Germany is known as a land of poets and philosophers; but it doesn't owe this reputation only to Goethe and Schiller. Other great literary figures, too, found a source of inspiration in their home country. One such region, which fires the imagination and sharpens one's senses, is the Ruppiner Land. Large numbers of tourists make their way here every year, even without expensive advertising campaigns; because there's world literature to be had here for free. Theodor Fontane, who was born and raised in Neu-Ruppin, described the beauty of his homeland in countless books. To this day, his Wanderings through the Brandenburg Marches are a perfect literary guide to the region. The Fontane House affords a glimpse into how the great writer lived and worked.
If you're on the lookout for Nobel prize-winners for literature, you might also stop off in Calw in the northern Black Forest which was once the home of Hermann Hesse, the author of Steppenwolf. Here you can visit many sites which are mentioned in his memoirs and learn a lot about his life and work. The Hermann Hesse Museum houses the world's most comprehensive collection about Hesse. You'll also come to understand why Hesse travelled so much, what fascinated him about foreign cultures, and why his books have captivated so many enthusiastic readers all over the world.
In the 19th century, Heinrich Heine undertook a literary journey through Germany. Travelling up the Rhine he passed through Cologne and the Teutoburg Forest, ending up in Hamburg where he visited his mother and enjoyed some delicious seafood (Yet Hamburg has finer oysters; the best are to be enjoyed in the cellars of Lorenz). Dosseldorf, the town where he was born, did not lie along the author's route, but a visit to the Heine Museum there is nevertheless a must for anyone with an interest in literature.
Touristinformation am Kavaliershaus
Markt 1
16816 Neuruppin
Tel:+ 49 (0) 33931-2059
Fax:+49 (0) 33931-43960
Tourist-information Calw
Marktbrocke 1
75365 Calw
Tel.: (0)7051-9688-10
Fax: (0)7051-96 88-77
Heinrich Heine Institut
Bilker Str. 12-14
40213 Dosseldorf
Tel: +49 (0) 211-8995574
Fax: +49 (0) 211-8929044