rustypirate
04-07-2007, 06:00 PM
As some of you know I have spent the past month working in Copenhagen Denmark. With the onset of the long Easter weekend I decided to take a trip.
I arranged for a EuroRail train pass to cover my traveling expenses, and set out for Germany.
First stop was Hamburg for a short layover. There’s nothing like having a Hamburger in Hamburg.
Then back on the train heading south to Stuttgart. I arrived in the evening, with nothing to see, so I crashed at the hotel.
Next morning I awoke early and once again headed south to a little town called (you guessed it) ORBERNDORF AM NECKAR. Many of you may know this as the home of the Mauser company as well as the headquarters of Heckler & Koch.
I was able to locate the Mauser factory, but I only found what I believe to be the business offices for Hk.
The main purpose for this pilgrimage was of course to visit the Waffenmuseum, a small museum dedicated to the history of Mauser weapons and HK firearms as well. They have displays of most models, and some of the prototype weapons too. Here is a link to their website for those who want to check it out:
http://www.waffenmuseum-oberndorf.de/informativ/fakten.php
Well, you can imagine my disappointment at arriving only to find the museum closed for the holiday weekend. (I did check the website for closures before arranging my journey, but nothing was listed)
Not to be deterred, I boarded the ZUG, (German for train), and started making my way back north. I managed to spend a couple of hours in Stuttgart in the daylight, and it was lovely.
Next, onward to Berlin. I had spent nearly 2 years in Germany while in the Army, but never got a chance to visit Berlin. I arrived very tired at about 11:00 PM, and checked into my hotel.
(Just a side note here, traveling through Europe by train is by far my favorite. The seating is comfortable, cabins are quiet, and you get to see the countryside. Additionally, they put hotels right in most of the major train stations so it is easy to find accommodation.)
This morning I woke up, checked out, and went exploring. I managed to see the Reichstag, Tiergarten, and surrounding areas before catching my train back to Copenhagen.
All in all it was a great trip, though disappointing about the museum.
Photos to follow
I arranged for a EuroRail train pass to cover my traveling expenses, and set out for Germany.
First stop was Hamburg for a short layover. There’s nothing like having a Hamburger in Hamburg.
Then back on the train heading south to Stuttgart. I arrived in the evening, with nothing to see, so I crashed at the hotel.
Next morning I awoke early and once again headed south to a little town called (you guessed it) ORBERNDORF AM NECKAR. Many of you may know this as the home of the Mauser company as well as the headquarters of Heckler & Koch.
I was able to locate the Mauser factory, but I only found what I believe to be the business offices for Hk.
The main purpose for this pilgrimage was of course to visit the Waffenmuseum, a small museum dedicated to the history of Mauser weapons and HK firearms as well. They have displays of most models, and some of the prototype weapons too. Here is a link to their website for those who want to check it out:
http://www.waffenmuseum-oberndorf.de/informativ/fakten.php
Well, you can imagine my disappointment at arriving only to find the museum closed for the holiday weekend. (I did check the website for closures before arranging my journey, but nothing was listed)
Not to be deterred, I boarded the ZUG, (German for train), and started making my way back north. I managed to spend a couple of hours in Stuttgart in the daylight, and it was lovely.
Next, onward to Berlin. I had spent nearly 2 years in Germany while in the Army, but never got a chance to visit Berlin. I arrived very tired at about 11:00 PM, and checked into my hotel.
(Just a side note here, traveling through Europe by train is by far my favorite. The seating is comfortable, cabins are quiet, and you get to see the countryside. Additionally, they put hotels right in most of the major train stations so it is easy to find accommodation.)
This morning I woke up, checked out, and went exploring. I managed to see the Reichstag, Tiergarten, and surrounding areas before catching my train back to Copenhagen.
All in all it was a great trip, though disappointing about the museum.
Photos to follow