This was our second trip to Germany. This no-nonsense, lean-mean-business-machine country is as modern as it is traditional. You can experience all the cultural clichés you want, from enjoying strudel at the bakery, to shopping for a cuckoo clock, to chugging a stein of beer while men in lederhosen play oompah music.
Germany is a country of paradoxes. From modern skyscrapers to medieval castles, speedy autobahns to meandering back roads, Nouveau German cuisine to old-fashioned Wurst, Germany truly offers something for everyone. Our first stop in Germany this time was Cologne, a small city with the most iconic Cathedral in Europe.
The Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO heritage site. The construction of this Cathedral was started in 1248, and it took centuries to complete. The gothic architecture and sky-high spires are a breathtaking sight. The inside of Cologne Cathedral houses some of the invaluable treasures of art and sculpture.
The main railway station of Cologne is just a little away from the Cathedral and you also get a chance to shop in the duty-free shop while waiting for your train. One of the great experiences in Germany is the Rhine river cruise. Jostling through crowds of tourists in the Rhine River village of Boppard, we climbed to the sun deck of the ferry and grabbed our chairs.
Within minutes the gangplank is dragged in and the river pulls us away. On the romantic Rhine River gorge, cafés at castles offer grand views of busy river traffic. We are kind of captivated by the Rhine. There’s a rhythm to the mighty river that merges with its environment, this is the Romantic Rhine, and the best way to see it is to cruise it.
Next, we rode to the Cuckoo Clock Palacein Triberg. At the Cuckoo Palace, you find original Black Forest clocks from the most renowned producers in the region. The shop makes it possible for you to buy these German artisanal products quite conveniently. The process includes quality controls and secure packaging of all products, as well as qualified answers to any questions you may have.
After that, our last stop in Germany was the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen. Every year, more than 1 million visitors enjoy the magnificent natural spectacle offered by the Rhine Falls. Depending on the time of the year, between 250 and 600 m3 of water per second plummet to the depths. Visitors can walk around the basin, cross the bridge above the Rhine Falls to Castle Laufen on the other side and proceed from there to the ‘Känzeli’ observation platform, a most spectacular viewpoint built directly beside the water.
Various boat trips downstream of the Falls with a duration of 10 to 40 minutes are also available. Some of these include disembarkation at the Rheinfallfelsen, a large rock. We did a 40 minutes boat trip. Love these Photographs, moments frozen in time!
-Travel experience shared by, Ruchi Jain
