Re-Cologne area - Germany - been?
Keith Anderson
seeing in its own right - amazing cathedral) and bus from there to Monschau
in the Eifel Hills near to the Belgian border. Monschau - pretty little
town nestling in a valley, surrounded by forest.
Long scenic trip but well worth it is to do a circular journey by rail -
Cologne - Koblenz - Trier - Luxembourg - Liège (Belgium) - Cologne. (Or in
reverse direction) You'd see a bit of the Rhine and Moselle valleys and the
line from Luxembourg to Liège traverses part of the Luxembourg and Belgian
Ardennes, then follows the valley of the River Amblève. One of Europe's less
well-known scenic rail routes.
Matt Whelan
mid-February for our health. We will have plenty of free time. Any
suggestions what to see/do in the area? We both love exploring but know very
little about Germany and, while I am fluent in French, neither of us speaks
German. We will have a car and driver. Does anyone know this city?
Also, apart from the Hilton (which is where we will probably stay) can anyone
recommend any other hotels?
TIA,
Sue W.
Jack
wrote:
In Essen the main thing to visit is the Villa Hügel (Krupp Family
Estate)ofthe industry tycoon family. A search reveals that this
classic castle is now home to some of the finest cultural and
historical art exhibits in the region. The former home of the Krupp
family, Villa Hügel is a marvel to see. Its biennial exhibits and the
art in the villa, which includes tapestries and the family's permanent
collection, make the trip worthwhile. Surrounded by 185 acres of land,
Villa Hügel also offers scenic forests and parks.
TRAIN: Suburban line S6 to Hügel Station.
Another not to miss feature is the FOLKWANG Museum, Goethestr. 41
Tel: 0201/88 453 14. Started in 1901 with a contemporary legacy, it
was first opened in 1902 in Hagen, as the first museum of modern art
and avant garde of the 20th century it had also a big collection of
French Impressionism. From Renoir and Liebermann up to Kirchner,
Pechstein and Gauguin.
The museum lost a lot before WWII when Hitler launched its idiotic and
stupid crusade against "entartete kunst" (junk art). It's only since
1960 that the collection as rstored like it should be.
Jack
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Såndor, the Gypsy Baron
The Krupps may have a vacancy
Derek Fisher
Plenty to see and do in the city.
There is a large pedestrian shopping area in the middle of the city which starts
opposite the main ststion (Hauptbahnhof) - from Kettwiger Straße to Limbecker
Platz. Bring plenty of money.
Large city park - Gruga Park - with a large swimming pool complex next door.
About 25 minutes' drive away is the town of Erkrath. This is where the
Neandertals were discovered. There's a good museum with a sound tour, just make
sure you ask for the English commentary headphones then just plug into the
ordinary jackplugs near the exhibits. Take the A52 or A40 eastwards and then down
the A3. Take the Mettman turnoff. Up the exit road and turn left, then left about
200 yards past the Aral garage. All the way to the end and turn left at the T
junction. Then just keep going straight on. You'll see the museum on the left and
the car park on the right. There's also a good restaurant just down the road
after the left turn from the Aral garage called Gut Jägerhof - especially if you
like steaks.
Derek
--
Never kick a man when he's down - he might get up.
This post represents the views of the author and does not necessarily
accurately represent the views of my employer.