Destination Germany Archives

Travel Guide Germany – Travel from Munich to Hamburg with Oma

Travel Guide Germany with Oma. Enjoy to visit five different cities from Munich to Hamburg. No passport required. Click on links to find out more. For me, traveling in Germany also means going back in time. Even though many historic buildings were destroyed through the senselessness of World War ll, the Germans did a thorough job reconstruction and rebuilding. It is important not to forget the women called “Truemmerfrauen,” literally translated as the “ruins women” or “rubble women” who had a big job in clearing and restoring the cities. I am thankful for the work they have done to keep our culture and traditions alive.

People of a small town in Hesse came up with the idea to re-build a little village from parts of old houses to demonstrate old handiwork, trades, and life as it used to be. It is called Hessenpark. An excellent idea to protect and keep the past alive.

Click on the links and you will be connected to videos and more information.

Hessenpark Neu Anspach

River Rhine

If you visit the countryside along the Rhine river, you will be immediately surrounded by Old World charm.

Pictured below: the Rhine river with the view from the Lorelei, a famous rock overlooking the Rhine. Furthermore, the Niederwalddenkmal with Mrs. Germania. Pictured in the center: Rhein in Flammen, firework displays along the Rhine start in May of each year and end in September.

Munich

Big cities are a combination of old buildings, some original and others rebuilt, as well as modern architecture. Traveling from Munich in the South, passing the center in Frankfurt am Main, and reaching in the North Hamburg you will recognize the cultural differences—all beautiful and deeply rooted in the generations that lived before us.

Munich is the capital of the German State of Bavaria. The city is very well known for its annual Oktoberfest—starting in late September and ending in the first week of October. Munich is also proud of its many historical buildings and churches. Munich’s Olympia Park, built for the Olympic Games in 1972, is just one of its many attractions and is open to the public. If the weather conditions are right, you will be able to see the mountains of the Alps.

Frankfurt am Main

When I travel through Germany, Frankfurt is the place I am staying. Some might know Frankfurt from the large airport they have stopped at to catch a connection flight. I would like to show you a different face of Frankfurt. Frankfurt is much more. In its suburbs, you can find restored old buildings. Everybody still knows everybody, and there is not much anonymity in the day to day life. Many attractions are not only downtown but also spread all over the suburbs. Downtown, that’s where the action is! The city hall “Rathaus” Roemer is close to the Main River with the many bridges that divide the city. The skyline of Frankfurt reminds a little of New York because of the combination of the river, skyscrapers, banks, and shops. Therefore, it is very popular to say “Mainhattan,” a name made up from the words Main (a river in Frankfurt) and Manhattan or “Bankfort.”

Hamburg

Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg means Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. It is one of the largest and affluent cities in Europe. The port of Hamburg is one of the largest on earth. The Speicherstadt, meaning warehouse district, is the largest of its kind in the world.

Farmers Market

If you are planning to visit and travel through Germany, you should not miss the chance to stop by a farmers market in any of the German cities on your itinerary. Besides vegetables and fruits, they also offer cheese, poultry, sausages, and freshly made butter and bread. It is exciting to watch the farmers still working with the old fashioned scales and wrapping the goodies in old newspapers.

No wonder people are saying “Good old Germany!”I hope you enjoyed your travel through Germany with Oma. and it got you thinking about Germany as your next overseas vacation destination.

A special thanks go to P. Lenz and B. Wagner for providing pictures to create the collages for Oma’s travel guide Germany.

As always yours, Oma

German Kartoffelgemuese Sour Potatoes

The German Kartoffelgemuese Sour Potatoes can be served as a main dish with ring bologna, Wieners, and Frankfurters or as a side dish to fish. It is also known as “Sour Kartoffelgemuese”.

Ingredients for German Kartoffelgemuese Sour Potatoes:

800 g (1.76 lb) of small red potatoes, net weight after boiling and peeling

200 g (7.05 oz) of carrots, peeled

300 g (10.58 oz) of onion, diced

4 tablespoons of butter (½ of a stick)

3 tablespoons of flour, all-purpose

1 l (1.05 qt) of water

100 g (3.52 oz) of pickles

2 tablespoons of apple vinegar

3 cubes of Maggi vegetable bouillon

2-3 bay leaves, depending on size

3 whole cloves

1 teaspoon of marjoram leaves

salt

ground pepper, white

2 tablespoons of flat Italian parsley, chopped (optional)

2-3 tablespoons of crème fraîche OR sour cream (optional)

Preparation of the Potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and boil them for 18 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the stove and place the potatoes in a colander. Rinse under cold water and peel. After the potatoes cooled down cut them into slices.

Preparation of Bouillon, Carrots, Pickles, and Onions:

Add the water to a saucepan and add the cubes of bouillon. Heat it up until the cubes are dissolved. (Takes in a microwave on high 1 ½ minutes). Remove the saucepan from the stove and place aside. Peel the carrots and slice with a knife. Peel the onions and dice them with a food chopper or a knife. Cut the pickles length wise in quarters and dice the quarters.

Preparation of the Kartoffelgemuese:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onions and roast them until transparent. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the bouillion to the onion mix and stir with a whisk until combined.

Add the vinnegar, bay leaves, cloves and majoram leaves to the saucepan and mix. Add the carrots to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat back and let it slowly cook for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and cloves. Add the diced pickles and potatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Season to taste with vinnegar, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat off and add the crème fraîche. Stir, until the crème fraîche is dissolved.

Serve the German Kartoffelgemuese Sour Potatoes with ring bolongna, Wieners or Frankfurters. I like it best without meat or fish just with a roll. To try the German Potato Soup Recipe click here or the Homemade Garden Vegetable Soup click here.

Travel Guide Germany