Freising & Ingolstadt, Germany
Driving in Germany is a bit different from driving back in the States. At least the steering wheel is on the same side.
For starters, the metric system throws you off. Distance and speed are in kilometers while fuel is dispensed in liters. Speaking of fuel, gas is expensive. For comparison, a gallon in Germany currently costs about $5.75. That’s why I’m driving a small, diesel Renault with a stick.
When you fill up your tank, sometimes there are unmanned stations. Your credit card activates everything but it still feels odd to treat gas like a vending machine.
European tags are long and narrow. All the countries in the European Union have a similar design with the country abbreviation (“D” for Deutschland) on the EU field of blue and gold stars.
In Germany, the city abbreviation is next (in the example above, “IN” for Ingolstadt). The bigger cities have only one letter (“B” for Berlin, “M” for Munich, “S” for Stuttgart”). The two round stickers include the state seal (Bavaria) and safety inspection seal.
On the stretches of Autobahn where there are no speed limits, you DO NOT linger in the far left lane unless you want to be run over. In my little Renault I once got up to about 100 mph but that was pushing it. Thus I’m rarely in the passing lane.
Today started with a visit to the city of Freising. Munich’s international airport is near here. It’s also home to the world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephan, started in the year 1040. The original abbey passed into ownership of the state government in the early 1803 so the brewery is technically owned by the free state of Bavaria.
It’s one of my favorite German breweries, especially its lineup of Hefeweißbier.
I also had the opportunity to visit another of my favorite German brands at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. Audi was called Auto Union until the 1960s. The four rings in the company logo represent the four car companies that were joined together to form Auto Union.
Audi took a creative angle in telling its story. Inside the museum, there were stations with red and blue plastic sheets. Images on the wall changed depending on which color you were looking through. In this way, Audi intertwined the history of the company and its headquarters in Ingolstadt.
I’ve now visited four German car company headquarters: Mercedes in Stuttgart, Porsche in Zuffenhausen, BMW in Munich and Audi in Ingolstadt. I’ll see you next time in Wolfsburg, Volkswagen.
Ingolstadt was a pleasant town. The old, central core reminded me of the architecture in Landshut with its pastel colors and geometric gables.
I’ve mentioned “Stumble Stones” on prior trips to Germany. They’re the small brass blocks embedded in sidewalks marking the last known residence of Holocaust victims.
I noticed this quiet memorial in a prominent location in the middle of the pedestrian zone in Ingolstadt. Text on the photo read “Jewish citizen of Ingolstadt. Murdered in Auschwitz 1944.”
Germany is full of the best and worst of history. It’s a fascinating country.
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Thanks for coming along on the trip. If you have questions or suggestions, tweet @JasonRMatheson. Missed an entry? Click here.
