The topics:

1 Getting here - planes, trains and automobiles

2 Staying here - hotels and guesthouses - money - language - plans and places

3 Working here - companies and stuff - payments etc - meeting people

4 Living here - schools - the locals - the country

5 Freetime in - wots hot in BC - culture - food - sport - bars - clubs - Schützenfest

6 Freetime out - where to go - pretty sights - sport - ski/board - local towns and villages - cities - bars and clubs

1: Getting here

Planes, Trains and Automobiles:
There are many ways to get into or out of Biberach, so here are a few ideas. Planes: The nearest airports are Stuttgart 1.5 hours drive Northwest, and Munich about 2 hours East. Biberach of course has its own airstrip, but what it's for or who uses it I don't know. I guess the Liebherr blimp must take off from somewhere. Trains: There are two lines out of Biberach, North and South. North will take you to Laupheim and then Ulm, while South will lead to Bad Saulgau, Ravensburg, and the Bodensee (Lake of Constance). German trains are notoriously punctual, or try to be, and information can be easily had at the station ticket office or online with Deutsche Bahn. Last train back from Ulm runs at 11.25pm, so don't be late, and last back from Ravensburg at about 10.45pm.

Cars:
With a car you can go anywhere. Local speed limits normally are in town areas are 50km/h, on main roads 100km/h, and of course there are the famous Autobahns, where there is NO SPEED LIMIT except in marked areas, so you can let out all your tension, or fuel boy-racer dreams, not that I would recommend any but the safest driving. Theoretically you should stick to a speeds of 130km/h, but if you want to go fast noone can stop you. Germans have lots of fixed and mobile radar cameras, and can be quite harsh in the punishments. If you earn your licence out here, you have a 2 year trail period where even small mistakes are more heavily punished. Driving Points of Note: swearing at passing cars is illegal, even if they are idiots, so don't. driving while on a mobile phone(handy) is illegal; the police REALLY don't like it crossing the white lines at junctions is illegal violations can be reported by passing motorists to the police, and may receive a fine drink driving is of course illegal

Motorbikes:
This is the land of the Great Biker. Any sunny weekend and the roads are filled with leather-clad hordes. Of course, with the number of scenic winding roads, natural beauty, and easy access to Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy, this area was always going to be like that. If you've got a licence my advice would be to join in, if you're a motorist, I guess you will just have grin and bear it. Favourite routes include along the Donau(Danube) between Sigmaringnen and Tuttlingen, over the Schwäbisch Alps, into the Austrian Alps and around the Bodensee.

Busses:
The bus station is located next to the train station, and regular bus services will take you to many outlying villages or nearly towns. Worthy of note for longer travel is the Eurolines bus service that runs out of Ulm for cheap overnight travel to many European cities. Booking is necessary.

Bicycles:
This area of Germany is fairly flat, and littered with cycle paths, mostly tarmaced and separated from the main road. You can get just about anywhere, if the weather is nice.

2: Staying here

Hotels and Guesthouses:
The town has a few hotels and Gasthöfe (guesthouses, the equivalent of a Bed & Breakfast). These can be found easily in any local directory or the official Biberach website, and telephoned for prices. However prices in Biberach itself tend to be a little heavy, up to 150DM per night, so it is often best to look for rooms in the hotel or guesthouse of a nearby village.

Money:
The currency or Germany if the Deutsch Mark or DM. However, this winter (2001) sees the introduction of the Euro, which has a different exchange rate, fixed at about 1.5DM to 1 Euro, I think. By next year (Jan 2003) the DM will have been phased out almost completely, and as with most other European countries Germany will be using the Euro. The price of living in Germany can seem surprisingly cheap relative to UK or USA, but that is due to the German taxation system, which neatly removes about 50% of most people's salary. This leads to a favourite German saying, that they work 6 months for themselves and rest for their government.

VISA:
In this area nowhere seems to take it, indeed some stores don't even know what it is! This has been a real source of woe to many holidaymakers and even those living permanently in Biberach. The Schwabians it would seem, do not like credit cards as much as the rest of the world, and although some larger stores and petrol stations take it, don't bank on it, and bring cash instead. Most Geldautomaten (Cash Dispensers) will give cash from a VISA card, but of course you then need the PIN code. The local equivalent of the flexible friend is called an EC card, and most banks will give you one with your account upon request. Also getting a VISA card from a German bank to allow payment in the wider world is reputed to be interesting/annoying.

Language:
Well, of course in Germany they speak German. From personal experience you don't really need German to be able to live here as most people can speak a little English, but it helps and of course breaks down barriers with those Germans who only know "Hello, goodbye" etc. Of course, just knowing German isn't everything. All Germans speak Hoch Deutsch (high German, like Oxford English), but in this region many people speak a very strong dialect, known as Schwäbisch (said svay-bish), which has a whole different dictionary and can be very confusing to foreigners, indeed to a lot of Germans too.

If you should want to learn some (more) German - here are a few useful websites to start you off:

Plans and Places:
Local or town maps are available from many shops, and are advised to the newcomer, as Biberach has many narrow back streets and one-way worries. The town centres about a large market place and pedestrian zone, with the very obvious church of Saint Martin as a mid-point. The tower of this church is a real landmark, and if lost simply head towards it to get back to areas you know. Town development and housing spreads south towards Rissegg and Liebherr, west to the hospital and north to Boehringer Ingelheim. The town itself is small enough to make walking or cycling anywhere easy, but also has a bus station next to train station for longer journeys.

Healthcare:
Doctors and dentists are private in Germany. The parliament is trying to set up a better public (free) healthcare system, but that may take some time. If you come here and want treatment you really need to be insured. Travel Insurance will have been available in your home country, and some larger companies include insurance as a part of your salary. Dependant on country and your situation you can receive free health insurance. For english visitors an E111 is ok for short stays and E128 for longer, and can be exchanged for health insurance at an insurance office. To see a doctor you either need to tell your insurance office in advance of the appointment so they can give you a form to say that the insurance can pay, or you need to bring your insurance card with you to the appointment, so that the assistant can call your insurance company and check. It is best to carry your insurance card everywhere, as you never know when you will need it. Some doctors speak english, but then they are not necessarily the best. The town also has specialists for most things, and the Kreiskrankenhaus hospital if you need it. I found it best to bring along a piece of paper with words on it chosen to describe your symptoms. This way even if you can't say what's wrong with you, the doctor can read it.

3: Working here

Companies and Stuff:
So where do all the people aged 20-50 go during the day? I guess they must be at work. Of course, some people you can see at work in the town's bars and shops, but most of the inhabitants work in the major companies of Biberach. Some are world renowned names, and Biberach should probably be a lot more famous than it is because of them, but for now its our secret, just you and me, ok? Leibherr: They make cranes, you can see the vast plant on the southern road out of Biberach, lining the street for several miles. Their cranes are trademark dark yellow, and are sold worldwide. Indeed, in a short tour of the town you are bound to find one building site with a big yellow crane on it, and it's sure to be from Leibherr. Also they make fridges, freezers, electrical goods. Hey, just go ask someone who works for them; they are not hard to find. Boehringer Ingelheim: Most locals recall a time when BI was just Thomae and made Thomapyrin, the favourite German headache cure, in the big blue production building you cant miss if driving into Biberach from the north. BI is an old pharmaceutical company, and employs people now in the fields of biology and chemistry. With the building of their new Chemistry department and Fermentation Refinery the Biberach site of BI is quickly yet quietly becoming one of the world's top places to do all sorts of sciency things. KaVo: Kaltenbach & Voigt, they make dentists chairs, and all things dental. I guess someone has to. But they are one of the few companies in the world doing it, and so they are special. Other large companies in town include Handtmann and Gustav Gerster.

Payments etc:
Of course, as a foreigner you need all sorts of permissions and permits to work here. This is dealt with by the Arbeitsampt, who can help you at request. Feel free to laugh at the German love of rubber stamps; they have one specially made for everything! Most larger firms pay into a bank account, which is easy to set up and should be done as soon as you arrive. Smaller companies may pay in cash. Tax(steuer) is very heavy and as complex as is to be expected, and the tax year seems to end in January. German companies have a tradition of paying an extra months salary at Christmas (Weihnachtsgeld), and may also pay a productivity related bonus and holiday money. Interestingly German banks have a different credit allocation system to USA/UK. Credit is based on earnings, and not on how much credit you previously had.

Meeting People:
There are ways and means. You could go the formal route, and join one of the two English speaking groups in town. There is one mostly for native speakers (Common Denominator), and one for anyone who has a desire to chat. Best to inquire at the Volkshochschule for these sorts of things. You can also pop into this useful building to get yourself a course in how to speak German: very useful in Germany, although not essential. And of course there is the old method of just walking into a bar, restaurant or public place and looking around. Also it is very easy to meet people at work. Biberach is still small enough for foreigners to be rare, so this can sometime be done by just asking your fellow workers.

4. Living here

Of course, as with working, you also need all sorts of forms and permits to live here. This is dealt with by the Landratsamt and Auslandsamt. Don't forget to check out when you leave, otherwise they don't know that you have gone, nor does your home country know that you are back.

Schools:
Local schooling begins at the age of 5 in the schule. It then goes into two different schools at the age of 10 in a system resembling the english one in the 1960s. Private schooling is known in Germany, but is not half as popular or normal as in USA/UK. The universities are still state run, although studying takes much longer then back home, the average degree needing 5 years, and being not so useful as a traineeshipg (Azubi). Thus many German students go on to complete their doctorates.

The locals:
Well, they are friendly, and don't bite (mostly). People here are very proud of where they come from, mostly believing the town or village they come from to be the best, prettiest and coolest place in the universe. Well, not quite so extreme. They are called Schwäbs or Schwäbians, and their dialect varies depending on which village they or their parents were born in. I was once told by a local that it is just as hard for a Schwäbian to speak hoch Deutsch (high German, the correct language originating from Hanover in the north) as it is for an English person.

The country:
This here land is called officially die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, and the Bundesland (county or state) in which Biberach resides is called Baden-Würtenburg, and is in the South West of Germany. The local area is referred to as Öber-Schwäbia (Upper Schwäbia) due to its altitude, and is a flat country of slight rolling hills, covered in farmland and a fair few forests.

Rubbish:
"Oh my Gosh, the authorities keeps sending me little forms, what does it all mean?" Well, most likely they are enquiring about your rubbish bin(or trash can for Americans). In Biberach, being all recycling friendly, you have to pay to own a rubbish bin. To have your rubbish removed you then you have to buy the appropriate sticker for your bin volume and stick it on the handle when the bins are collected every two weeks. Bins will not be emptied without a sticker, or if they are overfilled with rubbish. Apparently there is even a correct way to orientate your bin to your building, although they aren't so fussy about that. Of course, it isn't allowed to put your household litter in a town bin, but as the punishments for littering or dumping are worse that may an option if it all goes wrong. Often arrangements can be negotiated for the use or sharing of a bin from one of your neighbours, and those in mass-rented or hotel accommodation need not worry about this. Other parts of Germany operate different, possibly more sensible systems.

5. Freetime in Biberach

Culture:
Biberach has a very rich culture, dating back several hundred years. Biberach used to be a walled town, and had some good trade in the crafts. You can check it out in the library, located behind the museum, which has things like an English language section, and internet access. All you need to do is buy membership, or borrow someone else's card.

Food:
OK, so you live in Biberach, and naturally you want to eat. Buying food can easily be done at one of the out of town supermarkets, in local shops, at the market, in take away, bars, restaurants and most importantly at the 24hour petrol stations. (Here's a food glossary.)

Supermarkets:
There are several out of town supermarkets, the biggest being Kaufland on the road to Ulm, but for this you need a car and prices are not much reduced compared to in town. The only supermarket remaining in the town centre itself is Edeka on the Marktplatz (market place) and although slightly more expensive the prices the variety is reasonable. Just don't expect any of the shine and speed and size of American/English /French supermarket chains. Oh, and its often best to bring your own carry bags, although you can buy plastic ones in most supermarkets on request.

Shops:
Biberach is full of little shops selling all sorts of things. At first impression the town only appears to contain shops selling meat, cakes, glasses and shoes, but there are a wealth of little stores selling quality produces at reasonable prices. However most tend to be shut by 6, so you might need to get home early. Worthy of mention of course is the notorious Müller on the Marketplace, open until 8pm and selling crisps and sweets and fizzy drinks(and just about everything else) to the needy.

Market:
The twice weekly (Wednesday and Saturday) market occurs on, and nicely fills, the central marketplace. Here fresh meat, fruit and vegetables can be bought in mass, and stalls selling other stuff crop up too. At certain seemingly random time of the year the market expands and gains stalls selling all sorts of things from toys to clothes. Oh, but don't try to cycle through the market, it's not allowed, and the locals seem to not like it, and have been know to deal heavy-handedly with offenders!

Take Aways:
Pizza, chicken and Doener Kebab. There are several pizza shops, many doubling to sell Doeners and other Arabic or Turkish cook foods. Kochlöffel sells cooked chicken, and Freds is worthy of mention both for being open until late and selling cheap and tasty chips. Bars: Most bars have a menu of some sitdown snacks or meals, from Tacos to salads, baguettes and crepes, and maybe a daily speciality (Tagesessen) depending on the establishment. They will also carry on cooking almost until closing time.

Restaurants:
There are many speciality restaurants in Biberach, where you can buy local or foreign foods. I have sampled and enjoyed foods from China, Thailand, Greece, Italy, Iraq and Mexican here. Worthy of note is the Chinese Peking due to its 25 DM all-you-can-eat buffets. Petrol Stations: Open 24/7, the petrol stations of Biberach at a life line for revellers looking for munchies in the wee small hours, or on Bank Holidays (Freiertags). BP is closest to the town centre, and appears to have a continuous small party going on in the forecourt most weekends. Have no fear, just leave the locals be and they won't mind you either.

MacDonalds:
I guess good old Maccy Dee's has to have a mention here. Situated on the south road out of Biberach to Ravensburg, you can get the classic American alternative just like you have at home. Should be noted that German McDs have different burgers from normal, including the Royal TS, a big burger with salad, and different dips for the McNuggets (SweetnSour, Curry and Barbeque). Just for fairness sake, then nearest Burger King is in Ulm.

Sport:
BC has a lot of opportunities for the physically active. Cycling has been mentioned above, but the same routes can be used for jogging or walking. Many people go into the forests to jog in summer, where it is a little cooler. There a strange rumours about a type of fly that lives in the local forests and carries a form of encephalitis, but that could just be a local myth. Swimming takes place in the indoor pool(Hallambad) or thermal bath(Jodanbad) in winter, and in the open air pool(Freibad) or local lakes in the summer. For sailing or other water sports it would be best to seek the Lake of Constance (Bodensee) or Danube (Donau). There are also several sports centres just outside town where tennis, squash, badminton, fitness and saunas appear. In town there are some smaller fitness centres and gyms. Some of the schools also have halls which are sometimes opened to the adult population, where indoor sports like handball, football, basket and volleyball take place, and may contain a small but free weights room. Beloved local sports are football and American football, and the fields near the Wieland Gymnasium (opposite BP and the biggest local secondary school) are often used, and include 2 open air basketball courts. This list could go on for ever. Last thing I should add is that lots of climbing goes on in the area, and that there is also a snooker club.

Bars:
One of the centres of social life in BC are its bars. They each undergo a perpetual competition for who has the nicest beer, oddest cocktails and most beautiful barmaids. Each is quite unique, and caters to different tastes. The most well known are (in no particular order), Altes Haus, Woodpecker, Lava Bar, Casa, Tweety, Correct, Weichardt and Noodles. You can sit and chat outside of most in the summer, play games, get breakfast, lunch and dinner, and of course drunk in them all. Each has its own particular feel, and new bars opening can be guaranteed to have a different atmosphere to any other. As with all German bars the service comes to your table, and you pay for drinks (usually with a small tip) when you finish drinking before you leave. The bar person serving you may sometimes ask for you to pay at a seemingly random time. Don't worry, they don't want you to leave, it just means that the person who has been serving you table wants to go home as their shift has finished, and want you to pay them for the drinks they have served you. One thing to watch out for in some German bars is the residents' table (Stammtisch) where the regular customers sit. It may be empty when the whole rest of the bar is full, but it is sort of unofficially reserved for the customers who the barstaff have made friends with, and if you sit at it you may not be served and get funny looks.

Clubs:
If you were looking for the famous German clubbing scene, be it techno, blues or hiphop, then you have come to the wrong place. BC is not very "happening" in modern musical terms, although it may yet surprise. The three clubs you can hear music at are: Sunflower - up on the Gigelberg it serves as second home for the Correct bar staff, and has 2 dancing rooms and a café area, as well as serving pizza until 4am Absolut -club built into the cellar of Woodpecker. One room and dark, it plays various things from techno to jazz. Abdera - the student club, it doubles as a soundstage, and plays some DJs and some live acts. Frederick's also chips in to the music scene with live blues bands.

Schützenfest:
The entire life of Biberach seems to revolve around this one festival. It is a traditional untraditional bierfest, and adds as much to the life and style of Biberach in the 10 days it runs as the other 355. Over 40,000 people invade Biberach during the first week of July. The "Schütza" as named in the local dialect, is a festival celebrating the beginning of the shooting season, or something. The origins are surely lost in the depths of history, and now it is a week for the town to show its colours. This involves parades or local ands and floats showing traditional local crafts, dances, markets, and partying and drinking until you fall over, with a fair on the Gigelberg above town. There are many various traditions of this festival, such as childrens day and ladies night, what to wear, eat and drink, but you are better off asking a local. Activity on the 'Berg centres around the bars of Noodles, whose beer garden doubles in size for the fest and has live bands, the up to Sunflower and the top of the hill. Sunflower renames itself Schwanenkeller for the fest, and sets up stands in the forecourt, then the next door Schutzenkeller also sets up a beer garden and has live music. Up on the top is the funfair where all the rides, food and more drinking take place. There are normally rides for young and old, a beer tent and often the Old Town (Beer) Hall opens also. A famed symbol of the fest is the biannual ferris wheel which gives splendid views of the town. At 11 the fair closes down, and the revellers move down the hill and congregate in front of Tweetys. The party continues here until dawn, when all still awake make their way to the bakery to revive. There are also shuttle busses running to local towns at set times throughout the evening, so those who live further out don't need to bring the car. The town is fully decorated with flags during the week, and the drinking takes place in a friendly atmosphere where old town residents reunite, and new ones are left wondering where all the people go for the rest of the year. This fest has certain similarities to those of other towns in the area, but the essence is "Typically Biberachish", and if you like the town there is no better time to show it. (Other German festivals and customs.)

6 Freetime out

Where to go: The local countryside can provide many picturesque walks and cycle trips. Just try not to get lost in the forests. A good tip when lost in a car is to find someone with the BC number plate. There is a 50-50 chance they will be driving to Biberach.

Pretty sights:
Within a few hours drive from BC there is some extremely beautiful countryside. The Black Forest to the west is famous worldwide for its….trees. South is the Lake of Constance (Bodensee) a giant freshwater lake of some beauty. At the west end of this lake is the Rheinfall, a big waterfall which is not as famous as it should be considering its splendour. The drive or train ride along the Danube (Donauteil)from Tuttlingen to Sigmaringen is worthy of note. The Schwabisch Alps area also pretty. To the east is Bavaria and some very pretty castles, including the famous Neuschwannstein. Also worth a look are the castles in Munich or Sigmaringen. Southwest of BC is the Federsee, a lake that has been allowed to return to nature, and is now totally cut off from the world except for one pier to a romantic observation post and boating point out in the lake. The lake is also used as a giant skating rink in winter.

Sport:
For thermal baths the Jordanbad is reputed to be mostly for older people, so I would personally recommend the baths in Bad Saulgau. Also Atlantis swimming pool in Ulm has all the slides and fountains a kiddy could wish for, and next door is an ice rink. Ulm also has cinemas, and a bowling center, from the days of the American base camp there. Biberach and several local villages have football teams but for any league action the nearest team is also Ulm. However to see teams in the first German division you need to go further afield to places such as Freiburg, Stuttgart or Munich.

Ski/board:
This area of Germany is seriously blessed with weather. In the summer it's warm, and in the winter it snows. Locally there is a good slope for practise in Ummendorf if the weather is right, and then once you have got you style, you can show it off with a short(2-3 hour) drive south to the Alps. From Biberach great snow is accessible in the German, Austrian, Swiss and even Italian alps. It depends on your taste, and budget, but within a few hours drive are some of the best and also most trendy resorts in the world. Obersdorf is the area for skiing in Germany, then in Austria there is the famous St.Anton. Switzerland costs a little more, and Italy is a bit far for day trip skiing, but an easy holiday destination. For real freaks there are even glaciers for snow all the year round!

Local towns and villages:
Local villages can provide parties and interesting place to eat and drink. Beerfests similar to the Schutzenfest occur in Ravensburg and Ulm, and further afield are the giant fest in Stuttgart and world renowned bierfest that is the Munich Oktoberfest (which takes place in September just to add to the confusion). Farm parties are another option in this area, and a can be found in villages such as Rissegg and Ingoldingen, but can be a little enclosed, being mostly locals only affairs.

Cities:
Nearest city to Biberach is Stuttgart, and also of note Munich. You can fly from there, or just go enjoy the hectic life once in a while. I suppose we should also include Zurich in Switzerland in this list. I should say here not to expect too much of Biberach. It is not a city nor will it probably ever be, so don't imagine the people here are going to think or react like city folk. This was a major mistake I made when I began living here. Freiburg is the nearest true student-infested city, and Heidelburg is not only famous for its students, but also renowned as the most romantic city in Germany.

Bars and clubs:
Ulm has a few bars and clubs, Laupheim has one, Ravensburg a few, Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Memmingen…. clubs can be found for all tastes, you just have to look, and then find some sucker to drive. There are two local free pamphlets concerning the night scene that appear locally: Sub Culture and City Guide, check either for places to go. There are some nice local dance things that go on. Biberach itself has music nights occasionally, when all the pubs and clubs play live bands. This sort of thing also happens in Ravensburg and Ulm, where you can tour all the music bars for the price of one normal entry, and a special shuttle bus is provided between them. For dance music there is the Zurich street parade in midsummer and outdoor fest-in-a-field Nature One later on. For rock there are Rock am Ring and Rock am See, and for hiphop there is always another big live party going on.

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More about Biberach in English can be found here , courtsey of Deutsche Welle, and on the Hauchler page of Weberberg.de.

March 10, 2002


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