 450-meter pond

outside reflects the main building. The architect Nicolas de Pigage designed both thepalace and the grounds as a total work of art.

After numerous wars, remodels and phases of redevelopment, today the property attracts

visitors primarily for the park, which tips the scales at 612,000 square meters. The

elaborate garden combines formal European and Eastern designs. In front of the palace,kids often play with radio-controlled toy sailboats in the water. Joggers use the park for

their daily runs. Swans often show up to pass the time away.

Since Im traveling through Dsseldorf during the 2010 World Cup and since Odenthal

herself is a huge soccer fan, we engage in fruitful banter about Germanys defeat of theUS in the 2002 World Cup Quarterfinals. I then mention that I grew up watching German

soccer highlights on PBS as a kid in the 1970s. Together we rattle off German heroes

from those days: Toni Schumacher, Sepp Maier, Gerd Mller, Uli Hoeness, Karl-HeinzRummenigge and the list goes on. I cant tell if Im impressing her or not.


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Football fans drinking beer on the Rhine

As a born-and-bred American soccer fan, I feel especially welcome in Germany, where

everyone seems soccer-crazy. The sport is indeed the universal language. Even if onedoesnt arrive during the World Cup which is every four years the local league

club, Fortuna Dsseldorf, plays at the Espirit Arena.

Between Beer and Books

Located just off the Heinrich Heine Allee U-Bahn station, the Breidenbacher Hof sits in-between Dsseldorfs old town area (Altstadt) and the citys main shopping drag,

Knigsallee, or the K for short. Due to the particular season, I find the hotel to be rightsmack between beer and books.

Naturally, I ask one of the personal service attendants to recommend an appropriate pubto watch soccer. With impeccable English, he directs me to McLaughlins on

Kurzestrasse and a few others on Hunsrckenstrasse.


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Duesseldorf International Book Fair

Altstadt is known for over 200 bars, restaurants and cafes, so the area is officially called

The Longest Bar in the World. Cobblestone pathways twist off in every direction, butgetting lost is never a problem because the neighborhood, somehow, comes off as not

really being that large.

The glorious Rhine sits on one side, while the U-Bahn station marks the other side,

providing an easy and compact environs for watching the Alt Beer flow.

As I saunter in, I see that McLaughlins provides an English-language broadcast of theWorld Cup matches and a barmaid with rocking tattoos, which is perfect. Natives and

expats alike glue themselves to a few dozen screens. Not for one second do I feel like a

stranger.

Coincidentally, Im also hitting town during Dsseldorfs famous international bookspree on the K (Bcherbummel auf der K). Each year during the summer, about120

book vendors set up booths along one entire mile of the street. The spree lasts four days

and I arrive at a splendid time, as it is the fairs 25th anniversary.

Ninety-nine percent of the books are in German, of course, but that doesnt stop me fromwandering in and out of what seems like an endless display of many different kinds of

reading materials: travel books, antiquarian volumes, dollar bins, history books, essays,

computer books and much, much more.

Schneider Goes Spanish


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Along the Rhine

Buried away in the midst of Alt Stadt sits the tiny but bustling little side street of

Schneider-Wibbel Gasse, flanked on both sides by Spanish restaurants, each one ownedby the now-legendary Primo Lopez. The eateries carry names like El Gitano, Las Tapas,

Flamenco, Picasso, and the very first one, applicably, titled, El Amigo Primo Lopez.

Originally from Northern Spain, Lopez emigrated to Germany at age 14, became a

dishwasher and slowly worked his way up the entrepreneurial ladder, so to speak. In1980, he opened El Amigo Primo Lopez at a time when Spanish restaurants and wines

were not so common in Germany. Three decades and a restaurant empire later,

Schneider-Wibbel Gasse is known as the Spanish Street.

As the mythology goes, Schneider Wibbel himself was perhaps the quintessential

cunning Rhinelander. A dressmaker and tailor by trade, Wibbel was a notorious prankster

who got himself tossed in the slammer for insulting Napoleon.


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The Rhine Knee Bridge

But somehow he got away with sending his apprentice to go to jail in his place. The

apprentice eventually perished in prison and his funeral procession rolled through townwith everyone assuming it was actually Schneider Wibbel when it wasnt. Thus, he

became the only person ever to watch his own funeral procession.

To this day, Wibbel is immortalized not just by the street, but also by a clock monument,

in which a figure emerges five times a day to play the glockenspiel. Tourists battle it outin the streets to snap photos of the miniature man who appears from behind a pair of

shutters.

Dssseldorf Deconstructivism

The Media Harbor, or MedienHafen, is perhaps the ultimate scenario in which to end anyjourney through the Dsseldorf streets. Following Renates advice, I ponderously amble

from Altstadt, the old Dsseldorf, all the way to the Media Harbor, the new Dsseldorf.

Making my way down the street that follows the Rhine, I walk underneath the RhineKnee Bridge and eventually emerge at the Media Harbor.


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The siding on this Frank O. Gehry building is like a mirror, reflecting buildings across the street.

It is here that the Canadian-American architect Frank O. Gehry designed three buildings

in the late 90s that have since become Dsseldorf landmarks. Looking almost like they

were plopped down from outer space, each one features idiosyncratic fluid surfaces andcrackpot window arrangements. Gehry butted heads with the city on the entire project,

but somehow managed to surmount the traditional German rules to erect these gorgeous

creatures. They appear not from the same reality as the surrounding landscape.

Years ago, the Dsseldorf harbor area was a dilapidated industrial wasteland ofabandoned warehouses, facades and silos. Unlike most municipalities, Dsseldorf

decided to retain and creatively incorporate facets of the old industrial wreckage into the

new postmodern cityscape.

Today the harbor area is a beautifully incongruous hodgepodge of old and new, pleasingboth the chic nouveau urbanites as well as those of us who revel in thrown-away

industrial badlands. Thats one big high-five for Dsseldorf, I say.

Most tourists wouldnt automatically place Dsseldorf on their radar, as it holds muchless weight than the larger German cities. But thats OK. As I conclude my free-improvexplorations through the city, I come right back to something Renate said more than

once: We have everything that any other city has. But just a little bit less.

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Exploring and Sleeping in the Castles of Northeastern Germany

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