Germany – always worth a trip

deutschland berlin brandenburger torWith almost 40 million foreign overnight guests every year, Germany is one of the seven most visited countries in the world. There are 6,135 museums, 366 theatres, 34 leisure and adventure parks, 45,000 tennis courts, 648 golf courses, 190,000 km of hiking trails, 40,000 kilometres of long-distance cycle paths as well as holiday and theme routes available for use in tourism.

Business and congress tourism is of outstanding importance; Germany is the most important international trade fair location with several world-leading trade fairs: Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, CMT Stuttgart, etc. The Internationale Tourism-Börse Berlin is the world's leading tourism trade fair. Germany also has the highest density of festivals like Wacken, Rock am Ring,

Outstanding sights: Sanssouci Castle - Brandenburg Gate - Cologne Cathedral - Saxon Switzerland National Park - Wadden Sea - Hamburg Harbor - Brocken - Old Town of Hameln - Externsteine - Wartburg - Neuschwanstein Castle - Zugspitze near Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Königsee in Berchtesgadener Land - Old town of Bamberg - Imperial castle in Nuremberg - Mainau Island in Lake Constance - Lichtenstein Castle - Meersburg - Ulm Minster - etc.

Hike along the Bohrbach to the Witten wild pork reserve

Hike along the Bohrbach to the Witten wild pork reserve

The Borbach has its headwaters not far from the Witten district of Schnee and then flows into the Erlenteich. Again we are fascinated by the naturally preserved course of the stream. It then flows through the Hasenholzken and turns west towards the Buchenholz.

Ruhr viaduct and Hohenstein hydropower plant

Ruhr viaduct and Hohenstein hydropower plant

Another hike in the vicinity of the Hohenstein, not far from the Berger monument, brought us to the well-known Ruhr Viaduct and the hydroelectric power station that spans the Ruhr River as a railway bridge.

Another destination of our hikes - the Volme-Höhen-Weg

Another destination of our hikes - the Volme-Höhen-Weg

The river Volme forms the natural border between the Sauerland in the east and the Bergisches Land in the west. From the source of the Volme in Meinerzhagen to its confluence with the Ruhr below the Hengsteysee, the Volme covers a distance of just 50 kilometers.

Hike to the Berger monument near Witten

Hike to the Berger monument near Witten

We had been hiking in Hohenstein recreation area in the foothills of the Ardey Mountains several times. This time it should hike to the Berger monument, an observation tower near Witten.

Hike to the Volme-Heights-Trail next to Witten

Hike to the Volme-Heights-Trail next to Witten

The city of Witten, the destination of our visit last weekend, is located at the transition from the lower Sauerland to the Lower Mountainous hills in the west and the Emscherland in the north, framed by the cities of Dortmund, Bochum and Hagen.

Xanten - far more than just Colonia Ulpia Traiana

Xanten - far more than just Colonia Ulpia Traiana

Every year, about 800,000 tourists visit the city of Xanten, located in the northwest of Germany, mostly because of its historic center, but also due to the archaeological park of the Roman Colonia Ulpia Traiana and the leisure center with its distinctive cycling and walking routes in the relatively flat terrain of the Rhine meadows.

With the Ruhrtal ferry boat to the castle ruins Hardenstein

With the Ruhrtal ferry boat to the castle ruins Hardenstein

Once again on the way between the lock Herbede and the castle ruin Hardenstein on the Ruhr Valley cycle path, the ferry Hardenstein forms a possibility to cross the Ruhr, whereby the ferry closes the gap in the strongly frequented bicycle net along the Ruhr.

New Isenburg - impressive destination on the Baldeneysee

New Isenburg - impressive destination on the Baldeneysee

The beautiful weather had lured us again below the open sky to Baldeneysee near Essen, where we, supplied with coffee, homemade waffles, no longer hot cherries and whipped cream, wanted to hike the castle ruins New Isenburg, which are located in the Essen district Bredeney.

Locks of Love at the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne

Locks of Love at the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne

Our short walking tour through the centre of Cologne had lead us into the direction of Central Train Station and to Hohenzollern Bridge, where the architecture of the bridge does not only counts to the peculiarities of Cologne, but is also the original place, at least for Germany, of an interesting tradition to be seen in thousands: the Love Locks.

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