It’s a warm afternoon in June. I’m walking along a narrow path in a park in the town of Dessau. In the state of Saxony-Anhalt, once part of the now defunct country DDR, the German Democratic Republic, better known as East Germany. This is not just any park, though. This is Georgium, an 18th century […]
Altkunkendorf: Ancient beech forest and a hypnotic village
Trees! In my search for world heritage, the important places on the planet, those worthy of special protection for the future, I sometimes find myself in somewhat curious situations. This time, I am looking for trees. Beech trees, to be specific. Fagus sylvatica. Of course, we know trees are vital to our survival. And that […]
Grandhotel Cosmopolis: a concrete utopia
In Augsburg’s old town, Grandhotel Cosmopolis is perhaps the most curious hotel in all of Germany; certainly the most unusual I have seen. This particular Grand hotel, you see, functions not only as a hotel, but also as home for asylum seekers, as artists’ studios, open work-spaces, a venue for concerts, exhibitions and other artistic […]
In transit: Lawbreaker in Germany
22 nov 2017 It appears I might be able add lawbreaker in Germany to my CV. I have just received a letter informing me of just such an exciting prospect. Something to do with a hire car – in Heidelberg on 22.09.2017 09:49:00. And as I was indeed in Heidelberg on 22.09.2017 09:49:00 with a […]
Qube hotel Heidelberg – a review
On a recent visit in Heidelberg, I stayed at the cool, contemporary Qube Hotel. This award-winning boutique hotel is privately owned and has a particular focus on the environment as well as allergy sufferers. Walls are painted with a special ecofriendly (and allergy-friendly) paint. Natural plaster rather than wallpaper, wooden- and stone floors rather than […]
Three new Munich faves
A few weeks ago, I was back in Munich. Always a treat! As ever, I look for new things to see or do in the old, familiar places. I’ve written about the lovely Marienplatz and the charming Viktualienmarkt before, so I won’t say more about them now. Nor will I mention Oktoberfest again, even though this is October. Instead, I’ll […]
11 things you’ll love on the Luther trail
in Worms, Heidelberg, Speyer and Augsburg I’ve been following in Luther’s footsteps once again. He really did get around, that Martin. A couple of years ago, I had a look at what is probably the most famous of Luther spots: Wittenberg, where he nailed his 95 theses on the church door on 31 October 1517, […]
Welcome! I'm Sophie - writer, dreamer, negotiator, wanderer, mum - in search of the world's curious places. Mostly with my daughters, sometimes solo. The girls share their take on it, too.
- Chasing shadows in Czechia
- Whimsical Giethoorn – a photo essay
- A Tale of Two Villas
- Gori: birthplace of the world’s most infamous dictator
- The Waterhead: A Boutique Hotel in the English Lake District
- Lovely Lucerne: 4 hours is but a glimpse
- World at a Glance: Flemish béguinages, a 13th century women’s movement
- Belgian Belfries
- The Palmyra Hotel in Baalbek: Wacky, Weird and Wonderful
- The Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
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Katrin: What a bizzare experience to have! Maybe the citiz...
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Anne-Sophie Redisch: Love unusual finds like this plantation. Thanks fo...
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Jeanette Brunet: I was in Edinburgh in August of 2015 for 9 days. W...
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