Christmas Markets by Klaudia İnanç

It’s Christmas time! Winter doesn't have to mean sadness and fatigue when you have the chance to visit Christmas markets! :) They will help you survive winter and maybe even make you like this season! The Christmas market is a way to escape for a short while. You can enjoy delicious food and Glühwein (remember to not underestimate the strength of this sweet drink :).

You can find Christmas markets located everywhere. I will show you my favourite ones! If it is your first time, I would recommend visiting the market in Bonn in the first place. You don’t know where to find it? Just walk in the center (Friedensplatz or next to Hauptpost/Münsterplatz) and you will not miss it! :)

If Christmas markets in Bonn do not satisfy your expectations, you should visit one in Köln, where markets are larger!

For people who want to try something extraordinary, I wholeheartedly recommend the market in Siegburg, which is a medieval market! When you enter the gates, you feel as you travelled back in time. You can try some treats that are not in other markets, like warm honey wine (Met)! 

Karneval by Klaudia İnanç

Winter in Germany may be a little gloomy with its low temperature and no sun… I will present you an event that always brightens my grey winter days! That is Karneval :) You may ask what is special in it? Let me bring you a little taste of the celebration that happens every year in mid-February. Traditionally, Karneval begins on 11th of the 11th month at 11:11, but for most of the events you need to wait till a week before the Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). Thursday is the day when Köln and Bonn undergo a transformation. Cities become very colourful and cheerful! Everyone starts their celebration. You can see people dressed in costumes everywhere. If you want to take part in the celebration, you should not forget about the costume! You can give free rein to your imagination :) If you need some inspiration you can check up this place: Deiters Bonn, which is a costume shop.

During the Rosenmontag you can experience the parade in Köln, where you will have a chance to collect plenty of sweets if you shout “Kamelle” (sweets). Another call you should learn is “Alaaf”, which is a way of greeting, you are going to hear throughout Karnaval very often ;)

Alaaf!

Cherry Blossoms by Klaudia İnanç

Spring in Bonn is my favourite time of the year! I love flowers and when I see one on my way, I cannot stop smiling! If you are like me, you can’t miss the Cherry Blossoms! Two most popular streets are: Heerstraße and Breite Straße. Those streets can get really crowded. People from around the world are visiting to admire the sakura trees and take photos of them. I always take some photos when I walk in the pink alley, so that my gallery become pastel pink. Let me share some of them with you.

Make sure to visit Cherry Blossoms before all their petals fall down!