I found a couple of memorycards, which included a lot of photos from the time we were living in Germany. During those six years we were living in Schwäbisch Hall, in the South part of the country(Baden-Württenberg). It is a small town from the middle ages. A lot of History, traditions and breath taking Nature and a little bit of a touch of the mediterranean influence in every day life. This is a little longer post, but I just wanted to show many pictures of this beautiful town and it's surroundings. More photos than text.
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| Cafe am Markt (cafe beside the marketplace) |
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| Market square ( a big market every wednesday and saturday selling vegetables, fruits, cheese, flowers, fish..) |
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| There was every Summer outdoor Theatre on the big steps of the St. Michael's Church. |
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| A tasty Cappuccino in a Cafe/Bar Ilge by the river. Many italians living in south Germany: many italian restaurants and ice cream bars. |
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| St. Michael's Church and the silhouette of old the centre |
There is a lot to see in this little town. Our visitors really liked the atmosphere with lovely houses in the old centre and inviting cafe's and the local culture with many Museums. Schwäbisch Hall is also a very green town, surrounded with high hills and nice walking or cycling paths beside the green river valley.
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| The river Kocher |
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| Sometimes the water level was so low that the river turned out to be the big, inspiring playground for the children. |
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| Other times the water level was very high in a rainy season. |
We had a nice garden and a cute terrace in our home. Sometimes I miss it too. A lot of space to play football, have a grill party or just have a quiet coffee and read a book. A nice HOME.
It was great to have a walk near the River and hear the sound of the running water. You could also rent a little rowing boat in the summertime and enjoy the view. If you follow the river by walking or by bike to the direction of the Town park (Anlagen Park)and further you will soon see the Castle of Comburg (Schloss Comburg) which used to be a monastery in old times. It was a nice destination for a family walk. Kids loved to run there around, it was like an adventure and you will have nice views from the little windows from the castle. In the wintertime there was also classical concerts in some evenings.
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| A view from the Ruins of Limburg, on the horizon you see the Castle of Comburg |
The most inspiring thing for me in the area of Hohenlohe, where we lived, was the hilly landscape. Even if it sometimes felt a little bit too small to live down in the valley, I always lost that tight feeling when I climbed on top of the hill and saw the big landscape around. Then the whole world was again reachable and you did not feel stuck in the same place too long.
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| A view from Einkorn, the highest hill nearby. There is a nice restaurant, playground and a beer garden on the hill. |
One more great destination for a historical walk outdoors is the outdoor museum Wackershofen nearby. A short drive by car or by bus from the town centre. It is a big park where they brought and rebuild some old german farm houses. You can go inside the houses and see how people lived long time ago in farms. There are also farm animals and few restaurants where you can eat traditional food.
The Winter is almost there again. My friend from Germany just sended me a message that it was first time snowing in Schwäbisch Hall last night. A cool season and almost time for the traditional Christmas Market. A cosy season with warm drinks (glühwein) and food.
Germany is quite a big country in an european scale and has a big variety of lifestyle and nature, which I think makes it a very interesting destination to travel. I experienced more the Southern way of living, which I was told is a little bit different than living in the North part of the country. A bit more relaxed I think! I am happy that I had a chance to live there and learn to like the language, the people and the beauty of Germany. I was sceptic before I moved there, but everything turned out to be much better than I thought in advance. Better to be open and let the culture surprise you.
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| Füssen, a charming town near the Alps |
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| Forggensee beside the Alps. A local sailing club. |
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| Schloss Neuschwanstein, a Castle which gave also inspiration for Disney stories. |
The Alps are so near in South Germany which makes it so easy for making a hiking trip or doing different sorts of winter sports. Beautiful views in every season and a strong presence of the Nature.
