In 2004 I lived in Germany for four months but I was supposed to be there nine months. Unfortunately our crew got fired, not our doing, but since the director got fired by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner at the time business partners on MI3, so everyone he hired got let go too.
I will always cherish my time spend there though and I was able afterwards to venture south to Dresden and took another train to Prague. That's another story for another blog.
Needless to say, I should have learned the language while I was there but I didn't. I am determined to go back and explore more of Germany as I completely had fallen in love with it back in 2005. It was the people, the food, the biergartens, the nude parks, the gym I went to, the sites, and did I already say the people?! I met only amazing, kind, caring and generous people and I can't wait to go back. Meanwhile I am trying to learn the language on my own and it's been a struggle; however recently I found this app called DROPS and it has made learning German a lot more enjoyable and much easier than what I have used thus far.
I highly recommend Drops which teaches you to be able to carry a convesation after three months of using it. I just started three weeks ago, and so far, I am very happy with it!
So in my planning research to go back to visit Germany and my friends there, it is only natural that I share with you the results I found for 10 uniques places to stay in Deutschland.
1. Hotel Burg Colmberg, Bavaria
2. Iglu-Dorf Zugspitze, Bavaria.
This icy bubbly palace will left you in love with snow and cold if you are not already a winter lover.
3. The V8 Hotel of the Motorworld Region, in Stuttgart.
"The V8 HOTEL is not only a special, individual hotel, it is also located in a spectacular, unique environment - the MOTORWORLD Stuttgart on the airfield in Böblingen, the former Württemberg airport. For over 10 years, it is known, beyond the borders of Stuttgart, as an excursion destination and as a convention center."
4. The Hotel im Wasserturm, Cologne.
This amazing hotel used to be Cologne's water tower in the late 1800's which was built by the English engineer John Moore. In the 1900's as the population rapidly increased, the water tower no longer met the needs required by the town so it was turned into a workshop and storage space. It was then partly destroyed during WW2 but it was thankfully accquired, rebuilt and restored according to the original blueprint and it is today a magnificent hotel with a rooftop restaurant and lounge that will make you feel like in a fairy tale.
5. The Turisede Fairy Tale refuge,
Kulturinsel - The Secret World of Turisede
Artistic wood design Bergmann GmbH
Kulturinsel Einsiedel 1
02829 Neißeaue OT Zentendorf
The Secret World of Turisede is in the best sense an open-air museum of a new generation: The visitors are part of the installation - they bring this ancient cultural center to life! The mediaevalist Jurusch Gorlik and the wood designer Jürgen Bergmann are committed to completely reviving the legends and tales of the people lived in the floodplains of the Neisse, who accomplished amazing things like magic! This entire adventure amusement park is a huge open-air museum, which allows the construction and way of life of the once lost Turisede people to emerge again. Staying in the different dwellings available such as treehouses, caves, towers, will have you become part of this revived medieval town and will have you encounter faeries, trolls, get married in a maze and more.The website alone is fantastic - Make sure to book early!
6. The Lindenwirt Hotel, Rhein.
This splendid hotel on a vineyard estate also offers accomodations set in upcycled wine barrels and offers all sorts of cultural experiences unique to the Drosselgasse area.
7. Boutique-Hotel Erbguths Villa am See, in Hagnau on Lake Constance.
The Art Nouveau villa was rebuilt true to the original in 1989 according to old plans. Natural materials, marble and hand-made stucco, French wooden lattice windows and Venetian spatula.
A secluded flower garden with sun loungers and fountains complete the bright white feel-good oasis. Its excellent location and sophisticated ambience make the "Villa am See" one of the most sought-after addresses on Lake Constance.
8. The Dude Hotel, in Berlin.
The Dude dates from 1822 and is one of the oldest buildings in the historic city center. It pursues the philosophy of "all around pampering in a private atmosphere" and lets you enjoy the romantic and comfortable ambience of its guest rooms.
The colorful, stylish and sophisticated rooms are fantastic and come complimentary Wi-Fi. They serve a hearty breakfast buffet served in the YADA YADA breakfast club daily. The Brooklyn Restaurant, right next door serves American-style steaks and top-quality tapas with succulent wines, cocktails and over 150 open rare whiskeys - it is one of the leading restaurants in Berlin.
9. Schloss Elmau, in Elmau.
Two hotels in one - one for global nomads, the other for retreat & Wellness seekers. This hotel meets every wim as a luxury spa resort and cultural hideaway, with concerts, art exhibits, sports challenges, family entertainment and more. It's like Sundance but bigger, in the middle of the Bavarian Alps!
And the coolest feature they have on their website is that they have a webcam so you can see what's going on in real time there from wherever you are in the world! It is snowy and peaceful right now there as I write this.
10. The 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, in Berlin.
Urban jungle meets Andy Warhol in this unique hotel where you can book a bike or a mini to get you around the city. Rooms may come with a hammock hung right by the floor-to-ceiling window a stuffed circus monkey might even greet you. The rooftop bar offers 360 degrees panoramic view of this effervescent city with an ambiance that will make you forget where you are. Book early!