Many northern Germans will be pleased that, unlike many other expats, you presented northern Germany in more detail during your trip. I also learned something as a local.
Awe that's really kind. We saw SO many great things in the area, it was kind of difficult to put it all together in a single video. But we loved our time there and hope to come back soon.
Next time you travel to northern germany, I can recommend visiting Lübeck with its rich medieval merchant history as capital of the Hanseatic League. Also, its whole city center is a UNESCO world heritage site.
I´m a dutch citizen, worked in southern Baden Wurttemberg for 1.5 years in the Staufen area, moved back to the Netherlands for about 13 years, then moved to the Aachen region for 2.5 years and finally moved to northern Germany, Still have a couple of years to go before I will get my pension i'm sure I'll stay here until I die, love this place, love the simplicity-
As a North German, I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay in North Germany. Maybe you can also give other (former) Americans living in Germany a tip that Germany does not only and not exclusively consist of the federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg 😅
I mean boring provincial Bavaria and Bawü are not really the place to be for young expats and I say this as someone who grew up there. I think the bulk of them live in Berlin. There's so many of them sometimes it feels like English is the 2nd official language here since all the non-Anglo expats also communicate in English for the most part.
I would recommend the "Ostfriesischen Inseln" for a trip. There is a different vibe to the Nordsee Küste (north sea coast) - because there is a tide, some time you have water or watt. And in the islands there is a bit sand beach. When you're child is older i would recommend a bicycle tour in the "Alten Land" - north of Hamburg: canals, apple plantages and old farm houses - a little bit of a Dutch vibe. At the "Ostsee Küste" i would also recommend the islands - Hiddensee for small children, without any traffic and long sand beaches (and very shallow water at first). Rügen, Darß and Usedom are also really nice - they have more small, a little bit tourist city's, where there is always something to do. But also nice nature of the beaten paths. Stralsund is a good starting point and has many interesting museums. And if you got the money - you can rent a private sailing tour at almost any harbor.
I lived from the end of 1933 until end of June 1957 in Germany and had the experience of world war 2 in Germany. From fall of 1946 to middle of 1957 I lived in Hamburg, thereafter I moved to the USA, but I visited Germany frequently to visit my friends and relatives. I was born in Schlesien.
if you ever come back to the north, I can highly recommend the Museumsdorf Cloppenburg. It's an openair museum that has quite a number of traditional buildings from all over northern germany, and showcases what life in rural northern germany was "back then". So if you are interested in architecture and what life for your ancestors must have been like, that Museumsdorf is the place to go.
And if you come more north to Schleswig-Holstein you can visit Molfsee Freilichtmuseum which is a collection of historical houses which can be visited from inside and outside...
@@LaureninGermany From Föhr this can only be very small amount of houses or even only one house? I don't know that place. Molfsee is the biggest Place I know with lots and lots oft Houses which are all collected in original from various places out of the north and where you can see the inside of most of them.
@@DeCSSData there is a kind of Museumgarten with some buildings and the oldest house on Föhr, one of the oldest in North Germany on it. I have made a video, if you would like to see. (There are two, it’s the one with the picture of the cottage on it.
This is such a pleasant surprise to see American expats exploring the Northern part of Germany, even some rural areas. I was born and raised in East Frisia. And the saying is true: "There's no place like home.".
@@greenknitter In their bio they use the word expats. Even if they're decided to make Germany their home they are still U.S. citizens living abroad for the time being.
Aye. Ich bin zwischen Oldenburg (Geburtsort) und Hamburg hin und her gerissen. Hamburg ist und bleibt die schönste Stadt der Welt aber wie du es sagtest, there is no place like home
My husband and I spent 7 weeks in Europe this summer, starting with 2 weeks in western Norway. On to a week in Hamburg, seeing all that you visited and more, being with family. On to Duesseldorf and down to the Blackforest. Then to Italy, ending in Oberamagau for the Passion Play.
For sure, the northern parts of Germany are massively underrated! Especially the north-eastern parts like Mecklenburg with the Mecklenburger Seenplatte, a vast arrange of lakes, ponds and seas, all connected through rivers or canals. The island of Rügen and the peninsula of Usedom are well known and very touristy in summer. But even the middle part of Germany, the Harz region with some UNECSO World-Heritages like Quedlinburg, Goslar, northern Thuringia with the Erfurt flats and Weimar. The cities of Osnabrück and Münster (Treaty of Westphalia). All in all the northern parts of Germany is so varied from the coastal regions to the midgerman low mountain ranges that you need more than a lifetime to visit only the main attractions. If you like very good wine from the Pfalz region, try to visit the Winery Bäder in the town of Wendelsheim. My plans for vacation this summer: 10 days by car in the Provence and Côte d'Azure.
Back in the late 90's cars were still allowed in the old tunnel and I drove though several times. I remember my Saab 900 barely fitting in between the curbs, so in theory I could let go of the wheel in there. This tunnel was designed with horse carriages in mind.
For me the most underrated city in Germany is Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Not only that it has the most stunning Landtag, situated in a lovely castle on an Island, its fresh atmosphere and beautiful most newly renovated streets, houses and places make you feel fresh yourself. It is surrounded from lakes, old forests, beautiful little villages and alleys, and the shore of the baltic see ist not more than about 25km away. Was there recently for the first time and so surprised from its beauty.
OMG… love this! As a fellow East Frisian/German-American… thank you!! I have been visiting East Frisia/Ostfreesland/Ostfriesland for years, have relatives and friends there, have brought my kids there (and to Bremen and Hamburg). Thank you for covering some Northern German areas. Incidentally I speak East Frisian Low German in addition to German. This is great to see someone covering East Frisia. My wife (who sadly passed away a few years ago) also has relatives there whom I know. I plan to move there in a few years when my youngest is in or out of college. For now, I travel to Germany 2 or 3 times a year. I have traveled extensively in Northern Germany and would love to share some of my experiences with you! I am loving your videos!! Congrats on the house!!
How could I miss this?! You passed my hometown...you passed the apple plantations and they look so beautiful in the sunlight. I really enjoyed this video. "Finally" someone from the south of Germany saw how wonderful the northern part can be and enjoyed it. Thank you! 🍎
I think one of the most interesting things about Germany is, that there are so many different styles and traditions within a rather small area. Most of the traditions will probably be best preserved in the rural regions, while the architecture is also found in the old cities. So, if you want to explore all that Germany can offer to this respect, you will never run out of places to visit :)
For a really secret tip (as in most Germans don't even know it), I recommend Ostwestfalen, especially Lippe. My wife calls it "postcard Germany". The old capital of the pricipality of Lippe is Detmold, a very nice old town. They have a massive open-air museum with old houses from all over Westfalen that were disasembled at their original location and then put back together at the site if the museum. The Hermannsdenkmal is next to Detmold, as are the Externsteine. Lemgo is another nice old town, actually one of the first old city-centres in Germany where they put a heavy emphasis on historic restoration, instead of just pulling down the old buildings. They have a museum dedicated to a local artist who was a tad bit mad (the Junkerhaus). There are several spa towns around. The town of Lage has a museum about brickmaking that puts a heavy focus on the lippish brickmakers, migratory workers who wandered as far as the Netherlands to ply their trade, as late as the early 20th century (Lippe used to be very poor). You can take a day-trip to the city that does not exist (Bielefeld). Or to Hameln (the town of the pied piper) and Bodenwerder (the home of Baron von Münchhausen). And there is a lot of pleasant hiking that can be done, especially on the Teutoburger Wald. The best time to go is in late May/early June, when the rapeseed is in bloom. The scenery might not be particularly spectacular, but it is very pleasant. Rolling hills, small forests, fields. While there is public transport, a car might come in handy.
Absolutely. And if you are there, you might also visit Paderborn with it‘s cathedral and the shortest river in Germany (unfortunately, the park where the source was located, was destroyed in the recent Tornado, so it is not as beautiful as it used to be). Paderborn also has the biggest computer museum in the world which does not only cover modern IT, but all aspects of information processing starting with the first writing systems.
As living in Detmold, I suggest to borrow an E-Bike at the railway station and explore Lippe (which is not Ostwestfalen!) by bicycle. Ditch the car; you wouldn't see half of the interesting things you could. Also, there are some bicycle paths around here, so it's okay to cycle.
@@TypeAshtonanother quote different town: Celle. Oldest building 14xx and one of the largest ensemble of half timbered house you can find, and there is a small palace as well...
Nice, thanks for taking us along. Always a pleasure. We have cultural differnces in the same area a lot. Back in the day, Germany was a mess of hundreds little kingdoms, dukedoms and free citys. You drive two hours in the US and not much has changed, probably. You drive two hours here and the dialect changes twice and potato bread has a different name now. 😄
On the way from the Black Forest to the north, there is the Harz Mountains in southern Lower Saxony. Here you will find beautiful towns and villages. Some of them are over 1000 years old. Historic places like Göttingen, Einbeck, from there comes the first Bock beer ( Einpöckisch beer) Goslar with the imperial palace and many other historic sites. For those interested in technology, the Technical University ( Formerly Mining Academy) Clausthal-Zellerfeld and the mining museums in the Harz Mountains. The Harz " Water Regal" for the disposal of mine water, or for the operation of the water art underground.
Oh yes, I second that! If you go to the Harz, you must also go to see Quedlinburg, a city with a very large number of timber-framed houses and a rich history starting in the early 10th century. It is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage.
originally from ostfriesland (Aurich). Now living in Arizona. Glad you liked your visit that much. When have a chance do a wattwanderung to one of the islands. it's a fun exp for family
I have lived in Hamburg for many years and love it here. There's still so much for you to experience... The Treppenviertel is great, Altona/Ottensen is a great, lively and at the same time cosy place. Of course the Alster, in summer by boat... And: I was born and grew up in Bremen and have of course often been to the Schnoor. I've never seen it so empty there ;-)
You definitely have a special style of making travel-video's, focussing on the experience and less on the "look at this or that". I loved the video! Please make more of them in future. You've had a wonderful time there and it shows.
Thank you, this means a lot to us! We certainly enjoy our 'sit down' fact based videos, but we love traveling. We will continue with a mix of both and try to continue a more 'unique' way to handle the travel videos.
I served in the US Army and I was stationed near Bremen for 27 months. I took the train into Bremen many times and so I got to know the area around the Hauptbahnhof. So I have a special interest in this video. Thanks!
Just saw the thumbnail and was like "hold up, that can't be Bagband's old windhill, right?" then i watched the video and you totally visited Bagband & (Ost-)Großefehn, so it really is THE windmill, how small the world is! Follow citizen from Aurich.
Lübeck is a definite must. A lovely town with a lot of restored half-timbered houses is Stade, down the river from Hamburg. A similarly restored city is Einbeck in the Harz Mountains. My summer plans are for a long weekend and two performances in Bayreuth and 10 days in London at the end of August (the Proms). I may possibly take side trips to Salisbury and Oxford. We‘ll see.
@@TypeAshton Living in Hamburg, I really like Lübeck but if I had to choose between Lübeck and Stade, I'd always choose Stade. It's a lot less "touristy", and you can experience how a German city looked like 500 years ago.
I highly recommend a trip to Rügen or to Fischland 😊 Beautiful architecture and nature, lots of family friendly beaches as well as some awesome bike trails!
There are actually still alot of reed roofs in northern Germany. You will normally change the whole thatching every other decade. It is becoming more popular again because it uses reusable and regrowable materials
Northern Germany offers several great sites and historic towns such as Goslar, Göttingen, & Celle (which was avoided during the war due to British monarchy). And if you only visit one castle in Germany, it should be Burg Eltz over the Mosel near Koblenz. The Ahrtal is also a hidden gem for Spätburgunder wine, just north of Koblenz where the Ahr flows into the Rhein at Remagen.
Saying that Göttingen is part of Northern Germany is just wrong. It lines up with Dortmund. Even Hannover is a stretch considering that parts of Berlin are located further north and when has Berlin ever been called a northern German city?
That was probably one of the most atypical travel documentaries I've seen. Lots of new "things" from a whole new perspective. Many thanks from someone who was born in Bremen. 👍
In 1980 I was stationed in Bremen for three months for non-commissioned officer training. An instructor showed us the sights of the city. At that time I was also in Bremerhaven and learned a lot about the emigrants. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Bremen since that time. But I will change that. Thank you for your wonderful RUclips channel.
Man, I am having some serious emotions watching this. My wife and I were supposed to go to Hamburg this summer but couldn't since we got pretty sick just a week before our flight. Hoping to finally go next year!
Especially when I see your Air BnB I have to recommend to you "Museumsdorf Cloppenburg". It's an complete northern german historic village basically showing how it was to live here during the time your ancestors left. All original houses that were transported there, 100% authentic, furnished like back in the day, with all the old "smells" and wonderfully explained. I know Cloppenburg isn't in Ostfriesland directly, but it's quite similar and they also have houses in that village that originally stood in Ostfriesland. Museumsdorf Cloppenburg is mind-blowing, you gotta visit it some day. By the way, great video :)
Oh that sounds really, really cool! Sounds a lot like the Black Forest Open Air Museum. We plan on visiting it some day when Jack is old enough to participate in some of the kids activities. I think they even let the little ones participate in trades, crafts and cooking, if I'm not mistaken.
@@TypeAshton Wenn Ihr wirklich nach Cloppenburg kommt, dann seit Ihr hiermit recht herzlich auf einen Kaffee eingeladen, kurz vorher eine Mail schreiben.
Thank you for the nice video 👍🙂 my favorite in northern Germany is Lübeck with the biggest amount of beautiful houses with lovely facades 🙂 my plans for this summer is southern Germany, Regensburg and Passau 🤗
I really love the honest enthusiasm and joy the two of you always display! Greetings from Bremen - happy to see that you enjoyed your time with us here on the river Weser…😊
Thank you for my Sunday treat , Ashton and Jonathan, accompanied by my first mug of tea your beautiful and interesting videos are normally the first thing I enjoy on a Sunday. I love how you guys often go off the beaten path to experience awesome things like in this case the Krypta underneath the Michel or the old Elbtunnel. I remember driving through the old tunnel with my parents when I was a child . I participated in a couple concerts in the Michel as member of a choir but I didn't even know about the Krypt - living only 63 km from Hamburg in Lübeck. The Schnoor in Bremen looks quite similar to the Altstadt of Lübeck but that is not surprising because both cities belong to the old 'Hanse', a medieval guild of merchants, so that the towns their sea trade was situated at prospered more or less around the same time in history. Your B&B must have been the home of a rich farmer. Back then they had their living space and stables in the same building to keep each other warm and from the size of that game room the farmer must have owned quite a lot of cattle. Have you wondered why the Alkoven beds are so short ? Well, not only were people shorter back then but they also slept almost sitting upright. You will find the same kind of interior 'design' in houses on the Frisian islands when you come back. I have no plans for the summer other than enjoy the good weather and maybe jump in one of the small lakes in my area because I live where people travel to spend their vacation on the Baltic Sea and the 'Ostseebäder' ( resorts along the Baltic Sea) will be packed soon. That's one of the advantages of being retired, you don't have to travel when everybody else does. My daughter and her family who live in northern Norway will travel to Portugal though after living through 8 months of snow.
Stimmt, ich habe gehört dass die Menschen nicht liegend schlafen wollten, da nur die Toten flach auf dem Bett oder Boden lagen. Um nicht "aus Versehen" im Schlaf zu sterben, schliefen sie lieber sitzend... ( so ungefähr muss das gewesen sein...)
Lübeck is absolutely wonderful and you are so right about the similarities. Yet, Lübeck is still unique and unmistakable… I fell in love with it at first sight.
As always, thank you for the nice comment. 😊😊 We had no idea why the beds were so short, we just assumed they were rooms for children to sleep in. Super interesting though, thank you for sharing! Lübeck has been recommended by so many people in the comments of this video, clearly we need to get up there as soon as possible. Enjoy your time at the lakes!
Your dedication to science - and sacrifice in the name of human knowledge - is truly touching! :) PS. Jack seems to have the profound knowledge of what a select winery should include!
This year we're heading to the Netherlands island of Texel. It's the furthest southwest island of the West Frisian Islands just outside the IJsselmeer. It has beautiful dunes and sandy beaches, with the North Sea side of the island mostly forested. It's a very peaceful place very popular for weekenders from Amsterdam, and it's not too far from Aachen where we live. Most of our vacations over the past ten years or so have been along the Baltic Sea coast east of Kiel. Usedom, Sellin on the island of Rügen, Kühlungsborn (just NW of Rostock), Boltenhagen (between Wismar and Lübeck), and Pelzerhaken (near Neustadt). On the North Sea side I'd also recommend visiting Bremerhaven. It's especially interesting in the city center where you have the main shopping street on one side and the Museumhafen on the other side. The Museumhafen side is especially interesting with a great, immersive museum to German immigration (over 7 million Germans immigrated to the U.S. from Bremerhaven), the German Maritime Museum, the Climate House, and more. In Bremerhaven's Fischereihafen are many nice boutiques, shops, and restaurants including Natush (www.natusch.de/) which is felt by many to be German's premier seafood restaurant. (Edit: The link works, but once you're there you'll see an error code at the bottom of the page. Just click on the Natush symbol at the top of the page to get to their full website.) There are many beautiful vacation opportunities in North Germany.
Your video motivates me to have a look into our old family photo albums. I will search for a picture of our family, sitting in our car in the elevator or inside the old Elbtunnel. The tunnel was a standard traffic possibility for cars in that old days.
It nice following your channel since you are from Missouri and I am in Kansas close to the Missouri border. I have been trying to learn about Germany 🇩🇪 and you said you were living near Forbach Germany. If you happen to ever get a Newspaper from Forbach Germany I would gladly pay you for it. I enjoyed this video about the tunnel that was cool. Thanks, Lawrence Forbach
about the architecture similaraties between bremen brussel and so on is connect to a common history....during time of hanse...if you have one day the mood to visite estonia you will be surprised when you see tallin....it looks like a tiny bremen
So nice to see that you visited Ostfriesland. If you come up here again you definitely have to visit the islands, I would recommend Norderney. Greetings from Emden in East Frisia 🙃
Very nice video. When I was a child, my father took the ELBE TUNNEL with our car. Is was very cool and a little scary for me back then.... I grew up in Blankenese (a part of Hamburg). Hummel, Hummel Thanks for the memories.
Good morning ☀️ I think it's so beautiful and I'm so happy that you set out to discover northern Germany, to find parts of your family there and then to spend time there. The northern federal states of Schleswig Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have so much to offer, there are many beautiful places to discover. There is a very beautiful nature and quite a different attitude to life than in the south. On trips like this, you realize how different Germany can actually be. Have wonderful Sunday and nice week ☺️
Our trip up north has shown us the diversity of Germany. We hope to do more trips like this to continue to learn more and help create content to teach others. Maybe some Americans will see and know there's more than just Munich.
Since you mentioned the UNESCO World heritage in Bremen and have a special appreciation for all things architecture, you might want to check out one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage sites by area in Quedlinburg in the Harz region for one of your next trips north.
You should definetly consider visiting the Baltic sea. I can highly recommend Warnemünde or one of the beautiful Islands. I would recommend Rügen and Usedom 😊👍🏼
If you visit Rostock/Warnemünde and want a less touristy beach take the little ferry over to Hohe Düne. Also try the Mollie Bäderbahn from Bad Doberan to Kühlungsborn.
Northern Germany is an underestimated gem of tourism. And Bremen is in a central location for exploration and is ideal as a starting point. Bremen is about an hour away from other interesting sights in each direction due to the Bremer Kreuz in the east-west axis. In the west towards Friesland and the Netherlands, towards the east Hanover and the Harz Mountains. The northern direction is Hamburg and the coast can be reached in an hour, and to the south you are in the peace city of Osnabrück and in the excavation site of the Varus Battle, surrounded by the neighing mountains and the Teutoburg Forest. I can only recommend all the places.
You have had a good journey. I likeNorth Getmany too. Totally different e.g. to Bavarian area, the mountains. By the way - Please always hold wine glasses by the stem.
We do not have summer plans so far, but in case you come back to the north. There are some recommendations to dive into the other 2 parts of North Germany. In particular: - Helgoland - Amrum - Lübeck (at least for the Marzipan, but also for the city center) It is also a Hanse-Stadt, like Bremen and Hamburg, but much smaller. - Flensburg - Kiel for a rougher touch at the sea - Rügen, the biggest German Island, located in the Baltic Sea - Bad Doberan, Kühlungsborn and the Molli train - also many smaller places along the coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Also, when you leave Ostfriesland, you may visit Dangast for some rhubarb cake.
Thatched roofs normally need to be replaced every 50 years roundabout. This means the house has had its roof replaced a lot over time. Yet, it's still the same technique, so it's just as much an original as the first one put up.
Have you been up the to Ostseekueste yet? That is a very clean and charming area. Hansestadt Wismar is a small city that was part of the Hanseatic League back in the day and its Wasserturm in the old city center has UNESCO World Heritage status. Rostock is nice too and Schwerin has the very special Schweriner Schloss. I also suggest checking out Stralsund for its historic architecture and Insel Ruegen is gorgeous too. Check out Binz with its lovely promenade and Jasmund National Park for its beautiful forests snd chalk cliffs. Happy Traveling!
Maybe you also want to visit the Ostsee coast of Germany ( Mecklenburg Vorpommern) including the islands of Usedom and Rügen, its where a lot of people spend their summer holidays
Wieder ein ganz wunderbar präsentiertes Video! 👏🏻 Wir werden unseren Urlaub auf Fehmarn 🏖 in einer Ferienwohnung verbringen und die Fahrräder mitnehmen. 🚲
Thanks for the video. Unfortunately, the reports are mainly about the south of Germany. But ALL of Germany is interesting and worth seeing. No matter whether it's north, south, east or west. The architecture is also fantastic in each area.
Meine Kindheit ist wieder da, Aurich, Leer, Emden, Ostfriesland, Oldenburg Ammerland, Papenburg Emsland, Bremerhavn, Niedersachsen... Btremen!! ♥♥♥ Best greetings from Hamburg ^^°^^
My mom was born in Reepsholt, Friedeburg. My Opa and Oma had a bakery. She said their house had a thatched roof and when she was a very little it caught fire.
That AirBnb was really nice, good choice! The fact that germany unified so late (1871) has a lot to do with how different cities or regions can be so different (or the other way around similar with regions in neighbouring countries) even if they are pretty close by. Of course WW2 also has a lot to do with how cities have developed (sadly). I mean the mix of modern and old can be very nice but when I see old footage before the war I always wonder how amazing it would look today. Im pretty sure that the "rush" to rebuild this country really made a lot of cities look much more similar as it would be otherwise! I enjoyed this video! Thumbs up and greetings!
Thanks for the excellent video again! As I wrote previously, I was born in Bremen, and my ancestors were pastors at the very churches around the marketplace. I am glad all of you enjoyed your north-German experience, and I am sure you already were told that the "Lüs" should be next (Lüneburg, Lüneburger Heide, Lübeck). And yes, early Sunday mornings are indeed special, be it in Freiburg or Bremen or any other historic place -- let's all appreciate Jack's unmissable contribution to your trip as well as to your beautiful videos!
*Bremen* , including its immediate surroundings, is the place where the best and most melodious German is spoken; which is the reason why international corporations like British Airways operate call centers for their German-speaking customers in or near the city.
Just some kilometers up north you could have visited Luebeck with it's Holstentor and great churches. Not to forget the Marzipan and rounding the city by boat.
For me, as an german, you already showed me alot of places in germany, that i did not know yet. Even in locations, i visited often. Please proceed with filling my bucket list places to visit in germany. Thanks alot for your great and informal videos. This year, we visited pfälzer Wald during Pfingsten. Will go to Sizilien summer, and Hamburg autum.
Great comment, but Sicily in summer and Hamburg in fall - the former may be too hot and the latter too cold - why not the other way around? Sicily will still be warm in fall.
Ich würde dir Hamburg nicht im Herbst empfehlen außer du willste ne ordentliche Portion Hamburger Schietwetter haben :D Du verstehst den (offensichtlich überzogenen) Ausspruch Hamburg sei die schönste Stadt der Welt nur im Sommer :D Im Herbst und Winter willst du nicht hier her kommen außer du magst es so richtig durchgepustet zu werden (zumal es ja anscheinend Gasrationierung geben wird o.o)
This summer I'm going on the populare bike route along the Elbe river. For the North Sea islands I recomment Helgoland, not as a day trip but stay there overnight and enjoy the island when all the crowd left with the last boat. The island is not large but there are some things to see and especially also the neighboring island Düne with its beach and seals laying around.
@The Black Forest Family I for my part will use my free time from studing to go to Wacken Open Air again. Its a realy awesome and big Rock and Metal Festival over 4 days with tons of Bands also very small and new ones from Germany and all over the world, they also have fresh made food there and medival Markets. Even though this music might not be for every one the people are super nice (It became somewhat of a third home for me) .
Wie schön 🙂! You were in the treasury of Bremen and have also cost what - of course not the priceless juice the Bremer Ratsherren would also never give out...haha. Was again really great class your video.
As a resident of Bremen and child of the city, I actually did also think Freiburg looked somewhat similar when I visited the city. Also, the whole "Bremen is small" thing is pretty accurate, my parents always joked that it's basically a village with a tram.
Did you visit Luebeck? If not, that's your next stop if you happen to be up here again. I promise, it's very beautiful. And I say that as a Hamburger (yes, joke's intentional)
Bremen Guy here😊✌🏼 I really like your Impressions of my beautiful Home-Town👍 Next time, if you are going to visit Bremen, send me a message and I am going to tell you the best spots to visit for you from a local point of view😊 All the best
Great to see a video of northern Germany for once (and also not just Hamburg). If you want to visit really far north, Flensburg can be a worthwhile visit as it is really close to the danish border. Or the castle in Schwerin is really cool. Or Lübeck. Or well, enough other places too 🙂
What a nice, uplifting video to watch on a sunny Sunday morning! It made me realize how even to a (southern central) German, going north is like going to a foreign country.
There were SO many wonderful things to see that we couldn't pack it all into a single video. BUT we loved our time in the North and hope to go back soon. (Also BTW, you're so right - the sun is GORGEOUS today! We are about to head out on a hike).
Hier in Brandenburg ist's bodenständig und es ist platt wie ein Eierkuchen, aber es gibt viele nette Ecken die man gesehen haben muss. Die Ruhe, die Gewässer, Bodenständigkeit, Kunst und Architektur sind sehr prägend für Brandenburg, wobei punkto Architektur noch viel restauriert werden muss.
Norddeutschland - immer eine Reise wert, definitiv👍. Have some Ostfriesen-Tee (black tea) with rock candy while you're there. It's fantastic (Franzbrötchen aside)🤤
I have another suggestion for you if you're not averse to a tiny bit of border hopping. Schaffhausen has the most gorgeous old town full of old houses with painted facades. There are also other fun things to do in the area like the Rheinfall, the Munot or, something Jonathan would love, the possibility to explore the surrounding area with something called Schienenvelo, which is similar to a draisine but powered by cycling. The track stretches between Singen in Germany and Hemishofen to Etzwil in Switzerland. If you like painted facades there are also other lovely places nearby with a similar style old town, e.g. Stein am Rhein.
Not to forget Büsingen am Rhein: the German Exclave completely surrounded by the Kanton of Schaffhausen. A real oddity with German and Swiss postal codes, among other things. We have a small apartment there to use as a base for exploring Southern Germany / Northen Switzerland. Also handy to Freiburg!
Great to see you had a good time in northern Germany. I am from Hamburg and can relate to that very easy. :-) Fun fact about the Elbtunnel: Being built in 1911, the dimensions are the way they are to fit fully loaded horse-drawn carts with an upright whip.
@@alicemilne1444 These horses were working horses used to work in a loud and hectic harbour. In 2011 for the 100 anniversary they had a few horse-drawn carriages down there to recreate that experience and everything went smooth, even these horses have never been in a lift. Most horses are way more relaxed than people think. :-)
I'd travel by e-bike, as usual, but after breaking my wrist 2 months ago I lack strength in my right arm, for the time being. So long bike tours are off this year. But I can really recommend traveling by bike in Germany! The feeling you get from the classic car road trip in the US or Australia is what you get from a bike trip in Germany. The country suddenly opens up and you get a feeling that it's not that small and over-crowded after all. It can get quite tranquil and expansive. My tip: check out the "Vor-Harz", Solling and Höxter region including the upper Weser and Werra rivers. Maybe not ideal with kids in the hilly countryside, but cerrtainly along the Weser river.
Thank you for these videos, showcasing some regions of Germany that arent that often shown, because for some reason all the american travel/expat vloggers live in southern Germany. I live in Hamburg for several years now and travel regularly to Bremen and generally in the region. The culture is alot different to Saxony where I come from. Btw it is definitely worth to check out the Rhineland, especially the Mosel region, if you like wines. And then there are the cities in the West like Köln, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, Duisburg and so on. Hessen might also be worth a visit, though I only have been to Franfurt a.M. (which has some great places) and Marburg. Saxony is imo also worth a visit (although living there has sadly become a bit iffy, the cities are fine though). Dresden and Leipzig are both great and the Sächsische Schweiz is beautiful to visit (and climb). Nobody likes Halle or Chemnitz though ;)
can't believe that they left out the lead cellar in Bremen and opted for the wine cellar instead the Bleikeller is imo one of the creepiest crypts in the whole of Germany, due to the mummies on open display down there
In Hamburg you should also visit the "Treppenviertel" which is old Houses build on two hills close to the Elbe. There the houses are virtually only connected by labyrinthine stairs. It's beautiful in spring/summer especially due to all the gardens and the flowers. It's my favorite.
These cupboard beds are called "Butzen". One for the parents one for the kids. and below the beds.... there is a space to store potatoes and anything other food that has to be stored at temperatures above freezing point.
We have already been on summer vacation(St. PeterOrding), right at this moment we're driving home, I have a recommendation: the area around Norden-Norddeich(Niedersachsen), especially Greetsiel(with the twin windmills), very nice there
OH that sounds amazing! Now that we have connected with our family members in that area, I have a feeling that we will be going back more and more often to the North of Germany. We just loved it. Hope you all have a great trip/drive back home!
@@TypeAshton I totally agree, Greetsiel, Norden and/or Norddeich are worth a visit. The seal rescue station can be visited in Norddeich and a whale museum close by too. Be prepared for every possible kind of weather. Having a Friesennerz for each of you in your backpack could add to enjoying a walk around at otherwise less compfy weather.
Haithabu near Schleswig would be a great place to go, if you're coming up north next time. As for the islands: Sylt is extremely pricey. Amrum and Föhr maybe the better choice.
Really enjoyed your videos about Northern Germany. Next time, when we are going back home to visit Germany, I need to take my wife to Hamburg and Bremen. I am from Nuernberg and Bremen is one of my favorite cities in Germany. Have you guys visited Nuernberg yet?
Many northern Germans will be pleased that, unlike many other expats, you presented northern Germany in more detail during your trip. I also learned something as a local.
Awe that's really kind. We saw SO many great things in the area, it was kind of difficult to put it all together in a single video. But we loved our time there and hope to come back soon.
Ja, das freut mich auch.
Nee, freut mich gar nicht.
What is an expat?!? You mean migrants 😉😉
Next time you travel to northern germany, I can recommend visiting Lübeck with its rich medieval merchant history as capital of the Hanseatic League. Also, its whole city center is a UNESCO world heritage site.
unbedingt !
And the Marzipan is sooo gooood…
Schiffergesellschaft!
I was in Lübeck and „es lasst mich nicht los“…! Such a fantastic city, absolutely unique and breathtakingly beautiful.
@@MrCherrystone das Gebäude ist ein Traum!
I´m a dutch citizen, worked in southern Baden Wurttemberg for 1.5 years in the Staufen area, moved back to the Netherlands for about 13 years, then moved to the Aachen region for 2.5 years and finally moved to northern Germany, Still have a couple of years to go before I will get my pension
i'm sure I'll stay here until I die, love this place, love the simplicity-
Das hört man gerne ' 😊so as echtn Holsssteiner '.
As a North German, I am pleased that you enjoyed your stay in North Germany.
Maybe you can also give other (former) Americans living in Germany a tip that Germany does not only and not exclusively consist of the federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg 😅
Another advantage of northern Germany is that everyone can understand our language. Of course only if you have learned the German language :)
Or Berlin. 😂
I mean boring provincial Bavaria and Bawü are not really the place to be for young expats and I say this as someone who grew up there. I think the bulk of them live in Berlin. There's so many of them sometimes it feels like English is the 2nd official language here since all the non-Anglo expats also communicate in English for the most part.
I would recommend the "Ostfriesischen Inseln" for a trip. There is a different vibe to the Nordsee Küste (north sea coast) - because there is a tide, some time you have water or watt. And in the islands there is a bit sand beach.
When you're child is older i would recommend a bicycle tour in the "Alten Land" - north of Hamburg: canals, apple plantages and old farm houses - a little bit of a Dutch vibe.
At the "Ostsee Küste" i would also recommend the islands - Hiddensee for small children, without any traffic and long sand beaches (and very shallow water at first). Rügen, Darß and Usedom are also really nice - they have more small, a little bit tourist city's, where there is always something to do. But also nice nature of the beaten paths. Stralsund is a good starting point and has many interesting museums. And if you got the money - you can rent a private sailing tour at almost any harbor.
Be grateful that you have your cool infrastructure, unlike the united states with its endless malls which is boring for a city.
I lived from the end of 1933 until end of June 1957 in Germany and had the experience of world war 2 in Germany. From fall of 1946 to middle of 1957 I lived in Hamburg, thereafter I moved to the USA, but I visited Germany frequently to visit my friends and relatives. I was born in Schlesien.
if you ever come back to the north, I can highly recommend the Museumsdorf Cloppenburg. It's an openair museum that has quite a number of traditional buildings from all over northern germany, and showcases what life in rural northern germany was "back then". So if you are interested in architecture and what life for your ancestors must have been like, that Museumsdorf is the place to go.
That sounds wonderful, thank you for sharing this tip.
And if you come more north to Schleswig-Holstein you can visit Molfsee Freilichtmuseum which is a collection of historical houses which can be visited from inside and outside...
@@DeCSSData I was in something similar on Föhr, so thank you, I‘ve also made a note of your tip, I love these places.
@@LaureninGermany From Föhr this can only be very small amount of houses or even only one house? I don't know that place. Molfsee is the biggest Place I know with lots and lots oft Houses which are all collected in original from various places out of the north and where you can see the inside of most of them.
@@DeCSSData there is a kind of Museumgarten with some buildings and the oldest house on Föhr, one of the oldest in North Germany on it. I have made a video, if you would like to see. (There are two, it’s the one with the picture of the cottage on it.
This is such a pleasant surprise to see American expats exploring the Northern part of Germany, even some rural areas. I was born and raised in East Frisia. And the saying is true: "There's no place like home.".
They're immigrants though, not "expats".
@@greenknitter In their bio they use the word expats. Even if they're decided to make Germany their home they are still U.S. citizens living abroad for the time being.
Aye. Ich bin zwischen Oldenburg (Geburtsort) und Hamburg hin und her gerissen. Hamburg ist und bleibt die schönste Stadt der Welt aber wie du es sagtest, there is no place like home
My husband and I spent 7 weeks in Europe this summer, starting with 2 weeks in western Norway. On to a week in Hamburg, seeing all that you visited and more, being with family.
On to Duesseldorf and down to the Blackforest. Then to Italy, ending in Oberamagau for the Passion Play.
What is your point?
Hello from Australia, thanks for a great video, I am from originally from Nothern Germany (Rotenburg)...
Moin, 😎 and North Frisia, the town of Schleswig is worth a visit, and the Vikings museum of Haithabu is a fantastic place.
For sure, the northern parts of Germany are massively underrated! Especially the north-eastern parts like Mecklenburg with the Mecklenburger Seenplatte, a vast arrange of lakes, ponds and seas, all connected through rivers or canals. The island of Rügen and the peninsula of Usedom are well known and very touristy in summer.
But even the middle part of Germany, the Harz region with some UNECSO World-Heritages like Quedlinburg, Goslar, northern Thuringia with the Erfurt flats and Weimar. The cities of Osnabrück and Münster (Treaty of Westphalia). All in all the northern parts of Germany is so varied from the coastal regions to the midgerman low mountain ranges that you need more than a lifetime to visit only the main attractions.
If you like very good wine from the Pfalz region, try to visit the Winery Bäder in the town of Wendelsheim.
My plans for vacation this summer: 10 days by car in the Provence and Côte d'Azure.
Just expect *a lot* of dead spruce trees in the Harz.
Dont forget Wittenberg, where a guy called Martin Luther founded a new branch of the cristian church.
Münster yes.. but i wouldnt recommend Osnabrück
Back in the late 90's cars were still allowed in the old tunnel and I drove though several times. I remember my Saab 900 barely fitting in between the curbs, so in theory I could let go of the wheel in there.
This tunnel was designed with horse carriages in mind.
For me the most underrated city in Germany is Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Not only that it has the most stunning Landtag, situated in a lovely castle on an Island, its fresh atmosphere and beautiful most newly renovated streets, houses and places make you feel fresh yourself. It is surrounded from lakes, old forests, beautiful little villages and alleys, and the shore of the baltic see ist not more than about 25km away. Was there recently for the first time and so surprised from its beauty.
OMG… love this! As a fellow East Frisian/German-American… thank you!! I have been visiting East Frisia/Ostfreesland/Ostfriesland for years, have relatives and friends there, have brought my kids there (and to Bremen and Hamburg). Thank you for covering some Northern German areas.
Incidentally I speak East Frisian Low German in addition to German. This is great to see someone covering East Frisia. My wife (who sadly passed away a few years ago) also has relatives there whom I know. I plan to move there in a few years when my youngest is in or out of college. For now, I travel to Germany 2 or 3 times a year. I have traveled extensively in Northern Germany and would love to share some of my experiences with you! I am loving your videos!! Congrats on the house!!
I would recommend visiting the most northern City in germany. Flensburg. It has nice architecture strongly influenced by Danish culture.
cries in Punkte in Flensburg
@@edithputhy4948 Haha ich war selber mal beim Kraftfahrtbundesamt als Praktikant xD
Da werd ich bald für ein paar Jahre wohnen
Und, wie war s dort?@@alexanderzippel8809
6:25 mmmm ....... a bread roll with Norse shrimps. it's been too long since I enjoyed that delicacy.
YES, same - those are fantastic🤤🤤🤤
How could I miss this?! You passed my hometown...you passed the apple plantations and they look so beautiful in the sunlight. I really enjoyed this video. "Finally" someone from the south of Germany saw how wonderful the northern part can be and enjoyed it. Thank you! 🍎
Thank you for watching! There was a lot we could have done and we hope to get back again soon to continue exploring. :)
I think one of the most interesting things about Germany is, that there are so many different styles and traditions within a rather small area. Most of the traditions will probably be best preserved in the rural regions, while the architecture is also found in the old cities. So, if you want to explore all that Germany can offer to this respect, you will never run out of places to visit :)
1000000% agreed. There really is so much to see.
For a really secret tip (as in most Germans don't even know it), I recommend Ostwestfalen, especially Lippe.
My wife calls it "postcard Germany".
The old capital of the pricipality of Lippe is Detmold, a very nice old town. They have a massive open-air museum with old houses from all over Westfalen that were disasembled at their original location and then put back together at the site if the museum.
The Hermannsdenkmal is next to Detmold, as are the Externsteine.
Lemgo is another nice old town, actually one of the first old city-centres in Germany where they put a heavy emphasis on historic restoration, instead of just pulling down the old buildings.
They have a museum dedicated to a local artist who was a tad bit mad (the Junkerhaus).
There are several spa towns around.
The town of Lage has a museum about brickmaking that puts a heavy focus on the lippish brickmakers, migratory workers who wandered as far as the Netherlands to ply their trade, as late as the early 20th century (Lippe used to be very poor).
You can take a day-trip to the city that does not exist (Bielefeld).
Or to Hameln (the town of the pied piper) and Bodenwerder (the home of Baron von Münchhausen).
And there is a lot of pleasant hiking that can be done, especially on the Teutoburger Wald.
The best time to go is in late May/early June, when the rapeseed is in bloom.
The scenery might not be particularly spectacular, but it is very pleasant. Rolling hills, small forests, fields.
While there is public transport, a car might come in handy.
Absolutely. And if you are there, you might also visit Paderborn with it‘s cathedral and the shortest river in Germany (unfortunately, the park where the source was located, was destroyed in the recent Tornado, so it is not as beautiful as it used to be). Paderborn also has the biggest computer museum in the world which does not only cover modern IT, but all aspects of information processing starting with the first writing systems.
Great suggestions! Thanks so much for sharing.
As living in Detmold, I suggest to borrow an E-Bike at the railway station and explore Lippe (which is not Ostwestfalen!) by bicycle. Ditch the car; you wouldn't see half of the interesting things you could. Also, there are some bicycle paths around here, so it's okay to cycle.
@@TypeAshtonanother quote different town: Celle. Oldest building 14xx and one of the largest ensemble of half timbered house you can find, and there is a small palace as well...
Nice, thanks for taking us along. Always a pleasure.
We have cultural differnces in the same area a lot. Back in the day, Germany was a mess of hundreds little kingdoms, dukedoms and free citys.
You drive two hours in the US and not much has changed, probably. You drive two hours here and the dialect changes twice and potato bread has a different name now. 😄
On the way from the Black Forest to the north, there is the Harz Mountains in southern Lower Saxony. Here you will find beautiful towns and villages. Some of them are over 1000 years old. Historic places like Göttingen, Einbeck, from there comes the first Bock beer ( Einpöckisch beer) Goslar with the imperial palace and many other historic sites. For those interested in technology, the Technical University ( Formerly Mining Academy) Clausthal-Zellerfeld and the mining museums in the Harz Mountains. The Harz " Water Regal" for the disposal of mine water, or for the operation of the water art underground.
Oh yes, I second that! If you go to the Harz, you must also go to see Quedlinburg, a city with a very large number of timber-framed houses and a rich history starting in the early 10th century. It is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage.
Ah thank you so much for the great recommendations! There really is SO MUCH to see, I don't think we will ever run out of places to visit.
Also as an expat in Germany, my favorite places in northern Germany are Lüneburg and Lübeck. Hope u get the chance to visit those too soon 😊
originally from ostfriesland (Aurich). Now living in Arizona. Glad you liked your visit that much. When have a chance do a wattwanderung to one of the islands. it's a fun exp for family
We plan to go up there next summer. So many things left that we would love to see and do.
I have lived in Hamburg for many years and love it here. There's still so much for you to experience... The Treppenviertel is great, Altona/Ottensen is a great, lively and at the same time cosy place. Of course the Alster, in summer by boat...
And: I was born and grew up in Bremen and have of course often been to the Schnoor. I've never seen it so empty there ;-)
You definitely have a special style of making travel-video's, focussing on the experience and less on the "look at this or that". I loved the video! Please make more of them in future. You've had a wonderful time there and it shows.
Thank you, this means a lot to us! We certainly enjoy our 'sit down' fact based videos, but we love traveling. We will continue with a mix of both and try to continue a more 'unique' way to handle the travel videos.
I served in the US Army and I was stationed near Bremen for 27 months. I took the train into Bremen many times and so I got to know the area around the Hauptbahnhof. So I have a special interest in this video. Thanks!
In Lucius D Clay Barracks? It is now the German School of Army logistics.
Just saw the thumbnail and was like "hold up, that can't be Bagband's old windhill, right?" then i watched the video and you totally visited Bagband & (Ost-)Großefehn, so it really is THE windmill, how small the world is! Follow citizen from Aurich.
Hey that's awesome! YES we LOVED visiting this area. Really something special and extremely beautiful.
Lübeck is a definite must. A lovely town with a lot of restored half-timbered houses is Stade, down the river from Hamburg. A similarly restored city is Einbeck in the Harz Mountains.
My summer plans are for a long weekend and two performances in Bayreuth and 10 days in London at the end of August (the Proms). I may possibly take side trips to Salisbury and Oxford. We‘ll see.
Many others have recommended Lübeck that now I am REALLY looking forward to our next visit. Your vacation sounds like a TON of fun!
Both Lübeck and Stade are only roughly 1 hour by train from Hamburg central station by commuter train.
@@TypeAshton Living in Hamburg, I really like Lübeck but if I had to choose between Lübeck and Stade, I'd always choose Stade. It's a lot less "touristy", and you can experience how a German city looked like 500 years ago.
I highly recommend a trip to Rügen or to Fischland 😊 Beautiful architecture and nature, lots of family friendly beaches as well as some awesome bike trails!
There are actually still alot of reed roofs in northern Germany. You will normally change the whole thatching every other decade. It is becoming more popular again because it uses reusable and regrowable materials
Northern Germany offers several great sites and historic towns such as Goslar, Göttingen, & Celle (which was avoided during the war due to British monarchy). And if you only visit one castle in Germany, it should be Burg Eltz over the Mosel near Koblenz. The Ahrtal is also a hidden gem for Spätburgunder wine, just north of Koblenz where the Ahr flows into the Rhein at Remagen.
Saying that Göttingen is part of Northern Germany is just wrong. It lines up with Dortmund. Even Hannover is a stretch considering that parts of Berlin are located further north and when has Berlin ever been called a northern German city?
@@Taleneki North of the Weisswurst line. 😉
@@brianzimmerman6579 Fair enough ;-)
That was probably one of the most atypical travel documentaries I've seen.
Lots of new "things" from a whole new perspective.
Many thanks from someone who was born in Bremen. 👍
Ah wow that is such a compliment coming from a local. Thank you so, so much.
Ancestry lists my German heritage from a farming area in Northwest Germany called "Artland " between Osnabruck and Oldenburg
Das Ostfriesensofa😍 17:55
In 1980 I was stationed in Bremen for three months for non-commissioned officer training. An instructor showed us the sights of the city. At that time I was also in Bremerhaven and learned a lot about the emigrants. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Bremen since that time. But I will change that. Thank you for your wonderful RUclips channel.
Man, I am having some serious emotions watching this. My wife and I were supposed to go to Hamburg this summer but couldn't since we got pretty sick just a week before our flight. Hoping to finally go next year!
Especially when I see your Air BnB I have to recommend to you "Museumsdorf Cloppenburg". It's an complete northern german historic village basically showing how it was to live here during the time your ancestors left. All original houses that were transported there, 100% authentic, furnished like back in the day, with all the old "smells" and wonderfully explained.
I know Cloppenburg isn't in Ostfriesland directly, but it's quite similar and they also have houses in that village that originally stood in Ostfriesland. Museumsdorf Cloppenburg is mind-blowing, you gotta visit it some day.
By the way, great video :)
Oh that sounds really, really cool! Sounds a lot like the Black Forest Open Air Museum. We plan on visiting it some day when Jack is old enough to participate in some of the kids activities. I think they even let the little ones participate in trades, crafts and cooking, if I'm not mistaken.
@@TypeAshton Wenn Ihr wirklich nach Cloppenburg kommt, dann seit Ihr hiermit recht herzlich auf einen Kaffee eingeladen, kurz vorher eine Mail schreiben.
@@TypeAshton do you mean the Vogtsbauernhof? Very nice an worth to visit, but not on weekends and in high season.
Or Museumsdorf Hösseringen. Not Ostfriesland obviously.
@@Guidoqq Yes! This one exactly.
Wismar and the nearby island of Poel are recommended as a nice summer vacation OR go farther east to Stralsund, Rugen, and Hiddensee.
19:38 we call the beans up there "updrögt Bohnen". My favourite ostfrisian island is "Spiekeroog" it is very romantic
Thank you for the nice video 👍🙂 my favorite in northern Germany is Lübeck with the biggest amount of beautiful houses with lovely facades 🙂 my plans for this summer is southern Germany, Regensburg and Passau 🤗
I really love the honest enthusiasm and joy the two of you always display! Greetings from Bremen - happy to see that you enjoyed your time with us here on the river Weser…😊
Thank you for my Sunday treat , Ashton and Jonathan, accompanied by my first mug of tea your beautiful and interesting videos are normally the first thing I enjoy on a Sunday. I love how you guys often go off the beaten path to experience awesome things like in this case the Krypta underneath the Michel or the old Elbtunnel. I remember driving through the old tunnel with my parents when I was a child . I participated in a couple concerts in the Michel as member of a choir but I didn't even know about the Krypt - living only 63 km from Hamburg in Lübeck.
The Schnoor in Bremen looks quite similar to the Altstadt of Lübeck but that is not surprising because both cities belong to the old 'Hanse', a medieval guild of merchants, so that the towns their sea trade was situated at prospered more or less around the same time in history.
Your B&B must have been the home of a rich farmer. Back then they had their living space and stables in the same building to keep each other warm and from the size of that game room the farmer must have owned quite a lot of cattle.
Have you wondered why the Alkoven beds are so short ? Well, not only were people shorter back then but they also slept almost sitting upright. You will find the same kind of interior 'design' in houses on the Frisian islands when you come back.
I have no plans for the summer other than enjoy the good weather and maybe jump in one of the small lakes in my area because I live where people travel to spend their vacation on the Baltic Sea and the 'Ostseebäder' ( resorts along the Baltic Sea) will be packed soon.
That's one of the advantages of being retired, you don't have to travel when everybody else does.
My daughter and her family who live in northern Norway will travel to Portugal though after living through 8 months of snow.
Stimmt, ich habe gehört dass die Menschen nicht liegend schlafen wollten, da nur die Toten flach auf dem Bett oder Boden lagen. Um nicht "aus Versehen" im Schlaf zu sterben, schliefen sie lieber sitzend... ( so ungefähr muss das gewesen sein...)
@@V2HRT Ach, dieses Detail wusste ich nicht, die Armen!
Lübeck is absolutely wonderful and you are so right about the similarities. Yet, Lübeck is still unique and unmistakable… I fell in love with it at first sight.
As always, thank you for the nice comment. 😊😊
We had no idea why the beds were so short, we just assumed they were rooms for children to sleep in. Super interesting though, thank you for sharing!
Lübeck has been recommended by so many people in the comments of this video, clearly we need to get up there as soon as possible.
Enjoy your time at the lakes!
@@TypeAshton thank you, I will ! :)
Your dedication to science - and sacrifice in the name of human knowledge - is truly touching! :)
PS. Jack seems to have the profound knowledge of what a select winery should include!
It is a great sacrifice, indeed. To quote the undying words of one certain Jesse Pinkman: "YEAH, SCIENCE!" :)
Welcome to Hamburg! I am happy that you enjoyed visiting my hometown. I also love it and I always feel proud if tourists like it as well.
This year we're heading to the Netherlands island of Texel. It's the furthest southwest island of the West Frisian Islands just outside the IJsselmeer. It has beautiful dunes and sandy beaches, with the North Sea side of the island mostly forested. It's a very peaceful place very popular for weekenders from Amsterdam, and it's not too far from Aachen where we live.
Most of our vacations over the past ten years or so have been along the Baltic Sea coast east of Kiel. Usedom, Sellin on the island of Rügen, Kühlungsborn (just NW of Rostock), Boltenhagen (between Wismar and Lübeck), and Pelzerhaken (near Neustadt). On the North Sea side I'd also recommend visiting Bremerhaven. It's especially interesting in the city center where you have the main shopping street on one side and the Museumhafen on the other side. The Museumhafen side is especially interesting with a great, immersive museum to German immigration (over 7 million Germans immigrated to the U.S. from Bremerhaven), the German Maritime Museum, the Climate House, and more. In Bremerhaven's Fischereihafen are many nice boutiques, shops, and restaurants including Natush (www.natusch.de/) which is felt by many to be German's premier seafood restaurant. (Edit: The link works, but once you're there you'll see an error code at the bottom of the page. Just click on the Natush symbol at the top of the page to get to their full website.)
There are many beautiful vacation opportunities in North Germany.
Your video motivates me to have a look into our old family photo albums. I will search for a picture of our family, sitting in our car in the elevator or inside the old Elbtunnel. The tunnel was a standard traffic possibility for cars in that old days.
It nice following your channel since you are from Missouri and I am in Kansas close to the Missouri border. I have been trying to learn about Germany 🇩🇪 and you said you were living near Forbach Germany. If you happen to ever get a Newspaper from Forbach Germany I would gladly pay you for it.
I enjoyed this video about the tunnel that was cool.
Thanks, Lawrence Forbach
about the architecture similaraties between bremen brussel and so on is connect to a common history....during time of hanse...if you have one day the mood to visite estonia you will be surprised when you see tallin....it looks like a tiny bremen
So nice to see that you visited Ostfriesland. If you come up here again you definitely have to visit the islands, I would recommend Norderney. Greetings from Emden in East Frisia 🙃
Very nice video.
When I was a child, my father took the ELBE TUNNEL with our car.
Is was very cool and a little scary for me back then....
I grew up in Blankenese (a part of Hamburg).
Hummel, Hummel
Thanks for the memories.
Good morning ☀️
I think it's so beautiful and I'm so happy that you set out to discover northern Germany, to find parts of your family there and then to spend time there. The northern federal states of Schleswig Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have so much to offer, there are many beautiful places to discover. There is a very beautiful nature and quite a different attitude to life than in the south.
On trips like this, you realize how different Germany can actually be.
Have wonderful Sunday and nice week ☺️
Our trip up north has shown us the diversity of Germany. We hope to do more trips like this to continue to learn more and help create content to teach others. Maybe some Americans will see and know there's more than just Munich.
@@TypeAshton Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt 😂
Das Ding heißt auch im englischen "Niedersachsen" ;)
@@kyvanrae no it doesn't
Since you mentioned the UNESCO World heritage in Bremen and have a special appreciation for all things architecture, you might want to check out one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage sites by area in Quedlinburg in the Harz region for one of your next trips north.
Just googled this and we will definitely add it to our list! Thanks for the recommendation!
You should definetly consider visiting the Baltic sea. I can highly recommend Warnemünde or one of the beautiful Islands. I would recommend Rügen and Usedom 😊👍🏼
I second that, we just returned from a 1week vacation to Zinnowitz/Usedom and it was fantastic!
If you visit Rostock/Warnemünde and want a less touristy beach take the little ferry over to Hohe Düne. Also try the Mollie Bäderbahn from Bad Doberan to Kühlungsborn.
Northern Germany is an underestimated gem of tourism. And Bremen is in a central location for exploration and is ideal as a starting point. Bremen is about an hour away from other interesting sights in each direction due to the Bremer Kreuz in the east-west axis. In the west towards Friesland and the Netherlands, towards the east Hanover and the Harz Mountains. The northern direction is Hamburg and the coast can be reached in an hour, and to the south you are in the peace city of Osnabrück and in the excavation site of the Varus Battle, surrounded by the neighing mountains and the Teutoburg Forest. I can only recommend all the places.
You have had a good journey. I likeNorth Getmany too. Totally different e.g. to Bavarian area, the mountains. By the way - Please always hold wine glasses by the stem.
Wow,you showed something very unique! Thank you. I had lived in Hamburg for 10 years.
We do not have summer plans so far, but in case you come back to the north. There are some recommendations to dive into the other 2 parts of North Germany. In particular:
- Helgoland
- Amrum
- Lübeck (at least for the Marzipan, but also for the city center) It is also a Hanse-Stadt, like Bremen and Hamburg, but much smaller.
- Flensburg
- Kiel for a rougher touch at the sea
- Rügen, the biggest German Island, located in the Baltic Sea
- Bad Doberan, Kühlungsborn and the Molli train
- also many smaller places along the coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Also, when you leave Ostfriesland, you may visit Dangast for some rhubarb cake.
Thatched roofs normally need to be replaced every 50 years roundabout. This means the house has had its roof replaced a lot over time. Yet, it's still the same technique, so it's just as much an original as the first one put up.
Have you been up the to Ostseekueste yet? That is a very clean and charming area. Hansestadt Wismar is a small city that was part of the Hanseatic League back in the day and its Wasserturm in the old city center has UNESCO World Heritage status. Rostock is nice too and Schwerin has the very special Schweriner Schloss. I also suggest checking out Stralsund for its historic architecture and Insel Ruegen is gorgeous too. Check out Binz with its lovely promenade and Jasmund National Park for its beautiful forests snd chalk cliffs. Happy Traveling!
Maybe you also want to visit the Ostsee coast of Germany ( Mecklenburg Vorpommern) including the islands of Usedom and Rügen, its where a lot of people spend their summer holidays
Wieder ein ganz wunderbar präsentiertes Video! 👏🏻 Wir werden unseren Urlaub auf Fehmarn 🏖 in einer Ferienwohnung verbringen und die Fahrräder mitnehmen. 🚲
Das klingt alles toll und ein Urlaub, den wir auch genießen würden.
Thanks for the video.
Unfortunately, the reports are mainly about the south of Germany. But ALL of Germany is interesting and worth seeing. No matter whether it's north, south, east or west. The architecture is also fantastic in each area.
Meine Kindheit ist wieder da, Aurich, Leer, Emden, Ostfriesland, Oldenburg Ammerland, Papenburg Emsland, Bremerhavn, Niedersachsen... Btremen!! ♥♥♥ Best greetings from Hamburg ^^°^^
Im from Bremen, always cool to see that the city gets appreciated by others :)
You shall visit the baltic sea coast, in most places the beaches are perfect for younger children. The area has a lot to explore, too.
My mom was born in Reepsholt, Friedeburg. My Opa and Oma had a bakery. She said their house had a thatched roof and when she was a very little it caught fire.
Thank you for visiting my lovely Hometown Bremen!
We LOVED it.
That AirBnb was really nice, good choice! The fact that germany unified so late (1871) has a lot to do with how different cities or regions can be so different (or the other way around similar with regions in neighbouring countries) even if they are pretty close by. Of course WW2 also has a lot to do with how cities have developed (sadly). I mean the mix of modern and old can be very nice but when I see old footage before the war I always wonder how amazing it would look today. Im pretty sure that the "rush" to rebuild this country really made a lot of cities look much more similar as it would be otherwise!
I enjoyed this video! Thumbs up and greetings!
Thanks for the excellent video again! As I wrote previously, I was born in Bremen, and my ancestors were pastors at the very churches around the marketplace. I am glad all of you enjoyed your north-German experience, and I am sure you already were told that the "Lüs" should be next (Lüneburg, Lüneburger Heide, Lübeck). And yes, early Sunday mornings are indeed special, be it in Freiburg or Bremen or any other historic place -- let's all appreciate Jack's unmissable contribution to your trip as well as to your beautiful videos!
Thank you!
Lübeck is certainly near the top of our list now, there have been many recommendations.
*Bremen* , including its immediate surroundings, is the place where the best and most melodious German is spoken; which is the reason why international corporations like British Airways operate call centers for their German-speaking customers in or near the city.
Just some kilometers up north you could have visited Luebeck with it's Holstentor and great churches. Not to forget the Marzipan and rounding the city by boat.
SO many have mentioned this city that I think we pretty much HAVE to go visit. It sounds so lovely! ❤️
For me, as an german, you already showed me alot of places in germany, that i did not know yet. Even in locations, i visited often. Please proceed with filling my bucket list places to visit in germany. Thanks alot for your great and informal videos. This year, we visited pfälzer Wald during Pfingsten. Will go to Sizilien summer, and Hamburg autum.
Great comment, but Sicily in summer and Hamburg in fall - the former may be too hot and the latter too cold - why not the other way around? Sicily will still be warm in fall.
Ich würde dir Hamburg nicht im Herbst empfehlen außer du willste ne ordentliche Portion Hamburger Schietwetter haben :D
Du verstehst den (offensichtlich überzogenen) Ausspruch Hamburg sei die schönste Stadt der Welt nur im Sommer :D Im Herbst und Winter willst du nicht hier her kommen außer du magst es so richtig durchgepustet zu werden (zumal es ja anscheinend Gasrationierung geben wird o.o)
This summer I'm going on the populare bike route along the Elbe river.
For the North Sea islands I recomment Helgoland, not as a day trip but stay there overnight and enjoy the island when all the crowd left with the last boat. The island is not large but there are some things to see and especially also the neighboring island Düne with its beach and seals laying around.
As always, you made my sunday. Great video. Thank you very much.
Thanks so much!
@The Black Forest Family I for my part will use my free time from studing to go to Wacken Open Air again. Its a realy awesome and big Rock and Metal Festival over 4 days with tons of Bands also very small and new ones from Germany and all over the world, they also have fresh made food there and medival Markets. Even though this music might not be for every one the people are super nice (It became somewhat of a third home for me) .
Wie schön 🙂! You were in the treasury of Bremen and have also cost what - of course not the priceless juice the Bremer Ratsherren would also never give out...haha. Was again really great class your video.
As a resident of Bremen and child of the city, I actually did also think Freiburg looked somewhat similar when I visited the city. Also, the whole "Bremen is small" thing is pretty accurate, my parents always joked that it's basically a village with a tram.
Did you visit Luebeck? If not, that's your next stop if you happen to be up here again. I promise, it's very beautiful. And I say that as a Hamburger (yes, joke's intentional)
Summerplans: only two places... Both at the seas...... 1st Sylt (Nordfriesland) (awesome beaches) and 2nd Grömitz (Ostsee) (awesome Promenade) ;)
Bremen Guy here😊✌🏼
I really like your Impressions of my beautiful Home-Town👍
Next time, if you are going to visit Bremen, send me a message and I am going to tell you the best spots to visit for you from a local point of view😊
All the best
Great to see a video of northern Germany for once (and also not just Hamburg). If you want to visit really far north, Flensburg can be a worthwhile visit as it is really close to the danish border. Or the castle in Schwerin is really cool. Or Lübeck. Or well, enough other places too 🙂
What a nice, uplifting video to watch on a sunny Sunday morning! It made me realize how even to a (southern central) German, going north is like going to a foreign country.
There were SO many wonderful things to see that we couldn't pack it all into a single video. BUT we loved our time in the North and hope to go back soon. (Also BTW, you're so right - the sun is GORGEOUS today! We are about to head out on a hike).
@@TypeAshton well, add the town of Celle to the list, and Museumsdorf Hösseringen
Living on the Schwäbische Alb, I’ll visit Brandenburg in August.
Hier in Brandenburg ist's bodenständig und es ist platt wie ein Eierkuchen, aber es gibt viele nette Ecken die man gesehen haben muss. Die Ruhe, die Gewässer, Bodenständigkeit, Kunst und Architektur sind sehr prägend für Brandenburg, wobei punkto Architektur noch viel restauriert werden muss.
Norddeutschland - immer eine Reise wert, definitiv👍. Have some Ostfriesen-Tee (black tea) with rock candy while you're there. It's fantastic (Franzbrötchen aside)🤤
11:41 You're holding the glass a bit wrong. One usually holds whine glasses on the "stem" of the glass, not the up where the whine is in...
I have another suggestion for you if you're not averse to a tiny bit of border hopping. Schaffhausen has the most gorgeous old town full of old houses with painted facades. There are also other fun things to do in the area like the Rheinfall, the Munot or, something Jonathan would love, the possibility to explore the surrounding area with something called Schienenvelo, which is similar to a draisine but powered by cycling. The track stretches between Singen in Germany and Hemishofen to Etzwil in Switzerland. If you like painted facades there are also other lovely places nearby with a similar style old town, e.g. Stein am Rhein.
Not to forget Büsingen am Rhein: the German Exclave completely surrounded by the Kanton of Schaffhausen. A real oddity with German and Swiss postal codes, among other things. We have a small apartment there to use as a base for exploring Southern Germany / Northen Switzerland. Also handy to Freiburg!
Great suggestion! We have not yet visited here but you've made it sound more enticing. We will move it further up our bucket list. :)
Thank you!
Great to see you had a good time in northern Germany. I am from Hamburg and can relate to that very easy. :-) Fun fact about the Elbtunnel: Being built in 1911, the dimensions are the way they are to fit fully loaded horse-drawn carts with an upright whip.
That's interesting. I wonder how the horses reacted to going down in a lift.
@@alicemilne1444 These horses were working horses used to work in a loud and hectic harbour. In 2011 for the 100 anniversary they had a few horse-drawn carriages down there to recreate that experience and everything went smooth, even these horses have never been in a lift. Most horses are way more relaxed than people think. :-)
Hey, Bremen was für ne Überraschung. Das Dorf mit Straßenhahn. 😉
Wonderful. ‘Undiscovered’ parts of Europe make for great vacations. We’ve had similar experiences in virtually every Western European country.
I'd travel by e-bike, as usual, but after breaking my wrist 2 months ago I lack strength in my right arm, for the time being. So long bike tours are off this year. But I can really recommend traveling by bike in Germany! The feeling you get from the classic car road trip in the US or Australia is what you get from a bike trip in Germany. The country suddenly opens up and you get a feeling that it's not that small and over-crowded after all. It can get quite tranquil and expansive. My tip: check out the "Vor-Harz", Solling and Höxter region including the upper Weser and Werra rivers. Maybe not ideal with kids in the hilly countryside, but cerrtainly along the Weser river.
Your videos are the best, bar none. Thanks!
Thank you for these videos, showcasing some regions of Germany that arent that often shown, because for some reason all the american travel/expat vloggers live in southern Germany. I live in Hamburg for several years now and travel regularly to Bremen and generally in the region. The culture is alot different to Saxony where I come from.
Btw it is definitely worth to check out the Rhineland, especially the Mosel region, if you like wines. And then there are the cities in the West like Köln, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, Duisburg and so on. Hessen might also be worth a visit, though I only have been to Franfurt a.M. (which has some great places) and Marburg.
Saxony is imo also worth a visit (although living there has sadly become a bit iffy, the cities are fine though). Dresden and Leipzig are both great and the Sächsische Schweiz is beautiful to visit (and climb). Nobody likes Halle or Chemnitz though ;)
Halle has a quite magnificent city centre
can't believe that they left out the lead cellar in Bremen and opted for the wine cellar instead
the Bleikeller is imo one of the creepiest crypts in the whole of Germany, due to the mummies on open display down there
That house is truly lovely!
In Hamburg you should also visit the "Treppenviertel" which is old Houses build on two hills close to the Elbe. There the houses are virtually only connected by labyrinthine stairs. It's beautiful in spring/summer especially due to all the gardens and the flowers. It's my favorite.
These cupboard beds are called "Butzen". One for the parents one for the kids. and below the beds.... there is a space to store potatoes and anything other food that has to be stored at temperatures above freezing point.
We have already been on summer vacation(St. PeterOrding), right at this moment we're driving home, I have a recommendation: the area around Norden-Norddeich(Niedersachsen), especially Greetsiel(with the twin windmills), very nice there
OH that sounds amazing! Now that we have connected with our family members in that area, I have a feeling that we will be going back more and more often to the North of Germany. We just loved it. Hope you all have a great trip/drive back home!
@@TypeAshton I totally agree, Greetsiel, Norden and/or Norddeich are worth a visit. The seal rescue station can be visited in Norddeich and a whale museum close by too. Be prepared for every possible kind of weather. Having a Friesennerz for each of you in your backpack could add to enjoying a walk around at otherwise less compfy weather.
@@TypeAshton thank you, you aswell 😃
Ich glaube, euch würden auch die Inseln Usedom und Rügen gefallen - die alten Seebäder aus den frühen 20ern!
Haithabu near Schleswig would be a great place to go, if you're coming up north next time. As for the islands: Sylt is extremely pricey. Amrum and Föhr maybe the better choice.
Really enjoyed your videos about Northern Germany. Next time, when we are going back home to visit Germany, I need to take my wife to Hamburg and Bremen. I am from Nuernberg and Bremen is one of my favorite cities in Germany. Have you guys visited Nuernberg yet?
The Ratskeller in Bremen was a lot more crowded when we were there. It was nice seeing it again.