pmgoosed

I just received word today that I am headed to Mönchengladbach, Germany for a final interview with a company based there.

I did some quick research and the town seems small. Has anyone ever been?

Quick questions-

1. Car- is one necessary or is there solid local transport?

2. Aside from Dusseldorf, is there anything around Mönchengladbach that is a recommended must?

3. Any must do's in Mönchengladbach?

4. Any recommendations on food and beverage (e.g., one traditional regional meal is a must...and definitely looking for a bar or two).

5. Weather- from what I gather, it seems similar to Boston. Is there anything (uber rain season...etc.) I am missing on this?

I fly in Sunday morning and have all day to see the town. I interview half-days on Mon and Tues and presume I will have some time to see the sights...and fly out Wed....but am thinking of paying for an extension if it is worthwhile.

Sorry for the "vagueness" however, my research time is limited because I am doing NOTHING but prepping for this interview.

Thanks a bunch!

pmgoosed

And for the record, I did see the mini-thread from two years ago; I was hoping someone can offer more.

I have been to Holland and Germany and I saw someone mention the following cities as within driving distance:

Düsseldorf, Cologne, Aachen, Maastricht.

Any recommendations on which to choose if I have the time?

Cowboy1968

Mönchengladbach is not exactly a tiny town (some 250K inhabitants), but dwarfed in "importance" by neighboring Düsseldorf and Cologne.

The city itself is neither touristy nor has any world-class sights to offer, but has a good location for exploring the tri-state area of Western Northrhine-Westphalia, the Southern Netherlands, and Eastern Belgium.

If you think about adding an extra day, I would do Aachen plus Maastricht (they are only a few kms apart). Maastricht is probably the "cutest" town of those you mentioned, Aachen has lots of important historic architecture, esp. of its Roman era.

For trips to Düsseldorf or Cologne I would rely on public transportation/ trains, while for trips to Maastricht/ Aachen a car may be a better option to also get a glimpse of the countryside.

Brussel or Antwerpen are also easy day trips, as well as the Rhine valley between Bonn and Koblenz.

Weather is on the moderate/ humid side, with mild winters and (usually) rather warm (and humid) summers.

altamiro

>Quick questions-

1. Car- is one necessary or is there solid local transport?

Mönchengladbach is a part of the Ruhr conurbation which ahs a very good public transport network. The car culture (i. e. peer pressure towards owning one) is stronger in NRW though than in other parts of Germany. If you prefer to live in a suburb then a car may become necessary.

There are half-hourly train connections to Aachen and Cologne and 4-5 trains per hour to Düsseldorf. MGB has also an own airport for charter flights.

2. Aside from Dusseldorf, is there anything around Mönchengladbach that is a recommended must?

Not really, at least in immediate vicinity. Itīs unfortunately not a tourist highlight area - flat, densely settled and with a legacy of coal mining and steel production everywhere.

3. Any must do's in Mönchengladbach?

Take the next train to Düsseldorf

5. Weather- from what I gather, it seems similar to Boston.

From what I heard about winters in Boston, there is no similarity at all. The climate is mostly determined by the Atlantic ocean - mild wet winters, not very hot summers... forget seeing snow until you go to the mountains.

I fly in Sunday morning and have all day to see the town. I interview half-days on Mon and Tues and presume I will have some time to see the sights...and fly out Wed....but am thinking of paying for an extension if it is worthwhile.

Aachen is an excellent day trip, as is Cologne. Getting to Düsseldorf takes about 25 min by train, so itīs easy to squeeze in a half-day.

Donīt expect any "quaintness" around - as the industrial heart of Germany the Ruhr area was bombed flat in WW2. Some buildings were reconstructed but most werenīt.

>Sorry for the "vagueness" however, my research time is limited because I am doing NOTHING but prepping for this interview.

If the job is right you will find enough to do in the area. 10 Mio people in the Ruhr area want to be entertained too - you will find something to your taste!

pmgoosed

Thanks to all! Been to Antwerpen and Brussels...so the other cities seem best.

As for the job, it is based in Burlington, MA...but home base is Germany.

I would be stateside!!!

Thanks again....looks like day trips for me!

BTilke

Good luck on your interviews.

FWIW, Hattingen is 90 minutes from Mönchengladbach and is a pretty small town, off the tourist trail. It was NOT bombed flat during WWII, what you see there is not a reconstruction.
http://www.international.hattingen.de/uk/poi1.htm

Agree with the rec for Düsseldorf. Also Aachen. If you go to Aachen, you can get traditional food at the Goldene Rose am Dom (Fischmarkt 1) near the cathedral. (some sites list it as just Rose am Dom)

As for winters, we spent some time in the Bochum area. It did snow a few times, but only an inch or two at a shot and it didn't stick around for more than a couple of days. A little colder and just a tad snowier than our winters in Brussels. Summers warm and sometimes muggy.

tribi

My husband and I stayed in monchengladbach 2 years ago, he went for business purposes, after he finished work around 4:00 p.m., oh! and we had a rental car, we drove one day to Brussels, another day to Mosnchau which is a beautiful old german town look it up online, another day to Cologne, and also Dusseldorf.