Mönchengladbach (Germany)

...pick up the signs for Mönchengladbach (A61).
Warning, watch your speed in Belgium because they issue hefty fines if you’re caught above 120kmh. Wait till you get to Germany where there are stretches of Autobahn (Motorway) with no speed limit.

Places to Stay.

There are many hotels in and around MG, but the ones that I like best are the Holiday Inn (Speicker Strasse 49. Tel 0049 (0)2161 9380) which has an indoor ...
...the town got its name Mönchengladbach (Monks' Gladbach).

FC Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The new stadium opens for the 2004 – 2005 season at Borussia-Park (Next to the site of the old British Hampshire Barracks). After 85 years at the former Boekelberg stadium the Bundesliga team are moving to a purpose built 60,000 capacity stadium. Address: Hennes-Weisweiler-Allee. Just off Gladbacher Strasse (B57).

Abteiberg ... more

Mönchengladbach.

Getting there.

Flying.
MG has its own airport, sometimes called Düsseldorf Express Airport – don’t ask me why. This is fairly new, and it’s only a small airport, but if you are travelling from the UK, there are daily flights from Stanstead all year round and London City Airport with Air Berlin during the summer months. It’s about 1hour and 10 minutes flying time from London.
There still is no railway from the flughafen (airport) to the City centre, so you will have to get a bus or a taxi (expect to pay around €20 for the 5 mile trip).
If you are arriving from Düsseldorf airport then MG is about 20 miles away.

Driving.
If you are coming from the UK, and get the Dover-Calais ferry or Channel Tunnel. You are looking at a 4-hour drive. The route that I use is Calais – Dunkerque – Ostend – Bruges – Ghent – Antwerp – Turnhout – Eindhoven – Venlo. Just past Venlo you will pick up the signs for Mönchengladbach (A61).
Warning, watch your speed in Belgium because they issue hefty fines if you’re caught above 120kmh. Wait till you get to Germany where there are stretches of Autobahn (Motorway) with no speed limit.

Places to Stay.

There are many hotels in and around MG, but the ones that I like best are the Holiday Inn (Speicker Strasse 49. Tel 0049 (0)2161 9380) which has an indoor pool and a sauna, or the Best Western Crown Hotel (Aachener Strasse 120) which offers a free airport shuttle. Both are situated in the centre of town and although they are more tailored for the business customer, you can usually get a better rate at the weekend.

Things To See.

The Benedictine Monastery.
Overshadowing the town centre is the Benedictine Monastery founded in c972. It is from this that the town got its name Mönchengladbach (Monks' Gladbach).

FC Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The new stadium opens for the 2004 – 2005 season at Borussia-Park (Next to the site of the old British Hampshire Barracks). After 85 years at the former Boekelberg stadium the Bundesliga team are moving to a purpose built 60,000 capacity stadium. Address: Hennes-Weisweiler-Allee. Just off Gladbacher Strasse (B57).

Abteiberg Museum
If modern art is your thing, then this museum has a gallery of contemporary art by Beuys and Andy Warhole. It also houses sculptures by Oldenburg and Tinguely. Address: Abteist Strasse. 27

NATO Headquarters.
This is the reason why most British people come to Mönchengladbach.
Joint Headquarters Land Command Germany (JHQ) is the base for UK Support, which provides administrative and logistical support to British forces on mainland Europe, and Nato's Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.

Situated 5 km west of Mönchengladbach, the Rheindahlen Military Complex (RMC) is completely fenced in and home to about 3000 British Soldiers and Civilians and houses British shops (including a real British fish and chip shop) Pubs, Clubs, Post Office etc...
The NAAFI is the only shop in the area, which opens on a Sunday.

Affectionately referred to by the local German population as "Little England" all the streets and Church names are in English. There is also a multi-national element as part of the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQARRC), which brings to the complex a variety of different nationality’s and cultures.
It is not unheard of for a soldier or MOD Civilian to be posted here and spend their entire tour of 2 or 3 years without hardly leaving camp, and speaking no German whatsoever.

Things to Do

Shopping.
Monchengladbach has a great shopping centre, more like that of a small city than a large town. The shops stretch from the Bus and Rail station (Hauptbahnoff) along a pedestrian only zone for about a mile up a big hill with the town square (Marktplatz) and Monastery at the top of the hill.
The town square is cobbled and holds a market every Saturday, which sells mostly fruit and veg and bread.
In December the market is transformed into one of the famous German Christmas markets. Here you will find lovely stalls selling handcrafted decorations and will be able take a drink of Gluvine - guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winters day. Or sample some local fair like Bratwursts (German sausage), Currywursts (German Sausage with curry sauce) or Goulash (Thick meaty soup).
Note: Apart from petrol stations the shops still do not open on a Sunday !

Skiing - yes skiing.
During November / December the whole town centre is transformed into a winter wonderland. The main shopping centre runs down a big hill, and this is covered with artificial snow for the weekend. It is a big advertisement for the ski holiday industry and there are loads of company's encouraging you to dig out your skiing kit (or buy some from the many stalls) and book your winter sports break.
If you miss this weekend or just love skiing, then a 10 minute drive from MG will take you to Neuss and a 300 meter long indoor ski slope which has snow all year round and is kept at a constant -5 degrees. It costs €25 for a days skiing, and they have a bar and a restaurant for your après ski.

Bars and Clubs

The Aldstat.
Most German towns and cities have an aldstat (old town). Usually this is where you will find the bars and clubs. Monchengladbach is no different here; the major difference is that many of the customers come from the NATO Headquarters so a lot of the bars are tailored for them.
There is a famous old street, locally known as the street of a thousand bars. There’s an Irish Pub as always (have you ever thought that there’s probably more Irish bars around the world than there is in Ireland). A bar called "The Gravelpit" this is the haunt of many of the young servicemen and if German culture is what your looking for then you certainly wont find it here. Carrying on further up the street there are more bars and fast food (mainly kebab) takeaways, ending up at the town square, where you will find - more bars. These are usually rather more cultured and you can sit outside on a warm evening watching the world go by. During major football tournaments there is a giant screen here and you can watch the match with thousands of others. Sometimes they have live open-air concerts here.
There’s always something going on.

Places Nearby.

Roermond – 20 Minutes. Small quaint Dutch border town.
Venlo – 20 Minutes. Large Dutch border town, which comes alive on Saturday market day. It’s fascinating to watch the Germans shopping for coffee. This must be cheaper in Holland as you can often see them towing trolleys full of the stuff.
Cologne (Köln) – 30 Minutes. Large historical city with one of the world’s finest examples of a Gothic Cathedral.
Dusseldorf – 20 Minutes. Large city. Great for shopping and a massive Aldstat.

In Summary.
Mönchengladbach is a nice little place. Ideal for a day trip or as a base for exploring the area. If you want to sample "The real Germany" this is probably not the best place to go. Every other person you bump into is British.
If you have any further questions or comments feel free to contact me through this website.
 

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