Germany > Overnight in Osnabrück

At four o’clock in the afternoon, I shut down my laptop. I’m ready for a short trip of a few days to the German capital, Berlin. At five o’clock, I drive with Rita towards Germany. The plan is to drive on tonight until Osnabrück. This way, we will be in Berlin earlier tomorrow. The weather has been beautiful all day—maybe even a bit too warm for driving. Because of the nice weather, there are many people on the road. Near Deventer, at the bridge over the IJssel River, roadworks are underway. The narrowed lanes cause a traffic jam. This location has been reported in the traffic updates all week. Even now, the traffic is at a standstill. A delay of more than twenty minutes. This doesn’t cause problems yet, but only if there are no further delays along the route. We must be at the hotel before nine o’clock tonight to check in. Once we pass the IJssel bridge behind us, it seems likely we will make it on time. Just over the German border, we take a break at a rest area. A cup of coffee and some salmon sandwiches—delicious. Around half past eight, we approach Osnabrück. At the exit, signs warn about environmental zones. The hotel in Osnabrück is outside the city center, but do we need an environmental sticker for Berlin? Our hotel is right in the center and definitely inside the environmental zone.

Germany - The 365meterhigh TV tower of Berlin

The guesthouse in Osnabrück is just off the motorway at the edge of town. The restaurant terrace is busy. All tables are occupied by guests. To get to the reception, a face mask must be worn due to corona measures. The German guidelines seem stricter than the Dutch corona rules. We get a room above the reception. A fine place with a large balcony. We put two chairs on the rooftop terrace and open the bottle of wine. We sit comfortably on our own little balcony. From the inner courtyard, we hear the murmur of restaurant guests. In the distance, we see the light signs of Osnabrück. It remains pleasant outside for a long time. Meanwhile, Google provides clarity about the environmental sticker. We do need one! How silly that we hadn’t thought of this earlier. You can order such a sticker in advance from the Netherlands. It is also possible to buy a sticker at special garages. A soot measurement might be required for this. On the route to Berlin tomorrow, there is such a garage about thirty kilometers outside Osnabrück. We decide to stop there. If it doesn’t work out, we will have to park the car on the outskirts and continue by train. Our hotel is next to a station.