10 legendary “sights” in Germany – Klotzi, Döner Dreieck and Co.
There are sights that are in every travel guide and on almost every tourist's to-do list. And then there are "sights" that have been turned into such sights by the locals due to some outrageous incident or funny mishap.
There are numerous such places circulating on the internet and we will introduce you to a few highlights here.
Let's start with pure glee: The invisible stone is the latest attraction in Hanover . More precisely, it's a completely visible stone at the gas station in Groß-Buchholz. It just seems somehow invisible to some drivers. Images keep surfacing of a car hanging on the boulder.
For a short time, it even had its own Google listing, complete with reviews, but it has since been removed. A Reddit post shows several photos of cars hanging over the rock, even though the exit is a few centimeters further over—so it's always best to choose a generous turning circle.
The Döner Triangle in Giessen has even made it onto the city's official website. "No other district in Giessen is perhaps as legendary and prominent," it states. The tourist information office even offers regular culinary city tours through the Döner Triangle.
And not only that: There are also numerous Google reviews. Mats, for example, writes: "THE attraction in Giessen. A must-see for anyone in the city. If you haven't been here, you've never lived. Culture, cuisine, and hotspot all in one. Highly recommended, especially on weekends and while drunk. Unique!" It has a total of 4.6 stars.
One thing is clear: you can eat a kebab at every corner of the triangle. You can choose between Mega Tandur at Asterweg 10, Turhan Kebap Haus at Walltorstraße 14, or between the Döner King at Asterweg 1 or the Keyf-i Mangal restaurant at Asterweg 3.
A particularly curious bridge can be seen near Vilshofen in Bavaria . It looks more like a gate built over a highway. Those responsible for it have already been the subject of much ridicule, because it actually serves a good purpose: the narrow bridge is intended to serve as a habitat for hazel dormice. However, according to the Bavarian Nature Conservation Association, images taken inside the bridge show that not a single hazel dormouse is seen there.
The project cost over 90,000 euros, which many now call a waste of public money. But it also gave Vilshofen and Bavaria a new attraction that has become an internet meme. The Google reviews are equally amusing to read. One user writes: "Not only dormice, but also the Velociraptor, long thought to be extinct, can be observed on the odd mild summer night."
The Dormouse Bridge only gets 3.5 stars on Google, but reading the reviews is recommended: "A must-see. Here you can see tax waste firsthand in the wild," writes one user.
How cool would it be to have a swimming lake right next to the university for after lectures or a refreshing break? It seems to exist at the University of Potsdam , or at least that's what Google Maps suggests: "Lake HPI (swimming lake)" is listed there. The reviews speak for themselves, and among other things, there's also mention of various saunas, which probably points to poor air quality in the lecture halls and seminar rooms.
Only some don't quite grasp the irony. One user writes: "Why this is designated as a swimming lake is a mystery. Swimming is prohibited in the tiny pool." – Oh, well, then it's a good thing there's no shortage of swimming lakes in Havelland. But the overall rating is impressive: 4.9 stars.
Another eyesore that has managed to become an icon is the Bonn Pissrinne (Bonn Piss Rinne). This is actually the Victoria underpass, which connects the city center to the western part of Bonn . The walls are covered in graffiti, and the occasional puddle on the ground suggests that some people take the nickname literally.
But there's actually not much to be said for it, because for many, crossing the urinal trough is associated with fear, and it's something they avoid at best. Hardly anyone wants to walk through the 30-meter tunnel voluntarily. Actually, something is finally supposed to change here, and a reconstruction is being discussed. However, according to the "Kölner Stadtanzeiger," Deutsche Bahn has not granted construction approval for the project. What will happen next is still unclear.
Giessen not only has the Döner Triangle to offer, but also the Elephant Toilet, which ranks among Germany's legendary sights. This time, however, the whole thing isn't so shabby, but rather quite aesthetically pleasing. The Elephant Toilet even earned a Wikipedia entry. The pedestrian overpass at Seltertor got its nickname because of its size, which many consider excessive.
The pedestrian overpass in Giessen is also known as the elephant toilet.
Source: imago images/Joko
Another reason for the nickname are the large openings above the intersection, which resemble giant outhouses. It is now said to be one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The size, incidentally, was not chosen arbitrarily: the goal was to connect all four corners of the intersection, rather than having to build four separate bridges.
In Münster, the matcha hype is taken a bit too seriously. According to Google Maps, there are two matcha lakes here. Behind each one lies nothing more than a lake covered in greenery. "Welcome to Matcha Lake, arguably the healthiest body of water in Germany—and all without spirulina, chia, or bamboo whisks," writes Lorenz Junge in his Google review. The Matcha Lake scores 4.7 stars on Google.
The Matcha Lake at the corner of Engelenschanze Street and Windthorst Street is a truly poisonous green. It's likely that algae completely cover the surface and have ushered the lake into its matcha era.
Electrical boxes are the perfect blank sheet of paper for some graffiti artists. A variety of figures and landscapes adorn Germany's street electrical boxes. But only one has even managed to get its own Instagram profile – despite its rather unspectacular appearance. Klotzi in Ostrhauderfehn, a municipality in East Frisia, is popular with the locals.
Locals affectionately call it "Klotzi, the friendly electrical box," and there's even a downloadable craft template online. "Klotzi is more than just an electrical box. He's a reliable guardian who provides energy and, at the same time, a trusted friend who enriches life in the community. The children admire him, the adults appreciate him," the description reads – heartwarming. He's also popular on Google, receiving a total of 4.6 stars from both male and female users.
In Cologne, there's a barrier so small that it's easy to overlook or even consider completely superfluous. Anyone who wants to marvel at this monumental work of German engineering must drive out of town on Neusser Straße and then turn onto Simonskaul Straße. A new railroad crossing has been there since 2021. Google users also seem impressed, giving the barrier 4.9 stars. Some describe it as a "great piece of engineering"—completely unironically, of course.
In addition to a regular barrier and a slightly smaller one, there's also this mini-barrier. A path with two markings was specially created at the level crossing for this purpose, ending immediately before and after the tracks. A KVB spokesperson explained to the website "In Love with Cologne" that the miniature barrier is only an interim solution, and that a bike path will be built at some point—and that, as they say in official German, also needs to be barriered.
Finally, things get a little nasty: In Eberswalde, there's a very special beech tree – one with balls. It's even listed on Google Maps, and anyone who takes a closer look at the tree trunk will immediately know why it got this name.
The area is certainly praised in Google reviews (5 stars!), and not everyone sees the name as the only option: "Highly recommended! Could also be called the nose tree," writes one user. Anyone who wants to know what the Klötenbuche looks like just needs to Google it. No pictures can be found on social media—probably for good reason.
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