germany
From bohemian, beer-loving Bavaria to eclectic and historic Berlin, Germany is a country I am itching to get back to. The people are lovely, the food is awesome and the stories that this country has have helped shape the modern world.
Germany has a long, rich and sometimes sordid history. As one of the most powerful countries and regions in the world, Germany has a checkered past, littered with conquests, wars and atrocities.
Modern Germany, however, is a revelation – a melting pot of individuality, arts and culture.
And the thing I found the most moving? This is a country wanting to learn and remember their past mistakes to ensure they never repeat themselves. Around every other corner in Berlin, there seems to be a memorial to the murdered Jews, killed by the Nazi regime or remnants of the oppression of the Cold War or buildings still riddled with bullet holes.
History and war buffs will love Germany for obvious reasons, but artists, bohemians, beer lovers and wanderers of all sorts will also find solace here in this amazing country.
I hit up Berlin on my 2016 Euro City Hop as well as a harrowing day trip out to Oranienburg to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. On my second visit to the country, I embarked on a whirlwind day trip from Brussels out to Cologne to wander the old town and see the famous Cologne Cathedral – a remarkable sight.
Why I Love Berlin, Germany
“Ich bin ein Berliner” US President JFK famously exclaimed in the divided Cold War Berlin of 1963. Sure, technically JFK’s speech was more about living in the free world in the face of a nuclear arms race, the Iron Curtain and the division of East and West Berlin via...