Travelog for: Kalista

Hi Mummy,
Katja showed me the city hall today, her work place is close to it.

The original city hall was nearly destroyed in World War II and was reguilt later in a more modern style. Its tower is 48 m high, visible from many places around.



There is a large place in front of the city hall, the farmers market is taking place here twice a week. There is also a pillar with a lion, the heraldic animal of Remscheid.



We had to buy a few things. While we went through the shopping street Katja showed me this house, it contains a florist shop with also home decoration items as well as an annex behind it with a lovely café.



Bye for now
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
the sun is shining - a rare honor like the other TVs told me. They were having rain here for more than a month.

Can you see the church tower in the left part of the photo? I am living in that area at the moment.





Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
in the afternoon we took a walk with a friend. We left the city centre and walked downhill through an allotment garden area. You can see that the city is surrounded by woodland and rural areas.





They are having lovely houses here. This one is a typical "Bergisches" house, covered with slate, with green shutters.



Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
in the morning we took a walk with Katja and two of her friends. Katja promised me that I would see Muengsten Bridge, Germany's highest railway bridge. We went into the forest where we found a rock with engraved artwork: A puddle oracle! Unfortunately a frozen oracle does not work



There is an outlook pavilion high above the valley of the river Wupper. You have a good overlook across the valley of the river Wupper with Muengsten Bridge.





There are rocks along our path, little waterfalls running down everywhere.



We were nearly under the bridge!



We went downhill than towards the river.



We found more rocks with engraved patterns, a tabletop game this time, nine men's morris.



In the meantime we crossed the river and walked back towards Muengsten Bridge. This side of the river bank is really steep, rocks and steep slopes.





We reached the leisure park underneath the bridge than. The bridge was built in early 20th century, finished in 1906 A.D. It is 107 m high, overspanning the valley of the river Wupper which is marking the border between Remscheid and the neighbour city Solingen. It is about 480 m long. There will be extended repar and restoration works in the coming years.



When the weather is good lots of kids are playing here in the shallow river, Katja told us. After six weeks with heavy rainfall the Wupper is not a shallow river any more.





This was a very interesting trip today.

Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
we visited Katja's sister today. She is living in one of the historic districts of Remscheid, in Lennep. It is extremely cold outside, if we had snow, it would be paradise for a snowy owl like me

We took a walk in the late morning, through the suburbs towards a restaurant for lunch.





You can find lots of woodland areas and rural areas in Remscheid.



The A1 motorway is crossing the valley.



All puddles and little creeks in the roadside ditches are frozen.







We reached our lunch destination in an industrial park close to the A1 motorway.



Afterwards we took a walk in the old town of Lennep.



Most of the houses were built after 1746 A.D., when there was the last great fire which destroyed nearly the complete old town. Many houses are under monument protection.









You can find extremely narrow lanes here, no car can pass through.







The founder of the X-rays, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, was born in Lennep in 1845 A.D. The German Roentgen Museum is situated here, the house of his birth is also still existing.





We went back to Katja's sister than. In the background you can see Katja's former school.



Bye for now
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
we visited Hückeswagen today, a small town in the "Oberbergisches Land", about 18 km apart from Remscheid. We went there to take a friend's daughter to a riding stable. Hückeswagen is embedded in a rural landscape.





We took a walk than around an upstream temporary dam of the large Wupper dam. It is almost completely frozen.











We also went to the the town centre of Hückeswagen, a lovely old town.



They have a castle here, the municipality is situated in it.





When we walked back to the river Wupper we saw this tiny house with the working fireman.



Of course I also said hello to the horses.






Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
today we took a walk in the late afternoon in the city centre. We walked along the "Route of Tools" (Trasse des Werkzeugs), a former railway track, now built to a lane for pedestrians and cyclists. This lane is following the former freight train track from the central station to the district Hasten, many industrial companies were situated along this track, some are still nowadays.





We found a resting area, you can find some seats here (it was too cold to sit longer than 30 seconds on the metal bench).



The lane was sponsored by local companies, mostly tool producing companies - that's why it is called "Route of Tools". Remscheid is famous for its tool producing industry for centuries. You can find large signs with the logos of the sponsoring companies.







This is the former slaughterhouse, the whole complex is under monument protection nowadays.





The closer we came towards Hasten, the more the lane seemed to be a park or a walking path in a forest.



I found those funny wrench patterns, stamped into the tarmac.



We left the Route of Tools and went home through the municipal park.



This monument is dedicated to the dead of several wars which took place before WW I.



Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
today we met friends to take a longer hiking tour to the neighbour town Wuppetal. We planned to visit the Wuppertal Brewhouse. A brewhouse - like all Bavarians I LOVE brewhouses

First we had to walk towards the valley between Remscheid and Wuppertal, it is called "Morsbachtal", like the creek (Morsbach) running through it. It seems that all the water on earth's surface was frozen.



This is the Morsbach (Morsbach creek).



This pond in front of an historic industrial site is also frozen.



This cute little house was restored in the last years, Katja told me.



Than we had to climb from the bottom of the valley towards Wuppertal-Cronenberg. Can you see the city centre of Remscheid on the hill in background? We started our trip there



This is a typical German garden with garden gnomes



From now we walked along the "Sambatrasse", also a former railway track, following a route though the forest from Wuppertal-Cronenberg to the zoo quarter in Wuppertal.



This historic train is placed here.







An incinerator is also situated at the Sambatrasse.



This is an access road to the A46 motorway.



We left the Sambatrasse in the zoo quarter. You can find lots of beautiful mansions here.



In the background you can see the touristc highlight of Wuppertal - the Schwebebahn, a suspension railway. It travels along a route of 13.3 kilometres (8.3 mi), at a height of about 12 metres (39 ft 4 in) above the river Wupper. At some places it is crossing streets, even the motorway A46.





Wuppertal-Barmen ...



Here you can see the city hall of the district Wuppertal-Barmen.



The brewhouse is situated close to the city hall, just behind it.



We were really thirsty, so we ordered large beers immediately.



The brewhouse is a former public swimming bath which was in use from 1882 until it was closed in 1993. The brewhouse was opened in the the rebuilt complex in 1997. You can find photos of the former swimming bath here, you have to click the "Historie"-button in the top row.



Yummy!



We went home than by train.

Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
we took a short walk in the city centre today, first we had a look at the city hall. There is a large open space in front of it, the market place. You can find a pillar here with the heraldic animal of Remscheid, a lion.





This is the water tower. The whole inner city is provided with drinking water from this tower. The water is pumped from a dam in a valley of Remscheid to this tower.



This is the central bus station.



Here you can see the company building of the local newspapere, the Remscheider General-Anzeiger.





Bye for now
Kalista

Hi Mummy
we took a last walk today, along rover Wuppere once more. We started on the Remscheid side, walking steep downhill. In the valley you can see the district Solingen-Unterburg with a historic church and a graveyard.



Unterburg is one of the historic districts, you can find many restaurants here.



We followed river Wupper, along the slope of the valley.



Muengsten Bridge came into sight, later we walked underneath it.



Although the extreme cold is over there are still tose patrtly frozen waterfalls.



The path in the forest was extremely muddy, thankfully I was sitting in Katja's bag most of the time!

Bye
Kalista

Hi Mummy,
today I packed my things, all my souvenirs and hopped into a large envelope.

I am on my way home now.

Good-bye Germany!



Kalista

Alright, friends!

After a long time at home it's time to move on once again. The world awaits!

Until soon,

Kalista