Lichtenfels

So then I went to Lichtenfels.  Lichtenfels is a town in northern Bavaria on the river Main, in an area called Gottesgarten am Obermain.  It's a pretty little place dedicated to the craft of basket weaving: it is the only place in Germany which still has a college which teaches the old skills of basket making.  Lichtenfels is often called "Basket Town".  Baskets and their making pretty much define Lichtenfels.  Obviously the main attraction here was the Korbmarkt, or basket market.  This city makes every kind of wickerwork imaginable.  I saw people from several different countries (Germany too, of course!) making baskets, and the largest collection of baskets ever!

   




 

When I got hungry I went and checked out the beer gardens.  Dunkels Bier and Franconian sausage and Zwiebelkuchens!  

I hunted around the town a bit after going through the Korbmarkt and found the Rathaus.  Like several other important buildings I discovered earlier, this was build in the Baroque style.  Also, the basilica Vierzehnheiligen.

Staffelstein

So I then went to Staffelstein.  Staffelstein is a town of about 10,000 people in northern Bavaria.  The town is known for its beautiful surroundings and the local thermal spa.  Staffelstein also features several historical places, such as the Banz Abbey and the Basilika Vierzehnheiligen.  Over the last ten years it has become increasingly attractive to tourists for its spas and, of course, the rural areas around.

I found that the Kurort is used largely (though not exclusively) for medical purposes.  It is intended to assist with rheumatic diseases and nervous system issues.

There are hiking and biking trails nearby, and beautiful lakes for swimming, sailing and surfing.  Canoeing and fishing is popular there.  Aqua giant water park provides a place for sports, games, and fun.  The forest climbing above the Banz presents children and adults a special experience.



I went to the Basilika Vierzehnheiligen (Basilica of Fourteen Saints).  It was built in the end of the seventeen hundreds in the good German Baroque style.

Last I went to the Braurei-Gasthaus Thomann.  They serve wild game, grilled beef, dark beer, and Weissbier!  My kind of place.  I'll probably spend the rest of trip hanging around places like this!









http://baederkalender.de/kurort.php?id=307&referer=map&map_menu=&bundesland=&heilanzeigen=&sparte=&kurort=&locator=small
http://www.vierzehnheiligen.de/de/gnadenaltar/heilige-margareta.php
http://www.gasthaus-thomann.de/

To Frankfurt

After my tour through Heidelburg, I headed up north to the city of Frankfurt.  Frankfurt is big: it's the fifth-largest city in Germany and Germany's financial center.  I divided my travelling here between walking and taxis since many of the places I visited were quite far apart.  The city is built on both sides of the river Main.




Being a man of means, I naturally checked out the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.  The city has erected statues of a bear and a bull in front of the building!  If the statistics are true, this stock exchange sees 90% of the turnover in the German market.  Moreover, it brings in significant wealth from abroad: about 47% of the market participants are foreign.

Later on I visited the Lessing-Gymnasium of Frankfurt am Main.  It is a late Medieval school, started in 1519 as a "Latin school", and which grew into a university.  It was severely damaged in World War II and the university students moved to other local universities.  It is currently a Gymnasium and it follows a traditional Humanistic curriculum.  The students learn at least two foreign or ancient languages, and the school is known for its strong choral and orchestral music.  Good stuff!

Next I looked up a place to eat.  I found a place called Schwarzer Stern and sat down.  The menu consisted primarily of typical German dishes, such as sausage and potato meals.  I ordered Deftiger Eintopf mit Frankfurter Wurschen, a local stew served with Frankfurter sausage.  Once again, good stuff!

Frankfurt!!!


A few sources:
The latest information
Börse Frankfurt- Aktien Kurse, Charts und Nachrichten
Zum Schwarzer Stern - Willkommen auf der Homepage

Virtuelle Reise: Heidelberg!

Greetings all,


I have begun my exciting virtual journey today.  I began in the Elite Hotel Heidelburg, a middle-class hotel in the heart of Heidelburg city.  This place is super-nice.  It won a gold award in the German National Tourist Board for 2012.  I enjoyed an excellent breakfast buffet of ham, fish, cheese, and fresh breads there.

After finishing up at the hotel, I strolled around the city.  I walked up some mighty long streets, and eventually found myself in the vicinity of the Romerstrasse.  I found the "Klein Engineering" establishment, a joint that specializes in the design and production of machine tools and renewable energy.  I looked in, but since I'm not into engineering, I moved on.






Later I discovered the St. Josefkrankenhaus, or St. Joseph Hospital.  It is run by the religious order which founded it, the Sisters of Charity.  Nearby is the St. Bonifatius Kirche, or St. Boniface Church.  It is a beautiful old Catholic church built in the Romanesque style of the early Middle Ages, some time before Gothic architecture was developed.

 After seeing these sights, stopped at a Cafe and reloaded.  I had walked several miles at this point, and I decided I had seen enough for the day.  I look forward to what the future will bring.  I will post next outside of Heidelberg!






Elite Hotel Heidelberg / Haus Bunsen
Engineering and design department of Mechanical Engineering. Consulting for energy production and conservation.
Willkommen im St. Josefskrankenhaus Heidelberg
Seelsorgeeinheit Philipp Neri, Heidelberg