Germany: Expect The Unexpected

As I stood in front of a bronze statue of a rooster on top of a cat, on top of a dog, on top of a donkey outside of the Town Hall in Bremen, I could almost hear my great grandfather providing sound effects – crowing, barking and meowing – like he used to when I was a child, making for a more lively reading of The Bremen Town Musicians, writes assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

Today, there are multiple depictions of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale throughout the city in northwest Germany, but the most iconic remains this statue by Gerhard Marcks, which attracts nearly 40 million visitors every year.

Since, rumour has it, touching the donkey is believed to make wishes come true, I quickly place my hands on the front hooves like many before me – even family members before me – before crossing the square to The Bremen Roland statue, which together with Bremen’s Town Hall, makes up a UNESECO World Heritage Site.

Although Bremen, a city with over 1,200 years of history to explore, may fly under the radar for Canadians heading to popular destinations like Berlin and Munich, it perfectly encapsulates just how much there is to discover across Germany.

“Germany’s high profile sightseeing destinations are a perennial reason for travel to Germany. From Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie in the north, to the Zeche Zollverein in the Ruhr region, over to the Brandenburg Gate or to Neuschwanstein Castle and the Castle Hohenzollern – Germany has numerous remarkable landmarks compared to many competitors,” said Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.