Tadas Svetikas

Tübingen may be small, but it’s been around for a long time—and it shows. The town dates back to at least the 11th century , when it grew up around a castle overlooking the Neckar River. By the Middle Ages, Tübingen was already an important local hub, with walls, towers, and a busy market square that still exists today. The biggest turning point came in 1477 , when Eberhard Karls University  was founded. That single decision shaped the town’s future. Famous thinkers like Johannes Kepler ,...

If there’s one place in Germany that transforms into a storybook scene each December, it’s Stuttgart. The Stuttgart Christmas Market— Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt —is one of the country’s oldest and most charming holiday traditions, and stepping into it feels like walking straight into a festive fairy tale. A Tradition Dating Back Centuries Stuttgart’s market is believed to date back over 300 years, and its sense of history is unmistakable. Timbered stalls decorated with evergreen branches and...

The park is empty and quiet. The ferris wheel is gone—only its steel legs remain, standing on the concrete, waiting to be taken away. The platforms and walkways are worn and scuffed from the crowds that were here before. Trash is scattered across the ground: crushed cups, scraps of paper, and bits of plastic. Dry autumn leaves have blown in from outside, gathering in corners and around the ferris wheel legs. A few loose cables and metal poles sit abandoned, disconnected and unused. Empty...