🇩🇪 Germany

Jun 1, 2025 5 min read

Hej! I’m sharing a glimpse of my experience visiting prosperous Germany. I was there in the summer of 2025. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and does not cover all the wonderful local features and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Frankfurt am Main, Koblenz, Lahnstein, Cologne.

🏛 Top sights visited:

  1. Frankfurt am Main
    • Römerberg (Römerberg)
    • Museum Embankment (Museumsufer)
    • Frankfurt Cathedral (Frankfurter Dom)
    • St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche)
    • The Hauptwache (Hauptwache)
    • Bankenviertel (Bankenviertel)
    • Zeil Street (Zeil Straße)
    • Old Opera (Alte Oper)
    • Old Bridge (Alte Brücke)
  2. Koblenz
    • German Corner (Deutsches Eck)
    • Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (Festung Ehrenbreitstein)
    • Prussian Government Building (Preußisches Regierungsgebäude)
    • Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss)
    • St. Castor Basilica (Basilika St. Kastor)
    • History Column (Historiensäule)
    • Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche)
  3. Lahnstein
    • Lahneck Castle (Burg Lahneck)
    • Martinsburg (Schloss Martinsburg)
    • Witch Tower (Hexenturm)
  4. Cologne
    • Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
    • Hohenzollern Bridge (Hohenzollernbrücke)
    • Great Saint Martin Church (Groß Sankt Martin)
    • Farina Fragrance Museum (Duftmuseum im Farina-Haus)
    • Cologne City Hall (Kölner Rathaus)
    • House of 4711 (4711-Haus)
    • Roman Tower (Römerturm)
    • Schnütgen Museum (Museum Schnütgen)

🎧 Local musicians:

  • 🇩🇪 Rammstein (band). Genre: industrial metal
  • 🇩🇪 Tokio Hotel (band). Genre: glam rock
  • 🇩🇪 Die Ärzte (band). Genre: pop punk
  • 🇩🇪 Bakkushan (band). Genre: indie rock
  • 🇩🇪 Johannes Oerding (singer). Genre: pop
  • 🇩🇪 Herbert Grönemeyer (singer). Genre: retro pop
  • 🇩🇪 Max Giesinger (singer). Genre: pop
  • 🇩🇪 Nina Chuba (singer). Genre: pop
  • 🇩🇪 Stefanie Kloß (singer). Genre: pop
  • 🇩🇪 Nena (singer). Genre: euro pop
  • 🇩🇪 Kyau & Albert (DJ duo). Genre: trance
  • 🇩🇪 Alex C / Jasper Forks (DJ). Genre: house
  • 🇺🇳 Scorpions (band). Genre: hard rock
  • 🇺🇳 Modern Talking (duo). Genre: euro pop
  • 🇺🇳 Scooter (band). Genre: happy hardcore
  • 🇺🇳 ATB (DJ). Genre: progressive house
  • 🇺🇳 Paul van Dyk (DJ). Genre: uplifting trance
  • 🇺🇳 Cosmic Gate (DJ duo). Genre: melodic techno
  • 🇺🇳 La Bouche (duo). Genre: eurodance
  • 🇺🇳 Cascada (band). Genre: eurodance
  • 🇺🇳 Robin Schulz (DJ). Genre: house
  • 🇺🇳 Schiller (DJ band). Genre: ambient
  • 🇺🇳 Cinema Bizzare (band). Genre: glam rock
  • 🇺🇳 Hanz Zimmer (composer). Genre: film score
  • 🇺🇳 Bad Boys Blue (band). Genre: euro pop
  • 🇺🇳 Timo Maas (DJ). Genre: progressive house
  • 🇺🇳 Boney M (band). Genre: disco
  • 🇺🇳 C. C. Catch (singer). Genre: euro pop
  • 🇺🇳 Enigma (band). Genre: new age

🎚️ Contribution to EDM:

  • Krautrock. Originated: late 1960s
  • Space Music. Originated: early 1970s
  • Electronic Body Music. Originated: early 1980s
  • Classic Trance. Originated: late 1980s
  • Eurodance. Originated: late 1980s
  • Acid Trance. Originated: early 1990s
  • Hard Trance. Originated: early 1990s
  • Glitch. Originated: early 1990s
  • Electroclash. Originated: early 1990s
  • Dub Techno. Originated: early 1990s
  • Minimal Techno. Originated: early 1990s
  • Tech Trance. Originated: mid-1990s
  • Progressive Trance. Originated: early 2000s

🥘 Local food & drinks:

  • Pretzel (Bretzel)
  • Sauerbraten (Sauerbraten)
  • Bratwurst (Bratwurst)
  • Liverwurst (Leberwurst)
  • Rinderrouladen (Rinderrouladen)
  • Mettbrötchen (Mettbrötchen)
  • Eisbein (Eisbein)
  • Berliner (Krapfen)
  • Gummy Bears (Gummibär)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Handkäse (Handkäse)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Frankfurter Green Sauce (Frankfurter Grüne Soße)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Frankfurter Rippchen (Frankfurter Rippchen)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Speckkuchen (Speckkuchen)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurter Kranz)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Hessian Apfelwein (Brands: “Kelterei Walther”, “Kelterei Possmann”)
  • Rhineland-Palatinate (Regional Special): Saumagen (Saumagen)
  • Rhineland-Palatinate (Regional Special): German Wine (Brands: “Volk Riesling Trocken”, “Rheingau Riesling Trocken”)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Himmel und Erde (Himmel un Ääd)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Flönz and Cologne Caviar (Flönz un Kölscher Kaviar)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Potthucke (Potthucke)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Halve Hahn (Halve Hahn)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Kölsch Beer (Brands: “Gaffel Kölsch”, “Früh Kölsch”)

🎬 Local movies:

  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door). Year: 1997. Genre: tragicomedy
  • The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen). Year: 2006. Genre: thriller
  • Head Full of Honey (Honig im Kopf). Year: 2014. Genre: tragicomedy
  • The Collini Case (Der Fall Collini). Year: 2019. Genre: drama
  • Never Look Away (Werk ohne Autor). Year: 2018. Genre: drama
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Das Parfum – Die Geschichte eines Mörders). Year: 2006. Genre: drama
  • A Coffee in Berlin (Oh Boy). Year: 2012. Genre: tragicomedy
  • Where Is Fred? (Wo ist Fred?). Year: 2006. Genre: comedy
  • 100 Things (100 Dinge). Year: 2018. Genre: comedy

🪔 Authentic features:

  • Authentic Principle: Weltschmerz (Weltschmerz)
  • Protestantism (Protestantismus)
  • The Allemande Dance (Allemande)
  • The Volkfests (Volksfeste)
  • The Ore Mountain Wood Art (Erzgebirgische Holzkunst)
  • The Ottonian Architecture (Ottonische Architektur)
  • The Half-Timbered Architecture (Fachwerkbauweise)
  • German Cars (Brands: “Audi”, “Volkswagen”, “BMW”, “Mercedes-Benz”, “Porsche”, “Opel” etc.)
  • German Fashion (Brands: “Hugo Boss”, “Tom Tailor”, “PUMA”, “Adidas” etc.)
  • German Philosophy (Deutsche Philosophie)
  • German Fairy Tales (Deutsche Märchen)
  • German Cockoo Clock (Kuckucksuhr)
  • Authentic Musical Instrument: Zither (Zither)
  • Authentic Garb: German Tracht (Tracht)
  • The Heritage of the Holy Roman Empire (Heiliges Römisches Reich / Sacrum Imperium Romanum)
  • The Heritage of Prussia (Preußen / Prūsija)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): The Museumsuferfest (Museumsuferfest)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): The Schwälmer Dance (Schwälmer Tanz)
  • Hessen (Regional Special): Authentic Garb: Hinterländer Trachten and Schwälmer Tracht (Hinterländer Trachten und Schwälmer Tracht)
  • Rhineland-Palatinate (Regional Special): German Wine Queen Competition (Deutsche Weinkönigin)
  • Rhineland-Palatinate (Regional Special): The Westerwald Pottery (Westerwälder Steinzeug)
  • Rhineland-Palatinate (Regional Special): Authentic Garb: Tugendpfeil (Tugendpfeil)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): The Cologne Carnival (Kölner Karneval)
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Regional Special): Eau de Cologne Perfume (Kölnisch Wasser)

💐 National flower: Cornflower (Kornblumen)

🦉 Local wisdom: “The well becomes appreciated only when there is no more water inside.” / “Den Brunnen schätzt man erst dann, wenn es kein Wasser mehr gibt.” — German proverb

👨‍🎓 The oldest university: Heidelberg University (Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg), Heidelberg, est. 1386.

Cologne
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Cologne Cathedral
Lahnstein
The Gutenberg Monument (Frankfurt)
Prussian Government Building (Koblenz)
The Römer
German Bratwurst
Vladislav Indykov
Vladislav Indykov
PhD Candidate in Software Engineering

SE, ML, BI, EDM, etc…