“The first time I visited Germany my expectations were not that high. You know the cliche, that Germans are cold and serious people? I believed it and I tried to be as serious as possible from the moment I stepped out of the plane. But, to my surprise, the woman who sold me train tickets for Heidelberg, made a joke with me and she told not to fall asleep in the first train, because I will wake up in Switzerland. I was so sleepy and so set up to create a serious appearance that I almost didn’t got the joke. Soon after, I discovered that Germans are actually pretty cool people, they smile and they say ‘hello’, ’thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’. (yeah, coming from a country where my neighbors don’t say ‘hello’ back, that’s an important thing to notice.) ”
From Frankfurt Flughafen (airport) you have a huge train station and from there you have connections all around Germany and Europe. DB Navigator App is your best friend while you're in Germany. You have information regarding train schedules, delays, platforms and everything you need to know when you travel by public transportation there.
I got safe and sound in Heidelberg, started my half a day with a delicious coffee and an apple pie and spent the rest of the day walking around Mannheim. The most interesting fact about this city is that the tourism slogan there is "Leben. Im Quadrat." (Life. Squared). Just a short train ride from Heidelberg, it's not a city worth visiting unless you have a lot of spare time.
Stuttgart
The next day I got up early (ok, early'ish) and headed straight to Stuttgart. If you need more than 3 public transportations in one day, I advise you to purchase an all day city ticket, so you can take the bus, tram and S trains around the area. I wanted to see the Stuttgart City Library (Stadtbibliothek) for about 4 years, since I saw the first photo from there. But everybody was talking about Mercedes Museum and how that is a must see and since it was easier to go there first, I put it also on my list.
Mercedes Museum
To get From Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Mercedes Museum: take the S-Bahn train (S1, S2 or S3) for one stop and the #56 bus which will drop you off in front of the museum. You can also take the S1 going in the direction of Kirchheim (Teck) / Esslingen, get off the train at the Neckar Park station and follow the signs to the museums. Because it was very cold and walking was not an option that day, I chose the bus.
Man, was I surprised! From the first moment I saw the building I knew that it was a smart decision to visit it. I spent 4 hours there and forced myself to leave, because I really wanted to see the library. IT IS A MUST SEE even if you're not that passionate about cars. The architecture, the presentation, the technology, everything is mesmerizing. Even the audio guide is awesome. Well, I'm going to let my images to speak for themselves, although they don't make justice of the museum and I advise you to put it on your list the next time you're in Germany.
Stuttgart City Library (Stadtbibliothek)
Oh, the Library (opened in 2011) is a little piece of heaven for book lovers and for photographers. I could have stayed there for 3 days in a row without getting bored. You can pick up any book you want, you can stay and work on your laptop or you can just enjoy the silence. It's a free entry but if you want to make photos inside, you must find a security guard and fill up a form.
HEIDELBERG
After Stuttgart, I had a full day to wonder around Heidelberg. I fell in love with that city the first time I visited it and I loved it this time also. It is like a fairytale: it has a castle, a beautiful bridge, wonderful river (where you can lay in the sun in the summer time) and wonderful small and colorful streets. Unlike many German cities, Heidelberg was not destroyed by air raids in WWII and it still has original buildings from the later Middle Ages and early Renaissance! A popular belief is that it escaped bombing because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war.
I also saw a lot of bicycles all around the city and later I found out that the first bicycle was invented by a graduate of the University of Heidelberg! Which is also the oldest University in Germany.
I climbed up the Castle (there are a loooot of stairs), explored the Old Town, had some coffee breaks and made a little bit of shopping (only because it was cold and windy and needed a place to get warm).
There are two restaurants that worth mentioning here: Cafe Rossi (for a great coffee) and Da Vinci (for a great Italian dinner). When I travel I usually use Foursquare to find restaurants. I find it to be pretty accurate most of the times, but I also check TripAdvisor for reviews, just to be sure. I also tried some types of beer and ate wurst from the street kiosks. Both a must when you're in Germany.
My last day was the main event of my trip: my Mom's 50th Birthday! Planned some surprises, had a fabulous breakfast and a very relaxed evening in Rothenberg. I have to mention the small villages I visited last time I was there, because in the summer time it's a pleasure to walk around them. People are welcoming, you are in the middle of the nature and the apple pies are excellent in every restaurant. Here are some of my oldest images from: Hirschhorn, Neckarsteinach, Eberbach and in between.
FRANKFURT
Because Frankfurt was part of a solo trip, I'm going to say a few words about. I'm going to start with: don't plan to stay 3 days there. You will be bored after the first day! I remember that the mix of cultures I encountered on the streets, the strong contrast between its buildings, the differences between neighborhoods made me very confused the first day. If you take into consideration the fact that Frankfurt was almost completely destroyed during WWII, you will think that it looks pretty amazing and made a great 'recovery'. Stadel Museum and the city center are the places to visit and I really can't remember anything else besides wind, snow and a looot of rain. The good thing is that you can take daily trips. As I mentioned above, they have an amazing transportation system and you can easily get anywhere in Germany.
In case I missed something, please feel free to message me with any questions you have!
Thank you for reading so far, I hope you enjoyed my tiny travel story and my images! Cheers to great adventures! ♥️