H.M.S. Otus – British naval history on the Baltic coast

February 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you travel to the Sassnitz on the Eastern coast of the island of Rügen, to visit the chalk cliffs (“Königsstuhl”) for example, then you may be surprised to find signs to “H.M.S. Otus”.

H.M.S.?  As in “Her Majesty’s Ship?”  Well, almost.  Actually it is an Oberon-class submarine that was launched in Scotland in 1962 and served with the Royal Navy until it was decommissioned in 1991.

H.M.S. Otus in Sassnitz harbour

H.M.S. Otus in Sassnitz harbour

After decommissioning she was towed to Stralsund on the Baltic coast, before being moored in the harbour at Sassnitz, where she is now a floating museum. [Read more…]

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How to get to Ralswiek by bus

January 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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…]

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What’s new in Germany in 2013?

January 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

2013 Dice - ©iStockphoto.com/alexsl The New Year in Germany usually brings with it some new regulation or law, or simply a rise in prices.  2013 sees a whole range of things changing, but many of them will only affect a small percentage of the population.

The following 4, however, are likely to affect most people.

1. The price of stamps

The cost of sending a normal letter (up to 20g and 23.5 x 12.5 x 0.5cm) within Germany went up from 55 cents to 58 cents.  The cost of sending the same letter abroad stayed at 75 cents, and the prices for postcards stayed the same as well.  Larger items up to 1kg and 35.3 x 25 x 5cm now cost €2.40 to send within Germany instead of €2.20. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Health, Post, TV & Radio Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

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