Every few years the Nuremberg Zoo gets adorable polar bear cubs, and so every few years we do a post about adorable polar bear cubs at the Nuremberg Zoo. Last time it was Flocke, who was hand-reared because her mom Vera kept dropping her on the floor. This time Vera has given birth to a pair of polar bear twins, Aleut and Gregory, and she's been flawlessly raising them.

The twins just made their public debut and - predictably - they're insanely cute. The Nuremberg Zoo was already one of the largest zoos in Europe - over 2,000 animals from 300 species spread over 170 acres - so there were already plenty of reasons to visit. Now they also have a pair of polar bear cubs.]]> Omri 2011-03-28T16:01:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/8/17/121935/213

You can use Google Maps Street View to find the world's most picturesque street. Or to virtually wander around the San Diego Zoo. Or to plan a bike ride through Boulder. What you can't do is use it to view any part of Germany, since privacy watchdogs have been holding up Mountain Views's expansion into the country. There are currently 23 countries with Street View-enabled cities, and exactly none of them are German. All of that is going to change in the coming months, now that the search giant has met the German government's demands for privacy protections. Twenty German cities are slated for addition by the end of the year.

Under the deal, Google will blur out faces and license plates automatically. Homes will of course be included by default, but Google has agreed to blur them out too if owners submit a simple request. Even a fax will work. Reports say that 10,000 Germans have already submitted their requests, which is a huge number of people who don't want pictures of their front yard on the internet.]]> Omri 2010-08-17T15:46:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/9/124326/3013

You've no doubt heard of the "staycation," but "greycation" might be a new term to familiarize yourself with, especially if you belong to the silver-haired faction of jetsetters. While the travel industry often takes great pains to appeal to younger demographics, what with the influx of advertisements for debauched Spring Break getaways and MTV branded guides, those 50 and over crave the same kind of exploration that their younger cohorts do.

And where do these baby boomers choose to spend their hard-earned cash, or, in some cases, retirement fund savings? Today, Club Med and timeshares don't mark the height of senior citizen travel. According to a recent report by Reuters, culture-hungry greycationers are enamored with Germany, a country that is not only attracting many an international visitor these days, but whose older citizens are stimulating the national by booking holidays and supporting local businesses in the process. Says Reuters: ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-09T15:18:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/12/71235/7923

Nothing beats downing a churro or two and gallivanting about your favorite theme park. Well, if you’re planning on being in Germany sometime this summer, you’ll have a couple new rides to test out. Just remember to eat the metric ton of fried delicacies after you test out these new attractions.

At Europapark, Germany’s most popular park, they’re debuting some kind of catapult-coaster-contraption. It will spin you around 360 degrees and reach about 60 miles per hour—in two and half seconds—as it totally disorientates you and makes you feel like garbage. Even without an official name yet—we suggest the SausageMaker—this thing should quickly turn into a crowd favorite, so remember to bring some entertainment while you’re in the “queue.” ]]> kjb 2009-03-12T11:40:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/13/92016/2465

German sausages just got better. Or so they say. If variety is really the spice of life then the variety of new sausages available at a good Wurst stand in Germany should be making everybody happy.

The new chilli-honey Wurst is at least something we can imagine, but the kiwi fruit Wurst that also includes maraschino cherries and pineapple pieces seems to be taking things a bit far. Lemon and aloe vera are other new ingredients. We're not sure if these sausages are to our taste, but they certainly add novelty value to the average German meal.

Related Stories:
· Say Aloe To A New Flavour [The Australian]
· Only If There's Sauerkraut [Jaunted]

[Photo: planetina]
]]> amandak 2007-06-13T09:20:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/6/8/71440/28951

Outdoor art is no easy thing to exhibit. Just ask the team involved with the Skulptur Projekte Münster--Sculpture Projects in Münster, Germany--they reckon it's such a huge undertaking they only hold this exhibition once every 10 years! 2007 is time for the fourth such event, running from 17 June to 30 September, with the theme of a Sorry Installation (Archaeological Site).

What's all that really mean? Well, Belgian artist Guillaume Bijl decided to make a "fake" archaeological dig by "burying" a cathedral in a deep hole. We guess that's one of those once-in-a-decade ideas and that's probably about often enough. Check it out along with related events (not all in deep holes) from next week; just so you know, previous decades still have their art installations, like the Cherry Pillar, on display so there might not be any big hurry.

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Münster [HotelChatter]
· A Paradise of Public Art [Budget Travel]

[Photo: Lerchenau]
]]> amandak 2007-06-08T09:16:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/5/25/54759/0651

We know Germans love to travel--they seem to pop up all over the world. And while some of them will hitch up their lederhosen and go adventuring independently, others like the security of knowing there'll be German speakers and a few Bratwurst wherever they go.

Which presumably is why German tourist operator TUI thinks buying an entire Italian village in Tuscany was a sound business decision. For 250 million Euros (US$336m), TUI now owns all 8 square miles of a medieval Tuscan village named Tenuta de Castelfalfi. Only it won't be named that for long, as the new German owners will be renaming it the Toscana Resort Castelfalfi.

The only deed not handed over was that of the church, which remains in Italian hands--but the Germans have to pay for its upkeep in their new village. TUI's proud that soon "it will offer 3,200 customers a genuine rural experience." Genuine German-Italian, that is.

[Photo: Argenberg]

Related Stories:
· Entire Tuscan Village Falls to Invasion of German Tourists [UK Times] ]]> amandak 2007-05-25T10:24:07-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/