I promised Helen to post a few more photos from the Parkhotel in Bremen where I stayed for 4 days.
(I had only my cellphone, thus the photos are not utterly perfect, sorry).
This photo I copied from Wikipedia:
The Parkhotel has Five Stars and is a Hommage Luxury hotel (sadly I had to pay the full price because at the same time there was a congress).
It is situated in the Bürgerpark, (that was founded around 1860). In 1872/73 there was "only" a Festhalle:
then the Parkhotel was built in 1912/13 after plans of the architect Rudolf Jacobs - as Wiki says: a royal manor house in neo-baroque style.
It was destroyed in World War II, and rebuilt in 1954 - 1956, when they added East- and Westwings.
The dome had survived the airstrike, and they lifted it 1,40 m higher, and the whole building was enlarged from 65m to 100m.
Here you see a glimpse from the little balcony of the hotel room:
The Hollersee - a lake - is surrounded by massive Rhododendron bushes, which are so high that as a child I often played in them:
The Free Hanseatic city of Bremen is my Home city, and when I went to grammar school (an academic high school - I am never quite sure how the German "Gymnasium" is called in Great Britain or America - there you make the "Abitur" - an exam that is necessary to study at an university), I passed the Parkhotel every school day and thought: "I want to stay there once!"
The Power of Intention :-) - I even stayed there twice (first time we were upgraded to the suite in the dome, which was shere bliss).
Today I read in Wiki who stayed there too:
Michael Jackson, Bud Spencer, Sven Regener, (...) Robbie Williams, Siegfried & Roy, Herbert Grönemeyer and others, as the Swedish national footballteam in 2006. .
The first time I was there they still had imposant doormen - two respectable ponderous gentlemen with red long coats with silver buttons, a black tophat and - in Bremen, which has London weather - very useful: huge English umbrellas to lead you dry over the outside flight of stairs.
Now they are no longer there.
But the rooms still are luxurious - and the taps are still British: one for cold, one for hot water.
Beautiful furniture
Luxury at its best, space, kindness and - a special bonus for Bremen: 4 days of sunshine!
I will remember all this very gratefully - and send a long longing glance (here you see its back) to the Parkhotel:
this one by GJ
That does look like a very splendid place to stay and who would think that it is Bremen with such a park in the countryside. I wrote about a Bremen artist the other day, Norbert Schwontkowski, and thought of you. With regard to your post of yesterday, it is important to look after oneself as one would look after others.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, thank you! The park is splendid and worth another post :-) - almost every Sunday my sister and I "had to" walk through it with my parents. After the Bürgerpark follows the Stadtwald - also a huge forest. If you ever come to Bremen (at the right time) the Rhododendron Park is a highlight too - a vast collection of rhododendrons and azaleas.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all the word gymnasium in the United States usually refers to a special place used for athletic events such as basketball or volleyball. What lovely pictures you share. Previously the only thing I 'knew' about Bremen was the Pied Piper.
ReplyDeleteDear Emma, yes, in an old meaning the word Gymnasium existed here too in connection with Sport.
DeleteThe hotel is an exception for my normal hotel stays - something very special, the fulfilment of a childhood dream.
The Pied Piper story is a fairy tale from Hameln (also Northern Germany).
"The Town Musicians of Bremen" are our symbol - and they were a lot more positive than the Piper! :-)
My tales were crossed. I guess I am not as sharp as I used to be. I liked the story of the musicians better anyway.
DeleteI utterly agree with you, dear Emma: the Bremer Stadtmusikanten have courage and stamina!
DeleteThank you Britta. I am so impressed by the 1955 architecture. Mostly we have stayed in hotels overseas in the middle of crowded, noisy cities. But Parkhotel is surrounded by parks, trees, lakes and flowers, as far as the eye can see.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it, Helen (thus it became a bit long :-)
DeleteThe interesting thing is, that you can walk to the central station on feet in 10 minutes, and a walk over the very lovely Wall (with a picturesque windmill) takes you not more than 20 minutes into the center - no need for a taxi or a streetcar.
Bremen is a city with lots of green (many meadows around, later moors).
The hotel looks a lovely place. I have been to Bremen, stayed with my brother who lives there. Ingo Muller is his name. Do you know him?
ReplyDeleteDear Ilona, thank you for your comment!
ReplyDeleteThe name Ingo Müller is ringing a bell, though I am not sure (after Bremen I lived in many German cities). Do you know which school he visited? Maybe he was at the Barkhof or the Hermann Böse-Gymnasium in Bremen?
Hello Britta. He was born in Hamburg. Complicated story, our mother came to the UK to marry my father. Ingo stayed in Hamburg with his father. I don't know how old he was when he moved to Bremen. He is maybe in his late 70's now. We lost touch with him and he found us when he was 38. Now we have lost touch again. I will always remember when I first met him at Bremen Railway Station by the taxi rank. It was very emotional. Sorry, I shouldn't burden you with my story, it's just whenever I hear the word Bremen, I think of him.
ReplyDeleteDear Ilona, it is utterly understandable that you are emotional about your brother Ingo, and I wish that maybe you will see him again, because at the moment it will feel like a relationship that isn't complete.
DeleteI don't know how I missed this post, but I will say that I (usually) love staying in hotels.
ReplyDeleteThis hotel was sort of a promise too myself when I walked by it the eight years on my daily walk to high school (or whatever).
DeleteIt was a wish - and it was beautifully fulfilled.
But once is enough (then it remains sparkling - repeated too often it might lose its attraction).
I love to stay in hotels too, but can also enjoy a tiny tent - at least 20 years ago I did that on a spontaneous trip to booked out Sylt in summer - we bought a tent and lilos - and among all those posh, posh tents and caravans we spent three VERY funny days.