Advantages: Compact, cultured, loads to do
Disadvantages: Limited "old town", some may find it lacking vitality

...to be prevented from becoming too powerful again in the future. Although Berlin was also divided, it was seen as imperative that Berlin should be erased from German consciousness as symbolic of what had gone on before and the newly installed West German government agreed that Bonn would be an acceptable capital since it had no connections with the country's controversial past. Bonn was essentially a small town some 20 kilometres south of Cologne. It had little in the way of large buildings necessary to house government institutions but over the decades it became a shining example of a modern and orderly German city with an excellent public transport system and notable architecture, providing its citizens with good housing, open spaces and varied cultural pursuits. Bonn is undoubtedly the "small town in Germany" described by John Le Carre... Read review

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Advantages: Stunning architecture, lots of history
Disadvantages: Rats!

...I would imagine that everybody's heard of Hamelin, or to give it its more correct, German spelling, Hameln. At least, I should think everyone's familiar with the legend of The Pied Piper of Hameln. The town lies around 50km south of Hanover in the state of Lower Saxony, northern Germany. It straddles the Weser river and is the cultural and economic capital of the Weser area. In fact the town owes its prosperity through the ages to the Weser river and the trade that passed along it. This led to local merchants building some elaborately decorated houses which have survived to this day and are one of the main attractions of visiting here. Approaching Hameln you could be forgiven for wondering what the fuss is all about. A series of drab suburbs does nothing to excite the newly arrived. However, at the edge of the inner ring road... Read review

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Advantages: Ideally situated for exploring the area.
Disadvantages: Not much to do but shop and drink

...– 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... Read review

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Advantages: very different and very charming
Disadvantages: hilly

...I lived in Marburg for two years and I would recommend everyone interested in architecture and small town charm to go there. Marburg is situated 1 hour north of Frankfurt/Main by train and is practically in the middle of nowhere, with green hills all around. It is a medieval town unscathed by the Second World War, with a pretty castle on a hill in the town centre, the old town below it and the new town below the old one. It looks a bit like a wedding cake. The gothic church in the town centre is Germany's oldest. It is a university town and one quarter of the town's population is involved in the university in some way or another. Because of its student focus, it has the highest ratio of pubs per head in Germany, these are generally small, cosy and serve cheap and cheerful food. There is a large variety of restaurants, most... Read review

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Advantages: Great lively city; great sights!!
Disadvantages: None really!

...where all the rich Hamburgers live! Go to the village of Blankenese; this is a beautiful small town/village that overlooks the river. You get a real flavour of Germany here form the people and shops and there are beautiful walks down to the harbour front. You can get there on the Green S-Bahn line. Have a tour around the Rathaus (Townhall). These operate daily and are free of charge and tours are conducted in English. Also take time to explore the many exhibitions and fun fairs that are held outside the Rathaus. Go to the harbour and take a cruise ship around the port and see the fascinating workings of this busy port. Look for one of the larger ships as these are very comfortable to travel on and also offer a great waitress service making it a great way to chill out for a hour! Other ideas: Take in a show: Mamma Mia... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful Xmas Market, Great Personal Memories
Disadvantages: Crowded

...is the final resting place of the great astronomer Tycho Brahe. It is also home to the Jan Hus monument, a famous figure in Czech history and there is also a memorial to 27 Protestants who were killed during the 30 years war. Save a few cafes around the edges and that appears to be it. However, I was lucky enough to visit the square on the first weekend of December and the Christmas Market had just begun, transforming the square into a bustling mass of colour and noise. I had been aware of Christmas markets in some other countries such as Germany but until now, the Prague market had slipped well below my radar. The Prague Christmas market runs roughly from the start of December each year until January although exact dates appear to vary depending on the year. It consists of hundreds of small wooden booths being erected across the square... Read review

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Advantages: Entertaining, a light read
Disadvantages: Too many coincidences, slightly disappointing ending

...I've read and reviewed a couple of books by Simon Brett now. What I like about them is that they are consistent; I know from the start that I'm not reading a great work of literature, but that I will have an enjoyable, light-hearted read. I've recently had to do a lot of overtime at work and so something complicated was the last thing I wanted, making this the perfect choice. This book is one of the Fethering Mysteries, although Simon Brett has written two other series of detective books, as well as a radio show. Carole and Jude, both in their early 50s, are neighbours in the seaside town of Fethering. They have a Miss Marple-like habit of falling over dead bodies and then working out who the murderer was. In this case, the body was found in a box in the corner of a cellar into which some friends of Jude had just moved. The body... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic fun, great opportunity to broaden your horizons.
Disadvantages: Takes a while to adapt to a new country.

...chosen to study at Leipzig University in the former East Germany. Many of my friends prophesised that the city would be run down and derelict as a result of the former DDR Government. I must admit I was slightly worried at the prospect of going to the formerly Communist zone. How would they react to an unrepentant capitalist from Britain? Leipzig is in the eastern state of Saxony, the capital of which is Dresden. Leipzig itself is a wonderful city home to around 1/2 a million people. Leipzig is one of the major towns of the former East Germany. It was here in 1989 that the famous peaceful candlelight protests against the DDR began. It is also the burial place of Bach and birthplace of Wagner and Mendelssohn. (I will be doing a review of Leipzig soon, so won't go into too much detail here). Getting settled in to my new life was far... Read review

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Advantages: Attractive city, great shopping, good restaurants
Disadvantages: Weather?

...Hamburg is an attractive city in North Germany. With a population of 1.8 million, it is second only to Berlin in size. It is also the biggest industrial city, with an area of 755 square kilometres. However, whilst the docks thrive with its busy trade the town has not been robbed of its natural beauty. I have been to many cities in Germany and whilst the majority are pleasant, I do find that some are quite similar. They have the same shops, basic shopping districts and a fairly typical atmosphere. However, Hamburg is very different and is extremely vibrant. The origins of the city date back to the 9th century when 'Hammaburg' was founded. The river Elbe has always leant itself to the development of the impressive dock area. In 1189 the Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa distributed letters to all Hamburg citizens, which granted... Read review

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Advantages: Good people, like anywhere else in the world
Disadvantages: Bad people, like anywhere else in the world

...an opinion at Ciao UK complaining about the marginalisation of the "white caucasian race" in a British city, which I am not going to name here. I also don't want to be misunderstood in the way that all East German are racists, the opposite is the case. More than 95% of the population there is openminded like you and me, but the racist minority is still bigger and more visible than elsewhere. We do have racism in West Germany, too, but in very small scape. Iam confident, though, that economic development and education will help to minimise, if not completely vanish, the problem in the long run. So how does that effect you as a potential visitor to Germany? Mostly not at all. There may be some areas in the East which I wouldn't recommend for travel for the time being. But the Eastern states of Thuringia, Saxonia, Saxonia-Anhalt, and parts... Read review

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