Germany - so much more than beer and sausages!

May 4-12, 2011

A few days ago I stood in front of Cologne Cathedral- one of the biggest cathedrals in the world - and with its twin spires one of the most recognisable. There’s been a church on this spot in the middle of Cologne since Roman times in 330AD. Over 600 delegates from all over the world – tour operators and a 100 or so journalists and travel writers from America, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Europe, and of course, South Africa – were  gathered here for the 37^th German Travel Mart.

On a gorgeous early summer evening we were ushered into the cathedral through a line of young people dressed in traditional costume. Girls in embroidered blouses, very short dirndl skirts, long white socks, black strappy shoes and frilly white knickers and boys in tricorn hats and breeches lined the route. Inside we were welcomed by dignitaries of all kinds, the great organ played, and the Dean gave us a short history of this iconic cathedral as stone saints and stained glass martyrs gazed sternly down upon us.

     

I chose a pre-Mart ‘Music and UNESCO World Heritage Tour’ which took me to Leipzig, Wiemar and the enchanting little town of Bayreuth. Did you know that Bayreuth has the most beautiful opera house in the world? The 2o of us on the tour looked cynical at this news from our guide. She was right, though. Forget La Scala, Sydney, Convent Garden and the Met - this was it.  From the outside, it’s part of a long line of buildings on the street. Built in 1745 for the wedding of Elisabeth Sophie - inside it’s stunningly beautiful. Rococo deluxe with more golden scrolls, mythical figures, green jade columns, pale green walls, chandeliers, gilded boxes than the eye can possible take in. It’s truly breathtaking.

Then on to Wagner’s Opera House. Chalk and Cheese. Severe, uncomfortable, forbidding, cavernous, no aircon and 35 degrees in summer, the Ring Cycle, hard little seats that people pay up to R25, 000 for a season ticket (you wait 10 years to get one) and then it’s just Wagner and hours of the Ring Cycle. Our guide told us that ‘we are in the service of Wagner’s opera’. So concentrate. Superb acoustics and a totally concealed orchestra pit. I sit in Wagner’s own conducting chair (gasp!) and conduct the absent orchestra.

This part of Germany is all about music. Bach was born and lived in Leipzig where, in a medieval tavern an overly enthusiastic Cellarmeister quoted Goethe’s Faust to us for ages before we were given a  much-needed ‘drink of rejuvenation’.The Liszt house  is here with lots of 19-century contemporary pop star pix of the famous Hungarian pianist and a death mask. Women swooned when he played. Beethoven’s home was Bonn. 

                     

Germany is a superb cultural and historical destination. Everything works, there’s a superb public transport system, the locals are friendly and there’s culture and history everywhere. Be sure to check out the Ludwig Museum in Cologne which has the largest Pop Art collection in the world outside of the USA.

             

Oh yes. The beer and sausages are good too.

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