While traveling to many different locations, I came to realize that this world has so much to explore and it's never-ending. Even when I visit a small village or town, I find so many details and amazing things. Yesterday, my therapist told me that I am the kind of person who actually scans the entire surroundings wherever I go. I gave her a dry laugh and said, that's actually my specialty, I love observing my surroundings. Being an architect, I have learned how to appreciate the beauty of art and structures. Student life was all about inspiration whether it was from nature or surrounding objects. I kinda miss those days of being an architect. No matter how my life changed and what I have become, that architectural mindset won't change. I was never bookish, so my architectural inspiration was always conceptual and that's why I often used to design hypothetical and unrealistic structures and because of that, I faced a lot of trouble as a student. Gosh, when I find someone who loves architecture and knows about architecture, I can't stop talking. And basically from architecture, my love and passion for exploring different cities arrived. Fun fact is, when I was in Bangladesh (my homeland), I never realized that because Bangladesh is a very small country. However, after moving to Ukraine, I discovered a part of me loves to observe people and surroundings.
Anyway, last year 2023, in December time I went to Cologne to see the Christmas Market. That was actually the perfect time to celebrate the holiday season in Cologne, Germany. So, before going to Cologne, our first stoppage was a small town, Brühl, very close to Cologne city. From Brühl to Cologne city center, it took around 30-35 minutes by car. Let me tell you the most unfortunate and disheartening story first. I didn't know that our first stop was Brühl, Germany so I didn't do any research about the town. Brühl town is famous for its beautiful Brühl Castle, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site. Our car was parked adjacent to the castle but I didn't even realize that there was a beautiful castle nearby. I went to take a 30-40 minute walk in the town but skipped the Castle. So, when we started leaving the town for Cologne, at that moment, I figured out about the Castle but it was too late...
Brühl, Germany
Small things happen, I know it's not possible to see everything in a town if you have a very short time. But yes, when I think about Brühl town, I think about the castle even though I didn't even see it properly.
It was around 10.30 am, early Friday morning in the small town of Brühl, Germany. What I loved about this town was the people and culture. People who live in towns or villages are always friendly and you will notice how relaxing the way they walk and enjoy the atmosphere. They talk around, know each other, do small talk with the shopkeeper, laugh about something, and move on. But in big cities, people walk like robots, always in a rush going to their destination and moreover, the atmosphere will give you anxiety if you are coming from a small town. I don't know about others but I always enjoy walking in small towns, raions or villages.
Due to a shortage of time, I decided to have a relaxing walk in Brühl town so without any GPS or Google, I randomly walked around. At first, a small local Christmas market I visited and there were not many people around. But still, there were actually a lot of people comparing the time of the morning, especially considering it was a weekday. Christmas Market was the traditional market with a few small shops. Some people had already started their day with mulled wine, some were chatting with others loudly and some food shops had started preparing hot food. It was nice to enjoy such an atmosphere and walk around.
Later, I walked in a few streets, and local shops; most of them had just started their business day at that time.
While walking, my architectural discovery - classical modernism architecture which is identical to Bauhaus style architecture. There is a popular and world-famous architectural university in Germany called Bauhaus. Early 20th century, a design and architectural movement happened at Bauhaus University and German architect Walter Gropius introduced this specific design. All architectural students are familiar with the Bauhaus Style and University.
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I didn't go further from the parking area where our car was parked due to limited time. Besides I had no idea about the town, so I was just looking and taking photos here and there.
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Even on weekdays, streets almost looked desolate, empty especially residential areas. I wonder how these streets seem during the weekend. The center of the town where the Christmas market and stores were a little bit crowded but still I didn't feel like I was in a crowded market.
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One of the nicest things was these two bronze sculptures in front of the euro shop. I thought they were real from far away. I also went inside the Euro shop. Everything was almost 1 or 2 euros price, which reminded me of Dollar Tree (American Chain). In the Netherlands so far I haven't seen such shops where everything is around 1-2 euros price.
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The design of this table caught my eye so instantly took the photo. It was a coffee table in front of the cafe.
It was a tiny weekend walk before going to Cologne, Germany. There was not much to see except the Augustusburg Palace. This town is tiny so I believe people who don't wanna stay in Cologne, live here. Brühl is actually a really nice place to live in who doesn't like chaotic city life.
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Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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