Free subject: Allgäuer Brauhaus

Bier is one of the first stereotypes that foreigners have when thinking about Germany. And you don't need to spend a lot of time in Germany to understand why. In fact, in every shop, one can find biers in 0,5L glass bottles. As the prices are not so high and the alcohol rate is usually around 4-5% in German biers, it's really frequent to see people drinking some in the streets or public transportations all along the day.
Therefore, since I arrived in Berlin, I had to taste many types of bier to find the bests because there is a way wider range of products than in France. One of my favorites is the Allgäuer Büble Bier.

Before the XXth century, there were many small and local breweries and Germany.
In 1888, in Kempton (Bavaria), Kempten stock brewery, Bürgerlicher Brauhaus and Grünbaumbrauerei merged.
From this fusion, the Weixler family established the Allgäuer Brauhaus on the 28 of January 1911.
During the following years, the company grew a lot thanks to the acquisition of many smaller establishments. It also started to export its biers on other continents by boat or zeppelin.
After the Second World War, they finally bought the only four remaining breweries in Kempten.
In 1994, Allgäuer Brauhaus was owning about 800 establishments, 120 only in Kempten.
In 2003, the company was bought by the Radeberger Group which still is the owner of the brewery. The production was moved to Leuterschach the following year and Allgäuer Brauhaus became the part of the group that was in charge of putting the bier in the bottles.

They provide more than 20 types of bier including 7 different Büble Bier:

• Edelbräu   (5,5%)
• Bayerisch Hell   (4,7%)
• EdelWeissBier   (5,3%)  
• Alcoholfree EdelWeissBier 
• Radler Naturtrüb   (2,3%)
• Urbayrisch Dunkel   (5,3%)  
• Festbier   (5,5%)

Until now, I only have tasted the three first ones and my favorite is the Edelbräu. 

Free subject: Zoo Berlin

Zoo Berlin is one of the biggest zoo in Europe and is 33-hectares.

It opened in 1844, which makes it the oldest zoo in Germany and the 9th oldest in the world. King Frederick William III of Prussia and his wife, Louise of Prussia created it because they were passionned by exotic animals.

Nowadays, it also composed with an aquarium and contains the world's largest variety of species. In fact, about 28,300 animals from 1,300 species are in there.

But what is the most important isn't the quantity but the quality: “Our top priority is always the welfare of our animals,” explains Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr Andreas Knieriem. “Every visitor to the Zoo, Tierpark or Aquarium matters, as each ticket sold helps our modernisation projects to progress more quickly.”

In fact, they constantly renovate animal habitats not for them to be treated badly. As an example, when I went there, the Predator's house composed of lions, tigers, leopards... wasn't open to the public because of the work they were doing to improve their quality of life.

Free subject: my trip in Kraków

Last week-end, two friends and I went in Poland, in Kraków for 3 days.

On Friday, we visiting the city. We first walked in the historic city center, with its wonderful Rynek Glówny square where both are one of the St. Mary's basilica and the market.Then, we went along the Vistula river before going to the Royal Castle and the Wavel Cathedral.We tasted some Polish dishes such as Pierogy which are filled dumplings boiled in hot water or fried in a pan. 

The next day, we took the bus to the Wieliczka Salt Mine where the exploitation was in activity from the 13th century to 1996 but is now an historic monument opened to the public. We went 150 meters under the ground where a guide explained us the mining activities, the technics and the working conditions of the miners. During centuries, even if the task was highly difficult and dangerous, the miners were working for the King, so they were under its protection, well payed and had stability because the job could be transmitted from father to son. 
Downstairs, there are 3 chapels and a huge cathedral carved out of salt rock, for the miners to pray before working. There also are many sculptures relating historical events or honouring Polish historical figures such as Copernic. 

 

Then, on Sunday, a bus took us to Birkenau then to Auschwitz to visit what remains from the concentration and extermination camps. It was frightening and unbelievable, but also really interesting as it illustrates the horrors that happend there during the Second World War... To be faced with this terrible reality was important to me and made it even less understandable.

Local news story: Karneval der Kulturen

Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures)

The Carnival of Cultures is a multicultural event that happens every year since 1996. It takes place in Kreuzberg (South-East multicultural district of Berlin) around Pentecost. This year, from the 7th to the 10th of June, more than 5,000 people devided in at least 70 procession groups were the main actors of the carnaval ! In fact, this event has grown a lot since its creation (around 2,000 participants in 1996) and is now a must in Berlin's calendar. This year, around 500,000 tourists came from around the world to join the Berliners during this week-end !

What makes the Karnaval der Kulturen so special and demanded is the fact that it isn't only a "classical" Carnival where people are dressing up, but also a fantastic way for every community to bring its culture in front of people's eyes. It leads to a wonderful mix of bright colors, which is rare in Berlin. This fantastix mix perfectly illustrates the huge diversity which is present in Berlin.



Many open-air concerts, theatrical performances or other activities swarm in the streets of Kreuzberg. Rookies, as well as professionals, are showing their talents. There is no need to show something absolutly brilliant but to give what you can do to the crowd. It creates a warm and harmonious athmosphere where people are here, smiling, with one single goal in mind: to enjoy the moment !





By bringing many tourists in Kreuzberg, the carnival is a great opportunity for hostels, restaurants.. to get a lot of clients. It really participates to the economy of the district by boosting the sales before the beginning of the summer period.


Moreover, many people take advantage of this event by having a stall in the street. In fact, during these days, you can find hundreds of stalls where you can buy a drink (mainly beer) or get something to eat. It is also the opportunity to taste many different specialities from around the world for a fair price.


Finally, as this event usually corresponds to the beginning of summer and the "good days", lots of Berliners enjoy this moment by hanging out with family, friends or simply to meet new people in the city while enjoying food&drinks.