Germany: Places to Visit

I just had my Pre-Departure meeting for Berlin and it has me thinking a lot about my semester abroad as well as those places that I want to visit. So I thought I would compile a list of those places within and outside Germany that I really want to visit and what they have to offer.

~ Munich: My Friend, Carola, who studied at my high school while I was a senior lives in Munich. I haven't seen her in 2 years now, and I really can't wait to visit her!! Munich is also the site of the largest festival in the world: Oktoberfest.

~ Mannheim: My grandmother is originally from Germany in Mannheim! And some of my great-uncles still live there, so I really want to go meet them and see where my grandmother grew up!

~ Heidelberg: The location of the famous Heidelberg Castle, both my grandmother and grandfather have told me I need to go see it!

~ Konstanz: Located near the biggest waterfall in Europe - The Rhine Falls.

~ Fussen: Located near the Castle of Neuschwanstein, the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

~ Rudesheim: Location of one of the most famous streets in the region, Drosselgasse, full of shops and restaurants.

~ Cologne: Location of Cologne Cathedral, the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany and one of the tallest buildings in the world.

~ Rugen: Germany's largest island and location of the longest pier in Europe.

~ Mainau: Garden island with the largest butterfly-house and collection in Germany.

~ The Black Forest

~ Dachau: A concentration camp with a statue bearing the words, "Never Again," a promise from the German people.

~ Lake Constance

~ Augsbug: Location of the world's first artificial whitewater course for the Olympics in 1972.

~ Bamberg: UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its authentic medieval appearance, one of the few cities to avoid bombing during WWII.

Places Lexia Takes Us:

~ Dessau: Location of many castles and Bauhus Legacy.

~ Potsdam: An immigration town with well-known religious tolerance: led to many different cultural buildings - castles, Roman Baths, Chinese Tea House.

~ Dresdan: Location of controversial Allied Bombing during WWII, that completely destroyed and changed the town.

~ Lutherstadt Wittenberg: Holds close connections to Martin Luther, with the world's premier museum dedicated to him.

~ Weimar: Location of Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

Countries Lexia Takes Us To:

~ Prague, Czech Republic

~ Poland: With visits to Auschwizt and Birkenau Concentration Camps

Countries I Want to Visit:

~ Italy - Venice

~ Switzerland

~ Denmark: A friend from high school will be there in the fall.

~ Austria

* Update on trip: My mom can no longer go over with me a few days early :( ... It just didn't work out, she feels bad, but said she would take me shopping for new clothes instead, which is awesome ... I do need new clothes, but I would rather have my mom come over with me ... it's going to be so awkward meeting my family by myself ... It'll be like, "Hi, you don't know me, but I'm your great-niece" ... hopefully my friend Carola will be able to go with me, she's fluent in German and English which will be very helpful, since I'm not sure how much English they know.