How to get to Ralswiek by bus

Last year when I visited the Störtebeker Festspiele on Rügen for the second time, I considered going by train.  The reason for this was quite simple: it takes about 8 hours to drive there from Oberursel, and that’s without the breaks or any traffic jams!

So when I heard about a train (IC 2355) that went from Frankfurt am Main to Bergen auf Rügen without having to change en route it sounded like a good alternative allowing me to get some work done during journey or just relax and enjoy the scenery.

However what sounded easy at first, turned out to be considerably more complicated.  For a start I would probably need to find somewhere else to stay on the island, as I was not aware of any way to get to the guesthouse that I had stayed at the year before using the public transport network.

The station in Bergen auf Rügen

The station in Bergen auf Rügen

Instead, I considered staying in Bergen itself and travelling by shuttle bus to the Festspiele, or staying in Ralswiek itself where they take place. [Read more…]

A day at the VGF Zentralwerkstatt in Frankfurt

Last Sunday was a day that I had been looking forward to for a long time.  I first discovered the “Zentralwerkstatt” – the central maintenance depot – in Frankfurt some years ago by chance.

I was curious as to where the lines went past the end of the last U-Bahn station, as they followed the road and suddenly disappeared behind a set of iron gates. Google Maps provided the answer – behind those gates lies the depot where the trams and the U-Bahn trains go in Frankfurt when they need servicing or repairing.  There is even a 800m long running track to test them on.

So when I read about an open day I grabbed the chance to visit the site and take a look around.

The end of the U5-50 train over a maintenance pit

The end of the U5-50 train over a maintenance pit

On what was one of the hottest days of the summer so far, the grounds had been turned into a mixture of trains and their components to see and a childrens’ playground with refreshments. [Read more…]

Oberursel’s Station Grand Re-opening: The Bahnhofsfest

This Whitsun weekend will be one that many people in Oberursel remember for a long time to come, because it was this weekend that the station building re-opening with what may be the first “Bahnhofsfest” that it has even seen.

“May be” because no-one knows whether they held one when the building was originally opened in 1901.

The day started at 11am when a large crowd gathered in front a stage that had been set up partially on the U-Bahn platform.  Dr. Justus Förschner of SEWO, the organisation responsible for the renovation work, opened the proceedings with the Mayor Hans-Georg Brum.

Dr. Justus Förschner presenting to key to the new tenants of the station building

Dr. Justus Förschner presenting to key to the new tenants of the station building

After a brief look back at the history of the building, how the dual railway connected had benefited the development of the town, and not forgetting the fact that it had taken over 20 years to find a solution to the “station” problem (the building had been run down, with ticket sales only at peak hours), the key was officially handed over to the new tenants.

[Read more…]

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