Peg, this is a joy. Thank you from the very wet and cold north of England.

" The rain dampened my enthusiasm"--get it? "Dampened..." Well, never mind.

After Bad Schandau, i took the train again from Dresden to Wernigerode. It was very roundabout, as the second leg passed Wernigerode and then returned to it from west. It took an hour and a half to go a quite short distance.

It was tiring, but the woman (conductor) was very helpful. She pointed out the electronic sign near my seat that told the next town at which we'd stop. I assume she realized I was a foreigner--or maybe she thought I just wasn't too sharp--because she was so informative and helpful.

This was my third trip to Wernigerode, so it had lost a little of the stunning impression it made on me the first time I visited it. The Fachwerk (exposed beam architecture) is just wonderful; beginning with the city hall (Rathaus) with its pointed towers, around every corner is another amazing building.

I stayed at the Travel Charme Gothisches Haus hotel, a fairly high end place that wasn't really expensive. My only (minor picky) complaint about it was the second-rate art in the public areas. Otherwise it was elegant and comfortable. The breakfast was ordinary, except that you get your (58%) butter, in a nice round patty, from a machine. Pretty cool! Service was excellent, and there was a good selection of foods.

When I arrived, there was a city-wide party going on, in the marketplace and nearby. Lots of people, some of them medieval costume, much beer. Parties often seem to happen in Wernigerode. Last time I was here, there was also a big celebration, including line dancing and line dancing lessons.

I stopped in a restaurant for cake and coffee. To order the cake, you had to go to a counter and point at the cake you wanted. The waitress would write the name of the cake you'd chosen and the price. Then you'd give the paper to the waitress who came to your table.

I pointed out what looked like some sort of chocolate-y cake, but the paper I was given said Mohntorte. I know that "Mohn" means poppy seeds, but apparently my brain didn't engage until I actually saw the torte up close. I did eat part of it, though it wasn't very tasty. The coffee on the other hand, was delicious. I ordered cappucchino (maybe even double cappucchino), but the waitress somehow translated that into cappucchino plus a teeny cup of espresso. I poured the espresso into my cappucchino and was transported into coffee heaven. Best coffee I've ever had.

Aside from its own sweet self, Wernigerode's two big tourist attractions are a mountain called the Brocken and the Schloss. The Brocken has long played a role in legends and is associated with witches and the devil, so that you see a lot of joking witch stuff around town. Goethe set his witches' sabbath in "Faust" on the Brocken. In real life, the summit was bombed during the war, and Americans occupied it for 2 years afterward. During the Cold War there were Soviet and DDR listening stations on the Brocken.

I visited the Brocken by means of a narrow gauge railroad, an old black steam engine, complete with smoke blowing back into the cars. It was a long trip up the mountain. My only entertainment was going out to the "back porch" to watch the locomotive when we negotiated curves.

When I arrived at the Bahnhof at the summit, I decided to walk to the installation at the top, but that wasn't as easy as it looked. There was a strong, cold wind blowing against me, so that I almost had to lean forward in order to remain standing. As I struggled along, a bicyclist pushed past me. I couldn't believe it! He was actually biking up the slope that I could barely manage to walk.

I had really wanted to see the little espionage museum there. It was mildly interesting. I liked the little model of the summit, along with the installation and the wall that surrounded it.

I had a mediocre schnitzel and soggy fries, along with a pudding at the echoing restaurant in the big hotel there.

When I went back to the little Bahnhof, I bought a mouse pad of our steam engine for my brother, who loves trains. He wasn't the only train afficionado, though. When we returned to Wernigerode, there were several men taking pictures of the locomotive.

SharonG: I found Poland to be fascinating, especially because of WWII. My suggestion to would would be to plan everything very carefully, and then do it.

If you want any help or advice, I'd be glad to give it to you. Just let me know on Fodors and I'll post my email address.

Whathehello: That's a great story!

Gertie: Thanks. I want you to know that your trip reports from the Baltics a while ago helped inspire me to go.

I do have to comment that I understood about half of what any of these folks said. I'm not sure whether it was because of the influence of the Sächsisch dialect or my imperfect German.>>

I agree with What that it's most probably them, not you. I know that on another thread someone said that they find the Bavarian accent easy to understand but i think that s/he is a long-term resident there so it's not the same as touring round and having to swap from one accent or even dialect to another. And even when they are speaking "Hochdeutsch", IME they still have an accent as well - Hochdeutsch as she is spoken in Hamburg is NOT the same as in Munich. and don't get me started on Vienna.

we too went up the Brocken on the railway and found it cold at the top - we walked part of the way down and it was less interesting than I had hoped though the cafe by the mid-station was clearly better than where you ate. We discovered, fortunately not too late, that we were on a train that split so we had to move to get into the right bit of it to get back to Wernigerode.

We also went up the Koenigstein, and even in good weather I would not have said that it was a "Muss" but somehow we couldn't find the Bastei, not even with a map and a car -so you beat us there!

Peg, sorry for the delay in getting back to you about Greifswald and the Eldena Abbey ruins. I was working on being concise and not long winded... ha

Three years ago I was in Binz (Ruegen Island) and saw some pictures, read some articles, bought a gorgeous book (Caspar David Friedrich, by Willi Geismeier....used available on Amazon dot de) and decided to go to Greifswald. I have been getting interested in the Hanseatic cities and the Backstein Gotik architecture, so I've been to a number of them, visiting the churches and admiring the step gable buildings.

This year I was in Binz, took the train to Greifswald, asked a young girl how to get to the Markt. She was a university student, very helpful, walked with me partway. I stopped in Pfarrkirche St. Jacobi and Dom St. Nikolai, went to the Pommersches Landesmuseum (interesting, but only a couple CDF paintings), had tiramisu and coffee on the Marktplatz --my only encounter with a non-friendly person, the waiter. And then I got bus information at the TI, in the big red Rathaus on the Markt. While waiting for the bus, talked to a lady to make sure it was the right bus. It was, and I sat up front so I could talk to the bus driver. I wasn't sure where to get off, which way to walk to the Eldena Abbey ruins, or where to catch the bus to go back. He was so nice, super helpful. The bus stops near the Wieck bridge, and I walked on a shady path about 10 minutes to the ruins. They're in a park, just grass and big trees, very cool, more than you would think from the CDF paintings. There were a couple people just lying on the grass, and a group of people in one end of the biggest ruin, maybe some kind of class. I took some pictures and walked back to the bus stop....took bus all the way back to the train station. And then train back to Binz. It was a really nice day trip. I hadn't realized the ruins were that close to Greifswald when I first decided to go, but looking at Google Maps showed that it was easily doable.

Oh, and slightly different subject...I know you wanted to go where you could speak just German...in my 12 days in Hannover, Luebeck, Wismar, Binz and Greifswald, I spoke English only once ---there were actually a couple Americans passing thru Binz between Hamburg and on to Berlin, etc. I spoke to them because I was so surprised to hear English spoken, first time in 3 visits to Binz!

Peg, as always this is a wonderful TR! Thanks for sharing.

I'd better get this finished before I totally lose interest.

Just one more comment about the little train to the Brocken. I'd been in Wernigerode last year but was having trouble with my digestion, and I wanted to stay where toilets were available. After I mentioned this, someone said there would be toilets available on the train. WRONG! I shudder to think of spending 3 hours on that train with no facilities available.

The day after the ascent of the Brocken, I took the Bimmelbahn (a vehicle tarted up to look vaguely like a train) to the Schloss (castle), which has an exotic-looking silhouette, with pointed roofs, very different from any other castle I've ever seen. The Bimmelbahn wandered through various lush neighborhoods on the way to the Schloss. We were dropped off a short distance from our goal, and we walked a pretty steep path to the actual Schloss.

I climbed to the restaurant on the terrace via lots and lots of stairs and had coffee and strudel. The views of the town, the surrounding hills and the countryside were beautiful. Later I walked around the castle grounds and into a courtyard but did not take the tour of the inside of the Schloss, which was on offer, as I've seen enough interiors of sumptuous castles as I can stand. Also, the idea of any more walking sent frissons of horror through my body.

The castle was very cool, though. Lots of round towers with pointed roofs, and little bowers sticking out of the walls. Very evocative. It also is great-looking from a distance, especially the pointed parts of the roofs.

Peg, did you see my post about Greifswald above? If you have questions, just ask.

After Wernigerode, I went to Halle because it had a museum of prehistory that I wanted to see. The exhibits in the museum were fascinating. The most spectacular piece from the museum was the Nebra sky disc, which is a bronze disc with gold images of sun, moon, etc., imbedded in it. There were also displays of tools, from simple early stone tools to adzes and daggers. Also displayed were bones of early humans and diagrams of the ages and genders of the bones. Too much stuff to remember.

I even bought a little souvenir, a key chain of the Nebra sky disc to give to a friend from my exercise class to add to the other little gifts I'd bought her--a refrigerator magnet of Nefertiti's head from Berlin and from Wernigerode little water color card of a witch, and a little knickknack of a "Schutz Engel"--a guardian angel. Unfortunately, the Schutz Engel seems to have disappeared. I drive myself crazy the way I can't keep track of things. It may show up eventually, or it may not.

I stayed in Halle only two days because the only site I really wanted to visit was this museum, but naturally I interacted with various people, as I always seem to do. I noticed that my waitress had an interesting accent, so I asked her where she learned English. It turns out that she had spent a year in Minnesota in high school. She mainly talked about how cold it was and how she had to dress for the cold. A couple of guys heard us talking and joined in. They turned out to be pilots from DHL, so we talked about that a little. I told them that I am also a pilot, a very bad pilot who easily becomes airsick, and who seriously considers the option of jumping from the plane as a cure for airsickness.

Later, I saw four more of them in the elevator, this time in uniform, and I commented, "Oh, more pilots," or something like that. At breakfast the next day, they talked to me. Nothing momentous, though one of them made a sort of denigrating comment about Michele Obama, so I didn't pursue further conversation.

It was very hot in Halle, so I was glad I wasn't staying long.

Well, that was interesting. I just had a visit from the fuzz--two cute young officers. Turns out they had the wrong address. The call came from 1007, and my address is 1017.

travelsolo: I didn't know that CDF came from Greifswald.That's very cool that you were able to visit the Abbey and to see one of the places he painted.

I just looked up Greifswald and CDF both and saw the connection. I wonder if any other of his painting depict scenes around Greifswald.

Yep, there is a painting of the Greifswald Marktplatz, I believe with his family in it. That painting is in the Landesmuseum there. It is also in the book I bought.

The book has about 100 of his paintings, and lists where each one is. I absolutely love it! I just looked and there is a painting Blick aus einer Laube auf die Nikolaikirche in Greifswald..in Dresden, Stadtliche Kunstsammlung.

Also a couple more in and around Greifswald.

Some of his paintings are in the Hamburg Kunsthalle, some in Berlin, many in Dresden and also Leipzig, Moscow, Hannover, Oslo, etc.
I really like Frau vor der untergehenden Sonne. That one is in Essen, Museum Folkwang.

Yep, the abbey ruins were cool!

Maybe I should do a Caspar David Friedrich pilgrimage--just visit all these places. I would never be satisfied just seeing them once, though.

I didn't know there were CDF paintings in Leipzig or Berlin.

I too saw a book in the Albertinum with all his wonderful paintings. I didn't want to add any weight to my luggage, so I didn't buy it.

I like Two Friends Contemplating the Moon.

I just looked up that one... I like it, too. The two are identified as CDF and his friend and disciple August Heinrich.

Some in Berlin are listed as being at Schloss Charlottenberg.

The ones in Leipzig at Museum der bildenden Kuenste.

I bought the book and sent it home from the post office.

Yep, a pilgrimage! Love the idea!

(There's a pen and ink drawing of CDF and G.F.Kersting hiking in the Hartz mountains in 1811) cool.

Oh, gosh, I didn't see the ones in Charlottenberg or in Leipzig.

Obviously, sending the book home is a great idea.

SharonG: I found Poland to be fascinating, especially because of WWII. My suggestion to would would be to plan everything very carefully, and then do it.

If you want any help or advice, I'd be glad to give it to you. Just let me know on Fodors and I'll post my email address.


thanks Peg!

I enjoyed your report, Peg. It sounds like you have some wonderful adventures and meet some engaging people on your travels!

I understand that castle overload feeling; but, I will say that I thought the interiors of the schloss had much more of a homey feeling -- more like the place where a real family lived than others I've seen.

We didn't make it up to the Brocken on our last trip so we'll have to get back there.

Thanks for posting!

Thanks for another terrific TR, Peg. I love how you seem to have these little side "adventures" with other tourists and with local people. Thanks for sharing!

Okay, I am going to finish, and this time I really mean it.

One of the aforementioned pilots said he was from Bakersfield, California, and I said I'd been there and that my clearest memory was the time a friend and I went to a country-western bar, where we met "Hoss" from Bonanza. The pilot was curious about which bar it was, and he kept scrolling through his device for the names of bars in Bakersfield. He'd tell me the name of a bar, and I'd say no, that wasn't it.

Finally I went up to my room, whereupon the name of the bar popped into my head. So I raced back downstairs and said, "Harmony Gardens." I was very proud of the fact that I remembered the name of a bar we visited once in 1960! Especially given the fact that nowadays I sometimes have to fake it with the names of people I know well.

The other conversation that I remember is with the taxi driver who took me to the museum of prehistory. He commented on my German and said that when he was in school they had to take Russian--but they could choose another language as well. He said he studied French, but he was disgusted with the fact that though he studied French, he wasn't allowed to travel to France. (Halle is of course in the former East Germany.)

After Halle, I went to Erfurt. The description in Frommers mentions the beauty of some of the architecture, and it surely is that. I took a bus tour of the city, but I had a hard time following the guides description. I understood part of what he said, but I kept thinking of my favorite German expression: "Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof." --that is, "I understand only 'train station,'" or "All I understand is 'train station.'"

I wanted to take pictures of the beautiful buildings, but that was hard to do on a bus. During the tour, the guide mentioned St.Boniface several times. I kept thinking of something I once read: "St.Patrick converted the Irish, and St.Boniface did what he could with the Germans." I've always thought that was funny, though Germans would probably consider it rude.

I went for a walk the next morning and saw more wonderful architecture. Not all the buildings were beautiful, but many of them were. I noticed a very large building that I wondered about. It looked to be about the right age to be a DDR construction, though it wasn't as ugly as so many of them are.

I was curious about it because the guide in Warsaw had told me that apartments in the Cold War Communist building are usually quite small, wondered about this one. Then I got near enough to the building to see the name: "Yuri Gagarin Ring." I think Gagarin was the first man in space, back in Kruschev's time. The "ring" refers to the fact that the building was in a semi-circle.

As I walked further down the street, I saw a streetcar stop sign that said, "Karl Marx Platz." I was a little surprised by that because in Berlin those Communist names have been changed to something western or at least non-Communist.

I had lunch around the corner from the hotel at a little café that seemed a little thrown-together--Not that I mind that quality. It felt homey. The plates were all different patterns and sizes, as were the chairs. Lunch was odd. The salad contained carrot grated VERY fine, along with a weedy-looking green that I've never eaten in the States, but that I see often in Germany. It's called "rucola," and I'm told that it's very healthy.I also had some foul-tasting bottled iced tea.

The quiche was a left-over. It would have been better if they had nuked it to warm it up, but this seemed to be one of those places where they don't nuke. All yoga-and-health food-ish. So the quiche left a lot to be desired. That was okay, though. At least it was a change.

and I said I'd been there and that my clearest memory was the time a friend and I went to a country-western bar, where we met "Hoss" from Bonanza>>

goodness me, Peg, there's a blast from the past. I can't hear the name of the show without hearing the music in my head as well - are you the same?

<<but I kept thinking of my favorite German expression: "Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof." --that is, "I understand only 'train station,'" or "All I understand is 'train station.'" >>

our current german guests have made me think of that expression more than once Peg - but I've resisted using it, up until now. The wife in particular speaks very fast, but I have learnt a new word for something she likes a lot: "supi"!

on our first lawyers' trip to Halle we had an elderly female guide who explained that she decided to be a tour guide in order to be able to use her english, as they weren't allowed to travel.