Germany
The German language has always been present in my life. Some of my relatives are Austrian, and after a trip to Austria I started wishing I could actually speak German well enough to talk to them directly. In high school I gave it a try without much success. Later in grad school I picked it up again, this time with more determination, and was lucky enough to have German friends who let me practice with them, even if I butchered the grammar most of the time. Over the years I’ve had the chance to travel through Germany, and I’d like to share some of the places I visited and the memories that stayed with me.
Hallo, Halle!
When I finally got to visit Germany, my first stop wasn’t Berlin or Munich but Halle. I landed in Leipzig, where my friend picked me up, and soon I was wandering the streets of Halle. I loved the mix of architecture, the occasional bubble-shaped roofs that looked straight out of a fairy tale, and the Europa Carillon im Roten Turm towering over the city. Halle probably isn’t on many people’s travel lists, but for me it was the start of it all.
Berlin
Then came Berlin. I stayed in Mitte and right away felt the city’s pulse. I wandered through the Brandenburg Gate, craned my neck up at the TV Tower, strolled around Museum Island, and ended up in Alexanderplatz. At the Reichstag, things were buzzing with government business, and during the Lange Nacht der Museen I got to hop between museums until late at night, which felt like such a Berlin thing to do.
The history in Berlin is impossible to ignore. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was heavy and moving, the Berlin Wall memorial and the mural of the fraternal kiss were striking, and Checkpoint Charlie felt like stepping into another time. In Hackescher Markt I spotted Trabants, and the city introduced me to its cultural icons: Die Maus, the little orange mouse loved by everyone and the Ampelmännchen, the crosswalk mascots. I also learned the word“Mist!” from Bernd das Brot to replace any curse word I were to use. And somewhere in all of it I realized something simple: as long as there was coffee, carrots, and cannelés, I was happy.
Food-wise, Berlin did not disappoint. Currywurst on the street, rye bread that completely ruined me for bread back home, and supermarkets full of things that would cost a fortune in Boston.
Berlin had the energy of New York but with way more room to breathe. It felt like a place I could actually imagine living in.
Potsdam
From Berlin I made a quick day trip to Potsdam to see Sanssouci Palace. The gardens were beautiful, full of statues, scattered among paths and fountains. The palace itself carried a clear French influence—even the name, “Sans souci,” felt like a reminder that back then French was the language of elegance, the style everyone wanted to copy.
It was calm and spacious, the kind of place meant for strolling without rushing anywhere. After the energy of Berlin, Potsdam felt slower, almost like stepping into another world for a few hours.
Hamburg
Hamburg was next, and it felt completely different. A city of water and brick. The Elbphilharmonie stood like a giant sail above the harbor, Speicherstadt’s red warehouses lined the canals, and I walked the Elbe Tunnel under the river, which was wild.
I biked through the city, checked out the Fernsehturm, wandered through Schiers Passage, and enjoyed the gardens. St. Pauli had its own wild energy, though I was too shy to actually go into the Reeperbahn. Down at the Elbstrand I had a few beers by the water, watching ships pass by and just enjoying the view.
The food deserves its own mention: buttery Franzbrötchen and fresh Fischbrötchen, unforgettable! Hamburg struck me as both polished and gritty at the same time, a city that doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is.
Hannover
Hannover had a quieter feel. I noticed the timber-framed houses right away, looking like something out of a storybook, whether restored or preserved. I biked around the city, took a fall near the caricature museum and laughed it off, and climbed the Neues Rathaus for an amazing view over the city. Walking around the Maschsee was another highlight, calm and peaceful.
And then came sauna culture—my first encounter with Freikörperkultur. Swim trunks were fine in the pool, but once you went into the saunas, it was all naked. At first I was uncomfortable, then it became funny, and by the end it was actually freeing. I still laugh thinking about opening a sauna door and finding someone doing naked yoga inside. It was komisch in that very German way: funny, strange, and awkward all at once.
The food I experience was the kind that makes you feel at home: Käsebrot, Abendbrot and Frikadellen.
Stuttgart and Lake Constance
In Stuttgart I got a mix of culture and chaos. One night around Hans im Glück Brunnen was unforgettable—Mr. Brightside blasting in the club, dancing like there was no tomorrow, and somehow a bunch of random strangers joining in and shouting every word. That night I learned the word “Weg-Bier” and grabbed a “Weg-Weißweinschorle,” on my way home. The memory from that night is chaotic, joyful, and oddly vivid.
Another highlight was meeting an old friend at a bar on a Sunday afternoon. We wandered in just in time for a Tatort viewing. The whole bar was silent, and turned around when we walked in. We decided that it was best to have a beer outside.
Driving on the autobahn was also fun, reaching 220 km/hr when allowed. There was also a day trip to Lake Constance where I walked into Switzerland—no borders, no passport stamps, just like that. The lake sparkled, and walking around it was the perfect way to end that part of the trip.
What Remains
Germany gave me so much more than just sights. Berlin’s constant energy, Hamburg’s water and warehouses, Hannover’s humor and saunas, Stuttgart’s speed and stillness, and Halle’s quiet welcome—all of them stuck with me in their own way. But what lingers even more are the small things: being amazed by a Trabi rolling past, the rye bread that ruined every other loaf for me, and the awkward freedom of trying something new. Those little moments are what stay with you.
