Discover Germany | Issue 3 | May 2013

Issue 3 | May 2013

PLUSSPECTACULAR CASTLES

& PALACES

BLISSFUL WELLNESS& SPA FACILITIES

THRILLING THEME PARKS

MAX RAABEReviving the Golden Twenties

Discover real Private BankingAt SEB Private Banking, we acknowledge that everyone has a unique set of challenges. It’s why we do not offer ready-made solutions, concentrating instead on developing meaningful, long-lasting financial relationships and making the effort to really understand you and your requirements. We look after all aspects of your personal and your family’s business finances – from daily transactions to long-term investments. And we offer everything from in-depth financial management to specialist advice on legal and tax matters. As one of the world’s strongest banks and with more than 150 years of experience in private banking, we have just what it takes to ensure your future prosperity. To find out what SEB can do for your personal wealth, contact us in London:Christian A. Hvamstad +44 (0) 20 7246 4307 [email protected]

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16 34

COVER FEATURE6 Max Raabe and the Palastorchester

The German singer, who tours the globe en-chanting audiences with his music from theGoldenTwenties, reveals why some things are noproblem for women.

FEATURES12 KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten

KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten's impressive port-folio is known far beyond Germany and theiraward-winning landmark buildings include theNational Library of China in Beijing.

14 Kitchen wizardTim MälzerMeet Tim Mälzer, the German answer to JamieOliver. Read about his sometimes unusual ideas,his slightly wild past and his pet pig which isnamed after a famous German tennis player.

SPECIAL THEMES16 Wellness & Spa in Germany

Relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments, cleans-ing steam rooms and saunas and plenty of wateractivities are all available to get away from it all.

28 Beautiful Castles of GermanyRead about some of the most exquisite historicalcastles and palaces spread over Germany. Rich in

history and tradition these places are well wortha visit.

36 Theme Parks in GermanyGermany’s most versatile and entertainingtheme parks have a lot to offer. Entertainment forall generations is guaranteed and a visit to eitherof the parks presented in this issue will certainlycreate unforgettable memories.

REGULARS & COLUMNS9 Dedicated to Design

Our design and fashion guru Julie Gudbrandsenpresents the latest cool interior updates for thehouse including a rather unsusual bird’s home.

10 Fashion FindsIn fashion we celebrate flowery prints and the re-vival of the rucksack. Just for you Julie foundsome really pretty scarves which go with anysummer wardrobe.

45 Attractions of the MonthTake a look at the past, the future and farawayplaces with artist Yadegar Asisi’s overwhelming360-degree panoramas currently exhibited inLeipzig, Bremen and Berlin.

Our Austrian attraction of the month isVienna’sTiergarten Schönbrunn, a“unique combination of thebaroque ambience and a modern zoo concept.”

48 Hotels of the MonthHotel of themonthGermany leads us toHessen’spicturesque National Park Keller-Edersee, wherekids are very welcome in theHotel and SPA Freund.

As with our next issue we are officially taking onboardAustria and Switzerland we are presentingour hotel of the month Switzerland.The Eden RocAscona sits on the northern shore of Lake Gardaand offers the ultimate in style and luxury.

54 BusinessKey note, columns, news stories and features oncompanies and business development.

61 CultureFeatures, updates and news on culture andlifestyle.

ContentsMAY 2013

Discover Germany | Contents

50

Schwerin Castle

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 3

Badeparadies Schwarzwald

Hotel and SPA Resort Freund

4 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Dear Reader,

We are proud to present you with the Mayissue of Discover Germany, a magazinededicated to promoting Germany, Switzer-land andAustria and appealing to all thosewho have a relationship with or a connec-tion to these countries.

Spring has sprung, the days are gettinglonger and now is the perfect time for vis-

iting Germany’s beautiful old castles, exploring the country’s mostexciting theme parks or taking a trip to one of the lush spa andwellness facilities to get away from it all and recharge your batter-ies. In this issue you will find a wonderful selection of such prem-ises to discover in and around Germany.

Read the interview with our cover star Max Raabe, Germany’smost successful singer and songwriter, a master of original com-positions and classics from the GoldenTwenties andThirties. Maxwill be performing live in London this May and reveals what helikes most about the capital.

In our food section we present celebrity chef Tim Mälzer, whorevolutionised the German cooking scene with his casual, uncon-ventional way of presenting food and his positive attitude appeal-ing to all generations.Often dubbed as “the German Jamie Oliver”,his recipes are absolutely delicious and surprisingly simple.

Do not miss checking out our quite spectacular hotel and attrac-tion of the month section including a magical time trip to theworld of the ancient times of 312 A.D.

In our business section we take a closer look at the rich heritage ofthe present Anglo-German Societies and what makes them so im-portant for both countries, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Read about the upcoming German Champions League Final inWembley Stadium and last but not least our witty columnist Bar-bara Geier treats us to her wonderful view of German citizens cat-egorised by region from the Hamburg Brit to the Berlin gob.

Enjoy the magazine.

Tina AwtaniEditor

Discover Germany

Issue 3, May 2013

Published 15.05.2013

ISSN 2051-7718

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When his friends were getting excited overthe Bee Gees or ABBA, Max Raabe wouldtreat them to a song from the ComedianHarmonists. From a very early age on, hecollected shellac records and became anexpert on themusic and style of theWeimarEra. As no band existed that played thisrepertoire at that time, he teamed up withfellow students and founded the Palast Or-chester.That was in 1986. Later he attended

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 7

Max Raabe & the Palastorchester

Reviving the Golden Twenties‘I am only good when no one is watching’ he claims in one of his songs. But a world-wide fan community proveshim wrong. Impeccably dressed in white tie and tails, Max Raabe and the Palastorchester perform originalcompositions and classics from the Golden Twenties and Thirties. On May 24, Germany’s most successful singerand songwriter gives his only British concert in London.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES

Discover Germany | Cover Feature | Max Raabe

the Berlin University of theArts, graduatingin 1995 as a state-certified opera baritone,but he never lost his passion for the musicof the Twenties.

Today Max Raabe and the Palastorchestertour the world.The last album ‘Küssen kannman nicht alleine’(One Cannot KissAlone)with the famous German producer AnetteHumpe was awarded Platinum in 2012.Their new album, released in January 2013,promises to be equally successful.

Congratulations on your new album‘Für Frauen ist das kein Problem’ (‘Forwomen that´s no problem’).Within days,it landed at rank 3 of the German charts.Did you expect that?

After the first album in cooperation withAnette Humpe did really well, we secretlyhoped that this one would be a hit as well.I have often been asked by people: When

will there be something new, what comesnext? People who liked the first albumwerevery curious, so we did not worry aboutthe new album. But of course we were ex-cited like little children when we heard thenews.

Unfortunately, the new album is not onsale in the UK, because we are famousthere for our songs from the Twenties andThirties. Certainly, I perform some of mysongs in the UK which I have written my-self like ‘Kein Schwein ruft mich an’ (Noone ever calls me) or ‘Rinderwahn’ (BSE).But when we are on stage in London wedon’t want to suddenly change everything.

Does an English audience react differ-ently to your songs compared to theGer-mans? Do the Brits understand the text?

We sing one half of the songs in Germanand the other half in English. I explain the

German texts or I tell a little story about thelyrics.This works very well.Apart from that,a lot of the original German songs like‘Schöner Gigolo’(Just a Gigolo) or ‘Ich binvon Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt’(Falling in Love Again) are very well-known in the UK and America. And thereare, of course, the English classics from theTwenties andThirties like ‘Cheek to Cheek’or ‘Singing in the Rain’.

In general, English people don’t think ofGermans being very funny. But humourplays an important role in your concerts.Does the English audience laugh at theright places?

When we played two years ago in London,we realised that this is not a problem. Thepeople laughed at my jokes and I believethey were a bit surprised that humour ex-ists in Germany.

You played in the Carnegie Hall inAmerica, you have a concert at the O2Sheperd’s Bush in May. Not manysinger-songwriters who perform inGer-man are so popular abroad. What isyour secret?

We work very hard on the music arrange-ments. And we take the compositions asseriously as if they were written by Mozartor Beethoven. At the same time, on stagewe don’t take ourselves very seriously.Theaudience loves this element of self-mock-ery which is typical of our concerts.Then wehave the same ensemble playing on everytour. Because of that, each musician canstrongly rely on the others. We are able toact very harmoniously and put on a fasci-nating show on stage. The audience ap-preciates that.

How do you like to spend your time inLondon?

I have to admit that I buy my bow ties andneckties for my tailcoat suits in London.For someone who fancies men’s fashion,London is the land of plenty.

Concert: Max Raabe & Palastorchester,May24 at the O2 Shepherd´s Bush Empire

8 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Discover Germany | Cover Feature | Max Raabe

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 9

Discover Germany | Design | Dedicated to Design

Designer Sebastian Frank, who is behind the label pro-dukte + gestaltung, describes his ‘freebird’ table as an “op-tical illusion and static experiment”. This is a beautiful objectthat radiates a very modern lightness and ease.App. £397. Selekkt.com.

Looking for an ingenious way to organise those postcards,bills and other trivia? The ‘Neuer Ordner’ by njustudio bringsa piece of our virtual world into actual real-life with its funkycomputer-folder design. From £14.5.www.njustudio.com or www.njuorder.com.

The striking Hangar lamp by Supergrau is a simple yet at-tention grabbing design statement that creates a lovelylight. Available in various colours. From £400.Selekkt.com.

Turn weary wastelands into flower fields with the seed-bombs by Stadtgärtner. The round bullet looking seed clus-ters are perfect for reaching challenging locations – throwand grow between May and August. £6.75.www.das-rote-paket.de.

Dedicated to Design...Delicious design news sprawling out of Germany makes it very easy to find cool interior updates for the house.We feel super inspired by these witty, clever and charming designs – and are sure they will make for great talkingpoints as well as gorgeous decoration.

BY JULIE GULDBRANDSEN | EMAIL: [email protected]

The über modern birdhouse ‘Rohbau’ is made of concrete – quite an unusual material, but it works as a great protectiveshield against wind and weather. Designed by Torsten Klocke / 10 Liter Design. £76. www.das-rote-paket.de.

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10 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Discover Germany | Design | Fashion Finds

Spring has officially arrived and we are celebrating the sunnier days ofMay with a brighter and lighter wardrobe. Take a cue from these coolGerman fashion brands and shine in flowery prints, fierce colours anddainty pastels.

BY JULIE GULDBRANDSEN

EMAIL: [email protected]

Fashion FindsSophisticated and elegant: This gorgeous night twit-tering dress by Esther Perbandt is made of 100%washed silk. Combined with high heels this perfect lit-tle dress will surely make heads turn at your next cock-tail party. £415www.estherperbandt.com

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 11

The rucksack is back! We lovethis fab knit version by Potopoti,not least because of the fiercecolour. £55.shop.potipoti.com

The slouchy sweater with gold embroidered stitchingby Anuschka Hoevener is a great example of the sportyluxe trend. Combine with a feminine skirt and flats foran effortless cool spring-look. £127.anuschkahoevener.de

Simplicity can be an art, and this lovely dress byAnuschka Hoevener, with is stunning turquoise shadeand straight fit, makes for uncomplicated beautifulstyling. £247.anuschkahoevener.de

The scarfs by Potipoti are sim-ply irresistible, and will add im-mediate summer sensation toa simple outfit. Handmade inGermany from 100% silk. £67.shop.potipoti.com

12 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Apart from the German headquarters inFrankfurt, German office locations includeBerlin, Braunschweig, Cologne and Mu-nich, while two international offices arebased in Chinese Beijing and Vietnam’s cityof Hanoi. 200 highly skilled staff membersare constantly striving to deliver a state-of-the art and future-oriented architecturalservices portfolio for an international anddiscerning client base.The management ofKSP Jürgen EngelArchitekten InternationalGmbH is located in Frankfurt as well. Theinternational company coordinates the for-eign projects and is responsible for clientsfrom abroad.

“Apart from the traditional architecturalservices we also take care of every relevant

aspect necessary that comes with a buildingproject, which includes general planningand product design. Real estate assessmentand surveys round up the spectrum. Onlythe holistic linking of all planning createsthis added value, which is desired by ourclients,”Mr Jürgen Engel, Principal of KSPJürgen Engel Architekten and former grad-uate of theMassachusetts Institute of Tech-nology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA, says.

Projects in Germany include the DeutscheBörse Eschborn (German Stock Exchange),the urban quarter Theresie in Munich andthe award-winning elegant and innovativeWestendDuo, of which Mr Engel is partic-ularly proud. “The WestendDuo in Frank-furt is very important to me, it is a classic

building. It is not in your face, it is veryfunctional and the architecture has a stronglongevity,”he says.

The Prize of the Lower Saxony Branch ofthe German Association of Architects(BDA), the Lower Saxony StateArchitecturePrize, the International Highrise Award,Mipim Award, Design for Asia Award andthe red dot design award are just a fewhighlights from a long list of industryawards won by KSP Jürgen Engel Ar-chitekten.The company’s impressive hall offame reads like an international who’s whoof stock exchange listed corporations, in-cluding the Allianz LebensversicherungsAG, the Bertelsmann AG, Deutsche BankAG and Morgan Stanley Bank AG.

Functionality and longevityare the way forwardKSP Jürgen Engel Architekten offers unparalleled service and is renowned for its impressive portfolio far beyondGerman borders. Award-winning landmark buildings created by KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten include theNational Library of China in Beijing.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 13

Discover Germany | Feature | KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten

When Mr Engel decided to transfer his ex-pertise to Asia in the 1990s he literallystarted from scratch. “At that time we werequite busy over here. I thought, now is thetime to invest in the future in case thingshere won’t always be running smoothly. Sowe set up an office in Beijing.We took partin local competitions and we built a strongreputation over there. We always presentourselves as a local architect, which is whywe are decentralised. In that way we runour office in Beijing and train Chinese ar-chitects. We are doing the same thing inVietnam, where we opened an office inHanoi,”Mr Engel remembers.

The move to China turned out to be a realsuccess story as German KSP Jürgen EngelArchitekten won the competition to createthe spectacular National Library of China in

Beijing, the world’s third largest library withspace for 12 million books and seating ca-pacity for 2,000 visitors. The latest projectsuccessfully completed in China was thedevelopment of the new Art Museum inTianjin. KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten wonthe project against fierce competition beforethey started to create this award-winninginnovative and functional building that willlast for many generations to come.The fu-ture in China looks bright as KSP JürgenEngel Architekten just scooped the firstprize in the competition for the creation ofthe Dual Tower for High Tech Park in thecity of Foshan.

Part of the company success is based on thehigh level of flexibility of which Mr Engeland his team are capable.When they wereasked by the Tunisian government to par-ticipate in a competition for a newmosquethey didn’t hesitate to take on the chal-lenge. Again competition was left behindand the world’s third largest mosque is dueto be completed in 2016 in the Bay of Al-giers by the German architects. Up to35,000 people will be able to use the PrayerRoom at the same time. “What I found par-ticularly interesting were the pillared halls inthemosques of Maghreb. I took a very closelook at the Mezquita de Córdoba in Cór-doba as well as other mosques.Their roomswere defined by columns. In our way ofseeing things columns actually destroy aspace, but in these cases provide a certaincharacter.We are familiar with spaces witha domed roof, these never fail to impress.But a hall with columns was quite a chal-lenge for our team,”Mr Engel recalls.

“Our aim is to combine functionality withcost-effectiveness and longevity” is thecompany philosophy and edifices commis-sioned to KSP Jürgen Engel Architektennever fail to impress not only the clientsupon completion.

www.ksp-architekten.de

From top to bottom:

WestEnd Duo Frankfurt. Photo: Jean-Luc Valentin

Mosque Algiers. Press image

Upper West Berlin. Photo: Heinz Kleim

Theresie Muenchen. Press image

Left: National Library of China, Beijing. Photo: Hans Schlupp

JürgenEngel.

Photo:KirstenBucher

14 | Issue 3 | May 2013

What is the favourite dish of someone whohas won several cooking awards and is oneof Germany’s most-beloved chefs?Spaghetti Bolognese, or, asTimMälzer callsit, “Spaghetti Bolo”. His own recipes arenot Haute Cuisine: he prefers home-stylecooking.“Dishes have to be simple and ac-cessible for everyone, no super complicated

stuff where you have to slave away forhours in front of the oven,” is his credo.Thus, Tim Mälzer revolutionised the Ger-man cooking scene.When his firstTV cook-ing show was aired in 2003, people wereamazed by his casual, unconventional wayof presenting, his often ribald jokes and themanageability of his delicious recipes.

Teenagers, housewives, managers andgrandparents alike are glued to the screenwhen he has a little flirt with his assistantand convinces his audience that cooking isno science.

A picture book career

In 1992, when Tim Mälzer started his ap-

Tim MälzerA young rebel is coming of ageHe is one of Germany’s most popular TV chefs, a professional chatterbox with a unique T-shirt collection. Hiscookery books are selling like hot cake and the tickets to his live cooking shows are in high demand. Butnowadays, Tim Mälzer has left the image of the young revolutionist behind and adopts a more thoughtful tune.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV

Discover Germany | Feature | Portrait of Tim Mältzer

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 15

prenticeship as a cook in the HamburgerIntercontinental Hotel, he dreamt of be-coming the general manager of a large ho-tel. But soon he got hooked, won a fewawards for his cooking and went to Londonto refine his skills.There, at the Neal StreetRestaurant, he worked together with theyet unknown Jamie Oliver. Both young,funky and extremely passionate about food,they soon became friends and still are. “Hewas the bloke who had every week a dif-ferent hair colour, black, white, green,blonde. Pink was my favourite,” laughs

Jamie Oliver in a joint interview with theGerman Bild Zeitung. “Tim was different, abit crazy....”

Back in Germany, Tim acquired his ownrestaurant in Hamburg.Then he was spot-ted for the screen and his media career tookoff. His daily TV show “Schmeckt nicht,gibt’s nicht”(‘I don’t like it, does not exist’)was awarded with the Goldene Kamera2006.Two recipe books,‘Born to Cook’and‘Born to Cook 2’ followed and sold togethermore than 2million copies.TimMälzer was

the Rock Star among German chefs. Nick-named the “Küchenbulle”(the kitchen bull)for his rustic language and his work attitudehe seemed to be everywhere.

But he had a price to pay. In 2006, ex-hausted from the stress and the hectic life,he had to take a break.The young star chefused the time to reconsider his attitude to-wards his life and career.

A new balance with new ideas

Nowadays,Tim tries to find the right work-life balance.He bought a little finca onMal-lorca where he enjoys his leisure time withhis girl friend, two dogs and aVietnamesepot-bellied pig named “Bobbele”after theGerman tennis legend Boris Becker.

However, there is still a lot going on in hisprofessional life. Besides writing new cook-ery books and opening a new restaurant inHamburg, the “Bullerei”,Tim participates inseveral projects which are close to his heart.Like his English friend Jamie Oliver, theGerman chef is concerned about a healthydiet for children. Together with Germany’sMinister of ConsumerAffairs IlseAigner hestarted the competition “Klasse, kochen!”(Class, cook!) where pupils could win anew school kitchen. But he admits that theproblem often lies within the families whostopped cooking at home and do not eattogether anymore.“That is why I often re-create traditional German dishes with atwist, to remind people of the times whenthey sat around a table and enjoyed a gor-geous Sunday roast together. I am thegrandmother who many of us do not haveanymore,”Tim explains in a DeutscheWelleTV interview.

Even his personal eating habits havechanged.“I hardly eat any meat any more,”he confesses.Naturally, his new cook book,“Greenbox”, includes only vegetariandishes, even a vegetarian spaghetti Bolog-nese. Tim is adamant: “You will not tastethe difference.”

www.tim-maelzer.de

Discover Germany | Feature | Portrait of Tim Mältzer

©AliSalehi

©MichaelLange

A warm welcome fromthe German Spa AssociationA spa break is an opportunity to concentrate on health, relaxation, tranquillity and a holistic approach to treatment.

Spas are designed to heal, alleviate and prevent illnesses.

BY ERNST HINSKEN, PRESIDENT GERMAN SPA ASSOCIATION (DHV)

Bad

Krozingen.Photo:G

erman

SpaAssociation/Mathias

Osti

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 17

Their aims are to promote health andquality of life,maintain wellbeingand counteract potential prob-lems. Germany's spas andhealth resorts offer trailsand cycle paths, Nordicwalking parks, health andfitness trails and beautifulgardens – delightful settingsin which to exercise with

plenty of fresh air away from thebustle of towns and cities.

Germany's approx. 350 approved spas andhealth resorts – longstanding centres ofhealth excellence represented by the Ger-man Spa Association – are experts in thetherapeutic use of the natural resources ofthe earth, the sea, the climate, and Sebast-ian Kneipp-style physiotherapy.Germany'sspa traditions are continually being up-dated to incorporate new scientific find-ings and are subject to regular quality re-views.

The German SpaAssociation was foundedon 23 April 1892 when Germany's leadingspa doctors and health resort officials con-vened in Leipzig to establish an organisa-tion dedicated to the pursuit of commonobjectives.

Today the German Spa Association repre-sents the spa associations of the individualfederal states, the Association of GermanSpa Doctors and the Academy of Balneol-ogy and Climatology, all of which are de-voted to spas and health resorts. The spaHeiligendamm for example is one of the 54hotspots and one of the oldest spas in Ger-many, which is celebrating the 220th an-niversary this year.

Ernst Hinsken,President German Spa Association (DHV)

Through its member associations theGerman Spa Association represents

• approx. 300 approved spas and healthresorts

• approx. 700 spa doctors (Associationof German Spa Doctors)

• approx. 200 members of the Academyof Balneology and Climatology

Special Theme

Wellness & Spain Germany

18 | Issue 3 | May 2013

The Black Forest is famous for its vineyards,river valleys, sunny peaks and widepanoramic views. Located in the south-west near Freiburg im Breisgau at the bor-der to France and Switzerland it is one ofGermany’s biggest and best known holidayregions. Many centuries ago, the Romanswere the first to discover the healing powerof this region as they settled on the slopesof the Black Forest and constructed the firstbaths. But they could never have dreamt ofthe sophisticated water world at the Bade-paradies Schwarzwald that welcomes visi-tors with stunning pools and healing wa-ters in the heart of the forest at the littletown of Titisee-Neustadt. Opened in 2010,around 570,000 guests recharged their en-ergy levels at the spectacular pools last year.

Sweat away in theWellness Oasis“Mens sana in corpore sano” as the Ro-mans once said, or in English, “healthybody, healthy mind”. Four themed saunasbased on the elements earth, fire, waterand air are waiting on the first floor. Specialinfusions delight the senses and clear therespiratory system. By sitting in a saunaand allowing the skin to sweat for a periodof time, toxins are eliminated from the sys-tem and themuscles deeply relax.The jumpinto the cold tub afterwards is not for thefainthearted but breathing in the crystalclear Black Forest air in the enchantingsauna garden lifts your spirit and lets youforget the routine of everyday life. Further-more, the ice fountain or the crystal showerprovide welcome relief after the intense

heat of the sauna.Your immune systemwillbe grateful. A new infrared light cabin isavailable free of charge to boost your body’sself-healing powers as well.

Eventually, it is time to have a well-earnedrest in the comfortable divan beds in thechill-out zone or refresh your senses withdelicious snacks from the pool bar.

Guaranteed holiday feeling in the PalmOasis

Slowly ease yourself into the pleasantwarmth of the 33° water, feel it flowingaround your body and relax. 180 real palmtrees and tropical cocktails from the poolbar transport your imagination to aCaribbean island, drenched in sunshine on

Badeparadies SchwarzwaldTake a tropical time outYou do not need to go on a long-haul flight to enjoy a tropical feeling. Relax instead under Caribbean palm trees and in 33°warm water in the Badeparadies Schwarzwald (Swimming Paradise Black Forest) where first-class wellness, therapeuticpools and a separate, award-winning family fun bath await the tired traveller.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: SIMONE SCHULDIS

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 19

a fine day. The retractable, transparentpanorama roof is the architectural master-piece of the Palm Oasis as it guarantees aperfect view of the sky. In fair weather itslides open and the warm sunshine andthe fresh Black Forest air flood in.

But there ismore to the PalmOasis than justrelaxation.The guest’s wellbeing and healthare a major concern of the Badeparadies.“Last year, we invested about 4 million Eu-ros in a new area at the Palm oasis, the‘Spring of Health’,”explains Jochen Brugger,managing director at BadeparadiesSchwarzwald.The new area offers three dif-ferent kinds of therapeutic pools with valu-able minerals.Hovering in the sole pool likein the Dead Sea is an absolute relief to thejoints, a beauty treatment for your skin anda purification for the whole system. TheLithium-Calciumbath improvesmental andphysical performance and stabilizes themen-tal balance by combating stress and nervoustension. Calcium is beneficial for the bonesand helps to prevent osteoporosis.

As the Palm Oasis is adults only (and tod-dlers up to 3 years free of charge) nothing

disturbs the tranquillity of theexotic oasis.

Family fun at the GalaxySchwarzwald

At the Galaxy Schwarzwald thewhole family finds fun, actionand adventure. This area, whichis separated from the PalmOasisand the Wellness Oasis, offersmore than 20 attractions forevery taste and age.

A 25-metre sports pool providesexcellent training facilities for as-piring Olympic athletes whileless ambitious characters ridethe high waves in the fun pool.

18 slides just wait to be con-quered by big and small. With-out a doubt, the highlight for thebravest is the world’s largeststainless steel half-pipe, theMonster Half-Pipe. But there is aslide for every age and adrenalinlevel. The smallest ones swishdown the Triple Slide or the

Bambini Star Slide with an approximatelength of 9m whereas teenagers seek theadrenalin kick on theMonster Half-Pipe orthe SpaceWave.

This year, the Galaxy Schwarzwald receivedthe prestigious Parkscout Award as Ger-many’s best family fun bath.“This award isvery important to us, it is the best recogni-tion of our concept and shows that we areon the right track,” says Jochen Brugger.The 40,000 guests who voted for the Galaxyprove him right.

www.badeparadies-schwarzwald.de

Special Theme | Wellness & Spa in Germany

20 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Wellness & Spa in Germany

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is one ofGermany's most prosperous cities. It notonly hosts the world-famous Oktoberfestevery autumn, it also offers numerous ex-cellent museums, the latest fashion shopsand lots of stunning architecture.The city isbuzzing with life, especially in the summerwhen it develops a wonderful easy-goingflair, inviting you to meet the locals at oneof the open-air beer gardens under oldchestnut trees. But do not miss Europe’sbiggest thermal water spa world at theTherme Erding, only 20 minutes by carfrom Munich Airport or 40 minutes fromMunich city centre.

A multiple-award winning water worldRight from the start in 1999, the ThermeErding was a huge success and it still enjoysenormous popularity with around 1.5 mil-lion guests each year. The Therme wonmany prestigious awards for its water qual-ity and bathing experience. The uniquecombination of thermal baths in an exoticholiday ambience offers a perfect time outfor body and soul. All of the pools exceptthe children’s pool are fed by the Ardeospring, a hot mineral spring containing flu-oride and sulphur. Doctors recommendbathing in this healing water to treat mus-culoskeletal disorders and skin diseases.

Not to mention the great pleasure of float-ing in the warm water with temperaturesranging from 91.4°F to 104°F that relievesbody tension and provides immense calmand tranquillity. The extraordinary glassdome,which can be opened on sunny days,and the numerous exotic palms and flow-ers create this special tropical island feelingwhich we as northern Europeans so oftenmiss in our everyday lives.

Health-conscious guests enter the VitalOase (16+) where three mineral pools spoilyour skin with calcium, iodine and miner-als from the Dead Sea. Two saunas help toboost your immune system as well. Here,nothing disturbs the peace and silence.Aqua fitness or various meditation and re-laxation courses in an Asian ambience willnot only leave the body in a state of purityand renewal but also clear your mind.

The world’s largest sauna paradise

The sauna paradise is a luxurious 13,383sq.m. space sensation featuring 25 different

Therme ErdingA short break in paradiseWhether you're visiting Munich for pleasure or business, a day at theTherme Erding will ensure you have an unforgettable stay. Recharge yourbatteries in the tropical warm waters of the Thermal pools, relax in theworld’s biggest sauna paradise or let your kids run wild in the hugewaterslide area at the GALAXY. Whatever you choose, it will be a day toremember.


Above: Therme Erding. Thermenparadies & Vital Oase.

saunas and wellness attractions, themedafter the world’s most beautiful places likethe oriental “Alhambra” or the Icelandic“Geysir Cave”. “The Celtic sauna ‘Stone-henge’ is an exact recreation of its histori-cal model near Salisbury.We used the samedimensions and brought special megalithsfrom Italy,” explains Uwe Barth, generalmanager at the Therme Erding. Inside, thesauna looks like a wooden Celtic templewith an elevated throne in the middle. Sitdown in the 167°F heat, feel like a Celticchieftain and enjoy the aromatic infusions.

“We invest every year around one millionEuro in theTherme Erding,”says Uwe Barthand this explains why the overall condi-tion of the baths is impeccable and whythere is always something new to discover.The newest addition to the sauna paradiseis the “Tropensauna”(tropical sauna) whereup to 100 people on several levels relax inthe 149°F warm, very moist air similar tothe rainforest climate.

Get treated like royalty

Discover the pleasure of luxury from top totoe in the ROYAL DAY SPA “Lounge &Dreams”which you will find in the saunaparadise as well. Attention to detail hasbeen paramount in the large exclusivesuites, cosy loungers or four-poster bedswhich can be booked for the day to ensureyour privacy. Air conditioning, TV and areading corner in the suites provide for aperfect day. Spoil your loved ones with abottle of champagne and fruit if you wish.The staff is committed to the highest stan-dards of service and excellence.

Thrill seekers of all ages meet at theGALAXY

Europe's biggest water slide paradiseGALAXY ERDING takes fun to newheights. 20 slides and three different levelsof difficulty mean that every member of

the family finds his favourite slide. Adren-alin junkies will be desperate to try the FreeFall Slide or the 70km/h speeds throughthe black and yellow chutes whereas tod-dlers will be keen to tumble down one ofthe three baby slides. Fun and action areguaranteed!

“We are proud that we never keep still atthe Therme Erding, there are always newplans and ideas to create the latest trends.As someone who visits the Therme for thefirst time you would need three and a halfdays to discover all the attractions on offer,”Uwe Barth points out. One of the futurehighlights will be a 4 star familyWellness &

Spa hotel which will change the ThermeErding into a proper holiday resort.

www.therme-erding.de

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 21

Top image:

ROYAL DAY SPA. Deluxe Suite, Smaragd Suite.Photo: Andre Wahba

Below, clockwise from the left:

Saunaparadies, Alhambra.

Saunaparadies, Innen Palazzo Veneziano.

Saunaparadies, Elementarium Erde Architektur.

Saunaparadies, Stonehenge, Keltenthron-Sauna.

Below: GALAXY ERDING, Triple Slide.

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 23


Situated in Staatsbad Bad Brückenau in thebeautiful nature paradise of the BavarianRhön the Regena Health Resort and Spaoffers a combination of health treatmentsand holidays. For 40 years Regena has beeninviting to a quiet stay in a relaxed and

happy atmosphere. 95 generous rooms andsuites are waiting for the guests. There arespecial rooms for disabled people as well.Regena Health Resort and Spa is neither ahotel nor a clinic but a place which com-bines the best features of both.

The resort is situated in themiddle of the beautiful Sin-ntal, 75 kilometres fromWürzburg, a region that iscalled Germany’s greenlung and therefore offers ahealthy surrounding to re-cover from the stress of oureveryday life.

The health resort specialisesin treating the societal dis-eases of our time: over-weight, back pain orburnout. In addition to

Regena offers relaxation,wellness and therapyagainst burnoutWhoever is working under great pressure and has a tight schedule takesthe risk of over exhausting themselves, in the worst case leading to aburnout syndrome or depression. Taking a break once in a while mighthelp to prevent that. Regena Health Resort and Spa does not only offerwellness and spa holidays but also a special programme for executive staffcalled Timeout Instead of Burnout.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: PRESS PHOTO

Dr med Thorsten Muthorst Dr med Naixin Wu

24 | Issue 3 | May 2013


health therapies Regena provides relaxationfacilities like the Helena-Therme. It is athermal bath which, for example, offers aFinnish sauna, steam baths, luxury showers,an ice well, an outdoor whirlpool and afireplace room where visitors can take arest after having a sauna.

According to guests’ wishes there arebeauty and spa treatments and the possi-bility to have a relaxing massage. The Re-gena Health Resort and Spa provides fit-ness amenities as well, including balanceaerobic courses or cardio- and strengthtraining.

Relaxation and Regeneration are also partof one of Regena’s special programmes: atherapy against the burnout syndromecaused by extensive workload and businessstress. The Timeout Instead of Burnouttherapy is directed towards executive andmanagement staff, people who feel downand burnt out without really knowing whatmight be wrong with themselves.

The programme offers a complete bodycheck and comprehensive treatment after-wards. The programme combines amongothers acupuncture, acupressure, traditionalChinese medicine and colour light treat-ments. Muscle relaxation, cardio-training,autogenic training and relaxation in thethermal bath are part of the therapy as well.Coaching concerning nutrition and work-life-balance should help to achieve a long-term-effect.

“The programme helps to prevent burn-out at an early stage and gives the chanceto self-support one’s own health,”says Dr.Med. Thorsten Muthorst, the doctor re-sponsible for the programme.Muthorst is aspecialist in naturopathy and rehabilitationand since 2012 he has been head of theRegena health centre of western medicine.He is a specialist in burnout treatment, car-diology, pain therapy, the therapy of rheu-matic illnesses and immunodeficiency and

an expert in vital substance therapy. “I wantto help those patients other doctors havegiven up on, telling them‘You have to livewith your illness’,”says Muthorst.

Muthorst believes that the deficit of certainnutrients and hormonal factors are partlyresponsible for exhaustion, concentrationdisorder and depression. He therefore of-fers vital substance therapy in order to bal-ance the body’s system. Regional productsare the base for the healthy Mediterraneanand light cuisine provided for Regena’sguests.Muthorst combines this with specialmedical nutrition compounds.

“What makes us different is the combina-tion of medical competence and a specialholiday atmosphere,”says Muthorst.A nor-mal holiday can be relaxing as well, ofcourse. “But we get to the bottom of the ill-ness, analyse and treat tangible structuraldeficits with 24/7 medical care.” Many peo-ple have a lot of stress in their jobs and donot find the time to visit several doctors. Forthese people Regena offers different treat-ments out of one hand.

But the programme of course has its limits.While it is very effective for those who stillhave functional bodily and psychic regulat-ing mechanisms it is not effective for thosewith a psychiatric illness. Patients inter-ested in the programme should check firstif they can find help with Regena’s doctorsand treatments or if they are in need ofpsychotherapeutic help. “People with ex-treme stress in their jobs, who do not wantto tell their employer about these prob-lems, often make use of this programme, toregenerate in a very short time,” saysMuthorst.

Regena Health Resort and Spa is one of theleading health resorts in Germany and waselected under the top ten of approximately1,300 guest houses in the Relax Guide 2012.

www.regena.dePhoto:Standl

Photo:Standl

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 25

Classified as a“5 star superior”hotel, theAl-ter MeierhofVitality Hotel spoils its guestsfor choice about what to enjoy first: theamazing views of Flensburg Fjord, the dis-tinguished food, or the large beauty & spaarea with its various offers. Whatever thepick, the aim is always to help guests enjoythemselves and unwind from stress.“TheAlter Meierhof has a very meditative impacton the guests,”explains Hanna Johansson,Marketing Manager for Scandinavia.“Theatmosphere is warm and welcoming, al-most familial.” She sees the family-run ho-tel as “a small hideaway, where the guestshave a feeling of ‘coming home’.”Each ofthe 54 rooms is unique and individuallydecorated, with great attention to detail,and many rooms provide an impressiveview of the fjord.

Situated at the Flensburg Fjord,which pres-ents a link betweenGermany andDenmark,theAlterMeierhof is a sought-after place forbusiness meetings and conferences. In ac-cordance with the hotel's emphasis, workmeetings at the Alter Meierhof are an en-joyable experience, a major factor being theprime location: “When entering our confer-ence area, most guests react with a ‘wow’.The beautiful view over the fjord is amazing,”states Johansson.They can also expect someof the best conference cuisine in Germany,which is served on the hotel's terrace in thesummertime. Dining in the hotel's restau-rant Meierei is an experience not to bemissed; its head chef Dirk Luther and itscuisine have won several awards in the lastfew years, amongst which are twoMichelinstars. For unwinding in their spare time theAlterMeierhof offers its guests a great rangeof beauty& spa services, including an indoorand outdoor pool, saunas, a Turkish bath,massages and various beauty treatments.

Besides the various awards theAlter Meier-hof has received, its concept also foundroyal approval when Harald V of Norwaystayed at the hotel – while participating ina sailing competition, as Johansson reports:“Two years ago the 12mR World Champi-onship took place on the Flensburg Fjord,where His Majesty participated. We reallyappreciated that our hotel was chosen to behis residence for almost a week.”

www.alter-meierhof.de

A hotel fit for a kingThe Alter Meierhof Vitality Hotel at the German-Danish border found royal approvalas the perfect setting for recreation and pleasure for all senses, and also offers arelaxing work environment for business conferences.

TEXT: DORINA REICHHOLD | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES

The Alte Meierhof Vitality Hotelis situated in the very north of Germanyat the German-Danish border. The townof Flensburg is within a few minutes drivingdistance from the hotel. Due to its primelocation at the border, destinations in bothGermany and Denmark are easy to travelto. The biggest city in Northern Germany,Hamburg is situated 170 km south andCopenhagen lies 320 km northeast ofthe hotel.

26 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Just 10 minutes out of Bremen centre youfind the Ringhotel Munte am Stadtwald, acertified conference hotel with three restau-rants and, thanks to a lavish spa area, alsoperfectly suitable for a relaxing city break.The hotel Munte am Stadtwald is an insti-tution in Bremen and highly popularamongst locals as well as visitors fromabroad. Between the end of April and themiddle of June it is asparagus season, andguests are warmly welcome to try this Ger-man delicacy.

If you prefer the coastal region of Ostfries-land in the Nortwestern part of Lower Sax-ony you will find Ringhotel KöhlersForsthaus near Aurich, a blissful wellnessand garden hotel in an idyllic lakeside set-ting nestled at the edge of a forest. Enjoytea with Kluntjes and relax in an authenticStrandkorb, the typical German wickerstyle two-seaters that are really cosy to cud-dle up in and enjoy the sunshine. Run by

Frank Köhler and his family this is the per-fect spot to get away from it all andrecharge your batteries.

RinghotelVilla Margarete inWaren with itsrelaxed and friendly atmosphere is locatedin theMüritz National Park between Berlinand Rostock. “All our rooms are beautifullydecorated with great attention to detail andoffer a wonderful home from home envi-ronment. Our chef will prepare fresh sea-sonal dishes and our beauty- and wellnessarea SilvaSPA takes you into a world oftranquillity and inner peace,” owner Mr.Pöhl explains. Three lakes are available forsailing and swimming, and the landscape isperfect for hiking or cycling. In autumn youcan observe the cranes, who gather in thearea before they migrate south for the win-ter.

From 2007 the ‘German Castles’ line of ho-tels also became part of Ringhotels and of-

fers visitors a truly great choice of historicpremises in some of the most beautifulGerman settings.

www.ringhotels.comwww.hotel-munte.dewww.koehlers-forsthaus.dewww.villa-margarete.de

Ringhotels– something for everyoneSince 1973 Ringhotels has become the largest cooperative of independentprivately run hotels. About 130 authentic guest houses bursting with character arerenowned for contemporary hospitality. We have hand-picked three truly authenticRinghotels in great locations for you.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES

Above: Aurich, Kohlers Forsthaus

Below: Waren, Villa Margarethe

Bottom: Bremen, Hotel Munte am Stadtwald

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28 | Issue 3 | May 2013

The most extravagant castle ever built iswithout doubt the BavarianNeuschwansteinCastle which was commissioned by the il-lustrious King Ludwig II in the 19th cen-tury. 1.3 million visitors each year flock tothe village of Hohenschwangau from allover the world to take a closer look at whatis considered the world’s most famous cas-tle. Rumour has it that even Walt Disneytook his inspiration from this iconic land-mark building when he created his fairytaletrademark castle. Germany has so much

more to offer when it comes castles. Nomatter if you are looking for old medievalfortresses, picturesque Renaissance build-ings, opulent baroque or rococo stylepalaces or rather sleek examples of neo-classicism,German castles come in all sortsof varieties. Some historic places are still oc-cupied by their noble owners for genera-tions; others serve as museums, schools,hotels or venues for special events.Their ro-mantic nature makes these castles ex-tremely popular as wedding locations and

not only for German lovebirds who arewilling to tie the knot.

Discover Germany presents you with a va-riety of splendid castles located in some ofthe most picturesque settings. Check outthe scheduled events over the forthcomingsummer months or take advantage of theauthentic hospitality packages available.Does it not feel great to be treated just likeroyalty in an aristocratic setting when onvacation?

Special Theme

Beautiful Castlesof Germany

The Beautiful Castles of GermanyWe just couldn’t resist creating a special feature about the breathtaking castles of Germany in this issue. Thousands ofcastles, palaces and fortresses are scattered throughout the country all bursting with heritage and many of them still shiningin their old splendour. More than 500 of these historic places are located along the rivers Rhine and Moselle alone. No matterwhich part of Germany you visit rest assured you will pass a castle or two on your way.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: WWW.BILDER.BAYERN.BY & WWW.PICTURES.BAVARIA.BY OF BAYERN TOURISMUS MARKETING GMBH

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 29

“Burg Guttenberg is one of the very fewsurviving Stauferburgen (Hohenstaufencastles) in Europe that is still inhabited tothis day by its owners,”says Bernolph vonGemmingen, the current owner, who rep-resents the 16th generation of Barons vonGemmingen.

Sitting on a mountaintop, the castle liesabove the lively Neckar River valley, and issurrounded by vineyards and endlessforests. “The breathtaking view from themedieval tower Bergfried, from which theeyes can roam endlessly, is really spectacu-lar,” von Gemmingen says.

Knights and ladies

The castle hosts a museum within its im-pressive inner court.You can tour a torturechamber, a spinning room and the tower,amongst other sights. “Living in a knight'scastle, is the name of our award-winningexhibition, that provides deep insights intocastle life during different eras,”von Gem-mingen explains.

The castle is also well known for its uniquewooden library.

The child friendly castle tavern combines abeautiful view over the Neckar RiverValleywith superb gastronomical offerings in-cluding a variety of local dishes as well asthose from other regions, served to theguests by knights andmaidens in costume.

The Falconry

Bird lovers will be able to admire vultures,eagles, snowy owls, and, of course, falconsat the German Falconry show. In 1970, theGerman Raptor Research Centre movedinto the outer castle complex, the largestand oldest private breeding and researchstation for birds of prey in Europe.

Twice a day visitors can appreciate spectac-ular flying displays, admiring the birds infree flight and at the same time learningmany interesting facts about these feath-ered creatures. “The swoops from the high-est points back to the glove of the falconerwill continue to amaze us again and again,”von Gemmingen says. “For the very firsttime at Burg Guttenberg, this season visi-tors can also admire a Steller’s Sea eagle.”

www.burg-guttenberg.de

A Hohenstaufen heritageSituated between the Neckarsteig, a newly inaugurated high-quality hiking trail,and the Burgenstrasse (Castle Road), Burg Guttenberg (Guttenberg Castle) is oneof the most popular tourist destinations in the Neckar region.

TEXT: JESSICA RIDDER | PHOTOS: BURG GUTTENBERG

Practical Information

• Open daily from April to Octoberfrom 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM and onweekends in March.

• Entrance fees, with or withoutguided tours of the Castle Museum,vary between 2€ and 5€

• In combination with a visit to theRaptor, or a meal in the castle, lowflat rates are available.

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Beautiful Castles of Germany

30 | Issue 3 | May 2013

In the heart of Franconian SwitzerlandEschwin de Rabenstein built the first part ofthis monumental castle in 1188. Resting ona plateau above the Ailsbach River it is setin a beautiful and quiet landscape, a morethan 150-acre natural resort with its ownmiraculous limestone cave, a falconry andromantic hiking trails. It is a place to enjoythe historical buildings and nature likewise,not far away from the ancient towns ofBayreuth, Bamberg and Nuremberg.

Crossing the bridge, visitors walk into thecastle hotel which today houses 22 com-fortable and stylish rooms and suites. It hasbeen famous throughout the centuries andhosted the Bavarian king Ludwig I in the19th century. And even those visitors whoonly stop for a brief stay on the castlegrounds can enjoy a meal in the castle’srestaurant, which serves regional food suchas deer goulash or Bavarian cream.The cas-tle’s specialty is the wild boar buffet, servedtwice a month and already shown on TV.

The castle also offers glamorous halls andsalons for big events or weddings – fromthree Baroque Salons with an abundance ofgold and cheerful colours for the receptionof guests to the elegant Renaissance Hallwhere up to 150 people can dine and danceto the spectacular Weaponry Hall for abountiful buffet or round-table discussions.The Great Castle Terrace offers an impres-sive view of the lovelylandscape and thecosy Fireplace Loungeshows the perfect at-mosphere for conver-sations surrounded bycountless candles andopen fire.

Elegant or rustic –Rabenstein Castle of-fers a gorgeous set-ting for a special day.Whoever stays in thecastle hotel becomes

part of a long and changing history. Andtwice a year visitors can travel back in timewhen a big medieval market takes placeon the castle grounds: lords andmerchants,maids and ladies walk side by side, knightsfight for honour and gleemen entertainwith their fire shows.

www.burg-rabenstein.de

Rabenstein CastleBe King and Queen for one night – or moreWhen a child many of us dreamed of being a little prince or a fierce knight, living in a faraway castle. A dream some peoplestill fancy when they have grown up. Rabenstein Castle in Northern Bavaria offers a unique experience: a castle hotel full ofhistory.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: RABENSTEIN CASTLE

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 31

Dating back to 1350 and rebuilt at the be-ginning of the 18th century by the PrinceElector Johann Wilhelm, SchwetzingenPalace is one of the few historic premisesthat have been spared destruction throughwar. Life at the palace flourished, when thePalatine Prince Elector CarlTheodor movedin during the 18th century.The Prince Elec-tor was famous for being a very progressiveand peace-loving leader. At his time it wasquite remarkable to commission the con-struction of a bath house for the purpose ofrecreation, as a common sense for personalprivacy was just about to evolve. He alsocommissioned the design of today’s splen-did palace gardens from famous landscapearchitects Nicolas de Pigage and FriedrichLudwig von Sckell. Later the ArboriumTheodoricum, one of the oldest English-style landscaped parks in the country, wasadded to the grounds.Take a stroll throughthe magnificent gardens featuring over40,000 tulips in spring, more than 100sculptures, the Apollo Temple, the famousbath house and a real mosque erectedpurely for decorative purposes.

Behind the garden’s northern Zirkelsaalvisitors will be stunned by the gorgeousRococo Theatre, which was one of the firsttheatres in Europe featuring galleries.Wolf-gang Schröck-Schmidt, curator of theSchwetzingen Palace, has countless storiesto share about the rich and colourful past ofthe premises, but his favourite anecdote isabout how one of the world’s greatest mu-sicians started his career: “Mozart per-formed here when he was a 7-year old boywith his sister Nannerl in front of the Elec-tor and his entourage. Later the proud fa-ther wrote a letter to Salzburg sharing hisenthusiasm: ‘My children have movedwhole Schwetzingen’. ”Today the palaceand gardens are prettier than ever and MrSchröck-Schmidt reckons: “British gardenenthusiasts are most welcome to strollthrough the palace grounds. Follow thefootprints of Elector Carl Theodor, enjoythe great Palatine cuisine (it’s so muchmorethan Bratwurst and Kraut) and don’t forgetto taste the good Palatine wines whileyou’re here.”

Special events to highlight this summer in-clude the Schwetzinger Festspiele from 26April to 8 June, the Mozart Weeks from 27September to 13 October and the Lichter-fest on 27 July 2013.

www.schloss-schwetzingen.de/en

Schwetzingen Palaceshines in original splendorPalatine’s Schwetzingen Palace with its beautiful Rococo Gardens is a primeexample of European cultural heritage and some of its famous former residentshave been quite ahead of their time.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: COPYRIGHT LANDESMEDIENZENTRUM BA.-WÜ.

Main Picture: Castle and garden

Top: Mosque

Middle: Bath House

Bottom: Rococo Theatre


32 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Neuhaus Castle is located just outside thecharming city of Paderborn inNorth Rhine-Westphalia and is considered to be a veryimportant architectural landmark repre-senting the early Weser Renaissance style.The riverWeser determines the area, wherethis particularly pretty and playful architec-tural style was originally implemented.TheWeser Renaissance evolved with the Refor-mationwhichwas sparked byMartin Lutherpublishing his famous Ninety-Five Theses.The whole country was significantly trans-formed by this revolutionarymovement be-tween the 16th and the 17th century. Un-fortunately the following Thirty Years' Wartook its toll and many of the great creationsweren’t spared from destruction.

Neuhaus castle itself with its deep moatserved as a bishop’s residence since the13th century and was later extended byPrince Bishop ClemensAugust of Bavaria inthe 18th century. The regent added the re-markable side buildings Schlosswache andMarstall to the complex. Both premises aretoday serving as museums, gallery andevent locations. But the Prince-Bishop wasalso responsible for the creation of the gor-geous Baroque style landscaped gardens.Countless flowers blossom here throughoutspring and summer and some species evenadd colour to the grounds during the darkwinter season. Although the original gar-dens were destroyed, they have been lov-ingly restored to their full splendour.Today

the gardens do not fail to impress botanicenthusiasts and landscaping aficionadosfrom all over the world. In 1994 the Lan-desgartenschau, an event similar to theChelsea Flower Show, was held on thebeautiful grounds of the castle. TodayNeuhaus castle is housing a school andseveral representative quarters which areused for official events. Outside the schoolschedule the majestic great hall is oftenused as a stage for concerts and variousperformances.

The former stable yard, the so-calledMarstall has been converted to feature as anatural history museum offering plenty ofinteractive experiences for the little visitors,

Over 750 years old, Paderborn’s Neuhaus Castle is one of the finest examples of the so-called Weser Renaissancestyle and has been home to bishops and military over the years. And if you like Baroque gardens this is theperfect place to visit.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: TOURIST INFORMATION PADERBORN

Weser Renaissanceat its finest at Neuhaus Castle

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 33


a historic museum and a showcase for thefamous glass and ceramics Nachtmann col-lection. Many of the valuable exhibits havebeen retrieved from the castle’s moat andpainstakingly restored and researched formany years by Hans Joachim Nachtmann.

The best time to visit the castle is in sum-mer when the beautiful gardens are theprettiest. Paderborns’s so-called Schloß-sommer is a string of events held betweenMay and September in the enchanting cas-tle grounds. Mr Karl Heinz Schäfer, ViceDirector of Paderborn’s Office for PublicRelations and City Marketing, explainswhat happens at the Schloßsommer.“Weorganise plenty of attractive events such asthe Paderborn Cycle Day in May or theNeuhaus Garden Days in June and ofcourse theWine Festival. But that’s not all:the city centre of Paderborn will also betransformed into a vibrant place. Greatevents such as the Spring Festival or the

Gourmet Festival ‘Hochstift à la carte‘ (21to 23 June) are on the agenda. Furthermorethe historical exhibition CREDOwill show-case pieces themed around the Christiani-sation of Europe during the Middle Ages.And finally we have the biggest Paderbornfestival coming up.The Libori celebrationswill take place from 27 July to 4August,”MrSchäfer proudly announces.The Libori Fes-tival is deeply rooted in the city history andfor nine days normal city life nearly comesto a standstill. In 836 the relics of St. Libo-rius were transferred from French LeMansto Paderborn and these relics are still wor-shipped.“The Libori festival is celebrated inhonour of Paderborn’s patron St. Liborius.Over 1.5 million people come to Paderbornto join the celebrations every year.The fes-tival is quite unique, because it is a blend ofchurch processions and fun fair. There willbe a jumble sale, the Pottmarkt with variousmarket stalls, street artists and plenty ofmusical entertainment. The Libori festivaldefinitely offers something to everyone,”Schäfer says. And he shares his insiderknowledge:“Real Paderborners make theirway to the Paderborner beer-fountain.They

buy a beer mug which can be filled threetimes with real Paderborner beer at thegreat barrel in front of the historic townhall.”Our British readers may already haveheard about it, because Paderborn is stillhome to 10,000 British citizens of the armedforces. So if you decide to visit the Neuhauscastle don’t be surprised if you bump into acompatriot.

www.paderborn.dewww.schlosspark-paderborn.de

Left: Neuhaus Castle and Baroque Gardens

Below: Libori Procession

Bottom: Marstall

34 | Issue 3 | May 2013

The history of Schwerin castle can be tracedback to the year 973. The historic building,as it stands today, was created under thesupervision of the Grand Duke FriedrichFranz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at thebeginning of the 19th century. Inspired bythe French Renaissance, the Duke hiredGermany’s most influential and leading ar-chitects such as Ernst Friedrich Zwirner,who served as master builder for the fa-mous Cologne Cathedral, FriedrichAugustStüler, who was the court architect to thePrussian king, as well as Dresden’s leg-endary Gottfried Semper for the project.Today the castle houses the State Parlia-ment of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.But it also hosts a museum.The grand liv-ing quarters and ceremonial rooms havebeen made accessible to visitors and themuseum showcases paintings, sculpturesand artisan craftwork,mainly from the 19thcentury. 300,000 visitors per year are espe-

cially enchanted by the exquisite collectionof porcelain from the Meissen and KPMmanufacturers, as well as an impressivecollection of royal hunting and decorativeweapons. Dr. Dirk Blübaum, DirectorStaatliches Museum Schwerin/Lud-wigslust/Güstrow Kunstsammlungen,Schlösser und Gärten Schloss Schwerin,points out what attracts his British guests:“Mecklenburg and Schwerin are still con-sidered as insider tips for British visitors.Historically there are quite a few interestingfacts: The wife of King George III, SophieCharlotte was from Mecklenburg, and itwas she who attracted many British visitorsto the country. You can see her portrait atthe nearby art gallery Galerie Alte undNeue Meister am Alten Garten, which hasbeen painted by no other than ThomasGainsborough. Hans Caspar von Bothmer,the closest advisor to King George I and SirRobertWalpole, Britain’s first PrimeMinis-

ter to be accommodated in 10 DowningStreet, chose Mecklenburg to live in at hislater stage in life.” Two more castles, Lud-wigslust and Güstrow are also locatednearby and well worth a visit. SchwerinCastle hosts several events during the sum-mer months including the medieval festivalon 1 June and the Garden Summer withmusical highlights such as the open air“Fledermaus”operetta by composer JohannStrauss II.

www.museum-schwerin.com

Schwerin Castle1000 years of historySet in the most idyllic location on an island in the middle of Schwerin, the goldendome of the neo-Renaissance style castle can be spotted from miles away on asunny day. Visit the breath-taking castle, stroll through the splendid gardens andenjoy a tour through the museum.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: BRÖCKER © STAATLICHES MUSEUM SCHWERIN


From top to bottom:

Throne Room

Red Audience Room

Ancestors gallery. Photo: Steiner

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 35

Castle Asssumstadt near Heilbronn wasbuilt in 1771 at the behest of the Austrianempress Maria Theresa.The famous archi-tectural school of Fischer von Erlach madethe draft for the castle, the same architectwho also built the well-known castleSchönbrunn inVienna. Castle Assumstadtis surrounded by a beautiful rococo gardenuntil today.

“Some places are beautiful in every seasonand Castle Asssumstadt is one of theseplaces,”says Hubertus Count ofWaldburg-Wolfegg andWaldsee, the current owner ofthe castle. His family, which can trace itsline back to the Staufer reign in the 11thcentury, bought the castle in 1937 and todayheads the estate in the third generation.

Ten years ago the count opened the castle’sdoors to the public and founded a culturalassociation that, for example, organizes cas-tle concerts with a local music school. Insummer the castle grounds host a big gar-den exhibition and a concert series, in win-

ter an indoor market provides guests withpre-Christmas decorations, crafts and arts.

The castle also offers an ideal place for fam-ily celebrations, conferences, garden partiesor weddings. The great rococo hall, for ex-ample, accommodates up to 65 guests, whodine under a painted cupola and crystalcandelabra. The party barn for 200 guestsoffers a more rustic atmosphere while therococo garden invites to a party under theopen sky or in party tents, which are set upaccording to the guest’s wishes. Assum-stadt Castle works together with a localcaterer, the Küffner Hof, who creates buf-fets as well as multi-course menus orcanapés and snacks.

“We want to fulfil every desire of ourguests,”says castle owner Hubertus Countof Waldburg-Wolfegg and Waldsee.“Theyshould always have a happy and memo-rable stay here in Castle Assumstadt.”

www.assumstadt.comwww.kueffner-hof.de

Castle AssumstadtA rococo domain with grand style and traditionThe rococo façade of Castle Assumstadt alone is a magnificent view: painted in a rose colour with white windows the widestaircase towards the entrance immediately catches the eye. Today it is not only home to its owners but also a place forconventions, concerts and celebrations.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES

Above: Assumstadt Castle, Rococo Room

The party barn for 200 guests

36 | Issue 3 | May 2013

The 67 leading German theme parks in-clude classic parks as well as themed parkssuch as zoo or safari parks, movie parks,brand parks and indoor entertainmentpremises. There is something for everyoneand service always comes first.

Many parks added more to the already ex-isting attractions, such as rides, entertain-ment programmes, street performers, pa-rades, etc. to an extent, that just one day isnot enough to indulge in all the tempta-tions.That is whymost parks lure in visitorswith attractive overnight packages.

Themed four star hotels, fully equippedholiday homes, authentic block houses,camp sites, tipi-villages, traditional Ger-man inns, romantic shepherd’s wagons andeven tree houses offer great hospitality andin most cases even include a wellness pro-gramme. In that way many parks turnedfrom a day trip destination into an attractiveshort stay vacation resort.

Thus different target groups may be servedat the same time. On the one hand thecentral target group is the family audiencewith children. In general the main pro-gramme is tailored to their needs. On the

other hand the German theme parks – justlike other parties in the tourism industry –adapted to the demographic changes andincluded the discerning 50+ guest in theirprogramme. Blissful wellness areas in thehotels and culinary delicacies prepared byaward-winning chefs are successfully cater-ing for the age group 50+.

Both target groups, families and senior cit-izens, will be joined together away fromthe‘higher and faster’rollercoasters.Variousfamily friendly rides can be used by grand-parents, parents and children together: Atheme park is now the perfect generation-spanning entertainment destination.

Especially vacationers with children bene-fit from a trip to the theme parks, which of-fer a great distraction from only strollingthrough classic tourist attractions, so thelittle ones won’t get bored. It is also con-sidered a great advantage that most Ger-man parks offer an all-inclusive price fortheir guests, so individual attractions in-side the park gates don’t need to be paid foron top.

If for just one or for more days, if central cityindoor attractions or classic parks in the

outskirts: there is something to be found forevery taste and budget. A visit to a park isthe perfect opportunity to get away from itall, have lots of fun and being pampered instyle.

www.freizeitparks.de

German Theme Parks– everything but boredomExciting rides, relaxing landscapes, breathtaking shows and performances, blissful wellness areas – these are just a fewexamples of what German leisure parks have to offer. Over 32 million visitors enjoy a trip to a theme park every year. In manyparks 80 per cent of guests are returning visitors. Not surprising, as a colourful palette of attractions is offered.

BY TINA AWTANI | PHOTO: VDFU E.V. PRESS IMAGE

Special Theme

Theme Parks inGermany

Dr Ulrich Muller-Oltay, Managing Director, Verband DeutscherFreizeitparks und Freizeitunternehmen e.V. VDFU

MUSEUM SINSHEIMBrutus

38 | Issue 3 | May 2013

“I look forward to many beautiful andhopefully sunny days with happy visitorsand children with a sparkle in their eyes,and of course I'm curious to see how ourtwo new attractions, the Gaudi-Viertel(fun-district) and the catapult rollercoasterKaracho, will resonate with the visitors,”Tripsdrill Manager Helmut Fischer says.

Situated near Stuttgart in southern Ger-many, covering 77 hectares in total, the

amusement park opened its doors againon Easter for a new season of pleasure andfun.

Adventure, wild life and nature

In 1929, Eugen Fischer, the grandfather ofthe current owners, built the first Alt-weibermühle (OldWomen'sMill), the heartand soul of today’sTripsdrill. Housing bothan adventure park featuring over 100 at-tractions and the Wildparadies, its own

wildlife park just a 10-minute walk away,Tripsdrill offers visitors two experiences forthe price of one.

“Tripsdrill is Germany's first theme park, itis surrounded by nature. Through decadesof tradition, it appeals to all generations.The attractions are original and designedwith great attention to detail, this philoso-phy has remained with us since the begin-ning of Tripsdrill,”Fischer says.

Adventure Park TripsdrillGermany’s first theme parkOscar Wilde once said: “Pleasure is the only thing one should live for, nothing ages like happiness,” and pleasureis exactly what you find at Tripsdrill, Germany’s very first and oldest Adventure Park.

TEXT: JESSICA RIDDER | PHOTOS: ADVENTURE PARK TRIPSDRILL

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 39

Discover Germany | Special Theme | Theme Parks in Germany

With over 600,000 visitors each year, thepark now also offers it’s own newly built ac-commodation in the form of tree housesand rustic shepherd’s wagons in the na-ture resort. Ideal for families, the new build-ings are sustainably integrated into the ex-isting landscape and the choice to usegreen energy reflects the founders’ love ofnature.

A theme park for the whole family

“Tripsdrill is a theme park for the wholefamily, because there are special attractions

for children like theMoggelesbahn as well aslarger ones for adults like the wooden rollercoasterMammut, which guarantees a purethrill,”Fischer says.

What’s on offer is extremely versatile; thefun does not end with roller coasters andtheWaschzuber-Rafting (a white-water-ride),there’s also a toy museum for the little onesand the Vinarium, a wine museum, built onthe model of a historic wine press. Further-more the whole family can enjoy manymore attractions in the idyllic Mühlental(Mill Valley), the Doppelter Donnerbalken(freefall ride), a soapbox-race and theMühlbach-Fahrt-water ride, where theyoungest thrill seekers travel through thewater and hold on tight to their flour sacksfor a 3.5-metre drop at the end!

When hunger strikes, visitors can chosefrom a large variety of gastronomic offer-ings, delicious regional foods includingvenison dishes, noodles and meat fritters.

A new season

A brand new attraction this season is theweatherproofed Gaudi-Viertel which pro-vides on the inside, over 1,000 square me-tres, limitless ways to play: “Climbing,slides, softball games, all under one roof,and also the nearly 8-foot marble towerthat moves up and down like a yo-yo,”Fis-cher describes.

This summer Tripsdrill’s latest attractionwill also go live, the themed catapult roller-coaster Karacho, whose train acceleratesfrom 0 to 100 to about 30 metres in height.

Get in touch with nature

Surrounded by vineyards, meadows andforests, Tripsdrill is a unique experience, aworld of its own.

The wildlife park expanded in 1972 from apetting zoo and now looks after 40 differ-ent species of animals. Favourites includethe European and Arctic wolves amongstraccoons, brown bears and lynxes. Everyday at 2.30 PM (apart from Fridays) youcan observe their feeding.

At 3.30 PM (and at 11.30 AM during thehigh season) visitors can marvel at eagles,

red kites and vultures during flight demon-strations on the new falconer's grandstand.

www.tripsdrill.de/en

Practical information

• The park is open daily from Easter toNovember. Opening times are subject toalterations so check the website beforevisiting.

• Day-tickets include a voucher for a wineglass from the Vinarium as a souvenir.Entry to the Wildlife Park is included (alsoopen during winter, every weekend,public and school holiday from 9 am to 5pm).

• Overnight visitors receive reduced-rateDay-Passes for the adventure park. Thereare also 4,000 free parking spaces at themain entrance.

40 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Zoom Erlebniswelt is located in the NorthRhine-Westphalian city of Gelsenkirchenbetween Dortmund and Duisburg.Founded in the year 2005, the park today ishome to more than 900 animals from over110 different species and attracts almost 1million visitors per year.You won’t see anyfences as all enclosures are designed as nat-urally as possible with no visible bound-aries.“Unique adventures are also waitingfor you during the safari through theAfricaworld of adventure, past mighty lions and

elegant giraffes in the bush-tree savannahand onward through the wet savannah,where you will encounter baboons,meerkats and the hippos. Watch the redruffed lemurs on Lemurs’ Island who enjoyexperiencing the first rays of sun on theirbodies like small sun worshippers.”Springis the perfect time for a visit as plenty ofyoung little animals are just born and reallycute to observe in action as Sabine Haas,diploma biologist and Marketing and PRspokesperson of Zoom Erlebniswelt, rec-

Travel the worldin just one dayAt wildlife centre Zoom Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen you can explore thebeauty and the species of Alaska, Africa and Asia in just one day.Highlights include close encounters with some of the world’s mostmajestic and exotic animals.


Issue 3 | May 2013 | 41


ommends: “All guests just adore the littleOrang-Utans or chimpanzees, but the cutelittle meerkat babies are also winning thevisitors’hearts by storm. Children love our850 square metres Dragon Land indoor ad-venture playground featuring a big ship,flying dragons and plenty of climbingframes.”And there is more for children suchas a real Ranger Tour through the park orthe possibility to be a zookeeper for a day.

Visit the three different areas and be pre-pared to be wowed. Alaska is a fascinatinglandscaped area renowned for its bear en-closures. Meet Bill and Lara, the two polarbears, who are always happy to show up atthe glass window of their natural enclo-sure or take look at the majestic Kodiakbears. Wander through the North Ameri-can coastal rainforests, the tundra area, theharsh mountains and the Polar Regionsand watch over 120 animals such as lynxes,wolves or the occasional moose.Those whowould like to experience a truly Alaskangold rush ambience are welcome to wanderthrough Sam’s Goldmine and choose topan for gold with a sieve in real streams.And while you are in Alaska take a ride onthe multimedia Ice Adventure to learn allabout this amazing part of the world and itsresidents in a sophisticated manner.

In Africa it is Safari-time. The AfricanQueenboat ride takes you through the sa-vannah, Namibia’s water mountain land-scape and more authentic surroundings.

Get up close and personal with Ernie thehippo, Maro the Lion and his three foxyladies, which are just separated from visi-tors by a glass panel. Zoom’sAfrika is hometo almost 400 animals from antelopes to ze-bras. “My favourite place is theAfrica Lodgefrom where you can see the rhinos, zebrasand the African lake. Or the bear cove inAlaska,where you can see themighty Kam-chatka bears,” Sabine Haas says.

The Asian part is entered via the NamastePortal and is home to some most exoticcreatures.An area as large as seven footballpitches takes the visitors into a differentworld made of prairie and bamboo forests.Take advantage of the Canope Walk, a sixmetre high skywalk, from where you canobserve the Orang-Utans in their naturalhabitat. Furthermore the indoor ELETrop-ical Paradise features 3,600 plants, rare birdsand reptile species and a warm climatethroughout the year. For 2013 it is big news:“A special highlight is our newTiger King-dom, which will be opening shortly. Over1,000 square metres we have createdcourses of streams, a swimming pond anda landscape that is based on the UssuriRiver surrounding in Russia includingwooden logs and lavish botany. If every-thing goes as planned four Siberian Tigerswill move in this May,” Sabine Haasproudly announces.

Culinary needs are catered for accordingto various taste and needs.The Grimberger

Hof offers a typical German beer garden.Andwhile mum and dad are enjoying a tra-ditional Westphalian lunch, children canplay on the adventure playground or expe-rience a close encounter with cuddly ani-mals such as goats and sheep in the nearbypets corner. If you prefer a more interna-tional option head for the authentic Alaskasaloon type Diner or theAfrica Lodge, bothlocated at an idyllic lakeside. For a more for-mal lunch and dining experience theAsianthemed restaurants Pangung and Ryokanare the perfect venues.

After a trip around the world in just one dayit sometimes is hard to wave good-bye toall the lovely creatures, but you can alwayspick up your favourite animal in the form ofa soft toy at the Zoom shop at the exit andthus take home a cuddly souvenir.

www.zoom-erlebniswelt.de

42 | Issue 3 | May 2013

“Come in and discover the delights of Tropi-cal Islands.Stroll along the sandybeachby theTropical Sea, join an expedition through theTropical Rainforest, relax in theTropical Saunaand Spa Complex, taste the wonderful foodand enjoy some first-class entertainment.”That is just a hint towards what to expectwhen you visit the resort. But best of all is theoption to stay overnight as the resort offerssome truly unique accommodation facilitiesand all attractions are open 24/7 for guests.

Just 50 minutes by train from Berlin, theTropical Islands resort consists of 66,000square metres of tropical surroundings in-spired by the most beautiful holiday dreamdestinations. The huge dome constructionmeasures 107metres in height, so you couldeasily fit in London’s Big Ben tower, and theresort has capacity for up to 6,000 guests.

Step inside and be prepared to be wowed.Inside the dome theTropicalWorld and Eu-

rope’s largest sauna and spa complex offersvisitors a literally warm holiday experience,no matter what the weather conditions areoutside.Attractions include theAfrican Jun-gle Lift that takes you 20 metres up in theair, Germany’s highest water slide tower,the world’s largest indoor rainforest with50,000 tropical plants and an array of rarebird species, Island ballooning, miniaturegolf and more.The Boulevard offers plentyof retail facilities, a beauty salon and even

Tropical Islands vacations inthe heart of GermanyThe Tropical Islands resort is the ultimate leisure experience right in the heart of Germany. Europe’s largest self-containedtropical holiday resort offers 26°C all year round, room to relax under palm trees and plenty of fun for everyone.


Issue 3 | May 2013 | 43

an airbrush tattoo shop. And if par-ents need a break, children are wel-come in the Tropino kids club, wherethe little treasures are well enter-tained while mum and dad canrecharge their batteries in the nearbyLagoon area.

Take advantage of the Tropical Seaand the Bali Lagoon areas with theirsandy beaches and a cosy 28°C warmwater. The Tropical Village features true tooriginal and sumptuously reproducedpremises such as the BalineseTemple Gate,the Bali pavilion, the Borneo longhouse, the

Samoan Fale or the Thai House, all createdby international experts such as the ThaiRoyal Family architect Ladda Teijavnaija.

Europe’s biggest spa and sauna complexwas carefully designed to deliver a truly ex-otic holiday feeling. Over 10,000 squaremetres, replicas of landmarks such as theIndian Elephanta Temple, the CambodianAngkor Wat Temple or Sicily’s Alcantara

Canyon have been constructed to serve asvarious types of saunas and steam rooms.And if you prefer a dip in a natural hot tubyou may enjoy the 32°C warm geyser,

which has been landscaped after theWaio-tapu conservation area in New Zealand andthe lavish Spa offers a wide range of pam-pering Far Eastern treatment options.

Every night at 7:30 pm it is show time ontheWayang Stage.This season the “AKOYA– Pearl of the Tropics”performance trans-ports the audience into a colourful world ofartistic feats and musical stage perform-ances all inspired by the beauty of the un-derwater world.

Mr Patrick Kastner, Press Relations Man-ager at Tropical Islands, explains whatdraws people to the resort: “Our guestsare truly amazed by the high level of au-thenticity and the tropical atmosphere in-side the resort.We offer a best-of mix of thetropical hemisphere and visitors are alwayssurprised by the unique ambience they ex-perience during their stay. And where elsein world are you given the opportunity tostay overnight right in a theme park whereall the attractions are free to use 24/7?”

Accommodation options available on siteare quite unique as guests may choose tobook a room, stay in an authentic lodge oropt for a night in a canvas tent, which is setin one of the rainforest camps. All tents,rooms and lodges are available in variouscategories offering a perfect solution for everybudget and purpose.Tropical Islands is a fundestination for everyone, no matter if youare planning a family vacation, a romantic getaway with your loved one or a fun trip withfriends, teammates or colleagues.

“We are really excited about this summer’sopening of our new accommodation com-plex Port Royal, featuring 48 rooms basedon the architecture of a Caribbean harbourvillage,” Mr Kastner announces and headds: “For those who wish to escape theunpredictable British weather we are theperfect destination with 365 days of warmclimate throughout the year.”

Book your flight to Berlin-Schönefeld andenjoy a tropical vacation without the hassleof a long haul flight.

www.tropical-islands.de


44 | Issue 3 | May 2013

It is easily recognizable from a distance: Thegigantic French/British Supersonic Concordesits on the roof of the Auto & TechnikMuseum in Sinsheim, almost ready for takeoff – together with neighbouring SupersonicRussianTupolevTU-144 (see top image).

“In our museums, which are privately heldand run by a non-profit-making club,everything is authentic,” explains SimoneLingner from the press department of theMuseums. “In Sinsheim and Speyer weshowmore than 6,000 exhibits altogether –vintage cars, sports and race cars, motor-cycles, military vehicles, trucks, fire enginesand much more. We also have many largeexhibits on display: the supersonic aircraftConcorde andTupolev 144 in Sinsheim anda Boeing 747, a submarine and a rescuecruiser in Speyer, to name but a few.All canbe visited as well from the inside. We alsohave two IMAX large screen movie the-atres, an IMAX 3 D in Sinsheim and anIMAX Dome in Speyer, a spectacular ad-venture for everyone.”

One particularly outstanding exhibit in Sin-sheim is the experimental vehicle “Brutus”.

Museum boss Hermann Layher invested adecade relentlessly assembling a veritablebeast: an old 1908 American La Francechassis with scarcely any brakes powered bya BMWWWI aircraft engine with 47 litrescapacity. Layher put it on the road in 2006,reaching a staggering 90 mph! As JeremyClarkson of BBC’s TOP GEAR pointed outon the show featuring “Brutus”in 2012:“Itfeels like doing a crossword while beingeaten by a tiger.”

Fancy climbing a space shuttle today?

Besides many other unique exhibits, in theTechnik Museum Speyer you can visit Eu-rope’s largest space flight exhibition fea-turing a genuine Russian BURAN spaceshuttle. Outside the USA and Russia, it isthe only space shuttle in a museum, andthe exhibition comprises everything con-nected to manned space flight.

Go and see the unusual.The museums of-fer several economically priced packageswith or without accommodation at the mu-seums’ hotels. For booking visit www.tech-nik-museum.de/shop. The museums canbe booked for private or company events.

Fast and Furious – Discover Technology in MotionTechnology Museums Sinsheim and SpeyerThousands of unusual masterpieces of mobility technology are waiting to be explored just an hour’s drive south from Frankfurtairport in the Technology Museums Sinsheim and Speyer. From Concorde to space shuttle – you won’t see such a varietyanywhere else.

TEXT: ASTRID BARWASSER-BRESTRICH | PHOTOS: © TECHNOLOGY MUSEUMS SINSHEIM AND SPEYER

Take a stroll on the wings of the Jumbo Jet in Speyer.

Visit a genuine BURAN space shuttle in Speyer

www.technik-museum.dewww.facebook.com/technikmuseum

Explore the inner life of the German submarine U9 in Speyer

Our firespitting “Brutus”

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 45

It is a landscape of harsh rocks, snow, iceand a clear blue sky.Whoever watches thegreat Mount Everest panorama gets an ideaof how it must feel to stand at the foot ofthis gigantic mountain. The artist Yadegartravelled through the Himalayas before hecreated the panorama,which was exhibitedbetween 2003 and 2005 for the first time. In2005Yadegar Asisis exhibited a panoramaof Rome in the year 312A.D. in Leipzig, al-ternating with other themes. It shows the

city at the dawnof Christianityduring the reignof the great em-peror Constan-tine and inRome’s architec-tural blossomtime. Panoramicviews of theAmazonia and

Dresden in the year 1756 followed shortlyafterwards. From October 2013 thepanorama of Rome 312 A.D. will be pre-sented again, this time in Pforzheim.

“The art of Yadegar Asisi is unique andmoves people directly,”says Martin Löwer,patron of the arts and managing partner ofAsisi Panorama International (API). APIaims to identify future projects and coop-erate with partners on exhibiting YadegarAsisi’s panoramic views in many Europeancountries. Currently exhibitions areplanned and negotiated in Vienna, Paris,Brussels or Istanbul. “The physical experi-ence to stand in the middle of a monu-mental painting alone is overwhelming;people can travel into the past or experi-ence natural spectacles as if they were reallythere,”explains Löwer. “There are so manydetails and people intuitively grasp histor-ical events and circumstances.”

The biggest success for Asisi was the his-torical view of the Ancient Greek town ofPergamon.The panorama is like time trav-elling back into the year 129 B.C. showingthe antique buildings in all their splendourand artistry.

Today people from all over the world ex-press their interest in Asisi’s panoramas.The artist is developing new ideas almostevery day; at the moment he is alreadyworking on exposés as well as details abouthow to create panoramas of the Great Bar-rier Reef, Ground Zero or the Titanic.

“The fascination of such panoramas is dif-ficult to describe,”says Martin Löwer. “It issuch an impressive and sensual experience.People should try out themselves.You sim-ply have to go and look.”

www.asisi-international.com

Asisi Panorama International– a look into past, future and faraway placesHave you ever wondered how the world looks like when you are standing in the middle of the Himalayas at the foot of MountEverest? Have you ever wanted to visit ancient Rome? A panoramic view most people will never actually see in their lives –that is what artist Yadegar Asisi creates with his 360-degree panoramas.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: TOM SCHULZE

Above: Pergamon panorama; Right top: Amazonia – visitors get the experience of standing in the middle of the rain forest.Photo: Stefan Hoyer; Right below: 360°-Panorama Rome 312

YadegarAsisi

Attractionof the MonthGermany

46 | Issue 3 | May 2013

In July 1752 Emperor Francis I. Stephan,husband of MariaTheresa, showed his no-ble guests the newly built menagerie in thepark of his palace for the first time. Eversince then, the zoo has prospered and isnow considered one of the best and mostmodern zoos in the world. It witnessedmany sensational events like the first birthof anAfrican elephant conceived in human

care in 1906. Today, each year more thantwo million visitors explore the expansive17ha grounds of the zoo with its generousanimal compounds. “Tiergarten Schön-brunn is a very unique combination of thebaroque ambience of the listed buildingsand a modern zoo concept which providesanimals with their natural habitats,” ex-plains Johanna Bukovsky, head of PR at the

Tiergarten Schönbrunn.The zoo is part ofthe UNESCO World Heritage site Schön-brunn.

A modern zoological approach in his-toric flair

In the particularly generous and naturaldesigned animal compounds live morethan 8000 animals, from Siberian tigers and

Tiergarten Schönbrunn– MeetYangYang and Long Hui, the PandasThe Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna is the oldest zoo in the world. And many of the visitors believe it is theworld’s most beautiful zoo as well. Founded in 1752 as an imperial menagerie on the grounds of the famousPalace Schönbrunn, today the zoo features more than 600 different species in stunning surroundings of thebaroque era and is an important centre for species conservation.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV

Attractionof the Month

Austria

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 47

Discover Germany | Attraction of the Month | Austria

polar bears to Venezuelan tarantulas. Ahighlight is the giant Rain Forest Housewhere you and your children can marvel atthe vast range of flora and fauna fromsouth-east Asia. Wafts of mist waverthrough the moist trees and sometimes theexotic birds, tiger pythons andAsian ottersget startled by a tropical thunderstorm.Who dares to advance into the dark batgrotto will feel the mysterious animals flyover head.

In 2009, the Orang-Utans moved into theirnew home, the ORANG.erie. Erected inthe 19th century as a palm house, today thehuge glass walls give a home to Vladimir,Nonja, Sol undMota, a happy Orang-Utangroup. Have a nice cup of coffee in theneighbouring cafe and watch the big apesclimbing the tall trees or swinging on theropes through their territory.

A large South America Park shows thezoo’s contemporary approach to animalkeeping. The landscape resembles the fa-mous South American pampas. Giantanteaters, capybaras, tapirs and rheas livehere together like they would do in thewild.Do not miss the giant, artificial termitehill where visitors observe the giantanteaters licking their food out of the tun-nels with their endless tongues.

Especially for children the zoo offers anunforgettable day out. Their hearts will becaptured by the cute miniature goats at theanimal encounter zone.“Children love torun wild on our adventure playgrounds,”says Johanna Bukovsky. ”Andwe have a petzone where children can learn how to keepa pet at home and what needs animals suchas rabbits or budgerigars really have.”Notto mention the Nature ExperienceTrail witha fire salamander climbing wall and a cob-web for clambering young visitors.And theTreetop Trail, a long rope bridge 10 metersabove ground where children and parentsalike enjoy the gorgeous view over theTier-garten Schönbrunn and the city ofVienna.

Breeding programmes for future gener-ations

Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of the fewzoos worldwide to house giant pandas.Thefemale Yang Yang (“Sunshine”) and themale Long Hui ("Dragon Symbol") cameten years ago as a loan from the Republic ofChina. In 2007, the zoo witnessed a Euro-pean premier: for the first time ever, apanda baby that was naturally conceived ina European zoo was born in Schönbrunn.His name is Fu Long (“Happy Dragon”)and three years later, he got a brother, FuHu, the “Happy Tiger”. The siblings arenow living in China. This year, there couldbe offspring again:“We know that the Pan-das mated but until now we cannot be surethat Yang Yang is really pregnant,” revealsJohanna Bukovsky.

But the Pandas are not the only aspiringparents. In the summer, a little elephant isexpected, another huge success of the

breeding programme. Just recently, the two-toed sloths which spend most of their timehanging dozing from a branch of a tree hada little baby. It will spend the first monthshuddled together in its mother’s lap.

Species conservation is an important part ofthe zoo’s mandate.“TheTiergarten Schön-brunn takes part in 51 conservation breed-ing programmes. Zoos are the only institu-tions which are able to maintain such a lotof threatened species. The knowledgegained in these projects is very importantfor the conservation projects in the wilder-ness,” says Simone Haderthauer, zoologi-cal trustee at the Tiergarten.

www.zoovienna.at

Giant Panda. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Daniel Zupanc

Orang-Utans. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Norbert Potensky

Tuluba. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Daniel Zupanc

Main image: Kaiserpavillon. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Daniel Zupanc

Left: Rain Forest House. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Harald Eisenberger

Below: Seal feeding. ©Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Daniel Zupanc

48 | Issue 3 | May 2013

“In recent years the Hotel Eden Roc in As-cona has garnered numerous awards asSwitzerland’s best holiday hotel, withguests able to enjoy a slice of paradise allyear round between the fragrant Garden ofEden and the gently lapping waters of LakeMaggiore. Cuisine of the highest standard,an innovative approach to guest service, a

paradise of peace and quiet, a privatebathing area, a panoramic landing stage,”these are just a few of the highlights visitorscan expect when staying at the iconic EdenRoc hotel. Internationally renowned localinterior designer Carlo Rampazzi createdan ambience of Italian style with an eccen-tric twist. Bespoke contemporary furniture

pieces were blended with original wallpaintings and vintage marble laid floors tooffer a truly unique hospitality venue.

“The Hotel Eden Roc is located directly onthe shore of Lake Maggiore and offers am-ple gardens and terraces.All of our spaciousrooms and suites offer balconies to savour

Eden Roc Ascona– timeless elegance in a prime location

Hotelof the Month

Switzerland

As part of the Tschuggen Hotel Group, member of the Leading Hotels of the World, Virtuoso and Swiss DeluxeHotels, the Eden Roc five star superior hotel nestling by the shore of Lake Maggiore offers the ultimate in luxuryand style.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: URS HOMBERGER

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 49

the scenery and nature. The amazing viewof Lake Maggiore or the Ticino mountainsis only one of the specific characteristics ofour hotel. In addition the private beach, itsown marina and the various water sportsfacilities inspire guests of all ages, ”DanielSchälli, General Manager of the Eden Rochotel, says.

Once an idyllic fishing village on theNorth-ern shore of Lake Maggiore, Ascona soonbecame a hot spot for the artsy society andis today one of the most authentic places tovisit in the Ticino region of Switzerland.During the summer months Ascona hostsseveral music festivals as well as the worldfamous CSI Ascona horse trials.

Awards won by the Eden Roc Hotel arecountless and include GaultMillau's Hotelof theYear 2010, and the title Best HolidayHotel in Switzerland for the second year

running by the Swiss SonntagsZeitung in2012.

Three grand suites, 34 junior suites andsuites, 42 double rooms as well as 16 roomsin the Eden Roc Marina are all designed toimpress even the most discerning guests.Designs vary from eclectic Rampazzi styleto a classical and traditional ambience oreven a fresh maritime motto; nothing isleft to desire.

Bursting with taste are the freshly prepareddishes from the hotel’s restaurant kitchens.Three head chefs share an impressive 45GaultMillau points between them to guar-antee guests a culinary experience secondto none.Gourmets are spoilt for choice be-tween the refined La Brezza restaurant, theclassic Eden Roc venue and themore casualMarina restaurant, featuring 16, 15 and 14GaultMillaut points respectively. For a

lighter option guests may opt for La Cas-setta or the Eden Bar with its spectacularterrace overlooking the lake.

The impressive Spa complex, also designedby Rampazzi, was opened in 2010 and wonthe SENSES Award 2011 as the World'sBest Spa Resort in the Spa Design cate-gory. The Italian Class lifestyle magazinevoted the Eden Roc Spa at rank 9 in the listof the best spas in the world. 2,000 squaremetres feature indoor and outdoor swim-ming pools, a hydro-pool with eightwhirlpool recliners, sauna and steam roomsand even an ice-fountain.A high tech gymis available for the fitness savvy and for amore relaxing time a wide range of treat-ments may be enjoyed in one of the sevendedicated spa rooms. There is more on of-fer to have a good time with the Eden Rocfeaturing its own water ski school. Watersports are key and what is more stylish thanchartering a legendary Riva boat and cruis-ing the lake? For those who prefer turf tosurf no less than 18 golf courses nearby arewaiting to be played, and given the beautyof the town of Ascona, even sightseeing isa most interesting option to spend a lazysummer day.

For those not only visiting Ascona forleisure, the state-of-the-art conference cen-tre located in the Eden Roc Marina is theperfect place to get down to business inmost inspiring surroundings. No matter ifyou are planning a high profile offsite or aspecial event in a unique setting, the EdenRoc will certainly impress your guests.

Pressimage/TschuggenHotelGroup

Hotel of the Month | Switzerland

50 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 51

Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Hotel & Spa Resort Freund

Tucked away from the bustle of modernlife, the Hotel Freund lies in an unspoiltcorner of northern Hessen. Here, naturelovers can find the paradise of the Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee on the doorstep,offering endless possibilities for watersportsand outdoor activities. Just grab a speciallyprepared lunch package and maps fromthe hotel, put on your hiking boots and geton the trail which starts right behind thehouse. Sign posts will lead you through thefamous beech forest which is a part of the“Ancient Beech Forests of Germany”on theWorld Heritage List. More adventurouscharacters can climb the soft hills on one ofthe hotel-owned mountain bikes to be re-warded by an endless downhill rally into apicturesque valley.

What could be more exciting after an ex-hausting bike ride than to take the plungeinto the crystal clear waters of the Edersee?This huge artificial reservoir is a heaven forall watersports enthusiasts where they cansail, waterski, go fishing or diving or trytheir luck on the surf board.

Wellness at its best

After an active day out in the fresh air it istime to relax the tired muscles.The modern

Enjoy the great outdoorsand wellness in the heartof GermanyIn our busy times, peace of mind and true relaxation have become greatluxuries. At the award-winning 4 star superior Hotel and SPA ResortFreund, located at the Edersee (Lake Eder) you are guaranteed to unwindin idyllic surroundings, enjoying first class comfort and cuisine and

reviving the spirit with bespoke spa experiences. But be warned,once there, the kids will not want to leave.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEVI | PHOTOS: HOTEL AND SPA RESORT FREUNDHotelof the Month

Germany

52 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Spa at the Hotel Freund welcomes guestswith a lovely Mediterranean outdoor pool,an indoor pool and five different saunasfor every taste. Hubertus Trageser, manag-ing director at the resort, is particularlyproud of the Latvian sauna with the natu-ral stone cold pool. “Our log-cabin Latviansauna outside is very special. We went toLatvia to choose the trees for the construc-tion. Inside it is around 95°C, nice and hot.”Another option is the salt crystal sauna.At75°C it is less hot, but to breathe in thewarm, salty air is extremely healthy for yourrespiratory system. With the wellbeing oftheir guests in mind,HubertusTrageser andhis wife, Rosalinde Freund have created anamazing programme of treatments andmassages which can be booked at the ho-tel. Experienced and certified therapistscombineWestern methods with traditionalFar Eastern medicine to provide theirclients with the optimal care.

A family tradition of welcoming hospi-tality

Over the last four decades the Freund fam-ily developed the small guest house witheight beds, built in the 60s, into a modernand stylish spa resort.With great attentionto detail the 150 rooms recently underwenta two million Euro refurbishment to givethem a sophisticated and contemporarylook. Bright colours and floral designs cre-ate an uplifting, joyful atmosphere wheretravellers feel at home immediately. Thefree of chargeWLAN in every roommakeslife easy. Families will appreciate the spa-cious apartments with two separate ensuitebedrooms and flatscreen TV.

Three restaurants spoil guests with modern,international cuisine or regional cherisheddelicacies. The young chef who gained ex-perience at acclaimed houses before joiningthe Hotel Freund uses seasonal, locallysourced ingredients to present his deliciouscreations with a matching wine from theexclusive cellar. The restaurant “Waid-mannseck” (Hunter’s corner) offers thegems of the local traditional specialties.People travel far to try the well-known“Bürgermeisterstück” (Mayor’s piece), theslow-roasted beef with puree of asparagusand new potatoes.

Take your children and your horse

Children love to run wild in the surround-ing meadows and to explore the ancientforests. But the absolute highlight are thetwenty Finn horses at the hotel-owned sta-bles where riding lessons for every age andability can be booked in English. Because oftheir good-natured character and tolerance,Finn horses are ideal for families and be-ginners. They will not tire on long hacksthrough the beautiful countryside and willcarry you home safely. But if you do notwant to miss your four-legged friend duringthe holidays, the stable has nice boxes ready

for your own horse. For little childrenfriendly mini ponies, donkeys, rabbits andsheep are waiting at the petting zoo.

During the German holidays the hotel or-ganises a childrens’club with various activ-ities and fun games to keep the small onesentertained and give their parents a break.The big games room is a great option for abad weather day.

Breathing, movement, nature – get inbalance with yoga

The Hotel and SPA Resort Freund is veryproud to employ its own yoga teacher whogives lessons twice a day. Anton Kaschinregularly travels to India to improve hisyoga skills and is happy to tailor a pro-gramme to the individual needs of yogabeginners or advanced pupils.The positiveeffect on body and soul from a yoga retreatat the Hotel will still be felt when hecticeveryday life sets in again.

But it is not all about leisure and relaxing:the hotel’s perfectly equipped congresscentre is able to cater for up to 400 partici-pants. The location of the hotel in the heartof Germany makes it easy accessible fromall parts of the country.

“Variety instead of randomness and indi-viduality instead of anonymity.A good mixbetween grown values and modern designand comfort” is the leitmotif of the hotel.Their guests think that this is a successfulrecipe.Not surprisingly, they voted the Ho-tel and SPA Resort Freund on the HolidayCheck top hotel list in 2012.

www.hotelfreund.de

Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Hotel & Spa Resort Freund

It may seem a little early to think aboutChristmas, but the people of Bremen can’twait for the market season to start.The firstofficial Freimarkt fun fair was held in 1035,but the history of the event dates back tothe year 888 during the reign of King Ar-nulf.What started as a trading hub for mer-chants became one of Germany’s largestfun fair events and now attracts a whop-ping 4 million visitors every year. Over100,000 square metres at Bremen’s historicBürgerweide place more than 300 stalls andattractions will be established in order tooffer visitors a maximum level of fun andentertainment. Nadja Niestädt, PR

spokesperson for the ArbeitsgemeinschaftBremerMärkte, describes what attracts mil-lions of people each year to the event: “Amix of fun fair for the whole family plusBremen’s longest ’Bremen at night‘ party, aswell as the historic Freimarkt location rightnext to UNESCOWorld Heritage sites Bre-men town hall and the Roland statue.”Some stalls at the Freimarkt will be replicasof their original medieval predecessors,while other attractions include rollercoast-ers for the thrill seekers, raffles and ofcourse the typical German Bratwurst andbeer. Grimm’s fairy tale about the TownMusicians of Bremen will be performed on

site too. Butthe Freimarkt is

not the only highlightBremen is tempting its visitors with duringthe winter months. The annual ChristmasMarket attracts 1.5 million people andcomes in a most remarkable setting.“Theambience at the Christmas Market is ab-solutely unique.The beautiful village madeof artfully decorated stalls and attractionsoffers our visitors an amazing ramble ex-perience through Bremen’s historic citycentre,”Niestädt says. And for those whoplan a trip to Bremen, she reveals a little in-sider tip:“A visit to our markets can be per-fectly combined with a guided tour throughthe Beck’s beer brewery, because the worldfamous German beer is made in Bremen.”

www.freimarkt.dewww.bremer-weihnachtsmarkt.de

BremenFun at the Freimarkt & mulledwine at the Christmas MarketBetween 18 October and 3 November millions of visitors will be flocking towardsthe northern German Free Hanseatic City of Bremen to celebrate the city’s 978thFreimarkt fun fair followed by the great Christmas Market from 28 November to 23December 2013.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: ©BREMER FOTO SERVICE

Discover Germany | Feature | Freimarkt Bremen

FeatureFreimarkt Bremen

Hamburg has of course always had strongtrading connections with Britain and in 1948theAnglo-German Club was founded thereby the then High Commissioner of the

British military government with the inten-tion of helping heal the wounds of war andpromote good international relationships.“Itis the continent’s last British colony” is how

the club was described by a formermayor ofthe city and, housed in an elegant villa onthe leafy banks of the Alster river, the clubcontinues to provide a congenial venue for

54 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Anglo-German associationsbetween Hamburg and MunichUK exports to Germany were worth €€43.5bn in 2012, making it the UK’s second largest trading partner after theUS and these crucial economic ties are underpinned by a rich political and cultural heritage. We take a closer lookat a few of the associations that sprang up across Germany in the post-war years with the specific intention ofre-forging these links with Britain, breaking down stereotypes and helping to develop a united Europe.

TEXT: STEPHEN CLEMENTS | PHOTO: POLLAK JÜRGEN © DEUTSCHE ZENTRALE FÜR TOURISMUS E.V.

BusinessFeature

Hamburg at night

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 55

Discover Germany | Business Feature | Anglo-German Societies

German and British business people tocome together in the furtherance of theircommercial interests, as well as providingsupport for cultural interchanges and thefunding of academic scholarships in Ger-many and Britain. Hamburg also boasts aCaledonian Society, as does Bonn where, in1946, members of the British military es-tablished the club to celebrate Scottish tra-ditions and promote international relations.The society today continues the good workwith ceilidhs and a St Andrew’s night ballwhich raises money for Scottish and Ger-man children’s charities.

In the south of the country, the German-British Society, Munich, founded in the1950s seeks to encourage interchanges inthe areas of economics, science, politics andculture, through meetings, lectures and dis-cussions. Additionally,the Anglo-BavarianClub, Munich, set up inthe 1960s by a groupcomprising British andlocal business peopleand professionals, fo-cuses on social and com-mercial links betweenBavaria and the UK.

Berlin hosts the HQ ofthe Deutsch-BritischeGesellschaft (German British Society),started by German academics and profes-sionals in Düsseldorf in 1949, with the aimof restoring Germany to the ranks of theWestern democracies and it was facilitatedby the British Occupation Authorities whoprovided top level contacts in Britain. Thereare now 17 regional branches throughoutGermany which organize around 120events every year, the most significant be-ing the annual Königswinter Conference.

Held alternately in Germany and Britain,this forum for around 80 German andBritish business leaders, politicians, aca-demics, cultural figures and journalists haspreviously debated themes like interna-tional economic policy, security policy, Eu-ropean integration, and the Atlantic al-liance. High profile speakers have includedthe late Margaret Thatcher, in her final yearas British Prime Minister in 1990, the for-

mer German Chancellor Helmut Kohl andmore recently, in 2010, Vince Cable, the cur-rent British Secretary of State for Businessand President of the Board of Trade.

The influence and importance of the con-ference was highlighted by former FederalPresident Horst Köhler in his 2005 address,stating:

“Königswinter has become such a widely-recognised brand name for bilateral socialdialogue that you could almost have itpatented. The central task of the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft and the Königswin-ter Conference remains highly relevant: tobring two of Europe’s large nations evencloser together, and to promote the Ger-man-British relationship, also within theEuropean framework.”

This year the 63rd conference will takeplace from 30 May to 1 June at Neuhard-enberg Castle near Berlin under the rubric,“The Crisis of Europe’s Future: the ‘Königs-Winter’ of Our Discontent?” Participantswill be tackling three areas of topical eco-nomic, social and political concern:• Overcoming the economic and finan-

cial crisis:What strategies should Germany andBritain have?

• What kind of Europe do Germany andthe UK want?What are the implications for the futureof the EU of enhanced cooperation andopt-outs?

• Managing Europe in a multi-polarworld:Does the role of our countries in theworld depend on more political inte-gration of the EU? Or can our countriesgo it alone in the globalized world?

The fact that the genesis of the German-British Society was in a post war meeting todiscuss the works of Goethe and that theconference itself is named after the Rhinespa town where the first German-Englishtalks were held in 1950, points to earlier in-teractions of the two cultures which can beregarded as stepping stones towards thecurrent state of international relations.

Goethe’s work, for instance, was a seminalinfluence on the Romantic movement inart and literature and Königswinter, with itsfamous rock formation, the Drachenfelsand the Rhine valley were popularised inBritain by famouos Romantic artists such asthe poet Lord Byron and painters likeJ.M.W.Turner. Turner’s depictions of theRhine were exhibited in England to greatpublic acclaim while advances in print tech-

nology allowed early19th century entrepre-neurs to reproducelarge quantities ofsuch images, oftenprinted together inbooks that were eithersold or displayed tothe public, for a price,and so amass hugeprofits from the works.Some individuals werefurther enticed to visit

the Rhine valley, some even restoring orentirely rebuilding ruined fortresses alongthe river’s route, still to be seen by anyonevisiting there today.

The web of German British relationsstretches over the centuries and our con-temporary Anglo-German associations andsimilar institutions are clearly seeking toperpetuate and amplify this historical, cul-tural and economic interlacing of the twocountries. With burgeoning globalization,close friends and neighbours may be justwhat one needs to preserve the commercialand political advantage.

www.anglo-german-club.dewww.caledonian-society-bonn.dewww.britaininhamburg.dewww.dbg-munich.dewww.anglo-bavarian-club.dewww.debrige.de

"A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship."

John D. Rockefeller (1874-1960)

56 | Issue 3 | May 2013

British homes are absolutely gorgeous tolook at. Edwardian, Victorian, Queen Anneand Georgian styles are made of most im-pressive architecture and visitors from

abroad are always amazed by the sheerbeauty of the buildings. However, living ina historical building is not always the mostenergy efficient solution. Insufficient insu-

lation leads to soaring energy bills once thecold weather period starts. Modor & Part-ner help you to add value to your propertyand keep energy bills low.

German building quality made in London by Modor & Partner“We fulfil your dreams with German quality” – that is exactly what Modor & Partner promises its customers. Witha proven track record and a loyal customer base throughout London, this is the perfect partner to add value toyour home.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: SANNA HALMEKOSKI & THOMAS ERSKINE

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 57

Discover Germany | Business Feature | Modor Construction

A co-operation with Modor & Partner is avery personal experience. If you have a vi-sion of what your property should be trans-formed into, Modor & Partner will do theplanning for and with you. Once the cor-nerstones are set, construction starts andthe finished project is delivered just on timeand budget.

Services include project management, in-ternal and external painting and decorating,plastering and rendering, dry lining, brick-work, carpentry and joinery, wall and floortiling as well as plumbing. All works are car-ried out with great care and when Modor &Partner is finished, all traces of the buildingsite will be removed and clean grounds willbe left behind.

German born founder Jens Modor grew upin Germany and Hungary, where helearned the construction business from thevery beginning. He gained his skills thehard way and served years on building sitesafter going through a proper apprenticescheme, before he was finally awarded hisMeisterbrief, the certified national mastercraftsman diploma. Today he holds over 20years of industry expertise and has suc-cessfully operated in the Greater Londonarea since 2007 with his qualified team. Heis passionate about traditional British build-ings and loves to take on the challenge ofbringing these up to sophisticated modernstandards while keeping the historic fa-cades.

“Our ultimate goal is to make our clients’dreams a reality with high quality work-manship and at an affordable price. Ourcraftsmen in all areas of the building in-dustry have been training for many years toacquire their skills and knowledge and theyremain up to date with the latest technolo-gies and techniques in order work to a highEU standard,” Mr Modor describes thecompany philosophy.

The company offers comprehensive projectmanagement with free estimates and pro-vides customers with a full breakdown oncosts and technical specifications in order toenable their clients to opt for the right planfitting the budget.

But what makes Modor & Partner so spe-cial? “The German precision and qualitywe offer to our clients make us unique. Es-pecially our ever growing know-how aboutand use of new German and Europeanbuilding materials sets us apart from ourcompetitors,” Mr Modor explains.

Satisfied clients include the GermanCatholic Church in London at Aldgate,London’s Friedrich-Ebert foundation inWestminster and a large number of privateclients, who commissioned Modor & Part-ner for bathroom refurbishments, basementcreations, side and loft extensions and con-versions. A house specialty is the creation of

wheelchair friendly homes that complywith the Housing Corporation Design andQuality Standards.

Modor & Partner is dedicated to building asenergy efficient, eco-friendly and sustain-able as possible. The material utilised comesfrom leading suppliers such as Korff, Jack-odur, Linzmeier, Joco Klimaboden or Ytong.The Joco underfloor heating is a waterbased system, that runs from any centralheating. The system is extremely energy ef-ficient as pipes are bedded into thermal in-sulation slabs instead of concrete like othersystems. The padding is only 30mm thickand can be fitted on any type of substrate.For every project the local requirements arecarefully assessed by an engineer who thenplans the new heating system for theclient’s property. The Ytong Multipor Min-eral Insulation boards provide “tremendousadvantages” particularly for renovating oldbuildings. They are suitable for insulatingexterior walls on the inside without avapour barrier, making them ideal for sus-tained thermal renovation of old buildings.

Modor & Partner hold strong relationshipswith their supply partners to guarantee aseamless high quality work process. Part-ners include London-based Team 51.5° ar-chitects, Knauf Drywall manufacturers oflightweight building products and systems,the Heidelberg Cement group and Süd-west Lacke + Farben GmbH & Co. KGmanufacturer of colours.

After all it is all about the peace of mind forthe clients and Mr. Modor puts it in a nut-shell: “We pride ourselves in saving ourclients the time and hassle of organizing arenovation project, therefore we are here totake control from beginning to end.”

Property owners are very welcome to visitthe Modor & Partner shop and showroom,where the materials used are on displayand friendly staff is happy to explain thetechnologies used.

www.modor.co.uk

Far left: Mr ModorMiddle: Team of Modor & PartnerRight: Ytong Multipor. Press image

58 | Issue 3 | May 2013

“Once a week we go horse riding, that isreally fun. And the landscape is beautifulhere!” The four little girls are obviouslyvery excited about their life at the boardingschool Marienau, 80 km south-east fromHamburg. The country life is calm andpeaceful here, the hectic pace of our large

cities seems to be forgotten. The schoolwarmly welcomes the visitors with its 200acres of woodland, a pond, pastures, barns,and administrative and dormitory build-ings. “We live school” is the motto atMarienau which makes sure that everyoneof the 330 pupils feels comfortable and at

home in the school. Although most of thechildren here are from a German back-ground, the numbers of international stu-dents increased significantly over the lastyears. “We established an internationalteam this year to meet the needs of ourforeign students and to ensure that they

Boarding School Marienau First class education to embrace the world How would parents imagine the ideal school for their children? Small classes, enthusiastic teachers, a modernapproach and with outstanding sports facilities? Don’t look further, the coeducational day and boarding schoolMarienau, founded in 1923, combines excellent teaching with a holistic approach to develop a sense ofresponsibility, tolerance and social engagement in its students.


Issue 3 | May 2013 | 59

Discover Germany | Feature | Boarding School Marienau

are properly supported. We have pupilsfrom China, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan,”explains Rana Raslan-Alaoui, the head ofPR at Marienau.

Students whose mother tongue is not Ger-man receive additional one-to-one lessonsin German language from specially trainedteachers. As children learn languagesquickly, in a short time they are able to fol-low the main lessons in German.

Academic excellence at internationalstandard

In small classes with around 15 pupils thestudents are encouraged to take responsi-bility for their learning. Not a consumeristattitude, but rather an active engagementwith the subject is at the centre of the work.Methods of individualization, cooperativelearning and portfolio work make sure that

the talents and interests of every child arerecognised and supported. The teachers arecommitted to providing the children withan inspiring academic experience which ispupil-centred and stimulating.

Foreign languages are an important part ofGerman education, so every 5th graderstarts to learn English, and in year six hechooses either French, Spanish or Latin asa second language. Pupils with English asnative language function as coaches in theEnglish lessons and give vital support totheir class colleagues. In the upper gradesthe students specialise in the natural sci-ences, language studies, social studies orthe arts.

After year 12 the pupils graduate with theacademic level of the Abitur, the Germanhigh school graduation exam. It is compa-rable to the International Baccalaureate (IBDiploma) and allows the graduate to movedirectly to university.

Raising responsible and socially-en-gaged individuals

School Marienau stands in the tradition ofGerman progressive education. At its heartare democratic values as a vital guideline forthe upbringing of young people. Heike Elz,principal of Marienau, is proud of the tra-dition: “We aim to educate students to thinkand act independently, and to raise childrenin the spirit of solidarity and humanity, thatis, to help them become individuals whoare politically and socially engaged in theircommunity.”

In practise, this means that the studentsare directly involved in the decision makingprocess. In the school assembly, a kind ofschool parliament, students and staff areequally represented. Here, they learn howto convince with thought-through reason-ing. Social skills and responsibility are de-veloped by mentoring younger children,caring for the school ponies or laying thetables at dinner time.

Since 2003, Marienau is a UNESCO projectschool and focuses on international under-standing, intercultural dialogue and sus-tainable development. Annual exchange

programmes with schools in different re-gions of the world and extended staysabroad foster intercultural learning and areone of the school’s responses to globaliza-tion.

Learning with head, heart and hand

“It is so cool that we can do archery hereand lots of different activities. We do nothave to learn all the time,” says the boywith a big smile on his face. Obviously, theholistic approach to develop the whole per-sonality is highly appreciated by the pupils.Extracurricular activities are seen as ex-tremely important in Marienau. Especiallythe participation in theatre workshops andmusicals is taken very seriously as it helpsto improve self confidence and presentationskills. Music and art and crafts in theschool-owned workshop are an essentialpart of the education at Marienau.

Another focus area is sports. A wide varietyof clubs and programmes is available. Mar-tial arts like Aikido have their place along-side archery, badminton, tennis, gymnasticsor dance. The campus includes a tenniscourt and a modern athletic field equippedfor team sports like soccer, basketball andhockey, as well as the whole range of trackand field activities. The school’s golf teach-ers take their students to the nearby golfcourse every week to prepare them to par-ticipate in tournaments.

www.marienau.com

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2_0_DiscoverGermany_Freelance_Ad_1-4p:Layout 1 5/4/13 18:37 Page 1

Issue 3 | May 2013 | 61

Discover Germany | Culture | Barbara Geier

As always with clichés, it’s a mixed bag.There wouldn’t be a stereotype in the firstplace if there hadn’t at some point been ajustification for inventing it, right? On theother hand, you can’t put a whole group ofpeople in one big bag, tie it up and put a la-bel on it. However, let’s have a closer lookat some of the things that Germans thinkabout other Germans.

People from Hamburg, as a prototype fornortherners, are reserved, introvert, maybea bit arrogant and nose-in-the-air. Funnilyenough, they’re also always said to be themost British in Germany. Hamburg cer-tainly has a bit of a soft spot for all thingsBritish or rather, what is conceived to beBritish. There’s a Polo Club, an Anglo-Ger-man club and you definitely won’t have aproblem finding some typical British attire(Barbour jackets, anyone?). From my per-sonal experience and as someone from thesouthwest of Germany who’d obviously bemore than happy to believe that the north-erners are all stuck-up, my encounters withHamburgers and the like were mostly allrefreshingly pleasant. Good sense of hu-mour, nicely on the dry side, down-to-earthpeople.

As for Berliners being rude, well, let’s putthis down to the famous Berliner Schnauze,literally ‘Berlin gob’. They just like to say it asit is. Straightforward, very direct, and some-times, well yes, maybe that can come acrossas a bit harsh. From my personal experience

with Berliners they also have a certain wayof, how should I put it, not engaging if theydon’t want to. A little story to illustrate whatI mean: a friend of mine once got in a cabin Berlin asking to be taken to a certain ho-tel and the cab driver just couldn’t be both-ered apparently and told him “Sorry, thishotel doesn’t exist.” – “Well, but I’ve been inthe past, more than once. So, could youplease …?” – “No, there’s no hotel of thatname.” Or as many Germans would say:only in Berlin. If the Berliner doesn’t want to,he doesn’t want to. End of.

When it comes to the Swabians, I can’t re-ally comment on their alleged stinginess.(I’d rather say in general that Germans arefairly sensible when it comes to money andlike to have savings.) What I can say, how-ever, after having spent two years workingin Stuttgart is that they’re without doubtthe most orderly, in particular when itcomes to things like rubbish, recycling andcleaning the communal parts of apartmentbuildings. Let me just mention one word inthis context: Kehrwoche (the week whensomeone has the duty to clean the com-munal areas). It doesn’t get more Swabian. Me, I’m from the Palatinate region in theRhineland-Palatinate, and I’d say we’refairly easy-going people, influenced by ourproximity to France, our wine and ourpleasant climate. And not surprisingly,we’ve got our very own local stereotypes,about our next door neighbours in the Saar-land, Germany’s smallest federal state. We

like to look down on them as the ‘little ones’who don’t really know what’s going on andspeak a very funny dialect. But then again,I’m sure there’s a region somewhere inGermany which thinks exactly the sameabout the area where I come from.

Regional Differences Of GermansFrom the Hamburg Brit to the Berlin gobPeople in the north are all reserved, the typical Rheinländer (i.e. someone from Cologne) is forever in a goodmood, Berliners are famously rude, Swabians (whose home is partly in Baden-Württemberg and partly in Bavaria),are super stingy and Bavarians think they’re better than the rest. There are lots of regional stereotypes withinGermany. But are they true?

TEXT: BARBARA GEIER

Barbara Geier is a London-basedfreelance writer, translator andcommunications consultant. Her take onthe new UK-Germany romance wasoriginally written as a blog forwww.germanyiswunderbar.com, a Germantravel and tourism guide and blog that wasset up together with UK travel writer AndrewEames in 2010.

62 | Issue 3 | May 2013

Dortmund came through to the final afterwinning their group which included Man-chester City, Real Madrid and Ajax Ams-terdam; Dortmund struggled in their suc-cessive matches with close aggregate wins.Bayern dominated the tournament, im-proving throughout and increasing theirwinning margins constantly, only reallychallenged by Arsenal, which lost on awaygoals to Bayern Munich.Dortmund and Bayern have been dom-

inating the German League over the lasttwo years and this year’s ChampionsLeague edition sees this rivalry culminate ina final on the European stage. Last yearDortmund won the German League andthe German Cup ahead of Bayern Munich.This year Bayern Munich has won the Ger-man league breaking several records. In theGerman Cup Dortmund beat Bayern in last

year’s final 5-2 and this year lost to Bayernin Munich 1-0 in the quarter finals.Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund

is also a clash between two teams who havebuilt squads with very different budgets.According to the Guardian newspaper Bay-ern Munich has spent over £168 millionover the past four years in the transfer mar-ket strengthening its squad, whereas Dort-mund has relied on much home-grown tal-ent, selling off players accordingly.Although Bayern Munich has much home-grown talent in world-class players, such asBastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muellerand Philip Lahm, Dortmund has relied al-most solely on this model, producing play-ers such as the incredibly talented and cov-eted 20 year old Mario Goetze. BayernMunich signed Mario Goetze for £31.7 mil-lion – a record sum to be paid for a German

player – in April, which was considered bymany as tasteless timing. This year’s tournament final will be

staged at London’s Wembley Stadium, of-ten referred to by Germans as the “heiligeRasen”, the holy grass, referring to the Ger-man national team’s successful campaignsin Wembley, last as winners in the 1996UEFA Euro tournament. The 86,000 seatstadium is set to host the ChampionsLeague Final for a record seventh time inwhat is much heralded to be the mostamazing German sports festival of the year.The onslaught of German football fans isgoing to be massive, with an expected500,000 expected to travel to London.The winner of this final will be German

football as a whole as arguably thestrongest sides have emerged to play outthis Champions League Final edition.

First All-German European ChampionsLeague Final at Wembley Stadium

The 2012-2013 Champions League season will see a first ever All-German Final on25 May in sport’s most rewarding European team tournament. Bayern Munich andBorussia Dortmund have played extraordinary football in this year’s ChampionsLeague, sparking a debate about whether German football is back at the top ofEuropean football.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES Wembley Stadium

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FRANKA POTENTE– Bit by the TV Bug

VISIT BERLIN– A Capital in Step with the Times

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