Statues Where You Can Sit and Stand Beside Your Historical Heroes And Heroines

Do you want light relief, an escape from stress? Or serious reflection? Or some of both?

You can create light-hearted souvenirs of stays abroad with distinctive photos of yourself leaning against, or measuring tall landmark buildings. Of sit with statues. Here's a list of possibilities. 

I shall start with those nearest me in the UK.

UK Seats and Statues

London

1 The Swan, Piccadilly

2 Mr Bean, Leicester Square

3 Stephen Fry

4 The Wild Table of Love, Praed Street, outside Paddington Station

5 Brunel, inside Paddington station

6 Paddington Bear, inside Paddington Station

7 Churchill and Roosevelt

8 Charlie Chaplin

9 Spike Milligan

UK - England

Lowry

UK - Wales

UK Scotland

Paddington visits, Edinburgh

UK Northern Ireland, capital Belfast

C S Lewis Square Statues

driving south you come to Eire, the Republic of Ireland and capital Dublin

Ireland

Dublin

Brendan Behan, Irish novelist

 A monument to Erasmus is in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Useful Websites On Seated Statues, Leaning on Landmarks

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/portrait-bench-https://www.photohound.co/spot/cwmafan-portrait-bench-

https://www.bkor.nl/en/beeld/geboortehuis-erasmus/#gallery-2

See my previous posts on seated statues and leaning on landmarks

Landmarks and Attractions in Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich

 

Chapel Bridge, Lucerne, Switzerland.

• Basel

  • Basler Münster (Basel Minster): A  red sandstone cathedral featuring colorful roof tiles and the historic tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam.

  • The Rhine Embankment & "Fähren": Scenic riverbanks featuring historic, cable-guided wooden ferries that cross the Rhine using only the river's current.

  • Basel Spalenentor: One of three magnificent medieval gates from the city's old fortifications.

  • Jüdisches Museum der Schweiz - Basel - Jewish Museum of Switzerland, on Vesalgasse.

• Bern

  • Altstadt (Old Town): A UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its six kilometers of medieval arcades (Lauben) and sandstone architecture.

  • Zytglogge: An iconic 15th-century astronomical clock tower where animated mechanical figures perform before the hour.

  • The Rose Garden (Rosengarten) & Bear Park (BärenPark): A terraced hillside park offering sweeping views over the loops of the Aare River.

  • Einstein's House.

  • Smaller exhibition on Einstein in the main museum.

• Lucerne

  • Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke): A historic 14th-century covered wooden footbridge spanning the Reuss River. The bridge is famous for its interior triangular painted panels. The city's main attraction. Allow a long time to cross the bridge and read captions.

  • Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal): A 'poignant and dramatic' sculpture carved directly into a rock face to honor the Swiss Guards killed during the French Revolution.' This is on tours of the city. Rather small.

• Zurich

  • Fraumünster: Zurich's landmark church, famous for its tall, stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.

  • Bahnhofstrasse: Long shopping avenue, running from the central station to the shores of Lake Zurich.

  • Useful Websites

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsteinhaus

What To Eat In German Speaking Switzerland - Cheese, Chocolate And Nuts

When I think of Swiss food I think of Swiss cheese with holes, cheese fondue, rosti - I love potatoes, and Swiss chocolate.
 which of these are from German speaking switzerland, Swiss cheese with holes, cheese fondue, fruit and chocolate fondue, chococlate factory visits, rosti, . Raclette is a dish made from the cheese of the same name, a thick disc of cheese rotated and melted, onto potato, onion, meat, as a main course. Raclette comes from the mountainous part of Valais where French and German are both spoken.

• Swiss cheese with holes ($\text{Emmentaler}$): Yes. This iconic hard cheese with natural holes originated in the Emme Valley within the canton of Bern, right in German-speaking Switzerland.

• Rösti: Yes. This famous grated potato dish comes from the canton of Bern in German-speaking Switzerland. In fact, the cultural boundary dividing German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland is playfully called the Röstigraben (the Rösti trench/barrier).

• Cheese fondue: No. While it is popular nationwide today, traditional cheese fondue originates from the French-speaking western Alpine regions of Switzerland (and neighboring parts of France and Italy).

• Fruit and chocolate fondue: No. This is a modern, global dessert adaptation and is not a traditional regional dish tied specifically to German-speaking Switzerland.

• Chocolate factory visits: Yes. Switzerland is globally famous for its chocolate, and many of the country's most prominent historic chocolate factories and visitor centers (such as Lindt Home of Chocolate near Zurich, or various facilities in the German-speaking cantons) are located in German-speaking Switzerland.

Walnut Pie - German name Nusstorte

Highly calorific, the walnut pie, caramelised walnuts and honey filling in a shortcrust pastry. Eat as a snack. Chop up a small piece to go with coffee. Buy as a gift. Can keep well for months. It can be made with other nuts.

Alprose

When I stayed in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland I visited the Alprose factory museum. 

Alprose is not from German-speaking Switzerland.

It is based in Caslano, which is located in the canton of Ticino—the Italian-speaking southern region of Switzerland (near Lugano). While it is a well-known Swiss chocolate brand and features a visitor center and museum, near a railway station, it sits firmly outside the German speaking part of the country. 

Lindt

So now I hope to add the other chocolate places such as Lindt in the Zurich area to my list. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCndner_Nusstorte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engadin

German-Speaking Switzerland - Cities, attractions and food

If you want to practise your German, (as well as French and Italian)  in Switzerland, you have many opportunities. The French speaking parts are in the west, as you drive in from France. The Italian speaking parts are in the south-east, towards Italy. The rest is German speaking.

You'll find lots to do. Whilst improving your German, (you already know kindergarten and lots of German words) you can see a museum devoted to Einstein, explore covered bridges decorated with historic murals, and eat Swiss food.  

The big cities which are German speaking are Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich. Lets start with a checklist of places you might visit or underline on a physical map. Here are the German-speaking cantons and major cities in Switzerland:

Purely German-Speaking Cantons (17 of 26)

• Aargau

• Appenzell Ausserrhoden

• Appenzell Innerrhoden

• Basel-Landschaft

• Basel-Stadt

• Glarus

• Lucerne (Luzern)

• Nidwalden

• Obwalden

• Schaffhausen

• Schwyz

• Solothurn

• St. Gallen

• Thurgau

• Uri

• Zug

• Zurich (Zürich)

Bilingual/Trilingual Cantons (Where German is spoken alongside other languages)

• Bern (Bern): German and French

• Fribourg (Freiburg): French and German

• Valais (Wallis): French and German

• Graubünden (Grisons): German, Romansh, and Italian

Major German-Speaking Cities

• Zurich

• Basel

• Bern

• Winterthur

• Lucerne

• St. Gallen

• Basel

  Museums:

  • Kunstmuseum Basel: The oldest public art collection in the world, holding masterpieces from the 15th century to contemporary works.

  • Tinguely Museum: A creative, interactive museum dedicated to the whimsical, mechanical scrap-metal kinetic sculptures of Jean Tinguely.

  • Fondation Beyeler: Located just outside the city in Riehen, it features a world-class modern art collection housed in a stunning building designed by Renzo Piano.

  Landmarks & Attractions:

  • Basler Münster (Basel Minster): The red sandstone cathedral with colorful roof tiles and the tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam.

  • The Rhine Embankment & "Fähren": The historic, cable-guided wooden ferries that cross the Rhine River using only the river's current.

  • Basel Spalenbator: One of the three remaining medieval gates of the old city fortifications.

  Specialty Foods:

  • Basler Läckerli: A traditional spiced, rectangular gingerbread biscuit made with honey, candied citrus peel, almonds, and Kirsch.

  • Basler Mehlsuppe: A deeply savory, traditional roasted brown flour soup traditionally eaten during the Fasnacht (carnival) celebrations.

  • Fastenwähe: A savory, cross-shaped yeasted dough pastry sprinkled with caraway seeds and coarse salt.

  Bern

  Museums:

  • Einstein Museum & Bernisches Historisches Museum: A massive historical museum that integrates a permanent exhibition dedicated to Albert Einstein’s life and his time developing the theory of relativity in Bern.

  • Zentrum Paul Klee: An architectural masterpiece designed by Renzo Piano, housing the world's most comprehensive collection of works by the modernist painter Paul Klee.

  • Museum of Communication: An interactive, playful museum exploring how humans connect through tech, mail, and media.

  Landmarks & Attractions:

  • Altstadt (Old Town): A UNESCO World Heritage site featuring six kilometers of medieval arcades (Lauben) and distinctive sandstone buildings.

  • Zytglogge: The iconic 15th-century astronomical clock tower with animated mechanical figures that perform before the hour.

  • The Rose Garden (Rosengarten) & Bear Park (BärenPark): A terraced park overlooking the loops of the Aare River, historically linked to the city's relationship with live brown bears.

  • Reichenbach Falls and the Sherlock Holmes Museum (located in the municipality of Meiringen) are in the German-speaking region of Switzerland in the Bernese Oberland region of the Canton of Bern, 

  Specialty Foods:

  • Bernese Platte (Berner Platte): A hearty, traditional feast featuring a massive assortment of meats and sausages (such as smoked pork, tongue, beef, and Tunggescht) served with potatoes and sauerkraut or dried beans.

  • Mandelbärli: Small, sweet almond cakes shaped like little bears.

  • Züpfe: A golden, braided Swiss butter bread traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings.

  Lucerne

  Museums:

  • Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz): Switzerland's most popular museum, featuring vast interactive exhibitions on trains, cars, aviation, space travel, and a planetarium.

  • Rosengart Collection: An art museum showcasing works by classic modernists like Picasso and Paul Klee, alongside impressive Impressionist paintings.

  • Richard Wagner Museum: Located in the lakeside country house where the composer lived and worked.

  Landmarks & Attractions:

  • Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke): A historic 14th-century covered wooden footbridge spanning the Reuss River, famous for its interior triangular painted panels.

  • Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal): A poignant sculpture carved into a rock face to honor the Swiss Guards killed during the French Revolution.

  • Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi: Iconic mountain peaks accessible via steep cogwheel railways, cable cars, and boat cruises on Lake Lucerne.

  Specialty Foods:

  • Luzerner Chügelipastete: Lucerne's signature pastry dish—a round, towering puff-fill pastry shell stuffed with veal meatballs, mushrooms, and sweetbreads in a rich, creamy white sauce.

  • Älplermagronen: A comforting alpine macaroni dish made with potatoes, cheese, cream, and roasted onions, typically served with a side of applesauce.

  • Luzerner Lebkuchen: A locally spiced, moist honey gingerbread loaf coated with a crisp sugar glaze.

  Zurich

  Museums:

  • Kunsthaus Zürich: One of Switzerland's premier art museums, holding an extensive collection ranging from Old Masters to major collections of Munch, Giacometti, and modern expressionists.

  • Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum): A castle-like structure near the central station that explores the cultural history of Switzerland from ancient times to the present.

  • Lindt Home of Chocolate: Located in Kilchberg just outside the center, featuring the world's tallest freestanding chocolate fountain and immersive interactive exhibits.

  Landmarks & Attractions:

  • Grossmünster & Fraumünster: Zurich's twin landmark churches; the latter is famous for its glowing stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.

  • Bahnhofstrasse: One of the world's most exclusive and expensive shopping avenues, stretching from the central station to Lake Zurich.

  • Lindenhof Hill: A quiet, tree-shaded public square perched above the Old Town, offering sweeping views of the Limmat River and historical roots tracing back to Roman times.

  Specialty Foods:

  • Zürcher Geschnetzeltes: Zurich's most famous dish consisting of sliced veal and mushrooms cooked in a rich, velvety white-wine and cream sauce, traditionally served with crispy Rösti.

  • Luxemburgerli: Delicate, airy miniature macarons with a soft cream filling, popularized by the historic Confiserie Sprüngli.

  • Bircher Muesli: Invented in Zurich around 1900 by physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner as a health food, combining soaked rolled oats, grated apples, nuts, lemon juice, and milk or yogurt.

  • Covered wooden bridges (Holzbrücken) are an iconic part of traditional Swiss architecture. You can find them throughout German-speaking Switzerland across major rivers like the Reuss, Rhine, Aare, and Thur.

    Top Locations for Covered Wooden Bridges

    1. Lucerne (Canton of Lucerne)

    Lucerne is world-famous for its covered wooden footbridges featuring unique triangular roof panel paintings:

    • Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke): Europe's oldest surviving covered wooden bridge (built around 1360), featuring historical interior murals and an adjacent octagonal water tower.

    • Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke): Built in 1408, this shorter covered bridge is famous for its haunting 17th-century Danse Macabre ("Dance of Death") paintings.

    2. Stein am Rhein & Schaffhausen Region (Canton of Schaffhausen / Thurgau)

    • Holzbrücke Bad Säckingen / Stein: Connecting Stein in Canton Aargau to Bad Säckingen in Germany across the High Rhine, this is the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe (203.7 meters / 668 feet).

    • Diessenhofen–Gailingen Wooden Bridge: A historic 18th-century covered bridge spanning the Rhine between Diessenhofen (Canton Thurgau) and Germany.

    3. Canton Bern

    • Thun (Obere und Untere Schleusenbrücke): Covered wooden lock bridges dating back to the 18th century that cross the Aare River near Lake Thun, complete with floodgate mechanisms and floral decorations.

    • Büren an der Aare: A striking 108-meter-long reconstructed historic covered bridge spanning the Aare River.

    4. Canton Aargau

    • Baden (Holzbrücke Baden): Spanning the Limmat River, this 18th-century roofed bridge connects the historic Old Town with the opposite bank.

    • Mellingen: A covered wooden bridge across the Reuss River serving as a scenic entrance to Mellingen's medieval center.

    5. Toggenburg & St. Gallen Region

  • Thur River Valley: The Toggenburg region features a whole trail of regional covered wooden bridges (Toggenburger Holzbrücken), such as those near Wattwil, Nesslau, and Kappel, constructed to handle heavy alpine winter snowfall.

  • PONTRESINA, Graubünden canton

  • • Museum Alpin: Housed in a historic Engadine home, this local museum displays regional alpine objects, historical mountaineering gear, flowers and plants, and the history of early winter tourism in the region.

    Landmarks & Attractions

    • Berghaus Diavolezza & Munt Pers: A scenic cable car rides up to nearly 3,000 meters, offering panoramic views of the Bernina Massif, Piz Palü, and the Morteratsch Glacier.

    • Val Roseg (Roseg Valley): A car-free alpine valley starting from Pontresina, popular for hiking, cross-country skiing, and horse-drawn carriage rides (Kutschenfahrten).

    • The Ibex Paradise (Steinbock-Paradies): A family-friendly theme trail starting at the Alp Languard station that teaches visitors about the local Alpine ibex.

    • Piz Languard & Georgy’s Hütte: A summit hike leading up to the highest alpine hut in the canton of Graubünden, known for views across the Engadine region and wildlife.

    Specialty Foods

    • Engadine Nut Cake (Engadiner Nusstorte): The most famous regional sweet treat—a shortcrust pastry filled with chopped caramelized walnuts, cream, and honey.

    • Alpine Barley Soup (Bündner Gerstensuppe): A traditional Graubünden soup made with barley, cured ham or bacon, root vegetables, and cream.

    • Pizzoccheri: Hearty buckwheat noodles tossed with Savoy cabbage, potatoes, garlic butter, and local mountain cheese, influenced by the nearby Italian-Swiss influence.

German names and Where To Eat Meals

From Duolingo I learned the German word, rat, for advice, and that reminded me of when I saw the word Rathaus in Germany when my husband and I toured the Romantic Road by car. 

German - English Town Hall

Rat - advice (not a rat, but I remember the memory aid I have just devised, he likes advice like a rat. We have a rat. We need advice. When a German says rat, he does not have a rat, he needs advice. Listen to the pronunciation, not like rat in English, more like rart)

Rathaus - town hall (That's British English. Americans say City Hall.)

Wo ist das Rathaus? - where is the town hall?

Gibt es dort ein Restaurant - does it have a restaurant (literally gives it there, dort ist means is there ...? or are there ...?)

dort - there (I remember over there, or even damn, it's over there d o..r t....)

All over Germany, when we were touring, we saw signs to the 

Rathaus in the city centre. The Rathaus was the town hall. It usually had a sensibly priced restaurant or cafeteria in the basement, a historic cellar with antiques, serving local food, promoting local specialities. The perfect place for a tourist to take photos.

The same word, Rathaus is used in Austria and the German speaking cantons of Switzerland.

However, they sometimes use the word 

Gemeindeverwatung - town hall 

verwatung -  admin, department, management

Gemeinde means municipality, community, or local parish (the local government district or village/town itself).

Verwaltung means administration, management, or department.

When you put them together as Gemeindeverwaltung, it translates to municipal administration or the local town hall/council office (the administrative body or building that runs a municipality).

English -  German - 

Remember to use capitals for German nouns.

town hall - Rathaus

Gib mir

Geben Sie mir

Gebt mir

I asked Ask Gemini and got this result.

AI referred me to a You tube video on the subect. On first listening to it I was confused. However, I think if you listen to the video several times it will become clear and help to remember what you have just been taught. To remember anything in a foreign language, as with remembering anything else, such as somebody's name, say it three times, from English to German and fro German to English.

Gib mir deinen Pass (informal singular: give me your passport) 

Geben Sie mir Ihren Pass (formal: give me your passport) 

Gebt mir euren Pass (informal plural: give me your passport)

For plural ("passports"): 

Gib mir deine Pässe (informal singular) 

Geben Sie mir Ihre Pässe (formal) 

Gebt mir eure Pässe (informal plural).

My name is Angela - Mein Name ist Angela / Ich heiße Angela

Wie heißt das? (informal / general)  

Wie nennt man das? - What does one call that? (literally what calls one that) 

Ask Gemini explains in more detail in response to my question

verbs nennt

Nennt comes from the German verb nennen, which means to name or to call.

Here is how it is conjugated in the present tense:

• ich nenne (I call)

• du nennst (you call - informal singular)

• er/sie/es nennt (he/she/it calls)

• wir nennen (we call)

• ihr nennt (you call - informal plural)

• sie/Sie nennen (they/you call - formal)

In the phrase "Wie nennt man das?", it uses nennt because man (meaning "one" or "people in general") acts as a third-person singular subject, just like er, sie, or es.

I think ask Gemini is a wonderful resource for learning languages

Useful Resouces for Learning German

Duolingo.com

Translate Google 

Wikivoyage phrasebook German

AI - Ask Gemini

simpler version in the previous post.

German easy words and tips for remembering

 

German - English

Massage - massage

Die Massage - the massage

How do I remember it is die, not das? I think, because  some people would die for a massage.

Die Natur - nature

Rat - advice (not a rat, but I remember the memory aid I have just devised, he likes advice like a rat. We have a rat. We need advice. When a German says rat, he does not have a rat, he needs advice.)

Rathaus - town hall (That's British English. Americans say City Hall.)

Wo ist das Rathaus? - where is the town hall?

Gibt es dort ein Restaurant - does it have a restaurant (literally gives it there, dort is means is there ...? or are there ...?)

dort - there

All over Germany, when we were touring, we saw signs to the Rathaus in the city centre. The Rathaus was the town hall. It usually had a sensibly priced restaurant or cafeteria in the basement, a historic cellar with antiques, serving local food, promoting local specialities. The perfect place for a tourist to take photos.

The same word, Rathaus is used in Austria and the German speaking cantons of Switzerland.

However, they sometimes use the word 

Gemeindeverwatung - town hall 

English -  German

Remember to use capitals for German nouns.

massage - Massage

town hall - Rathaus

Gib mir

Geben Sie mir

Gebt mir

I asked Ask Gemini and got this result.

AI referred me to a You tube video on the subect. On first listening to it I was confused. However, I think if you listen to the video several times it will become clear and help to remember what you have just been taught. To remember anything in a foreign language, as with remembering anything else, such as somebody's name, say it three times, from English to German and fro German to English.

Gib mir deinen Pass (informal singular: give me your passport) Geben Sie mir Ihren Pass (formal: give me your passport) Gebt mir euren Pass (informal plural: give me your passport)

For plural ("passports"): Gib mir deine Pässe (informal singular) Geben Sie mir Ihre Pässe (formal) Gebt mir eure Pässe (informal plural).

My name is Angela - Mein Name ist Angela / Ich heiße Angela

Wie heißt das? (informal / general)  

Wie nennt man das? - What does one call that? (literally what calls one that) 

Ask Gemini explains in more detail in response to my question

Useful Resouces for Learning German

Duolingo.com

Translate Google 

Wikivoyage phrasebook German

AI - Ask Gemini

More details in the next post.

Sit beside the statue of somebody famous

 You can sit beside

Einstein - Washington DC, USA

Einstein - Vail, USA

AUTHORS

Agatha Christie - Torquay, England, UK

Mark Twain - California, USA

Useful Websites

https://www.publicartinpublicplaces.info/PUBLIC-ART-BY-CITY/Cities-A-to-K

-ends-

See my earlier posts on statues of people on benches you can sit beside

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