Destination: Germany
World Travel Watch: Demonstrations in Venezuela, Clashes in Namibia and More
by Larry Habegger | 11.19.09 | 2:10 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Looking for Freedom’ by David Hasselhoff
by Eva Holland | 11.09.09 | 11:40 AM ET
The Day the Wall Came Down
by Stefanie Michaels | 11.09.09 | 10:39 AM ET
The wall fell 20 years ago today. Stefanie Michaels visited Berlin recently to hear a personal recollection.
Photo You Must See: Where the Berlin Wall Once Stood
by World Hum | 11.09.09 | 10:17 AM ET
A line marks the path where the wall once cut through the streets. It’s been twenty years today since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Lose Your Prosthetic Leg at Oktoberfest? Check With the Fundbüro.
by Michael Yessis | 10.02.09 | 11:34 AM ET
That’s the central lost and found for Munich’s Oktoberfest, and, as you might imagine, the drunken masses lose some interesting possessions. Over the years, the Fundbüro has taken temporary custody of, among other things, “a prosthetic leg, a wheelchair, a Superman costume, handwritten notes by the composer Johann Sebastian Bach and 15,000 marks in a soiled pair of lederhosen,” writes Nicholas Kulish in the New York Times.
For more Oktoberfest craziness, check out Life’s then and now slideshow.
Photo You Must See: Mugging for the Camera at Oktoberfest
by World Hum | 09.24.09 | 5:04 PM ET
A waitress serves mugs of beer to the thirsty crowds on Saturday as Oktoberfest kicks off in Munich.
The Triumphant Return of the Trabant
by Eva Holland | 09.18.09 | 11:41 AM ET
Yep, it’s true. The much-mocked East German vehicle of choice, which has gained a nostalgic following (or should I say ostalgic?) since the fall of the Berlin Wall, is coming back on the market—as an electric car. Wired’s Autopia bloggers, apparently immune to nostalgia, are horrified.
Reviving Brand America
by Rick Steves | 09.17.09 | 11:57 AM ET
Exploring Europe, exploring travel as a political act
Turn Up the Tunes, Break Out Your Phrasebooks
by Elyse Franko | 09.09.09 | 8:44 AM ET
Elyse Franko wonders: Is the United States at the beginning of a linguistic musical revolution?
European Flesh and the American Prude
by Rick Steves | 09.08.09 | 12:54 PM ET
Exploring Europe, exploring travel as a political act
An Aging Continent Grapples With Immigration
by Rick Steves | 08.20.09 | 10:56 AM ET
Exploring Europe, exploring travel as a political act
Berlin’s Currywurst Gets the Museum Treatment
by Eva Holland | 08.18.09 | 1:32 PM ET
The Berlin staple may not have set Alison Stein Wellner’s head on fire when she went looking for the world’s hottest foods, but it remains one of Germany’s favorite sausage variations. And now, currywurst—diced sausage doused in ketchup and curry powder—is getting a museum of its very own.
Some of the weirder details, from Reuters: “An array of interactive exhibits guide visitors along a ‘sauce trail’ through the history and variety of the beloved dish ... A spice chamber scents the air with curry powder as guests relax on the giant ‘sauce sofa’, shaped like a squirt of ketchup while an eco-alley assesses the environmental impact of fast food.”
Adventures in Unfortunate Place Names
by Eva Holland | 08.07.09 | 2:39 PM ET
Fill in the blanks: Residents in F**king, Austria, are sick of tourists flocking for lewd photo-ops with the town’s signage, but across the border the folks in W**k, Germany, think F**king should learn to embrace the crude humor—and cash in. That’s what W**k’s tourism leaders have done: Said one W**k spokesperson, “There are W**k postcards on sale although many people prefer to take their own W**k holiday snaps standing beside Welcome to W**k signs.” And understandably so. I’ll leave the DIY jokes to less refined bloggers.
Moon-Gazing Around the Globe
by Alicia Imbody | 08.03.09 | 10:32 AM ET
From Puebla to Paris, 12 photos by moonstruck world travelers
See the full photo slideshow »
Six Great Summer Music Festivals in Europe
by Ben Keene | 07.14.09 | 9:37 AM ET
Headed overseas this summer? Ben Keene surveys music festivals from Budapest to Stockholm.