The European Capital of Culture and Summer Nostalgia

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Everyone knows that public transport in Germany is the definition of perfection itself. Despite a comment in my first blog, trains are very rarely late in this part of the world (unless they are trains to my climbing gym - could this be a sign?). But my favourite part of the Deutsche Bahn are the so called Landestickets - tickets that allow you unlimited travel within one of the German federal states for 24 hours. These are often the cheapest way to travel, as long as you are travelling within the borders of the state - a rule that made me slightly regret being based in Nordrhein-Westfalen at first, a state with neither the most beautiful cities, nor the cheapest Landestickets. Unlike all other German states, where such a ticket costs 20 Euros for a single traveler, here it is 25 - an absolute rip-off! By the way, Germany is of course best explored in a group. The same ticket for a group of up to 5 people costs only 35 Euros even in this expensive region. I imagine you all want to come for a visit now!,

Today, completely convinced that there is nothing to see in NRW, I took the train to Essen, to visit a friend from my summer work in Oxford. The world really is a small place, and it so happens that he lives in the same federal state as me, and only less than two hours away at that! Rejoicing at the opportunity to see a familiar face and discover yet another Christmas market, I never actually expected the city itself to be of any interest. I was, it turns out, completely and utterly wrong. It turns out that this year Essen was chosen as one of the European Capitals of Culture, along with Istanbul. As such, this year it has had the chance to benefit from an image boost and to strengthen its European presence. And this really shows. The city is booming with life and sparkling with lights. Although it is Sunday, I am pleasantly surprised to discover that it's one of those much-awaited "Shoppin Sundays", when the shops that usually stay tight shut all day are open late to welcome a horde of shoppers, eager to make use of this otherwise largely pointless day of the week. The streets are swarming with festive crowds and the twinkle of the Christmas lights stretches from the very entrance to the centrally located main station into the heart of the city. These are not just your usual Christmas lights that decorate every corner of Germany throughout the month. Essen has a wonderful tradition called Lichtwochen, or ''Light Weeks'', which started on December 3rd 1950 and has been carried faithfully into the present. Each year at the start of the month the city comes alive with millions of lighting decorations. Every tree, every building, every main street and every dark corner, market stands large and small, everything lights up as if by magic with millions of tiny multi-coloured light bulbs. And each year there is a different theme, 2010 naturally being dedicated to the theme of European unity. And of course Germany would not be Germany if it wasn't specifically emphasized that the lights used are all environmentally friendly. That ought to put a smile even on the gloomy faces of those who oppose such an unimaginable waste of energy as Christmas illumination!

But it's not just the lights that give the city a sense of liveliness. It also sports one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe, a multitude of cinemas and theatres in the very heart of the city centre and even a rather large university, all packed in within a comfortable walking distance of the main station. A very modern and user-friendly city, which, despite being only the fourth largest in Germany, has all the feel of a metropolis to it without any of the usual disadvantages.

As we fight our way through the crowded Christmas market in search of the least crowded mulled wine stall, Ben says we absolutely have to see the medieval Christmas market. It turns out that, unlike the one in Siegburg-Bonn to which I took my parents last weekend, this one is not a 30 minute train journey away, but rather very usefully located right next to the modern one. The medieval markets are a very special experience and not to be found in every city. Instead of a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and lights, these are decorated in earthly tones and lit exclusively by fire and candles. The stall owners and wine sellers wear authentic clothing and the drinks bear enchanting names, such as "Viking Blood" or "Dragon Blood", the same mulled wine or hot mead one would get at the "normal" market, but presented in clay mugs or chalices that take you on a journey back through the centuries. Blacksmiths, potters, glass-blowers all come here to display their trade to awe-struck youngsters, and even to let them try their hand at these age-old professions. On the stage, musicians play an array of exotic instruments and women in leather aprons cook authentic flat pancakes filled with a mixture of pickled vegetables, cheese and spices. We try these - they taste strongly of garlic and go wonderfully with our mulled beer, a drink I am also trying for the first time. The beer is unexpectedly sweet and dominated by a cherry flavour. We spend a while idly wandering around the medieval market before returning to the larger main one. The sudden re-appearance of lights is disorientating after the subdued illumination of the medieval corner and it feels as if we were making a real journey through time with but a few steps. Yet the loud and bright "main" market has its own charm and it's fun being caught up in this colourful whirlwind, at least until our fingers almost freeze off and we decide to retire somewhere warmer for the rest of the evening.

All in all Essen was a wonderful experience, with both excellent company and an inviting city atmosphere. I would even go as far as to say that I would love to visit it again, especially to discover the variety offered by its many cultural establishments and, unexpectedly, this is the city that changed my attitude to Germany's Ruhr district, the quiet rural area that is supposed to have nothing worth seeing. Even though I got to know the city exclusively in the dark, which I guess can be compared to meeting a man in a night club, I would still recommend a visit, especially to anyone who is ever at a loss of what to do with their December evening in Nordrhein-Westfalen. And, unlike many men one is likely to encounter in a night club, Essen certainly won't leave you feeling disappointed after your visit.

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Comments

[Ben]

What a lovely blog entry - makes me wanna go right back and wander around. Glad you enjoyed Essen. :)