10 Resons to Visit the Gläserne Manufaktur

Though I had heard of the Volkswagen Phaeton before moving to Germany, I had never seen one in person. VW's top of the line car starts at $65,000 but averages well over $100,000. Though the car comes with either a V6 or powerful V8 engine, the majority of Phaeton owners are not driving the car themselves, but instead telling Jeeves where to go from the back seat.

The Gläserne Manufaktur (photo credit: http://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de)

Phaetons are made exclusively in Dresden, Germany in the beautiful Gläserne Manufaktur (transparent factory). Here are 10 reasons the factory tour was the highlight of our trip to Dresden:

1. The building itself: Almost all of the walls in this pristine factory in the middle of Dresden are made of glass (hence the name "transparent factory"). The 16-story cylindrical vehicle tower proudly showcases up to 280 cars at once. Since everything is transparent, you can see the manufacturing process from different angles at all times. There is no bad view! Surrounded by parks, the landscaping is also a marvel - there was even a large pond with blooming waterlilies and goldfish in front of the main entrance.
2. Environmental concern: Apparently some found the Gläserne Manufaktur to be a little too transparent. All year long, you can hear birds chirping through speakers in the trees to keep real birds from nesting in the surrounding trees (they planted over 350). Apparently the local birds were in danger of running into the windows and meeting their maker.
3. White glove dining service: We opted for the brunch/tour package, which, for €35 a person, includes an extensive and delicious buffet, drinks, alcohol, and the tour. The restaurant was elegant, and eating among the Phaetons made us feel very fancy.
4. White glove manufacturing service: That's right, employees of this assembly line wear white gloves and white lab coats. Buttons are strictly prohibited to avoid paint scratches and dings.
5. The tour: Capped at 15 people and offered in English (or eight other languages!), you will definitely feel special on the 75 minute tour. At only €5 a person, they do book up quickly, so plan ahead! Thankfully the factory is open seven days a week.
6. The assembly line: A far cry from the black rubber conveyor belt I was picturing, the Phaetons glide across the factory on a beautiful hardwood floor conveyor belt . The cars can rotate around in a circle to give the workers the best angle, and robotic arms pick them up delicately to move them to the next station.
7. Lack of robots: Our tour guide was proud that almost all of the Phaeton is assembled by hand. Only four robots are used in the process (fitting the windows, installing the spare wheel well, aiding the "marriage" of the chassis with the body, and engraving the back of the car with whatever the customer desires).
8. VW "CarGo Tram": The main logistics center is located on the other side of Dresden, so instead of moving everything by truck, VW bought their own special, bright blue tram to transport the materials. The tram can be seen around Dresden - it cuts through the center of the city!
9. Customization: Though over half of the cars produced are in straight black, VW allows for extreme customization of the Phaeton. Customers can bring in materials to include on the interior, and paint colors can be mixed to match anything. Rumor has it they even created a yellow Phaeton to match a customer's dress!
10. Acting like a boss: Sitting in the back right of the Phaeton was pretty cool, but particularly after we learned about the "Boss Button" on the right of the back center console. Since the owners of these cars are generally chauffeured around town while seated in this coveted spot, there is actually a button to force the front passenger seat forward in case the leg room is not sufficient. Like a boss.

Dresden for free!

While visiting Saxony's capital city, one would have no idea that 68 years ago, this beautiful city was reduced almost entirely to rubble. Late in WWII, the Allies dropped over 2,000 tons of bombs on Dresden, which destroyed over 90% of the historic city center and took the lives of over 20,000 civilians. Since then, the city has remarkably bounced back - painstakingly recreating the beautiful baroque buildings while tactfully reminding visitors to the city of the destructive cost of war.

Now Germany's 11th largest city, Dresden has done many things right in their reconstruction. Their extensive and highly efficient tram system is clean, easy to use, and fast. Green areas and forests account for 63% of the city - the abundance of gorgeous parks makes a stroll through the city center absolutely idyllic. The Elbe river divides the Altstadt (old city) and Neustadt (new city) perfectly, and allows for some spectacular city views.

One of the best parts about our visit to the city was the abundance of free sights. Below are our top 5 favorite free Dresden experiences:


Frauenkirche: This stunning Lutheran church lies in middle of the Altstadt - it cannot be missed. Though it withstood some of the WWII bombings, after the 1945 bombings the Baroque church burned for two days before it completely collapsed into a pile of ruin. For years the city left the rubble as a memorial to the destruction of war. In 1989, Dresden's citizens organized an effort to rebuild the church. After literally numbering the surviving sandstone bricks to ensure their original placement using the original plans, the Frauenkirche was reopened in October 2005. It is breathtaking and you can see the original, dark bricks throughout the building easily.






Military History Museum (Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr): Free to soldiers from any of the NATO countries, €3 for students, and €5 for adults; this might not be free for you, but it is still a steal. This museum walks through all of Germany's military history, and of course offers an extensive WWII exhibit. The building is huge which enables them to display a 45' V-2 rocket, one-man submarine, multiple tanks and cannons, and even a mounted elephant (lion and elephant rear pictured above), all while making you feel like no one else is in the museum. The exhibits are chronological and themed and include German and English explanations for everything from the rocket to the tiny bullets. I was overwhelmed with the information and exhibits at this museum; it was perhaps the first war museum that held my interest for over an hour, and I could have stayed for two.




Fürstenzug: It took over 23,000 tiles to put together the gilded mural longer than a football field portraying of Saxony's rulers and famous citizens. We enjoyed the evolution of attire, weaponry, and general appearance as we walked down the porcelain mural. In case you get lost in time, there are dates at the bottom of the mural to guide your way!



Brühl's Terrace (Brühlsche Terrasse): Though the "Balcony of Europe" was never anything less than crowded throughout our stay, I still felt like I was a character of Downton Abbey as we paused along the railing underneath the perfectly planned and groomed rows of trees and looked out on the Elbe River. Destroyed in the 1945 bombings, this promenade is another example of Dresden's amazing reconstruction. The city's lights were particularly spectacular on our nighttime stroll.

Dixieland Jazz Festival: Europe's biggest jazz festival transforms the city into a European New Orleans (there were even t-shirts saying so!). There are stages set up every few blocks with jazz bands and street musicians are out in full force. Though there are fabulous concerts throughout the city that require tickets, we enjoyed the free concerts all over the Altstadt. We were sad to miss the concert on the river, but loved eating our dinner outside while enjoying the music and general environment. If you are thinking about Dresden any time near mid-May, try to overlap with this fabulous fest!

Beautiful Bamberg

Anyone interested in a gondola ride?

I have yet to be so jealous of another city in Germany. The city of Bamberg literally has it all. Not only is it the most perfect German town I have yet to lay eyes on (I am not alone in my assessment here, it is a UNESCO world heritage site), but Bamberg has the goods to back it up.






Bamberg's historical town hall
built on an artificial island: Altes Rathaus

In our six hour whirlwind trip, we:

• Snapped an obligatory but amazing shot next to the Altes Rathaus (seriously, only the coolest city builds their town hall on an artificial island in the middle of a bridge)
• Ate sushi, which is a rarity in the center of Germany
• Watched a kayaking lesson on the river
• Debated a gondola ride
• Snacked on frozen yogurt for the first time in six months
• Tried their unique smoked Rauchbeir (think beer + bacon flavoring)
• Browsed a fashionably worthy boutique
• Participated in a city-wide bar hop
• Ended the night at the top of one of the city's seven hills (Rome has some competition here) in a biergarten, with a beer, overlooking the city with a fabulous group of friends

There is more to come on this city because I am going to need a whole weekend to even graze the surface, or perhaps I'll just set up camp and stomach the 1.5 hour commute during the week!

Nuremberg Spotlight: Blaue Nacht

Every year in early May, the museums, churches, and other sights of Nuremberg stay open until the wee hours of the morning to receive around 120,000 visitors on the Blaue Nacht (Blue Night). The buildings participating are literally lit up blue to guide your way through the Altstadt's sights, making it the perfect opportunity to see the sights in a different light (pun intended). Patrick and I strolled along the romantic, blue-lit streets, listened to a free classical music concert in a local church, and enjoyed the energy of the city well past midnight. Though we did not stay to see just how late things were open, judging by the crowd at 1:00 am, we were not even close to the tail end. If you have yet to see some of the churches and museums in Nuremberg, this is a magical night to do so. Even if you have hit them all, seeing the St. Lorenz Church glow in the middle of the Altstadt makes it worth the train ride!

Nuremberg City Beach

It hasn't really felt like summer here yet. How could it when you have to carry a coat with you on the weekends? But while exploring Nuremberg, we found one event that brought the summer and sand to Bavaria regardless of the temperature!

Just across the canal in Nuremberg's Altstadt, the 4th annual Sommer in der City is hopping. We were fortunate to encounter the party on the 1st of 12 weekends, and will definitely return when the weather is better. The event is best boiled down by the numbers:

1 acre of Nuremberg's Altstadt

600 tons if sand

1,000 lounge chairs

45 giant palm trees

2 beach volleyball courts

1 pool bar (seriously... see below)

€0 entrance fee



Pool bar - sadly no one wanted to dip their feet in just yet!



As you can tell, they literally set up a beach in the middle of Nuremberg, and it was awesome. If you want to sip on some daiquiris at the beach and forget how far away you actually are from the nearest white sand experience, it is highly likely that we will run into each other!

Insel Schütt
90403 Nürnberg

May 3rd - July 21st

Monday to Thursday: 11:00 - 22:00
Friday and Saturday:  11:00 - 23:00
Sunday:                      11:00 - 22:00

To reserve tables, lounges, or sports fields: +49 (0) 163-867-4482

http://www.sommer-in-der-city.com/

 

Who wants to share a keg anyway?

Have you ever cheered on a keg stand, then hesitated before begrudgingly using the same tap to pour your beer? If thinking about the germs ever cramps your drinking style, or you just want to pour and drink beer like a boss, Nuremberg has the place for you!

Just five minutes from the Hauptbahnhof on the main street lies Barfüßer. The unassuming facade wipes your expectations, which are then immediately re-lifted as you walk down the old staircase into a bustling beer hall.
The food and drink are typical for a German beer hall - brats, schnitzel, spatzle, hefeweizen, and dunkle beir. The treat is in the presentation. I felt like I was sitting in the Hogwarts dining hall, but with an abundance of alcohol. 600 people can dine simultaneously in the downstairs section - when a bachelor party broke out in song, we of course felt inclined to join!
The highlight of the night was pouring our own beer from our personal 5L kegs. Our table ordered one for each end. I was thankful to have been seated next to a friend who aced the Guinness pouring class during his St. Patty's trip to Dublin, and I reaped the rewards big time.
If you are looking for a solid, inexpensive German experience, complete with German food, a personal keg, and hopefully some singing Germans, this is without a doubt worth a stop!

Splish! Splash! We were takin' a beer bath!

Just like the Germans, and pretty much every other European, the Czechs take their beer seriously. We knew about how Czech's naturally hard water was conducive to brewing some of the best "pivo" from our tour of Pilsen, but this weekend we found out that the best pivo is not only for drinking, but also for bathing!

That's right, this weekend we indulged in a bath of mineral water, dark beer, hops, herbs, and beer yeast at the Pravé Pivní Lázně Beer Spa in Chodovar, Czech Republic. The 20-minute beer bath is supposedly good for your skin, muscles, and joints. The spa offers single and double tubs for about $33/person, which also includes two unfiltered home-grown Chodovar beers.





Patrick's flaming dinner at
Stará Sladovna restaurant

Though I don't know that my skin is significantly better off, this trip was a blast. We stayed in the Hotel U Sládka which was perfect. The hotel, spa, brewery, and two restaurants are all connected through the gated square which functions as the parking lot and features a tempting putt-putt course. This made it easy to dash back to our room with wet hair in the freezing April temperatures. The hotel also offers free breakfast and a shockingly reasonable mini-bar with large beers priced at just over $1.



Beer barrel in the
Ve Skále restaurant

The two restaurants were delicious and also incredibly reasonable. Though they have similar menus, the Ve Skále was our favorite solely due to the atmosphere created by eating in an 800 year old beer cellar and drinking the natural beer from the neighboring lager barrels. You can also tour the brewery and cellars, but we opted not to when we found they were given in Czech or German with an English handout.

Walking out of the tunnel with our newly purchased,
incredibly reasonably priced Chodovar beer

For our unique getaway, including one night in the hotel, the couple's beer bath, lunch and dinner at the restaurants, breakfast at the hotel, a case of Chodovar beers for later enjoyment, and moderate use of the mini-bar, we spent under €175. We booked the hotel and beer bath online through the Chodovar website, which didn't even require a credit card to secure the reservation. The Chodovar channel also highlighted some of the festivals over the summer which looked amazing (beer barrel rolling competition?? Chugging contest?? Count me in!). It was the perfect weekend escape from a so-far dreary and cold April!