Germany's north has its own charm: off the beaten track medieval towns and sunny islands with long, white beaches.
Readers of previous European Travels posts may remember our Canal Boating trip on Dutch canals last year.
(As last year, we again used the mywebspot pocket WIFI, which had proven so useful during our canal trip and travels to southern Germany and Austria.)
This year we again attended a family reunion in the Netherlands, with over 130 family members coming from Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Following the reunion, we went on to explore the north of Germany and Denmark, which borders Germany's most northern State, Schleswig-Holstein.
Lüneburg
From Exloo in the Dutch province of Drenthe, which lies just south of Groningen, it was only about three hours by car to the town of Lüneburg (or Lunenburg), a medieval German town in the state of Lower Saxony.
Located just about 30 miles southeast of Hamburg, Lüneburg is part of Hamburg's Metropolitan Region.
Since 2007, Lüneburg has been allowed to use the title “Hansestadt” (Hanseatic Town) in its name, as a reminder that it used to belong to the “Hanse” (Hanseatic League), a commercial and defensive confederation of towns and merchant guilds. (We had learned much about the Hanse while visiting Lübeck, when traveling from Hamburg to Wismar a few years ago.)
We arrived in Lüneburg on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Taking advantage of the warm September weather, we took a long, leisurely stroll through the old part of town.
Lüneburg suffered little damage during the Second World War. We could thus admire many of the structures of the historical core: flower-filled alleys and courtyards, traditional gabled Brick Gothic buildings, the impressive City Hall, the huge water tower (built 1905).
The town of Lüneburg gained a great deal of wealth in the Middle Ages, when its salt springs were transformed into “White Gold”. Salt also made Lüneburg one of the wealthiest town of the Hanseatic League for many years. You can learn about salt's importance and its history in the German Salt Museum.
The “Alte Kran” (Old Crane, see picture above) which dominates the quarter along the Ilmenau Canal was used to load the salt onto the barges.
Today, Lüneburg reportedly has one of Europe's highest concentration of pubs. We certainly had no problem finding one of them with a terrace right by the canal.
For German learners, the language spoken in Northern Germany is much easier to understand than the German spoken by many in the South (Black Forest, Swabia, Bavaria).
So, if you want to explore a small typical Hanseatic League town, which is a little bit off the beaten track, Lüneburg is a great choice.
If you're learning German, we've included some words and phrases to add to your vocabulary.
Vocabulary for Travelers 1
• das Mittelalter - the Middle Ages • die Hanse - the Hanseatic League • die Altstadt - the medieval center, old part of town • der zweite Weltkrieg - the Second World War • die Backsteingotik - the Brick Gothik (architecture) • das Rathaus - the city hall • der Wasserturm - the water tower • das Salz - the salt • das weiße Gold - the white gold • der Reichtum - the wealth • die Kneipe - the pub • abgelegen - off the beaten track
Husum
As we had visited Hamburg in 2015 (see also From Utrecht to Hamburg), we decided to pass by this major German port city and head to Husum, a maritime town on the North Sea.
While having a delicious lunch in one of the many waterside bistros, we enjoyed watching the comings and goings in the little harbor.
We knew that Husum was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm. The Theodor Storm House gave us much information about the life of this lawyer-novelist, who is best known for the last of his 50 novellas, “Der Schimmelreiter” (The Rider on the White Horse).
The novel's setting along the North German coast creates an eerie atmosphere along the dyke, with descriptions of superstitions, class differences, and men's struggles against the sea.
Storm's House also gave us a glimpse of the political events in the 19th century, as this part of Germany was also under Danish control for a while.
(Today the Danish minority in Husum is represented by its own party [Südschleswigscher Wählerverband, SSW] In the 2017 state elections that party only achieved 3.3%, but is excepted from the 5% minimum and sends three representatives to the Schleswig Holstein Legislature.)
When we came back from out visit to the Storm House, we could see first hand how the considerable tides can maroon boats and ships in the harbor's mud. To get in and out of their slip, these sailor certainly have to consult their tide tables! (see picture above.)
Vocabulary for Travelers 2
der Hafen – the harbor die Gezeiten – the tides die Ebbe – the ebb tide die Flut – the flood tide der Schlamm – the mud der Deich – the dike, levee der Schriftsteller - the writer der Roman - the novel der Schimmel – the white horse die Schleuse – the lock
The Island of Sylt
Maybe you've heard of Sylt – the northernmost German and largest North Frisian island in the North Sea.
The writer Thomas Mann, the actress Marlene Dietrich, and other well-known writers and artists had “discovered” the island already in the 1920s; in the 1970s, playboy Gunther Sachs put it back on the map with his wild parties. The island began to attract the German industrial elite, and famous athletes and movie stars began to rent or build homes there for the summer season.
Today, Sylt has become one of Germany's most popular holiday destinations, the wild times of the 70s just a memory of the past. We wanted to see for ourselves what brings so many visitors to the island.
There are two ways to get to Sylt.: (1) by boat or ferry from the Danish port of Havneby on the island of Romo, or (2) by train across the Hindenburgdam (a causeway named after German President Hindenburg). We chose the latter, drove our rental car unto the train shuttle in Niebull, and 45 minutes later we drove off the train in Westerland, the main town on Sylt.
The island has a 25 mile long beach on the western side, with mudflats towards the mainland on the east. We had booked ourselves for 2 days into a B&B in Rantum, just 5 miles south of Westerland (see picture right).
The first evening, we attended an entertaining and informative lecture about Sylt's history of storms. The speaker talked about the many attempts of the islanders to prevent beach erosions and about their continuing struggle against the sea.
Great efforts are taken to prevent the loss of cliffs and dunes during storms. The beaches are replenished with sand dredged up offshore, but storms and tides often counteract all human efforts.
While Westerland is a busy city with many hotels and a very active nightlife, we preferred the calmer and more scenic areas north and south.
And, if you were wondering – just in case you've heard about Sylt's nude beaches – yes, there are many “FKK” (Freikörperkultur) - “clothing optional” beaches on Sylt. “Buhne 16“, is the oldest and, arguably, the most well-known one. It achieved notoriety during the wild 70s and became a paparazzi hunting ground. (There's also a bistro called Buhne 16.)
We explored both the northern and southern tips of the island, walked the long beaches and admired the many wonderful reed-roof houses on the island's high dunes and cliffs.
During our week-day visit in early September, the beaches were mostly empty (see picture above). The large parking lots behind the dunes, however, left no doubt that high-season traffic on the north-south road must be intense.
Vocabulary for Travelers 3
• die Insel - the island • die Nordseeküste - the coast of the North Sea • der Landverlust - the loss of land, land erosion • der Playboy, Lebemann - the playboy • berühmte Sportler - famous athletes • der Filmstar - the movie star • das Ferienziel - the holiday destination • der Strand - the beach • die Buhne - the breakwater • das Watt - the mudflat • der Vortrag - the lecture • das Schilfdach - the reed roof
The local language spoken on Sylt is Söl'ring, one of the dialects of North Frisian(a Germanic language). Söl'ring, which has been heavily influenced by Danish, is taught in a few elementary schoolson Sylt. However only a few hundred people speak it and we saw Söl'ring only on a couple of signs.
For example, we were puzzled by the name of this restaurant that we found nestled in the dunes (see picture right): “Tadjem Deel”. The owner told us that it means “Küsse Tal” or valley of kisses
After getting a glimpse of one of Germany's most popular vacation spots, Sylt, we set our sights on Denmark. We were eager to try out our Danish, which we had practiced daily for nearly four months on Duolingo.
More about that in one of our next posts.
Bio: Ulrike & Peter Rettig are co-founders of Gamesforlanguage.com. They are lifelong language learners, growing up in several European countries before moving to Canada and the United States. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact.
Traveling has the added benefit of opening your eyes to both new and old things.
Sometimes you even learn to understand words and expressions in your native language that you heard and used - but never thought much about.
That occurred to me recently during our travels through Denmark when I saw “Det gamle Hus” on a house in Gilleleje, Denmark. (see above picture)
In German, you have the words “gammeln” and “vergammeln”. The etymological roots of these words suddenly became clear! And with that, I have an excellent memory crutch for the Danish word.
Das vergammelte Haus?
A quick look at a dictionary clarified that "gammel" means "old" in Danish, and the sign “Det gamle Hus” just means “The old house.” (“Das alte Haus.”)
The German cognate “vergammelt” also means that something is old. In addition “vergammelt” suggests that it's in bad condition, decrepit, run down, etc.
Obviously, if I had looked up the etymology of “gammel”, I would have found an entry such as this:
"Via German Low German from Middle Low German 'gamelen', from Old Saxon (attested in the past participle 'gigamal'). Cognate to Old English 'gamolian'. The verb pertains to an adjective meaning “old” attested in Middle Dutch 'gamel', Old English 'gamol', Old Norse 'gamall' (whence forms in all modern Scandinavian languages)". (Wiki)
The German verb "gammeln"
• third-person singular simple present "gammelt" • past tense "gammelte", • past participle "gegammelt", with the auxiliary "haben"
The same Wiki entry lists 2 meanings: 1. Gammeln: to become old; to rot[of food or figurative] As in: Das Brot von letzter Woche gammelt im Schrank. (Last week’s bread is rotting in the cupboard.)
This Wiki entry also provided a second etymological explanation: "Originally a southern German dialect word. Derived from Middle High German 'gamel', variant of 'gamen' ('amusement'), from Old High German 'gaman'. Related to English 'game'."
2. Gammeln: (informal) to bum around; to do nothing productive; to be idle; to live the life of a hobo As in: Nach der Schule hab ich zwei Jahre nur gegammelt. (After finishing school I didn't do anything productive for two years.)
“Gammeln” and “vergammeln” may not be words you learn in a German course. But if you ever come across them in Germany (or their cousins in any of the Nordic countries), you now you know their meaning.
As an added benefit for me: I will probably never forget that "old" in Danish is "gammel", and as pointed out above, in all modern Scandinavian languages: Swedish "gammal", Norwegian "gammel", Icelandic "gamall".
So, cognates - such as the Danish “gammel” and the German “gammeln” - are an easy way for learning and remembering vocabulary: You just have to pay attention as you are walking around and try to decipher signs, posters and advertisements.
Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact or below.
Visiting the South of France? Then try to include Aix-en-Provence and make your own travel memories there - maybe in the Cours Mirabeau.
As you play our travel-story based language courses, you'll follow a young traveler through several main cities in each country. And – if you visit these cities yourself – you'll discover that the travel-stories' street names, places, restaurants, hotels, etc. all exist. We visited many of them and took pictures.
Our French traveler Daniel flew into Paris, which was the topic of our first French Travel Memory post. After Paris, Daniel's next stop is in Aix-en-Provence, a picturesque city located in the south of France, about 20 miles north of Marseille. In Aix-en-Provence, Daniel looks up a French friend he had met earlier during his studies in Boston.
In our travel-story course, you learn daily conversational language. The vocabulary listed here is a combination of some words taught in the course as well as other useful terms. Often referred to as a city of art and history, Aix sports beautiful gardens, picturesque fountains, historic buildings, and the remains of Roman baths.
You can find specific events for your travel dates on the Tourist Office website, and more information in books and travel guides. We'll just mention a few quick facts and list some basic terms in French that will help you in your travels.
A FEW QUICK FACTS ABOUT AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Aix-en-Provence is a city-commune (or, incorporated municipality) located in the region of Provence, in the department of Les Bouches-du-Rhone. In 2014, it counted a population of 142,149.
The region of Provence gets its name from the Romans. By the end of the second century BC, the region of Provence was part of the first Roman "province" beyond the Alps. Aix-en-Provence had its beginnings in 122 BC as a Roman town. During the breakdown of the Roman Empire and beyond, the town survived numerous battles, periods of occupation, and repeated plundering.
From 879 until 1486, Provence was a semi-independent state ruled by the Counts of Provence. During that time, Aix-en-Provence became its capital and an artistic and intellectual center. In 1487, Aix-en-Provence passed to the crown of France, together with the rest of Provence.
1. Useful terms for Travelers
• le Midi - the Midi, South of France (colloquial) • les jardins - the gardens • les fontaines - the fountains • les ruines romaines - the Roman ruins • la commune - the town, municipality • la capitale - the capital • ville d'art et d'histoire - city of art and history
RUE MAZARINE
Daniel's friend Pierre lives in the Mazarin district on rue Mazarine, a street that runs parallel to the popular and lively Cours Mirabeau (more below). The "quartier Mazarin" was developed in the 17th century by the then ruling archbishop Michel Mazarin.
Located in the south of Aix-en-Provence, this elegant neighborhood is known for its numerous "hôtels particuliers" (grand townhouses), built for the nobility, army officers, politicians, and the newly wealthy merchant class.
FRENCH TRAVEL MEMORIES WITH PAUL CÉZANNE
The painter Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was born and grew up in Aix-en-Provence. His father, co-founder of Banque Cézanne et Cabassol, was a successful banker. For several years the young Cézanne studied law and worked in his father's bank.
At the same time, however, he was also enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Aix and envisioned a career in the arts. At age 21, Cézanne left for Paris and for the life of a struggling artist. Read more about Cézanne's struggles and artistic development.
Throughout his life, Cézanne came back to Aix frequently and finally settled there again during his later years. Café Clément, where Cézanne often went to meet friends, was at 44 Cours Mirabeau.
The bank Cézanne's father founded, Banque Cézanne et Cabassol, was on 24, rue des Cordeliers. It is now the location of a property management company.
In Aix-en-Provence, you can visit Cézanne's atelier: 9 avenue Paul Cézanne. It's about a 30-minute walk to the north of the town. That's where he worked every day from 1902 until his death in 1906.
2. Useful terms for Travelers
• l'atelier - the atelier, artist's workshop • le peintre - the painter • le tableau - the painting, picture • la peinture – the paint, painting • la banque – the bank • le banquier - the banker • travailler - to work
LE COURS MIRABEAU
The Cours Mirabeau is a wide boulevard built in 1649 along the southern ramparts of the city. To the south of this lively street lies the quartier Mazarin (see above). The Cours Mirabeau is lined with restaurants, cafés, stores, bookshops, movie theaters, and beautiful fountains. (see picture)
The popular café "Les Deux Garçons" - frequented by the writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, the philosopher and playwright Jean-Paul Sartre, as well as Paul Cézanne - is at number 53 Cours Mirabeau. It was built in 1660 and is the oldest café in Aix-en-Provence.
3. Useful terms for Travelers
• le cours - the long avenue • l'écrivain - the writer, author • le cinéaste - the filmmaker • le philosophe - the philosopher • le dramaturge - the playwright
CATHÉDRALE SAINT SAUVEUR
The cathedral in Aix-en-Provence was first built in the 12th century on the site of a pre-Roman pagan temple and later Roman temple of Apollo. In the following centuries, the cathedral underwent several more phases of construction.
Now a national monument of France, the building is an interesting combination of Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Neo-gothic architectural styles.
Noteworthy are the Gothic portals, the Bell Tower (started in 1323), the Romanesque Cloister, as well as the interior of the church.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT
Besides strolling through the streets of old Aix-en-Provence with its stunning architecture, its markets and shops, the Hotel de Caumont centre d'art is worth a visit (located in a "hôtel particulier").
Also of interest are short tours into the surrounding countryside. First on the list may be the neighboring Montagne Sainte-Victoire, a frequent subject of Cézanne's paintings.
And, if you are visiting during the summer months, don't miss a tour to Provence's lavender fields.
SOME ADVICE
As you're making your travel memories, you'll notice that Aix-en-Provence has an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Paris.
In the summer you may enjoy "Musique dans la rue" or one of the many "Festivals" and art exhibitions; or join the fashionable Aixois sipping an expresso or an apéritif on one of the terraces of the Cours Mirabeau cafés.
The old town center of Aix-en-Provence is now a pedestrian zone with large parking lots around the perimeter. So, if you travel by car – use one of those lots and don't even try to drive into the town center!
Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of GamesforLanguage.com. She is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her travel memories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact or below.
Thinking about visiting Heidelberg? Exploring this romantic and historic university town will leave you with lots of wonderful travel memories.
Our first German Travel Memories post coveredFrankfurt a.M., where Michael, the young traveler in our German 1 course, is visiting family. He then takes the train to Heidelberg for his second stop in Germany.
We'll follow Michael's explorations of Heidelberg. For those of you who are doing or have done our German 1 course: Michael in Deutschland, the additional details will complement those of the course.
The Travel Memories blog posts tell you more about each of the cities of GamesforLanguage's travel-story based courses. We typically use the cities' real street names, hotels, squares, restaurants, etc. and we've been to many of them ourselves.
In future blog posts, we'll provide more details of the two other German cities Michael visits, Munich and Berlin. And we'll do the same for the cities that our other travelers visit in France, Italy, Spain, and the U.S.
In our travel-story course, you learn daily conversational language. The vocabulary listed here is a combination of some words taught in the course as well as other useful terms for travelers in German.
Quick Facts about Heidelberg
The city of Heidelberg lies on the Neckar river in the south-western part of Baden-Württemberg (one of Germany's 16 federal states). Because of its stunning location and picturesque cityscape, Heidelberg is a hugely popular travel destination.
A quintessential college town, Heidelberg has a population of just over 150,000, with roughly a quarter of its inhabitants being students.
The city is well known for its university, which was founded in 1386 and said to be one of the oldest in Germany. Over the centuries it has attracted prominent philosophers, poets, and scholars. In addition, Heidelberg is the location of numerous research institutions, among them four Max Plank Institutes.
After World War II, Heidelberg, which was situated in the American Zone, became the Headquarters of the American forces in Europe.
Vocabulary for Travelers 1
• Bundesland (n.) - federal state • Lage (f.) - location (of a city) • Stadtbild (n.) - cityscape • Universitätsstadt (f.) - college/university town • Studenten (pl. m.) - students • Philosophen (pl. m.) - philosophers • Forschung (f.) - research • Forschungsinstitut - research institute • Hauptquartier (n.) - (military) Headquarters, H.Q.• die amerikanischen Truppen - the American forces
Arrival in Heidelberg (the Weststadt Neighborhood)
From Frankfurt, Michael takes the ICE (InterCity) to Heidelberg, a train ride of less than an hour. (You can also take the S-Bahn, or a regional train.)
Heidelberg has 15 city districts. The Central Railway Station is located in Weststadt, the district next to the historic core of the city (Altstadt). It's also where Michael's friends live: on the Schillerstraße.
Weststadt is a residential district dating back to the 1830s. Starting in the 1870s and continuing into the 20th century (a period which is often called "Gründerzeit"), Weststadt experienced a residential building boom and became a highly fashionable neighborhood.
The "Gründerzeit" (literally, "founders' period") - related to the period when the German national state was consolidated under Chancellor Bismarck - coincided with rapid industrialization and economic growth in central Europe.
The architectural style of that time was eclectic and mixed diverse historical periods. So walking through the Weststadt neighborhood, you'll see buildings in various styles: Italian Renaissance, Baroque Revival, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, etc.
Vocabulary for Travelers 2
• Hauptbahnhof (m.) - Central Railway Station • Altstadt (f.) - historic city center • Wohngegend (f.) - residential area • Gründerzeit (f.) - economic phase of rapid development (lit.: "founders' period") • Bauboom (m.) - building boom • Industrialisierung (f.) - industrialization • Wirtschaftswachstum (n.) - economic growth • Baustil (m.) - (architectural) style • Ritter (m.) knight • Friedrich Schiller - German philospher, playwright, poet (1759-1805) • nach rechts - to the right • nach links - to the left • geradeaus - straight ahead
Mark Twain's Travel Memories of Heidelberg
Michael and his friends walk through the historic of Heidelberg ("Altstadt"). One of his friends, Renate, points out a hotel, where Mark Twain supposedly stayed during his visit to Heidelberg in 1878.
In that year, Mark Twain was struggling to finish his novel Huckleberry Finn (as some journalists claim), and went on a Europe tour with his family, as a kind of working holiday. Mark Twain loved Heidelberg (as you can read in his Travel Book "A Tramp Abroad") and stayed there for three months.
Possibly, the hotel that Renate points out, is today's Crowne Plaza, built in 1838 as Hotel Ernst, and located in the Old Town on the Bahnhofstraße.
Mark Twain first notes in "A Tramp Abroad": "We stopped at a hotel by the railway-station." Twain continues: "The weather was growing pretty warm, - very warm, in fact. So we left the valley and took quarters at the Schloss Hotel, on the hill, above the Castle."
As Twain describes it, the Schloss Hotel provided him with a fantastic view: "Now if one turns and looks up the gorge once more, he will see the Schloss Hotel on the right perched on a precipice overlooking the Neckar—a precipice which is so sumptuously cushioned and draped with foliage that no glimpse of the rock appears. The building seems very airily situated. ... (see view from Heidelberg castle)
Out of a billowy upheaval of vivid green foliage, a rifle-shot removed, rises the huge ruin of Heidelberg Castle, with empty window arches, ivy-mailed battlements, moldering towers ... It is a fine sight to see the evening sunlight suddenly strike the leafy declivity at the Castle’s base and dash up it and drench it as with a luminous spray, while the adjacent groves are in deep shadow."
Journalists and historians have tried to guess why Mark Twain loved Heidelberg so much. Was it because "Heidelberg" (short for "Heidelbeerenberg"), in fact, means "Huckelberry mountain" as we speculate in Why did Mark Twain like Heidelberg? More likely, Twain fell in love with the beauty of town itself, and its picturesque riverside setting.
Vocabulary for Travelers 3
• Roman (m.) - novel • Arbeitsurlaub (m.) - working holiday • Heidelbeere (f.) - huckleberry • Wetter (n.) - weather • Aussicht (f.) - view • Schloss (n.) - castle • Klippe (f.) - precipice • raten - to guess
Twain had a love-hate relationship with the German language and his The Awful German Language - an Appendix to his 1880 book, A Tramp Abroad, is a fun travel memories read for anyone learning German.
Heidelberg University
The founding of the University of Heidelberg (1386) was prompted by a curious historical event. At the time of the Great Schism of 1378 (when two popes - one French and one Italian - were elected after the death of Pope Gregory XI), German secular and spiritual leaders supported the Italian one in Rome.
As a result, German students and teachers at the University of Paris had to leave. But, the Italian Pope, Urban VI, allowed the creation of a university in Heidelberg.
During the years 1804 to 1809, a number of writers who were part of the German Romantic movement, spent time in Heidelberg for teaching and research at the university. They included poets such as Clemens Brentano and Friedrich Hölderlin.
In the 1960s and 70s, Heidelberg University became one of the main centers of left-wing student protests. Today, Heidelberg University is internationally renowned. Its building are grouped in two main locations. 1. In the Altstadt: the Old Town Campus (for humanities), some of whose buildings reach back to 1712, and the Bergheim Campus (for economics and social sciences). 2. In the district of Neuenheim across the river: The New Campus built during the 1960's (for the natural sciences and life science).
Vocabulary for Travelers 4
• Universität (f.) - university • Gründung (f.) - founding • Pabst (m.) - pope • Romantik (f.) - Romantic movement in the arts and literature (late 18th-early 19th c.) • Dichter (m.) - poet, writer • Dichterin (f.) - poet, writer • Linker Studentenprotest (m.) - left-wing student protest • Ort (m.) - location, site, place • Unigelände (n.) / Campus (m.) - campus
Das Schloss
A Renaissance ruin and well-known landmark, Heidelberg Castle is nestled on the slope of the Königstuhl hill, 300 feet above the city of Heidelberg.
To go up to the castle from near the center of town, you can take a funicular to the Molkenkur station, and from there change to another funicular up to the castle. In all, it's about a 15-minute ride, and the view from the top is fantastic.
First built in 1890, the two Heidelberg mountain railways (Bergbahnen) underwent various building phases, renovations, and additions to meet current safety standards.
Vocabulary for Travelers 5
• Ruine (f.) - ruin • Abhang (m.) - hillside • Wahrzeichen (n.) - landmark • Standseilbahn (f.) - funicular (cable car on a slope)
Further sights that may interest you:
Other Places to visit in Heidelberg
Studentenkarzer: The Student Prison (part of the old university), which was used from 1778 to 1914. Philosophenweg: The Philosopher's Walk is a pathway that the university's philosophers frequented. It runs along the side of Heiligenberg and provides spectacular views of the castle and the city. Alte Brücke: The Karl Theodor Bridge goes over the Neckar river joining the two historic parts of Heidelberg. Königstuhl: Instead of taking the funicular up to the summit, you can also make the Königstuhl (King's Chair) a destination for hiking.
From Heidelberg, Michael takes the Intercity to Munich.
There he stays at a hotel, visits the Hofbräuhaus (see picture ), and spends the evening with friends in Schwabing, a lively student quarter.
We'll soon tell you more about Munich in our future post "German Travel Memories - Michael in Munich".
Register or log in again to continue with the German 1 course.
Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of GamesforLanguage.com. She is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact.
The Spanish Travel Memoriesadd to the information that our Spain traveler David picks up in our GamesforLanguage travel-story courses.
In the courses, we use street names, neighborhoods, hotels, and restaurants - many of which we've explored ourselves - in each of the Spanish cities. In Spanish Travel Memories 1, we tell you more about Barcelona. After visiting his aunt and uncle there and exploring the city, David heads south to Granada.
If you're going to visit Spain, you wouldn't want to miss Granada. It's a fascinating city with a multicultural history, and certainly a place for travel memories. We're also listing a few basic words and phrases in Spanish that will help you to communicate locally. The word lists are a combination of words and phrases taught in the course and other useful travel terms.
Just as we did with our post about Barcelona, we'll follow David's discoveries in Granada. For those of you who have done or are doing our Spanish 1 course: David en España, this may be of special interest.
Quick Facts about Granada
The city of Granada is the capital of the province of Granada, one of the eight provinces in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The city proper has a population of over 236,000. Granada has a great location. It lies close to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and is only about an hour by car from the Mediterranean coast. The name "Granada" may come from either the Spanish word for "pomegranate" (granada) or from the Arabic word said to mean "hill of strangers".
In its early history, the region of what is now Granada was the site of an Iberian settlement, Elibyrge, (5th century b.c.), and of the Roman town Illiberis (150 b.c.). During the reign of the Visigoths (500 a.d.), a small community of Jews who had also settled there, named the area Garnata al-yahut.
In 711, a Moorish Caliphate invaded and conquered Granada. After internal conflicts among Arab clans, the Ziries clan created an independent kingdom, which lasted from (1013-1238).
This was followed by the powerful Nazrid dynasty (1238-1492). It was during the reign of the Nazrid kingdom, that the Alhambra fortress and the Generalife palace were built. Granada was the last Muslim kingdom to be conquered by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.
Basic Words and Phrases - the mountain range - la sierra - snow-covered, snowy - nevado/a (adj.) - the coast - la costa - the pomegranate - la granada - the settlement - el asentamiento - the dynasty - la dinastía- Catholic Monarchs - Reyes Católicos
Train to Granada
The distance between Barcelona (located in the northeast of Spain) and Granada (in the south) is 425 miles. Rather than fly to Granada, David chooses the less expensive option. He takes the train, which in his case is the Arco train with a route along the eastern coast.
Side Note: Obviously, train schedules and routes change over time. The Arco train to cities in Andalusia, operated by RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles), has been replaced by their AVE trains with somewhat different routes.
The map above shows the driving options, which also mirror the train routes quite closely. The train route via Madrid may be faster.
Once he arrives in Granada, David asks for directions to “la calle Reyes Católicos,” the street where his friend Daniel lives, in the center of town. From the train station it's about a three-mile walk. (There's also an easy bus connection.)
Basic Words and Phrases - the train station - la estación de tren - the distance - la distancia - he train schedule - el horario de trenes - the train ticket - el billete de tren - the (train) track - la vía - to wait - esperar - a seat by the window - un asiento en la ventana - Is this seat available? - ¿Está este asiento todavía libre?
Washington Irving and the Alhambra
The Alhambra ("the red" in Arabic) is a spectacular palace and fortress built between 1238 and 1358 during the Moorish Nazrid dynasty. It stands on a plateau overlooking the city of Granada. You can read up more on its history HERE.
We were surprised to learn that the American writer Washington Irving (1783-1859) had actually lodged in a room in the Alhambra palace for three months in 1829. During that time he began his "Tales of the Alhambra," a colorful mixture of local history and legend. There's a plaque in the room where he stayed.
On the way down through the gardens, you can see a statue of Irving, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of his death. Downtown, there's also a street named after him.
Basic Words and Phrases - the palace - el palacio - a palatial complex - un complejo palaciego - the writer (m/f) - el escritor, la escritora - the tale, story - el cuento - the plaque - la placa - the garden - el jardín - the statue - la estatua
Side note: The city of Alhambra in California is reportedly named after the "Tales of the Alhambra." In 1874, the daughter of Benjamin Wilson, a wealthy developer, was reading the book and encouraged him to use the name for his new suburban development in Los Angeles County.
University of Granada
Founded in 1531 by emperor Charles V, the University of Granada is one of the oldest in Spain and continues a long educational tradition that goes back to the time of the Moorish epoch. With over 50,000 students in Granada alone (and seven campuses, five in Granada, and two in Spanish territories in Northern Africa), the University of Granada is the one of the largest in Spain.
The university is also highly popular with students of Erasmus, a program adopted by the European Commission in 1987, to encourage and support student exchanges throughout the European Union.
Side Note: The Erasmus Program was named after the Dutch philosopher and scholar, Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536). At the same time, ERASMUS also stands for: European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students.
Mirador de San Cristóbal
The San Cristobal Viewpoint is in the picturesque Albaicín neighborhood of Granada. From the viewpoint you have a stunning panoramic view of the city, including a side view of the Alhambra and the snow-peaked mountains behind. El Albaicín has maintained the narrow winding streets and the architecture of its Moorish past. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the Alhambra.
David's next Stop (and future Spanish Travel Memories 3)
From Granada, David takes the train to Seville for more travel memories. There he checks into a hotel his friends had recommended to him. He explores the Toro del Oro and the Almohad Tower, called La Giralda. Together with Ana and some of her friends he spends an evening in Triana, the neighborhood known for flamenco dancers and singers.
Register or log in again and continue with the Spanish 1 course.
Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of GamesforLanguage.com. She is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments below or with contact.
Austria always holds new things for us to discover. After a week in Überlingen, Germany, where we explored sights along Lake Constance, we picked up a rental car in Friedrichshafen and headed to Austria.
And we were happy to still have our Webspot Pocket WiFi with us, which we had first used while canal cruising in the Netherlands and during our train trip from Utrecht to Lake Constance. This way we could easily google information about the towns and sights we passed by. (Returning the pocket WIFI was also easy: Later in Vienna, we just dropped it off at a Post office in its metal case and prepaid envelope!)
In Austria
Our car's navigation system led us easily around Munich and, it being a Saturday, we didn't encounter any of the notorious Munich traffic jams.
Soon we found ourselves on Austrian territory. (There are open borders between Germany and Austria, so we had no wait at the border. This is one advantage of the “Schengen Agreement” for tourists and travelers.)
At noon we stopped in a little town. The warm and sunny September weather allowed us to enjoy our lunch in a typical Austrian beer garden. We watched as the restaurant became busy and the tables all got occupied.
We picked up pieces of Austrian conversation here and there, and as is customary in Austria, we were not surprised when another couple joined us at our table.
We enjoyed a delicious meal. As we were leaving, we chuckled when we noticed the sign over the entrance to the garden restaurant: “Grüass Eich God” (see above left) and on the other side of the sign, when leaving: “Pfüad Eich God” (see right).
The first one is a local form of “Grüß Gott” meaning “May God greet (or bless) you. ” The second translates as something like “Be well with God,” meaning “Goodby.” Both Austrian/Bavarian versions would be pretty well incomprehensible to a German learner. (Now, can you also guess what “Pfüad di” means?)
Wels, Austria
A little more than an hour later, we arrived in Wels where one of Ulrike's Austrian cousins lives with his family. His son now manages the family business, the Hotel and the Gasthof Maxlhaid, located on the outskirts of Wels.
Wels, the seventh-largest city in Austria with 60,000 inhabitants, lies at the Traun River, about 20 miles from Linz. It was my first visit to Wels and I was eager to learn more about its history.
Important during the Roman age, prosperous during the Middle Ages, devastated during the 30 Years' War, Wels became an important manufacturing center during the industrial revolution.
In World War II, Wels saw heavy destruction, and only a few historic buildings have remained. However over the years, new industries have settled there and the city has also gained prominence with its trade fairs and congresses.
The Saturday we arrived happened to be the Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of the Museums). For a small fee, people could visit any of the area's participating museums, many of which stayed open until midnight. We took advantage of that opportunity and visited several museums in town, including the City Museum.
Stadtmuseum Burg Wels
The City Museum is located in a castle, which for centuries belonged to the Habsburg family. (see the castle gardens left) The castle was rebuilt between 1504 and 1514 by emperor Maximilian I in late-Gothic style.
Many artifacts from that time are exhibited, together with documents, models, and audio-visual presentations of the city's and area's history. One exhibit shows the many different bread forms bakers have used over time. Another one shows the various tools and machines the agricultural industry had developed in Austria.
In another display, we were fascinated by several maps that show the German enclaves in what used to be called the “German-Austrian empire” before 1918. Our understanding of the Upper Austrian dialect was also tested (we passed!), when we watched museum staff perform several humorous sketches about Wels personalities.
Pferdeeisenbahnmuseum in der Maxlhaid
At the end of the night, Ulrike's cousin gave us a private tour of his own horse railway museum, which is located in a large barn behind the hotel. The museum, a long term hobby, is his love and passion.
The history of the horse railway is quite interesting. The Italian Franz Zola, (father of the French writer Émile Zola, 1840-1902) was an engineer/surveyor during the construction of the first continental horse railway between Budweis (now Czech Republic) and Linz (Austria). That was the northern route of the horse railway, which opened in 1832.
Franz Zola received a license from Emperor Franz in 1828 to continue the southern route from Linz to Gmunden. However, when his financing fell through, Zola left for the Foreign Legion and settled later in France.
Subsequently, the southern route of the railway was completed by others in 1836. The 123 miles of track from Gmunden to Budweis could then meet their real purpose: transporting goods, especially salt from Gmunden to Bohemia.
The station Maxlhaid, at the location of the current hotel, was one of several stations where horse changes occurred and a tavern already existed there in 1835. By 1855, however, steam engines replaced the horses and the horse railway became history. (See the map above and the German Wikipedia entry for further details of the Budweis-Gmunden horse railway).
Linz, Austria
The next day, we visited Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. It is Austria's third-largest city with a population of over 200,000. Linz is only 19 miles from the Czech border. Founded by the Romans and called “Lentia,” Linz was the most important city in the Habsburg Empire, but lost its status to Vienna and Prague after the death of Emperor Frederick III in 1493.
Today Linz remains one of Austria's main economic centers. Its harbor on the Danube (one of four in Austria) attracts logistic and trading enterprises as well as manufacturing plants along the river banks. From the Pöstlingberg, a 1700-foot hill on the left bank of the Danube, we had a wonderful view of the city.
We were intrigued by “Höhenrausch 2016,” an exhibition now in its ninth year, with always changing art. This year angels were the main topic. The “Höhenrausch” tour takes you through large rooms of the Ursuline Church, the top of a parking garage and terraces with various sculptures. It was all both fun and instructive. We learned about the history of angels in different religions, and in literature and art.
We were amused by various interactive exhibits (click on the picture above or this YouTube clip to see a piano with wings). The views across the roofs of Linz from one of the wooden towers were spectacular.
Our short stay did not allow us to visit any of the many museums along the banks of the Danube, for example, the Schlossmuseum, the Lentos Art Museum, the Ars Electronica Center, but we got a glimpse of them during our walk through the city and along the Danube.
The Danube
Seeing the Danube wind its way through Linz prompted me to look a little further into this great European river. Indeed, with a length of about 1785 miles, the Danube is the second longest European river after the Volga.
And, as no other river in the world, it touches 10 different countries on its way: From its source in the Black Forest in Germany, it flows through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Moldavia, and Ukraine, where it empties into the Black Sea.
With the completion of the Main-Danube Canal (Main-Donau Kanal) in 1992, linking the Rhine with the Danube, a waterway connection between the North Sea and the Black Sea was established. Thereby even more European states were linked through their own connected waterways. (On the map above, the Rhine and Main are shown in green, The Main-Danube Canal in red, and the navigable stretch of the Danube in blue.)
We would be amiss if we didn't mention the poster child of German compound words: Donaudampfschifffahrtskapitän (Captain of the Danube Steamship Company)
(However, it even pales against this one which contains 79 letters and, reportedly, holds the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records. Click HERE for the translation and history.) Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft
Vienna, Austria
A few days later found us walking through the streets of Vienna, a city we both know well. But you can always find something new to do in Vienna!
This time we happened to walk by the Austrian National Library and were attracted by the exhibition about the life of Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was held in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of his death in 1916. Franz Joseph's long life (1830-1910) made him the “ewige Kaiser” (eternal emperor) to many Austrians.
He reportedly was the most painted and photographed person of the 19th century. The exhibition described his life from young child to teenager, young man, media star, and statesman, with portraits, letters, news reports. It was was set up in the Library's grand “Prunksaal” (State Hall).
The Austrian National Library is not only the largest library in Austria with 7.4 million books, but the “Prunksaal” of the old imperial library takes your breath away. It forms part of the Hofburg Palace and everywhere you look, there are sculptures, frescoes, marble statues, and paintings.
So next time you go to Austria, consider going a little of the beaten track. And don't forget, when you come to Vienna, take a look at the Austrian National Library.
Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact or below.
Like German and French, Italian has full official status on the federal level in Switzerland: all laws and official documents have to be written in these three languages.
Romansh has "partial" official status, i.e. it is used on the federal level when needed for communication with Romansh speakers.
However, each Swiss canton and, generally, even each community can choose which language to use for its own official communication.
Italian is the only official language of the Canton of Ticino and one of the three official languages of the Canton of Graubünden.
Romansh is recognized as an official language only in the Canton of Graubünden, (the largest Swiss canton, but with less than 200,000 inhabitants, also the canton with the lowest population density).
According to an article about Swiss languages published in July 2016 by swissinfo.ch, German (both High German and Swiss German) is spoken by about 63% of the population, French by about 23%, Italian by about 8%. Romansh is spoken by less than 1% of the total population.
The Third Swiss Language: Where Italian is Spoken
Swiss Italian is spoken in the Canton of Ticino and in the southern part of the Canton Graubünden (see map of Ticino, left and map of Graubünden below).
The territory of present-day Ticino was annexed from Italian cities in the 15th century. With the creation of the Swiss Confederation in 1803, the lands were named Ticino, after the largest river in the area. To read up on the history of Ticino: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticino
The official name of Ticino is Repubblica e Cantone Ticino (Republic and Canton of Ticino). Because of historical ties, the people of Ticino have a strong cultural affinity to their Italian neighbors.
Ticino is the only canton where Italian is the sole official language. Over 87% of the people speak Italian as their native language, around 666,000 according to Ethnologue. (About 10% speak German, and about 5% speak French.)
In the Canton of Graubünden about 15% of the population speaks Italian (just under 30,000).
Please note: The numbers and percentages I'm quoting show some variation in the French, German, English, and Italian articles I consulted about Swiss languages.
Swiss Italian - Svizzero Italiano
Over the centuries, the Swiss Italian language has been influenced by the local Ticinese dialects and the other national languages, French and German. There are Helveticisms (words typical for Switzerland), differences in idiomatic usage and syntax, and loan words (not known in Standard Italian).
Loan words that come from French or German:
• To book, reserve (a room or table) Italian: prenotare. Swiss Italian: riservare. French: réserver.
In addition to Swiss Italien, a part of the population of Ticino speaks Ticinese, which is a group of dialect varieties of the Lombard language. For many Italian speakers, Ticinese is difficult to understand.
Ticinese has now been named an endangered language. (According to Ethnologue, there are 303,000 speakers of Ticinese in Switzerland.)
The Lombard language is also spoken in the Northern Italian regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, and Trentino.
The Fourth Swiss Language: Where Romansh /Rumantsch is Spoken
The Romansch language is spoken primarily in the southeast of Switzerland, in the Canton of Graubünden,where it has official status alongside German and Italian. (Besides the two spellings above, there are a number of other ways to spell the language.) Romansh is a descendant of Vulgar (or spoken) Latin.
In 2012, it counted just over 36 thousand people who called it their main language. At 0.9% of Swiss citizens makes it the least spoken of the four official Swiss languages.
The spoken Romansh language is generally divided into 5 dialect groups, which together form a continuum. Still, there are recognizable differences even from village to village. The most widely spoken dialect is Sursilvan, which is used by more than half of the speakers of Romansh. In addition to the 5 major dialects, there are a number of other recognized dialects.
Although they are closely related, the Romansh dialects are not always mutually comprehensible. For that reason, when speakers of different varieties talk with each other, they tend to use Swiss German rather than their own dialect. Apparently for Romansh speakers, identity is tied largely to the local dialect region.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, grammar and spelling guidelines were developed for the regional written dialects. Now, each of the 5 Romansh dialect varieties has its own standardized written language. Romansh is taught in some of the local schools.
In 2000 a bilingual high-school diploma was introduced in Graubünden. Since then, if they wished, students have been able to follow studies and graduate in Romansh/German or in Italian/German.
Pan-Regional Rumansch Grischun
There were attempts to create a unified written Romansh language in 1867, and again in 1958, but these did not gather much support during the early days. A main criticism was that such a created language would be artificial and destroy the Romansh cultural heritage.
Nevertheless, attempts to introduce the standardized Rumansch Grischun in local schools have continued. Finally, in 2015, a hesitant compromise was reached: This unified version of the language is not to be introduced before grade 7. As expected, both supporters and opponents are unhappy.
How do the Swiss Manage?
In researching this topic, it became clear to me that accommodating these four languages and various dialects remains a challenge for Swiss communities and their government.
Resentments between language groups continue to exist. And still Switzerland, a small country of only 8.5 million inhabitants, is somehow managing.
One key may be the autonomy that the individual cantons and communities have in choosing their official language(s), and how and where the languages are taught, etc.
Maybe direct and frequent voting gives the citizens a sense of control? Maybe becoming bilingual by the time they get to school let children become more tolerant towards other languages?
Whatever the reasons, it seems to work. And it reminds me that South Tyrol may have emulated the language success of its neighbor, as we wrote in a previous post: South Tyrol – A Multicultural Success Story.
Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of GamesforLanguage.com. She's a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments right below!
In our previous post, we focused on the bilingualism of many Fribourgers. The German spoken in Fribourg is clearly of the Swiss German variety, with a few French expressions mixed in at times. (Indeed, as we explain in our post Swiss German Dialects: A Real Challenge for German Learners, there are quite a few variations of "Swiss German".) And while Swiss German is the generic label for the dialect, there are plenty of regional differences that a foreigner would only detect after a while. When you're traveling in countries where you speak the language, you may notice that both formal and informal greetings often vary from region to region.
For example, when we were traveling in Northern Germany a couple years ago (see our post: From Utrecht to Hamburg: Dialects and Travel Tips in Northern German), we first couldn't make out the informal greeting we heard everywhere: “Moin.” We first thought it was an abbreviation of “Morgen,” as in “Guten Morgen” (Good morning), but it was clearly used all day.
Digging a little further, we found that while “morgen” may be one etymological explanation for “Moin,” another one could be the Dutch, Frisian, and Low German word “moi,” meaning “beautiful” or “good.”
This week we are exploring a few Swiss German expressions we encountered while skiing in the "Berner Oberland". (Above picture of "Saaner's Loch)
“Grüezi” and a Swiss German Ear-Worm
To get a little taste of the Swiss German language listen to this YouTube Video of “Ja grüezi wohl Frau Stirnimaa”, a popular song by a Swiss group, The Minstrels, from the late 60s. It was the #1 song in Switzerland in 1969 for 10 weeks, made it to #3 in Germany, and sold over 1.5 million copies in 27 countries.
Mario Feurer, who wrote the song, grew up in Zurich. Even if you know some German, you'll have a hard time understanding the simple refrain. But if you listen to it a few times, you'll start distinguishing verbs, their grammatical modifications. You'll also pick up a few Swiss German idiosyncrasies.
The Lyrics, Standard German, and English Translation
Ja grüezi wohl Frau Stirnimaa (Ja grüß sie wohl, Frau Stirnimaa) (Hello there, Ms Stirnimaa)
Sagget sie, wie labbet sie, wie sind sie de so dra? (Sagen Sie, wie leben Sie, wie sind Sie denn so dran?) (Tell me, how's life, how's it going?)
Grüezi wohl Frau Stirnimaa Sagget sie, wie labbet sie, wie gaht's denn ihre Ma? (Sagen Sie, wie leben Sie, wie geht es ihrem Mann?) (Tell me, how's life, how's your husband doing?)
Quick note: There is no standard written form of Swiss German. Letters and letter combinations mostly just express the way words sound.
And while you'll notice how the verb forms and endings are different from Standard German and hear how the “n” and “m” endings are dropped, we won't try to explain much more. Just listen to the melody of the Swiss German language.
Swiss German in the Berner Oberland
This week the public schools in the canton of Bern have vacation, and besides a little French, we hear mostly Swiss German in the villages and on the mountain between Zweisimmen and Gstaad.
Even for us German speakers, some of the Swiss German we come across is a little hard to understand. Briefly: In general, the dialects spoken in Switzerland (collectively called Swiss German) belong to the Alemannic variety of German.
Greetings: “Grüezi” vs. “Grüess eech”
Grüezi is arguably the most well-known Swiss German greeting. It's an abbreviation of “Gott grüez i” or literally in German: “Gott grüß euch”. (May God greet you.)
A variation of “Grüezi” is “Grüezi mitenand,” with “mitenand” (“miteinander” - together) making it clear that the greeting is for more than one person. This greeting is used mainly in the Zurich area and in the east of Switzerland.
In the western part, around Bern, it's more common to hear “Grüss eech,” which also means literally: Gott grüß euch. Indeed, here in the Berner Oberland, we've been hearing “Grüss eech” or “Grüess eech mitenand,” all over the place: when entering a restaurant, going into a shop, when sharing a gondola or chair lift with others. People even greet you as you're walking in the village.
In a restaurant: the verb “sein” - “sii” and “gsi” (or “gsy”)
Today, we ate on the terrace of a mountain restaurant. After greeting us “Grüess eech mitenand,” our waitress asked: “Was derfs sii?” - Was darf es sein? (Lit: What may it be? Meaning: What can I get you?)
When we finished our meal and she started to clear the table, she asked: “S isch guat gsi?” - Ist es gut gewesen? (Lit: Was it good? Meaning: How was the meal?)
Swiss German uses a shorter and older form of the verb “sein.” Instead of “sein,” it's “sii”, and instead of “gewesen,” it's “gsi.”
Meal time: “Ä Guätä!”
It was a beautiful, sunny day and the terrace was crowded. So, as is typical for many European countries, we shared our table with other restaurant guests.
We ordered “Röschti” (Rösti), which are fried potatoes prepared in a typical way in Switzerland. A meal of Röschti comes in all kinds of combinations: with a fried egg, with ham, with vegetables, etc.
Note also: The letter combination “st” (appearing anywhere in a word) is pronounced “sch.” The German word “ist” becomes “isch” (the -t is dropped)
We were served first, and when our meal arrived, our table neighbors wished us “Ä Guätä!” This is literally, “(Have) a good one!” and best translates to “Enjoy your meal!” The equivalent in Standard German would be: Guten Appetit! literally: Good appetite!
When we finished and were ready to leave, while our table neighbors received their meals, we wished them “Ä Guätä!”
Other useful words and phrases we heard
• Sali. We often heard teenagers saying “Sali” or “Sali mitenand.” - Hallo, alle. - Hi everybody. “Sali” is less formal than the greeting “Grüezi.” It comes from the French “salut” (hi/hey).
• Merci. The French “Merci” (thank you) has been appropriated by Swiss German as well, and you hear it alone or also as “Merci vilmals” - Vielen Dank (Thanks a lot).
• Uf widaluege. The German “Auf Wiedersehen” (Goodbye) has the Swiss German equivalent of “Uf widaluege,” and means the same, “luege” - sehen (to look).
• Ich lüt dir a. Probably a leftover from the old telephone technology of bells, if you want to say “I'll call you,” you'd say “Ich lüt dir a.” This literally means: Ich leute dich an, or Ich leute bei dir an (I'll ring you.)
If you're just learning German and are trying to understand Swiss German, don't despair. Even native Germans have a tough time understanding rapidly spoken Swiss German, even more so speaking it. But as with any language or dialect you want to learn, there are many ways to do it.
Here are three iPhone apps that will help you: Grüezi Switzerland (free), Schweizerdeutsch Lernen (in app purchases), and uTalk Classic Learn Swiss German (in app purchases). We have not tried any of these yet, so let us know what you think below.
Bio: Ulrike & Peter Rettig are co-founders of Gamesforlanguage.com. They are lifelong language learners, growing up in several European countries before moving to Canada and the United States. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ever thought about doing some language learning in Fribourg, Switzerland?
Visiting the town in Switzerland where I spent several years working in my first job, reminded me of my French language learning days. Fribourg or in German Freiburg (im Üchtland) is a bilingual city, and not to be confused with “Freiburg im Breisgau,” which lies in the Black Forest.
Pure immersion aficionados may well scoff at this: But working and learning French in a town where my native language German was well understood, had many advantages for me.
For one, I could always revert to German when my French instructions to the draftsmen in the structural engineering firm where I worked, were met with a doubtful stare.
Also, when the rapid French in a shop or restaurant was still beyond my listening skills, I could typically get a German, or Swiss-German translation, thereby generating “comprehensible input.”
CANTON FRIBOURG'S ROAD TO OFFICAL BILINGUALISM
The canton of Fribourg is one of three Swiss cantons that are officially bilingual. The other two are the cantons of Bern and of Wallis/Valais.
Fribourg entered the Swiss Confederation in 1481. Throughout the centuries both French and German were spoken in the region. For the canton of Fribourg the road to official bilingualism was a complicated one, with plenty of detours.
Since the early days, there have been various shifts. At first, German was the language used by the government (1483-1798).
Then between 1798 and 1856,French and German alternated.
From 1857 on, both languages have had official status in Fribourg, but until 1990 only French was legally binding. Since 1991 both languages can be used for a binding contract.
Only the two north/northeast districts of the canton (of a total of seven), are predominantly German- speaking. It's more likely that residents of those districts learn and speak French, than residents of French-speaking districts learn German. (A possible reason? Many French speakers may be reluctant to learn Swiss-German.)
At this time, around 63% of the about 300,000 people in the canton of Fribourg speak French, 21% speak German, and close to 4 % speak Italian (which is not an official language in the canton).
A few years ago, the “Day of Bilingualism” (Journée du bilinguisme/Tag der Zweisprachigkeit) was set for September 26 and coincides with the European Day of Languages to foster language learning and bilingualism.
In the public schools of the canton of Fribourg, students learn a second language from grade three on. In communities where German is spoken, students are encouraged to learn French as the second language, and vice versa.
Nevertheless, in spite of such efforts and policies to foster bilingualism, language differences remain a point of discussion and sometimes also of controversy.
THE CITY OF FRIBOURG
The city of Fribourg is right on the language border between French and German. About 40,000 inhabitants live within the city proper. This number increases to 60,000, if adjacent suburbs are included and to nearly 100,000 for the larger metropolitan area.
A few years ago, the completion of a new suspension bridge and the closing of the arched Zähringer Bridge diverted traffic from the neighborhood near the Cathedral and created another Fribourg landmark. (see picture)
Official city statistics mirror the language distribution of the canton as a whole. Still, it seems that there is a greater concentration of bilinguals living in the city, which may be in part because of the university.
The University of Fribourg (created in 1889) is Switzerland's only bilingual university. Both French and German are used as languages for teaching and for the administration.
In 2009, the Institute of Multilingualism was founded, which conducts research of how multilingualism affects education, the workplace, and migration.
Because the two languages intersect throughout the city, you'll find interesting signage in French, German, and also in Swiss-German dialect (which has no standard written form).
During a visit a couple of years ago, Ulrike had a tiny cameo role in a YouTube clip "We are Happy from Fribourg" by a Fribourg film maker. He used the Pharrell Williams' song "Happy" from the movie "Despicable Me 2", similar to what other Swiss cities have done. Maybe you can spot her at ~2.36 minutes into the clip, which also shows many images of Fribourg.
In fact, she was walking through the Farmer's Market where you can always find many delightful language tidbits. This time as well.
FARMER'S MARKET
On Saturday morning, Fribourg has a farmer's market that stretches from the City Hall Plaza down the Grand Rue. Vendors from the region as far as (French-speaking) Lausanne come to sell their wares. When I'm around, I spend an hour or so poking around and I always find some language learning opportunities.
Interestingly, the vegetable and fruit stands seem mostly set up by farmers that speak Swiss German.
For the first time in all the years, I saw a stand that sells snails. The “Schneckenpark” translates into French as “Élevages d'Escargots.” The above picture on the front of the stand explains both expressions: the raised, slanted boards of the snails' park.
Anotherstand advertises in typical German compound-word fashion: “HOLZBACKOFENBROT AUS BIO GETREIDE” and with the wordier French: “PAIN FAIT AU FOURNEAU DE BOIS & CEREALES BIO.” Both translate to something like “bread made with organic flour in wood-burning oven.”
Not all stands advertise bilingually. Some have signs that are only in French or only in German. When it's Swiss German, even I sometimes need the help of a local person.
Take the sign of a Swiss-German butcher: The word “Metzger” (butcher) abbreviated to “Metzg” presents no problem. But hey, how about “gglùschtig's ù säüber gmacht's”? To decode that, I had to dig deep into my Swiss-German language memory.
The word “gglùschtig's” means “tasty, a pleasure to eat” - not to be confused with the German word “lustig” (funny). I'm not sure about the double “g” and the grave accent on the “u.” Probably, it's a way to represent Swiss-German pronunciation.
The word “säüber” is as tricky as “gglùschtig's.” One could easily confuse it with the German word “sauber” (clean). But the letter combination “äü” suggests the sound of a word closer to the German “selber” (self).
The word “gmacht's” is easy and just means “made.” The suffix “-'s” (for “Gemachtes”) adds the idea of a “made” product.
So “gglùschtig's ù säüber gmacht's” would best be translated as: “tasty andhomemade (or self-made) products.”
LANGUAGE LEARNING WITH FRENCH & GERMAN SIGNS
With its medieval town center and old ramparts, the city of Fribourg is a great place to walk around and explore. When you pay attention to street signs or signs on shops and restaurants, you'll see some interesting words and language combinations.
French sign in a restaurant window: Les croûtes auf fromage
These are bread slices dipped in white wine, topped with cheese, (often also with cornichons and tomatoes) and grilled in the oven. The advertised prices and types of preparation indicate a substantial meal.
• la croûte – the rind • le fromage – the cheese
Gothard, Vacherin, and Valaisanne are local cheeses that are very popular in the region.
Street signs combining French and German.
One of the quarters of Fribourg is called “Schoenberg,” a German word meaning “beautiful mountain.” (Note that in the French spelling, Schoenberg is spelled with an “oe”, which is also an alternate spelling in German.)
One of the roads leading up to the quarter is called “Chemin du Schoenberg” (chemin – the French word for way, path.)
Not everybody loves this French specialty: Beef Tongue
German/French sign in a restaurant window: Rindszunge/Langue de Boeuf
• la langue, die Zunge - the tongue • le boeuf, das Rind - the beef • les capres/die Kapern - the capers
German speakers may notice a spelling error on the German sign: It should say "Rindszunge IN Kapernsauce".
Strolling through the city streets you'll see many signs that make you smile.
A favorite of mine is the one above the Rue des Epouses, which I described in a previous post 11 Language Clues from German and Swiss Signs. Look for item#11, if you need a translation of the French or the German, which is on the other side of the sign.
If you ever visit Fribourg and the Cathedral, or are looking for the above sign, you'll also pass by the bookshop Librairie "Bien-être" on one side, and the modern furniture store "Forme + Confort" on the other side of la Rue des Epouses.
In "Bien-être" you'll find all kinds of books (in French) about well-being, alternative medicine, etc. And - you can say hello to my sister Ingrid.
Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact or below.
The Italian Travel Memories expand on our GamesforLanguage travel-story based courses, which use the cities' real street names, places, restaurants, hotels, etc. We visited many of them ourselves and tell you a little more about each Italian city.
With this post we'll now cover the first city that our Italian traveler Marco visits on his trip through Italy. (Previous travel memories posts followed our German traveler Michael in Frankfurt, Daniel in Paris and David in Barcelona.)
The travel stories, which are the basis of our GamesforLanguage courses, use real street names, places, restaurants, hotels, etc., many of which we visited ourselves. In future blog posts, we'll provide additional details for the other cities our young travelers visit in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
Marco flies from Boston to Pisa. On the plane, he chats with a woman who sits next to him. Read and listen to the Italian Language Story: Il viaggio di Marco 1 - Sull'aereo.
Pisa is Marco's first stop in Italy, a university town with a long history, and known the world over for its Leaning Tower. Read and listen to the Italian Language Story: Il viaggio di Marco 2 - Pisa.
Visiting Pisa? Here's a short introduction to this historic Tuscan city to help start your own Italian travel memories. We'll follow Marco's discoveries in Pisa, for those of you who have done or are doing our Italian 1 course: Marco in Italia.
In our travel-story course, you learn everyday conversational language. We've added a few useful terms in Italian that will help you in your travels.
Quick Facts about Pisa
The city of Pisa is located in Tuscany, one of Italy's 20 Regions.
It lies near the mouth of the Arno River about 50 miles west of Florence and around 5 miles from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. (Note: Italy is further divided into 96 provinces, with the city of Pisa being the capital of the Province of Pisa.)
Pisa's origins date back at least to the time of the Etruscans, 5th century B.C. Later, it became a Roman colony and rose to the status of an important port city. During the early Middle Ages, the Republic of Pisa developed into a powerful maritime nation, involved in lively trade and power struggles around the Mediterranean.
Pisa's decline was accelerated after the 15th century when the Arno River started to silt up. Now a quiet university town of around 90,000 inhabitants, the city of Pisa is renowned for its art and architecture.
[Please Note: PISA is also an anagram that stands for The Programme for International Student Assessment. That has nothing to do with the city. PISA is a recurrent study that measures the scholastic performance of 15-year-old pupils worldwide.]
Pisa Airport
Marco Magini is a young student who learned some Italian at home and later studied it in school. However, this will be his first visit to Italy. During his flight to Pisa, Marco chats with the flight attendant and with the woman who sits next to him - all in Italian. It's a perfect way for him to practice his language.
His flight lands at the Pisa International Airport, also named Galileo Galilei Airport, and the main airport in Tuscany. Marco continues to use his Italian as he goes through passport control. He explains to the officer why he is traveling to Italy and how long he'll stay.
Corso Italia and Ponte di Mezzo
Marco's aunt, uncle, and cousin Valeria live on Corso Italia, which leads through the city center, from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II to near Ponte di Mezzo.(see picture)
If you're in Pisa at the end of June, you could watch a traditional spectacle, the Battle of the Bridge (called "Gioco del Ponte") which takes place on the Ponte di Mezzo. Two teams battle it out: the Mezzogiorno (the neighborhoods south of the Arno) against the Tramontana (the neighborhoods north of the Arno). It's Pisa's most important annual event. (Find more information HERE .)
The centrally located Ponte di Mezzo takes you over the Arno River to the other side of the city. Standing on the bridge, you get a stunning view of the river bank and the shops and buildings there.
Useful Italian Vocabulary
• la città - the city • la bocca - the mouth (of a river) • mezzo - central, half, halfway • il gioco - the game • il mezzogiorno - the south, midday, noon • la tramontana - the north, north wind
Travel Memories in la Piazza dei Miracoli
No Italian travel tips about Pisa without the Leanin Tower! It's just a 15-minute walk from Ponte di Mezzo to the Piazza dei Miracoli (also called Campo dei Miracoli).
The Piazza dei Miracoli includes a number of magnificent buildings: The Cathedral (begun in 1063), the Baptistry (built between 1153-1284), the Campo Santo cemetery (started in 1278), and the Leaning Tower (completed in 1350). The buildings combine Moorish elements (arabesques) with Romanesque colons and spiky Gothic niches and pinnacles.
Apparently all of the buildings on the Piazza dei Miracoli lean to some extent (which you can see on the picture above). They're constructed on soft soil composed of mud, sand and clay, which started settling soon after building began.
Because of its height, the Tower was most in danger of eventual collapse. It was closed to the public from 1990 to 2001, as an international team of engineers found a way decrease the lean and to stabilize the tower.
Useful Italian Vocabulary
• la passeggiata - a walk, stroll • 15 minuti a piedi - a 15 minute walk • l'edificio - the building • il campo - the field • il duomo - the cathedral • la torre - the tower • pendente - leaning • il campanile - the bell tower • la terra - the soil, earth
Borgo Stretto
On the way back to Corso Italia, Marco and his cousin Valeria stop at Borgo Stretto, a picturesque street with shops, bistros, and cafés, on the northern side of the Arno. There, Marco buys a travel guide.
Afterwards, they go to a café for an Italian-style coffee and pastry: Marco orders "un macchiato," Valeria "un cappucino," and they both have "una crema di mascarpone con i cantuccini." (And, if you are like us: Many travel memories come back with the food or drinks, we tried while there.)
Useful Italian Vocabulary
• il borgo - the borough, district (in a town), village • stretto - narrow, tightly bound • la strada - the street • i negozi - the shops • una guida turistica - a travel guide • un macchiato - an espresso with a "stain" of milk • macchiare - to stain, add a splash (of sth) • crema di mascarpone - dessert made of Italian cream cheese • cantuccini - twice-baked almond cookies, biscotti
Other Places to visit in Pisa
Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights' Square): Historicallythe headquarters of the Order of Knights of St. Stephen, the square is located in Pisa's student quarter.
Banks of the Arno: A walking tour along one of the banks of the Arno River is especially beautiful in early evening.
Mural "Tuttomondo" by the artist Keith Harding: 1989, painted on the back facade of the church of St. Anthony. It shows 30 characters put together like a puzzle, each one representing an aspect of the world in peace.
Museo delle Navi Antiche (Museum of Ancient Ships): Archeological museum of ancient ships with nine well-preserved Roman ships, discovered during an excavation in 1998.
Marco's Next Stop
From Pisa, Michael takes the train to Florence. There he gets together with a friend he had met in Boston.
Have you been to Pisa and have more travel memories and suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Register, or log in again and continue with the Italian 1 course.
Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of GamesforLanguage.com. She's a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments right here!
Germany's north has its own charm: off the beaten track medieval towns and sunny islands with long, white beaches. 
three hours by car to the town of Lüneburg (or Lunenburg), a medieval German town in the state of Lower Saxony. 
We arrived in Lüneburg on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Taking advantage of the warm September weather, we took a long, leisurely stroll through the old part of town. 
Today, Lüneburg reportedly has one of Europe's highest concentration of pubs. We certainly had no problem finding one of them with a terrace right by the canal. 
As we had visited Hamburg in 2015 (see also From Utrecht to Hamburg), we decided to pass by this major German port city and head to Husum, a maritime town on the North Sea. 
century, as this part of Germany was also under Danish control for a while. 
Maybe you've heard of Sylt – the northernmost German and largest North Frisian island in the North Sea. 
the mainland on the east. We had booked ourselves for 2 days into a B&B in Rantum, just 5 miles south of Westerland (see picture right). 
And, if you were wondering – just in case you've heard about Sylt's nude beaches – yes, there are many “FKK” (Freikörperkultur) - “clothing optional” beaches on Sylt. “Buhne 16“, is the oldest and, arguably, the most well-known one. It achieved notoriety during the wild 70s and became a paparazzi hunting ground. (There's also a bistro called Buhne 16.) 
(a Germanic language). Söl'ring, which has been heavily influenced by Danish, is taught in a few elementary schoolson Sylt. However only a few hundred people speak it and we saw Söl'ring only on a couple of signs. 
of Fribourg is called “Schoenberg,” a German word meaning “beautiful mountain.” (Note that in the French spelling, Schoenberg is spelled with an “oe”, which is also an alternate spelling in German.) 
the headquarters of the Order of Knights of St. Stephen, the square is located in Pisa's student quarter.