Honestly, what did you think when you read the headline? Probably something along the lines of: “You want to send me to Wilhelmshaven? You’re not serious!” Well, yes, we mean that quite seriously. 😉 At first glance, Wilhelmshaven may not be the most attractive and beautiful city that every student has ever wanted to travel to, but Wilhelmshaven also has beautiful corners and they want to be discovered by you. 😉
South Beach
So let’s start with some positive associations – North Sea, South Beach, ships. That sounds really good. Wilhelmshaven is located directly on the sea and has a green beach to offer with the southern beach, which invites you to relax. What could be nicer than looking at the sea when the sun is shining and enjoying the relaxed life. Well, the whole thing shifted to the Maldives could be a bit more appealing, but as a student it is very trendy to be on a low budget anyway. 😉
German Naval Museum
As is well known, where there is water, ships are not far away. If you are enthusiastic about ships – whether large or small – then Whv-City is the right place for you. On the one hand, there is the Jade Weser Port (deep-water harbour) to see the sea giants up close and on the other hand, you will find the somewhat smaller specimens at the piers of the many other harbours. A short walk along the Bontekai is definitely recommended. In addition, there is also a naval port. In the German Naval Museum you can get to know the ships of the navy and even enter them (location: Südstrand 125, Wilhelmshaven). To get from the Südstadt to the Südstrand and thus to the German Naval Museum, it is best to cross the over 100-year-old swing bridge, the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge, which is known as the landmark of Wilhelmshaven.
Banter See
Close to the green southern beach is the Strandcafe Fährhaus, located on Lake Banter. There is even a small stretch of sandy beach there – by the way, now the only one in Wilhelmshaven. There is often a lot going on here, during the day you can relax in the sand or rent a gaudy pedal boat and turn over the lake and at night the beach party starts. The latest news can always be found here.
StreetArtFestival
Now, however, it is once again about something that has very little to do with water, but a lot to do with art. On 6 and 7 August 2016, Wilhelmshaven will be colourful, as the International StreetArtFestival will take place there. Around 40 artists from many different countries will come to Wilhelmshaven this weekend and show what they can conjure up with chalk. The canvas is formed by the bare asphalt in Marktstraße and on Valoisplatz. The StreetArtFestival takes place as part of a competition. All artworks are created in the categories “Copyists”, “Freelance Artists” and “3D Artists”. The evaluation is carried out by a jury and by the audience. So, be there and see how the asphalt starts to “live”. 😉
Weekend at the Jade
Unfortunately, you missed another well-known event in Wilhelmshaven this year, the Weekend at the Jade, but luckily it always takes place on the first weekend in July every year. Look forward to next year, you can expect the rustic medieval market at the Pumpwerk cultural center, many rides for big and small action fans, culinary delicacies, live music with well-known artists (to all girls: this year Max Giesinger was on stage ;)) and all this with a view of the water! The crowning glory is the magnificent fireworks display on Sunday evening.
Now the question of all questions, how do you get to Whv? Of course, by train, your semester ticket will take you almost anywhere. In Osnabrück, take the Nordwestbahn at the main station or alternatively at the old town station and off you go to Wilhelmshaven. No changes, no waiting times, there are only about 2.5 hours of travel through the flat country waiting for you. Enjoy the wide view and above all, have fun in Wilhelmshaven!