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Castles Anonymous
hey /trv/,
I wanna go see some castles in Germany, and I hear there are a lot of tours that take you along the Rhine.
Have any of you actually been? Is it worth the money?
Also, does anyone know of a program or something to help with learning German? I took a few classes of it back in high school, but never really got to a useful level of knowledge.
>> Anonymous
>>5194

>Also, does anyone know of a program or something to help with learning German?

Roseta Stone.

>Have any of you actually been? Is it worth the money?

Yes. Yes. And if you have luck to get yourself to some medival festival in Frankenland you should try it.
>> Anonymous
I'm currently living in Germany, I suggest you go at some point during the summer months. Either go on an organised trip, or go your own way with an interrail / eurail ticket.

As for learning german, I suggest if you want to quickly learn conversational stuff, you should watch german films with the original sound and with subtitles in english, eventually dropping the subtitles

A few films worth seeing include: Elementarteilchen, Goodbye Lenin, Der Untergang, Die Edukators and Lola Rennt
>> Anonymous
>Roseta Stone.
I've heard about it, but isn't it like 300 bucks?

>>5202
Would you say people are relatively friendly to foreigners?
Also, did it take a long time to adjust to the language there?
>> Anonymous
>>5204
>I've heard about it, but isn't it like 300 bucks?

yeah, but the internet is a wonderful den of pirates. I have the level 1 Italian and Spanish CDs in addition to the actual software, it only took like 10 minutes on google
>> Anonymous
>>5208
Touchè
Are they really all that good? About how long would you say it take to get good at the language?
The balding man on the commercial says within months.
>> Anonymous
>>5204
1. Yes.
2. German is one of the most complicated languages worldwide. You should be able to order something to eat or drink or ask for directions in less than 2 weeks. Most Germans are aware that their language is very difficult so they often help.
Most germans can speak english and there are english guides and tourist centers everywhere.
>> Anonymous
>>5213
Well that's good. At least it's not too foreign of a foreign country.
Though am I correct in thinking they only speak "proper" German in the north? Does that leave me totally lost in the black forest?
>> Anonymous
>>5215

If you want to understand what people are saying most certainly. There's no chance you could understand someone from the deeps of bavaria. In fact most german dialects are so far apart from each other that someone talking true dialect all the time wouldn't be understood in another part of the country most of the time.
>> Anonymous
>>5215
No. Normally when people realise that you are a foreigner they will speak with you properly.
Don't be afraid of the Bavarians. They are a nice bunch of people.
You could get problems in former East-Germany, because people used to speak more Russian than English there. But I don't think you will get in trouble in black forest. That's a tourist area, therefore the people are used to tourists.
>> Anonymous
>>5219
>>5220
So if I were to go to Bavaria(for the delicious chocolates I'm sure) would I need to learn to read a new dialect as well, or is it just that the spoken dialect is different?

Also, any tips for gaining a reading level of comprehension? I've got an old copy of "Die Unendlische Geschicte" that a German teacher once gifted me, but I'm ashamed that I can't read it yet...
>> Anonymous
>>5223
Writing is the same everywhere, at least on official stuff.

The people are friendly towards foreigners if you behave well yourself.
>> Anonymous
>>5223
No, I don't think so.
>> Anonymous
theres a useful phrasebook on wikitravel.org (b0rked atm) with american-english
"phonetic" transcriptions,
they are pretty decent in fact, but not 100%.
and yes, probably better to go north/west rather than east. south is ok, too but they speak
and behave quite strange.
you will find most of the german stereotypes coming from there, though
leather-pants, yodeling and such crap.
like someone else mentioned, try watching german
movies / tv shows etc with subs first and then
try without. best way to learn, really.
a piece of advice though: germans differentiate between two types of castles.
"schloß" (disney-like castles)
"burg" (the fortress-kind)
however the "wartburg" is pretty damn cool to visit,
and if you are the slightest bit interested in theology
(probably not posting here though.. ;) )
you can actually visit the chamber that martin luther
did his work in. pretty impressive. :)
>> cant touch this !AB5fTSvpY6
i went to germany with my school and found the people to be very...uptight shall we say. if you want a good way to learn german phrases ect,goto www.byki.com.they have flash cards and its fun to learn.im doing dutch atm
>> Anonymous
>>6185
Where in Germany?
>> Anonymous
>>6185
You weren't in Bavaria that's for sure.
>> Anonymous
>>5202
are the castles and stuff easily reachable from the stations? or by taking a bus from the station?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>6474
If you visit the castles at the Rhine, yes. Most are situated in/next to a town/village with a train station. Just get on a regional train that goes along the Rhine and get off wherever you see a nice castle. There are dozends along the Rhine.
>> Anonymous
there are 2 problems you can call your own.first, if you want "proper" german, you have to travel to the north, niedersachsen, or hamburg, for example. not to far north, thats where they speak the so called "plattdütsch", its like the unholy inbreed betwen german and danish. ^^

your second problem is, there are almost no castles in the north. well, maybe in the area harz, wernigerrode, to be exakt, thats pretty cool to visit.

once there was a castle in hamburg, the "hamma burg", but now its the second largest town of germany and the exakt location of the castle is unknown, because all of the dokumentaries about the burg was lost in the big fire in the late 19th century, where 3/4 of the entire city burned down to the ground.

but meh, thats not relevant, your mainprob is, easy german in the north, beautyfull castles in the south.

but wht ever you do, stay away from the east. they hate everything there thats not german. they are about to bring back the nazis. a popular rightwinged party is strong there, the NPD, and alot of neonazis are living in the east. so stay away.

so, what ever, exept for the east, the rest of germany welcomes tourists. take your time, dont be rude, and everything will be okay.
>> Anonymous
>>6541

but one last warning:
inform yourself what places are save to walk at night. there are a lot of turkish/albanian/russian/serbokroatian...etc youthgang in germany, and they are dangerous, because they know theyr rights in germany. the youthlaw is so fagget up here, they just hafe to claim to be under 14 and get away with murder. no kidding, read some german news. and the leftwinged government is still to scared to do something against those imigrants because of the third reich.

you see, its complicated. befor your trip, inform yourself, and everything will be okay. only talk to german looking people and stay away from everything that looks like a underaged muslim, and your trip will never be forgotten. i promise this to you.

enjoy your stay in germany.and if you take pictures, post them here, i want to see if you were anyway near my home ^^
>> Anonymous
Watch the Simpsons dubbed in German. If you're a typical American youth, the English dialogue is already imprinted onto your mind so it'll synch up well. Also its the kind of show that revolves around everyday life, so you learn words you could actually use.
>> Anonymous
>>5223
>would I need to learn to read a new dialect as well, or is it just that the spoken dialect is different?
no, everything is written in high-german. but don't even bother trying to learn about bavarian, saxon or any other dialect since it's not even possible for germans to properly understand them. everyone in germany is able to speak in high-german and if you're visiting large cities or castles, then people are used to dealing with tourists (it's their income, after all) and english should suffice.

>stay away from the east. they hate everything there thats not german. they are about to bring back the nazis. a popular rightwinged party is strong there, the NPD, and alot of neonazis are living in the east. so stay away.
some small towns in the east, inhabited by retarded hicks might better be avoided if you're non-white (and even then it's unlikely to get into trouble if you don't let yourself get provoked) but in general, visiting sights in the east should be perfectly fine.

>there are a lot of turkish/albanian/russian/serbokroatian...etc youthgang in germany, and they are dangerous, because they know theyr rights in germany. the youthlaw is so fagget up here, they just hafe to claim to be under 14 and get away with murder. no kidding, read some german news.
right-wing propaganda. first, those "gangs" aren't that dangerous and not even properly organised, actually, they're just a bunch of kids lacking perspective so they hang out on the streets all day - if you don't actively seek for trouble it's unlikely to get it. it's easy to tell which are the areas where you're more likely to get mugged and there would be no reason for you to visit them.
>> Anonymous
>>6542
^^
>> Anonymous
>>6816

>first, those "gangs" aren't that dangerous and not even properly organised, actually, they're just a bunch of kids lacking perspective so they hang out on the streets all day

bullshit. ever been in hamburg? cross the wrong street and you think your on a basar far away in bagdat.
and those brainless kids think these are theyr streets. it is dangerous. its not the one standing alone, but the high count of agressiv friends they bring. stay the fuck away from this blocks.
and dont give me the "poor little kids with no perspective and chance for a better future" bullshit. its the choice of every single one. in germany its uninteresting where you come from or what color your skin its. all that counts are schoolgrades, behavior and the abillity to speak at least enough german to make yourself clear. but not even this is a standart for those kids. they stay home, consume drugs, listen to shity german hiphop and blame the world for everything.
>> Anonymous
YEAH I've been to NeuSchwanStein castle. It's a long long walk to the top.
Lots of stairs etc.
Go in the summer, because it's really cold in the winter.
DRIVE YOURSELF. Don't take busses etc.
This castle is in an ancient Celtic (now gone) valley....Get out and look around in the woods, they are full of cool stuff.
>> Anonymous
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To summarize this thread:

North: + clear german
+ friendly people
+ Hamburg
- little muslim fags and punks everywhere
- nearly no castles etc.
East: + Berlin
+ Dresden
- Slavs
- Nazis
- nearly no sightseeings (lol Communism)
West: + "Ruhrpott" Cologne, Essen, Bonn etc.
+ Rheincastles etc.
+ Karneval (lots of horny bitches)
- Muslims, Muslims and more Muslims
- Ugly as hell unless you like urbanareas
South: + Beautiful Landscape
+ Friendly people, very traditional
+ Oktoberfest
+ Castles
+ Munich
+ Used to foreigners
- Definitely no clear german
- Tourists everywhere
- Expensive

Pic definitely South related
>> Anonymous
I guess with /n/ gone, people took their "baww minorities" crap here.
>> Anonymous
>>7112
>> Anonymous
>>6935
Come back when you're eighteen. Judging by your typing skills, that'll be in about six years.
>> Anonymous
>>7110

www.4chan.org
>> Anonymous
>>7146

im 25 and im german. thats the reason for my bad typing skills. english is not my motherlanguage. so go, be an grammarnazi somewhere else.

>>7109

yepp, that about it.
/thread
>> Anonymous
>>7474
I'm 18, and I'm German too, and English is my third lenguage and couldn't talk or write in English 4 years ago and I learned it via TV, and I still can type better than you...
I don't think it has something to do with which is your mothertongue or and which is not...looks like plain lazyness...
>> Anonymous
>lenguage
why do you do this?

seriously - why do you do this? is this some kind of plot to make me feel ashamed to be german?

if you criticise the other retard's english skills, at least proofread your fucking post before you submit it.. jesus christ.
>> Anonymous
>>8104
>>8100
type in german and see whose german skills are better.
>> Anonymous
>>8104
I was obviously trying to insert badly written words in spanish to see if anyone here speaks spanish..obviously.
On another note...you're proud of being what you are?

>>8115
Anyone could beat me in tiping in german...I haven't tiped in my stronger mothertongue in years, lol.
>> Anonymous
>>8180
Yo veo no espanol en te réplica.
Und das mit dem Deutsch glaub ich dir Anhand deiner recht mageren Englischkenntnisse.
I'm not>>8104by the way.
>> Anonymous
>>8351
Que bien hablas español ,moron.

Lol, und das sagt jemand der ganze 5 Wörter in Englisch geschrieben hat.

Damn, I'm happy not to live in nazilandia anymore.