In the 3 months we’ve lived in Europe, we’ve been fortunate to travel to Germany twice already with Pat’s work! In September we were in Bavaria, and this time we were further north in a little town called Paderborn. 

People told us that this area is the “Ohio” of Germany. Let me tell you, Ohio is pretty if you know where to look. And Paderborn was a smaller town, super cute, picturesque of the kind of town where you’d want to spend Thanksgiving week exploring the Christmas markets without all the hassle of big crowds of the bigger cities. 

We flew into Frankfurt and were so lucky that we got to see old friends we met when we were stationed in Georgia. They happen to be stationed in Germany and the timing worked out to see them! So we wandered around “old town,” which was SO beautiful. With the kids, we got hot cocoa, played in the leaves, walked over the love-lock bridge of Frankfurt, found a park, and then said our goodbyes. 

Then we had to drive 3 hours to Paderborn where pat was for work. Driving through the German countryside, national parks, and adorable little towns was a fun time in itself. We used Booking.com again for all of our stays, and we were in a nice hotel with a delicious 4 star restaurant attached. The food and the service was exceptional. 

Traveling around Germany is easier than traveling around Sicily because:

  1. The roads are easier to navigate and everything is clearly marked.
  2. Almost everyone speaks English. If their English isn’t great, everything is always well marked and usually the signs or QR codes available have both English and German. 
  3. Things just make sense. It follows a logical order. In Sicily, it seems like nothing makes sense.

The first place we explored in Paderborn was the nearby Castle, of course. Schloss Neuhaus was so fun for kids, too! They have areas in for the kids to play with dress up costumes, board games, etc. while parents can stroll through reading about it’s history from back in 1016!

In the downtown area of Paderborn they have a Dom (church) in the center of the city like most European towns. This one was probably the biggest one we’ve seen yet. It even had crypts for the bishops in the bottom level you were able to see. It was beautiful. 

During the day, we kept busy with the nearby castle, shopping, we found a massive toy store, we tried to go to the park but it was too cold, and then for one day we spent it in the next town over at a Thermal Spa! It was not as big as an indoor water park back in the states, but it was similar, but nicer! It has spas, saunas, hot tubs, big slides, two kids areas, a lazy river, and then a cool outdoor pool! The water was warm and it was so fun! 

The city was totally ready for Christmas and we took advantage of exploring the market two times. It was SO cold for us California girls, so the little ones could only stay outside so long. So we went once and then again on Thanksgiving night. 

The markets must be the equivalent (but better) to the American fairs. The gluhwein (hot mulled wine) is delicious, but there are areas to sit and eat and drink, rides for the kids, and trinkets to buy. The food was like fair food though. Currywurst “hot dogs,” fries, churros, fried donuts, crepes, more bratworsts, and then some fancy speciality items like a specialty pizza, or smoked salmon sandwich. 

 It was here also where we found our postcards to send to our Penpalz!  Enjoy this clip of our time in Paderborn and also finding and writing the postcards! Until next month!