Change Forum
My friend knows that we're in the process of planning a trip to Germany, so she cut out the following article from our local paper... Could this be a new tourist distination? Peace, Robyn 
Center of Europe on the Move
GELNHAUSEN, Germany (AP) - Some think the center of Europe is in Brussels. Others, more financially inclined, say London.
But according to meticulous calculations by French experts, geographically speaking the European Union's center has shifted - with Romania and Bulgaria joining the bloc this week - to a wintry wheat field outside a small town in Germany.
Is there money in it for the townsfolk of Gelnhausen? They're determined to find out.
In joining the EU on Jan. 1, Romania and Bulgaria - former communist nations on the southeast fringe of Europe - moved the EU's geographc center 110 miles east, says the French National Geographic Institute.
Gelnhausen, Germany...The center of Europe
Recent Activity
View all Europe activity »
- 1 Italy - Where to go? Naples/Sorrento/Positano/Ischia/Capri
- 2 Trenitalia "MINI" fares as low as 9 Euros SYSTEMWIDE
- 3 Which European guidebook for a 22yo traveling
- 4 How to travel by train from chinon to dordogne region
- 5 Colosseum closed due to snow damage
- 6 A_Brit_In_Ischia - Your Opinion, Please
- 7 Do I need a travel agent?
- 8 Whats the difference between Golden Pass and regular routes?
- 9 Booked Scavi tour: What else needs to be booked ahead of time?
- 10 USAir vs. AF/Delta: Worth the savings?
- 11 Switzerland passes
- 12 Advice on taking Russian Trains please
- 13 14 Day London, Scotland Rough Itinerary.
- 14 Escorted trip tour guide took my traveling partners passport in turkey
- 15 Cell phones in Europe if my current phone isn't international capable?
- 16 2 Week Trip to France - Please Help Me Stu Dudley
- 17 train travel from munich to zurich
- 18 Amalfi Coast Itinerary - Stay Put or Move Around? - Praiano?
- 19 Solo female traveller to Paris - where best to stay?
- 20 Can one select pieces of Golden Pass panoramic?
- 21 Travel in May to Spain
- 22
Paris by Color (photos)
- 23 Traveling in Greece now--what's it like?
- 24 Question about Writing A Trip Report
- 25 Most efficient way to walk through Florence
It could. Gelnhausen is one of those many hidden gems hardly anyone knows about. A small town East of Frankfurt, easy to reach by local trains on the route Frankfurt - Fulda. Remnants from the proud past of this former imperial city (Reichsstadt) are the ruins of the 12th century palace of Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, a wonderful gothic church, several medieval houses and, all in all, a pretty little historical town centre. So, for those who like places off the beaten track, Gelnhausen is worth a closer look.
Website: http://www.gelnhausen.de/WelcomeBack/index.htm
Amazing..
..the actual spot is on a meadow (and probably not even marked), but the town with its former residence of one of Europe's most distinguished emperors appears to be a worthy representative of Europe.
The train trip from Frankfurt Airport is about 1 hr. Many people on this forum ask you to spend a couple of hours when they wait for their connection at the airport. Visiting Gelnhausen might be destination.
The centre of the EU is NOT the centre of Europe. Nearly two hundred million Europeans still have nothing to do with this racket for lining French farmers' pockets
And since Cyprus (which, though news might not have got to France's meticulous geographers, has been in the EU for nearly three years) is hundreds of miles south and east of Sofia, what difference does Bulgaria's membership make anyway?
Hello quokka! Thanks for the link. Gelnhausen sounds like a neat little town to explore, unfortunately, it won't be on this next trip. Too many places to see...not enough time. Peace, Robyn