The pre-Christmas mood in provincial Germany

Who among us does not dream of a miracle on the threshold of Christmas and New Year? Or at least of a wonderful holiday, complete with vivid impressions and unforgettable emotions? In Germany, it’s possible to get this in full.
A friend of mine who lives in a small town called Siegen, in a conversation through Skype, said that she was waiting for me to visit for Christmas and didn’t want to listen to any excuses. I rejoiced at the invitation, and almost immediately bought a ticket. The flight was on Dec. 19.

After just over a two hour of flight, the plane landed at the airport of Dusseldorf. At the baggage claim I encountered a problem: the handle of my suitcase was broken and one wheel was torn off. I didn’t know whom to “thank” for that: the airlines or the services of Riga and Dusseldorf airports. My good mood was certainly ruined, but the friendly hugs and the exclamation “Finally you have arrived!” had done their good job of improving it.

We traveled the distance of 200 km from the airport to Siegen by car. I will not write about the state of roads in Germany, because everybody knows about their quality or at least has heard about it. I can only say that the speed of 130 kilometers/hour was ordinary for my friend, not too slow and not too fast.

Quiet and comfortable Siegen

Siegen is situated on high, forested hills; there is a lot of green, even in winter, fresh air, peace and quiet. It is located in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The population is just over 100,000 people. Siegen was mentioned for the first time in chronicles in 1224. During the Second World War the city was almost completely destroyed, so that only in the center of the city there still are neighborhoods with typical half-timbered houses from 12th-13th centuries still standing. One of the most interesting architectural sights is St. Nicholas Church, built in the 13th century. Its golden dome is the symbol of Siegen to this day.

Around the shopping center, located in that part of the city called Unterschtadt, the picture is somewhat different. There are many beautiful new buildings and most shops are located here. Not only citizens come here for shopping, but also people from nearby villages in Sauerland and Siegerland regions. The big cinema center, the museum of modern art and the new theater emphasize the desire of Siegen to be a modern city.

The city is strikingly clean and neat. Moreover, such a profession as janitor does not exist there. The cleanliness of streets and lawns is supervised by a special service, and the areas near the houses are cleaned by the tenants of the house by turns. Germans sort the rubbish and about one-third of it can be exchanged for money. This includes, for example, plastic bottles (25 cents per bottle!), metal cans and lids.

Can’t live without a car
Like most people in Germany, in Siegen the population moves about exclusively by car, and less often by bike. By the way, in my friend’s family (she has two children) each member has his own car. This is despite the high fuel prices, high taxes and parking fees. But it all pays off, because, according to that same friend, life is impossible without a car in Germany.

Public transportation consists entirely of buses, which are expensive and inconvenient in terms of routes. The son of my friend gets to work in 15 minutes by car, whereas by bus the same trip would take more than an hour. My friend herself doesn’t work in Siegen, but in a neighboring town, and if she didn’t have her own car, travel to work would be very, very problematic.

At each bus stop there is a schedule of routes with the times of arrival, usually once per hour (buses run more frequently in the mornings and evenings). You should enter through the front door showing (or buying) a ticket to the driver. The fine for those who takes a free ride (in German - schwarzfahrer) is 30 euros. To be honest, I learned this only from my friend’s stories, and I myself during the entire stay in Siegen didn’t see a single bus, not even ones simply driving in the streets.

Favorite holiday - Weihnachten

Christmas (in German – Weihnachten) is the main and most favorite holiday in Germany. Preparations for it start beforehand. As in Latvia, the tradition of Advent is kept here, too. During the four Sundays before Christmas, Germans light, one by one, four candles on a special wreath. Usually, just before the first Advent, Weihnachtsmarkt, or the Christmas market, starts to work. In Siegen it is situated in the square in the heart of the city. Going through the central arch of the market you get into a fairy-tale town with towers, decorated with fir branches and bright illumination. Almost everything can be found there: Christmas toys and jewelry, fancy dolls and funny animals, tiny angels and huge hand-painted balls and stars, gold and silver, glass, porcelain, stones, gems and coral. Everything shines, glitters, shimmers and beckons.

The festive atmosphere is complemented by aromas of grilled sausages, pork knuckles and mulled wine. In every region of Germany there is special recipe for its preparation, only the very basis remains the same - hot red or white wine. ‘Gluhwine’ may be weak, without adding strong alcohol, or ‘real’ - with a ‘good dose’ of rum, brandy or famous German herbal tinctures from alcohol. It is sold in ceramic mugs with a picture of the holiday square. The mug can be returned to the kiosk to get some money back, or you can keep it as a souvenir.

However, the Christmas market is not only a place where people sell something. It is also an exhibition of local crafts and a parade of skills of craftsmen, and a place of family walks and meeting friends. There is a colorful carousel arranged for the youngest visitors, and those who are older can go skate. I, for example, after a couple cups of mulled wine, did accomplish this feat, and spent half an hour at the skating-rink, getting a variety of impressions.
Gifts are dear to occasion

December in Germany is a month of purchases. Everyone knows that after the New Year there will be sales, everything will fall in price dramatically, but the spoon is dear to dinner, and the gift, for the holiday. Statistics confirm that during this month Germans spend more money than during the rest of the year. In many firms the job contract includes a commitment by the employer to pay its employees a Christmas bonus. Unemployed clients on social services get an additional amount of money to the regular monthly benefit in December: after all, they should not remain aloof from the general fun. Everybody celebrates the birthday of Christ, non-Christians, too. Altogether, the population of Siegen is diverse. Except, of course, for the Germans, there are Turks and Jews, and also you can meet Africans, Thais, Japanese and Chinese. I repeatedly heard Russian spoken in the shops. Surely, as in any other country in the world, there are a lot of Russians in Germany.

Siegen doesn’t suffer from the lack of shops, but to be honest, shopping in Germany, despite the Christmas discounts, didn’t impress me. It is monotonous, expensive and boring. Even the Germans do not tend to look spectacular. My friend told me that for some, the first time she went to work in a business suit (jacket and skirt just above the knee), she did so until the boss told her to wear more comfortable clothes and not look so festive. That’s how it was.

Cologne

Cologne is located approximately 100 kilometers west of Siegen. We went to Cologne by train. After a one and a half hour journey we reached the station square and found ourselves, so to say, face to face with the pride of Cologne – the Cathedral of St. Peter. The shock was great.

It is the largest church in Germany and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. Holy relics of the Magi are kept in the cathedral, and because of this fact it is a place of pilgrimage for all Christians. Relics are placed in an ark, decorated with splendid work of gold and precious stones, which in German is called Dreikoenigenschrein (the sarcophagus of the Three Kings). The construction of the cathedral began in 1248, in the very place of the Carolingian chapel. It lasted until 1560, but remained unfinished because of lack of funds. In 1842, at the initiative of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, it was decided to finish the building of the Cathedral. Today, as they say, in good weather you can see the twin towers of the Cologne Cathedral almost from Dusseldorf, and from Bonn even more so. The height of the Cathedral is 157 meters. Those who love to climb high places have the opportunity to climb one of the monumental towers and get a good view of the city.

The cathedral is so huge that it is not possible to take a picture in ‘full length.’ In general, you definitely have to see it for yourself, to experience the feeling of absolute awesomeness. If we consider that the aim of the builders of medieval Gothic cathedrals was primarily to glorify God, in the case of the Cologne Cathedral they succeeded in full.

After walking in the cathedral and deciding not to climb the tower, we went to the Hohe Strasse pedestrian zone that leads to the south and then turns west, where it turns into Schildergasse, and then, the Neumarkt square (also only for pedestrians).
Coming to Cologne before Christmas means seeing something that doesn’t happen here at any other time of year. The streets are drowning in bright holiday lights; the city is filled with the smell of cinnamon, pancakes, roasted chestnuts and the tunes from street musicians that fascinate the soul. During the Christmas holidays people from all over Europe gather in Cologne, to take a walk through Christmas bazaars, to shop and just to hang out. Accordingly, the crowds of tourists occupied the Domplatz (area in front of the cathedral), and the streets in the center were overcrowded, too. Before the end of the day we went shopping, drove a small Christmas train, bought some sweets and about at 9 p.m. returned to Siegen.

The next day, Dec. 25, I flew back to Latvia, taking with me a bunch of photos, movie clips and impressions, as well as the desire to go back and see everything that I didn’t have time for during this trip...