Geierlay: Germany’s Longest Suspension Bridge

Geierlay: Germany’s Longest Suspension Bridge

Opened in only October 2015, Geierlay is Germany’s longest suspension bridge and it a makes for a wonderful day out in the stunning German countryside! The suspension bridge is 360m long and 100m high… do you dare to cross it?!

When I added the town of Mörsdorf into my GPS I felt like I was about to journey through Middle Earth to destroy Frodo’s ring. After a beautiful drive through Rheinland-Pfalz we arrived at the Geierlay visitors center. There is a designated parking area that they want everyone to park in and not find your own spot in the small town. The visitor center is in a modern wood building which inside has a café and bathrooms. There are no bathrooms by the bridge so it would be suggested to use the bathroom before you depart! There is no cost to go on the bridge, the only fee you pay is for your parking which is only 2 euro for the day.    

Other requests from the visitors center is that you do not try to drive to the bridge, and only reach it on the paths by walking or bicycle. Also to respect the beautiful landscape and picking up any trash you may make.

Time to head to the bridge! When you walk out to the road there is a sign post pointing to where you start the walk to the bridge.

You turn right on the main road, then you turn on a side road on the left which brings you out to the field. The walk to the bridge is 1,7km and the walkway is paved. I would suggest to bring a stroller or wagon for tiny legs that might get tired or else you will end up like me and have a child on your shoulders on the journey back! Strollers might not fit on the actual bridge but there is an area where you can leave it. The way to the bridge is actually a really beautiful walk!

When you turn the final corner of the path the bridge will be there and it is an amazing site! There is an area where you can sit and enjoy the view or just take a rest.

After we admired the scenery for a little bit, we were ready to walk across. We went on a weekday and there were not many people there that day, so the bridge was pretty much to ourselves!

The only thing surrounding the bridge is untouched, breathtaking forest. Chicken soup for the soul!

Walking on the bridge was very thrilling and I felt safe walking on it. The view was amazing and since we weren’t rushed we had time to take it all in.

They say it takes 6 minutes walking briskly to reach the other side, but with the snow and taking photos it took much longer. 

For anyone looking to expand the walk home and make it into a hike in the woods, they have a trail map with all of the routes. There is one hike that you cross the bridge then walk down under the bridge then up to the other side. Sounds fun and we will definitely return to Geierlay this spring! 

Address:
Geierlay Visitor Center
Kastellauner Straße 23Kastellaun Straße 23
56290 Mörsdorf56290 Mörsdorf

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Wiesbaden Children’s Fasching Parade

Wiesbaden Children’s Fasching Parade


Fasching is really fun time of the year in Germany!! The weekend before lent is filled with parades, music, drinking and merry making while in colorful costume. Streets will be filled with people dressed from anything from Clowns to Zebras! Not all Fasching events are kid-friendly, but luckily Wiesbaden has a day dedicated to bringing some Fasching fun to children as well!

Wiesbaden holds the parade for children a day before the main Fasching event each year. I went to the main parade in the past couple of years with my daughter and I found that it is possible to have kids there but much more fun for them at the children’s parade. I ended up having to put her on our shoulders so she could see, and also so she didn’t get knocked over when people were running for treats being thrown. Also at this parade everyone is drinking already and things can get a bit rowdy! So this year I brought my Barbie Superhero to the Wiesbaden Children’s parade instead!

The parade was a perfect in every way for kids! Held on the main pedestrian street, there were no big floats or trucks so the children could get very close to the edge of the parade. It also wasn’t too long and they didn’t have long breaks in between each parade group, so it kept the little one’s attention! We got a spot at the start of the parade route and to our surprise the parade started off with a big dragon!

The parade had great bands! Since the crowd was so close to the musicians you could really feel the energy! All musicians were of course dressed up which made it even more fun!

Dance teams come out and show their stuff and wear their best uniforms.

Of course at all Fasching parades there will be candy and plenty of it! What was so great about this parade was that they had kids giving out candy to the kids in the crowd. This makes it extra special for them I think. This sweet little girl really liked my daughters costume so she brought her over a treat!

You can really catch the most random items at the parade. For example, we got a sponge and we thought it was really funny!!

Even though this was the children’s parade, the really went all out with the costumes and amazing music!! I was so impressed!

American Football made an appearance when the Wiesbaden Phantoms came down the street. They gave out their season schedule to everyone.
 

My favorite part of the parade was the Hessen Lion band and especially the drums!

After the parade we went to a wonderful café right behind our spot called Bastians. I love this café for the yummy soups, great coffee and a huge bakery selection!

If you are considering celebrating Fasching with the locals and you have little ones, I highly suggest to go to the Wiesbaden Children’s parade because they will surely have a blast! Don’t forget a bag for all of that candy!

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

 

 

Live Music in Wiesbaden

Live Music in Wiesbaden

Going out to see live music is so much more than just listening to music with your ears, it is an experience you feel with your body and your mind is refreshed. Wiesbaden has a fantastic live music scene with so many opportunities to enjoy different genres of music.   

One of the biggest live music venues in Wiesbaden is the Schlachthof, which my blog showed all of the cool vibes and concert listings. One annual concert not to miss is seeing the local band, ‘Interstellar Overdrive- The Pink Floyd Experience’ perform their home show at the Schlachthof on Friday, 19 February 2016. This band of incredible musicians have been playing together for about 20 years and the Pink Floyd Experience will absolutely blow you away!

Another local band who has two members of the ‘Interstellar Overdrive- The Pink Floyd Experience’ are the Electric Juju Blues Band and you can catch them at local fests.

The local Irish Pubs in Wiesbaden and Mainz have a many different live music acts all year round. And of course the biggest party of the year is on St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th of March.

I found a great Facebook group that shares information on supporting local Wiesbaden music called, ‘SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC in Wiesbaden und Umgebung’. They post helpful calendars with great information about upcoming local music events.

I contacted the group and I was lucky to be able to find out more information from the groups creator Sam Kuhfus, who also has a Local Music Radio show about supporting live local music.

His idea for the program started about 2 years ago because he also likes to experience live music and he created his own compilation of live music events, then he discovered how much the Wiesbaden area has to offer. Then a friend of his contacted radio Rheinwelle and since then he has been broadcasting regularly for one and a half years.

Since he seems like the expert in local Wiesbaden music I was very interested in his personal top 3 recommendations for live Music in Wiesbaden.

1. Sherry & Port: live music musicians every Friday only during the winter season, every Friday, with alternating bands.
Address: Adolfsallee 11, 65185 Wiesbaden, Germany

 2. Der Weinländer: Small venue but with high quality shows.

Address: Rüdesheimer Str. 21, 65197 Wiesbaden, Germany

3. Walhalla Theater: Regular occurring shows with a varied program of music, from classical to blues to pop. Also it is in a great old location.
Address: Mauritiusstraße 3, 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany

Sam Kuhfus agrees that live music is a cultural asset. He says that is important to support live music, pay the musicians what they deserve, before live music ceases to exist.

I love the feeling of being completely absorbed in the music and seeing that there is a crowd of people feeling the same way. Also taking friends and family to enjoy live music is a great way to bond together. Events like that make memories that last forever. The live music of Wiesbaden is just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed!

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Schramberg Fastnacht Boat Race and Parade

Schramberg Fastnacht Boat Race and Parade

Coming down from the highs of the winter holidays can leave you a bit gloomy. For a month we toasted gluhwein mugs at Christmas markets, had a long Christmas week, then a week later lit up the skies with wild fireworks. Luckily if you get can through the dull January, in Germany you can look forward to the very colorful and boisterous Fasching!  

Living in the States the only pre-lent celebrations I have been to was Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Then moving to Wiesbaden I learned about dressing like cowboys, clowns, animals and other silly costumes while catching candy from vibrant parade floats. However, going to celebrate in Schramberg, Germany was a totally different and awesome experience!

Schramberg is in the Swabian-Alemannic area of Germany and they call this celebration, Fastnacht. This word comes from the old German word ‘fasen’ which means to me be foolish, wild or silly.  

Our day started early and we were on the road in the early hours so we were there for the beginning of the festivities. We arrived and there was plenty of parking around the outskirts of the old town. The old town is blocked off by barriers and also tables where you have to pay a small fee to enter. We walked around and to my surprise we learned about the first event of the Fastnacht!

The event is called ‘Da-Bach-Na-Fahrt’ and participants build their own rafts for a hysterical but highly competitive boat race! Each year they have 40 decorated rafts that strive to make the 500 meter river course. The rafts are all on display first thing in the morning and everyone walks around checking them out. We saw so many cleaver creations from Star Wars to Barbie to Never-ending Story! You can tell so much time and work has gone into making floats.

The race was about to start and all of the floats made their way up the river. The river was packed with people ready to watch the race. You were lucky to get a spot where you could see the river.

Then they were off! We stood right at an area after a small waterfall so they zipped passed us! Sometimes they didn’t make the rough waters after the small decline, and the floats fell apart. Burr! It was cold enough out and that water must have been freezing for them!

The race went on for quite a while so I went and got some yummy funnel cake at a vendor’s stand.

Right after the boat races, we went to find a spot to stand to watch the parade. As a seasoned veteran of going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year growing up, I know the best spot to find is in front of a tree or a sign post so nobody can push up on you from behind when the parade starts.

The parade started out like any other parade with floats, confetti and bands.

 

Then in group after group came the traditional Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht wooden masks!

They were very interactive with the crowd and you had to work for your candy most of the time. People were yelling “Hexe!” (Witch) at them and they would come over and get right in your face as you keep screaming at them.

Groups of the masked witches were very mischievous and they would go up to teenagers and tie their shoe laces together or they would steal their hats. They would also grab teenage girls and throw them in their jail on wheels, which also spun around and then let them out a few minutes down the parade route.   

The cats would come by and rub their fur wands on you, then give you a piece of bread out of their baskets. (That last sentence sounds like something right out of Alice in Wonderland.)

Kids got a lot of attention and candy given directly to them, rather than thrown at you in other parades. My daughter didn’t know what to make of the scary mask, but she liked the candy offer.

The most mischievous group came at the end and they looked like black devils. They left the parade route, one sat on the food vendor’s roof and one actually went into someone’s house on the second floor! 

We had an incredible time and I will never forget the fun way the Swabian-Alemannic celebrate Fastnacht! 

This year the boat races and parade is on 7 February 2016!!    

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.