Traveling In Germany
Written by Jonathan Bannick, Foster undergraduate
In addition to traveling to other countries, living in Mannheim allowed me to travel to many different cities throughout Germany. Below I have highlighted the different trips that I took.
I first arrived in Germany with my parents in the middle of August. We started our journey in Munich and from there we saw several of the surrounding areas. Bavaria is one of the most famous regions in Europe because of all that it has to offer. The city of Munich is vibrant and full of culture. To the south, countless mountains offer breathtaking views and extraordinary castles. Also the region is very close in proximity to Austria and we were able to take a day trip to Salzburg. From Bavaria we were able to travel North through Germany along the Romantic Road. Our final destination that day was a town called Rothenburg. The small village is surrounded by a medieval wall and feels historic and magical. From Rothenburg we traveled north to visit the city of Siegburg where my grandfather had been nearly 70 years before as he fought to liberate a German town. From Siegburg we traveled south into the Rhine Valley region. Here we spend two nights in Bacharach. Like Rothenburg, this small town felt magical and full of old world charm. Bacharach remains one of my favorite cities in Germany. By the time we made it to Bacharach, we were relatively close to Mannheim, where I would eventually end up. We took several days to make our way through Frankfurt and to get moved into Mannheim. By the end of August, I was ready to begin my time at the University.
My next opportunity to explore Germany came in the middle of September when my friends and I traveled north to Berlin. This German capital city is filled with history and culture. I only had several days here but I felt that I could have spent months simply exploring.
At the end of September, I had the opportunity to return to Munich for the legendary Oktoberfest. I traveled with a group of students from my university and we were able to spend several days exploring the city and the festival. Our first day there, September 26th, happened to be my birthday. This was the perfect place to celebrate.
Nearly 30 years ago, my uncle also studied in Germany and his experiences were part of my inspiration to participate in the exchange in Mannheim. At the end of October, he was able to visit me in Mannheim and we traveled throughout southwestern Germany. Along the way we saw many beautiful cities including Freiburg and Tübingen. Additionally we visited a small town outside of Stuttgart called Aidlingen. For the first time I was able to meet my German relatives that lived here. We had a great time sharing stories and looking at the family tree.
