It was 3pm and I had not had lunch yet. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that get “hangry” when not fed on a regular basis, so I fired up the Yelp app on my phone. There were some mediocre dives and high-end restaurants near us, but I was not after a sit down meal. All I wanted was good comfort food at a reasonable price. That’s when I spotted the entry for Globus Döner with a 4.5 out of 5 rating. I am a sucker for Döner, especially since it is hard to find one in the United States. My family also enjoys this Turkish specialty, which lead to my Mom, Dad, sister, Denise and I heading over towards a residential neighborhood of Leipzig.

If you’re wondering what this magical thing called Döner is all about, check out our earlier post, A German Spin on a Turkish Tradition You Should Try.

Globus Döner is located on a busy street corner and is small on the inside. There are three tables, maybe eight chairs total, the counter and a fridge or two. Two friendly men were behind the counter, smiling at us when we entered. All the ingredients looked fresh, and there was a steady stream of customers coming and going, all grabbing takeout orders. Not bad for a small place at 3pm on a weekday. We decided to commandeer all the tables as a group of five and then ordered five Döner Teller, or in English Döner plates. Instead of a being wrapped up in pita bread or wrap, all the ingredients are plated, which makes them much easier to eat if you’re out in public and want to minimize getting your hands messy. You use a fork and eat it like a salad. After a short wait we had a large plate in front of us, with the traditional meat, cabbage, tomato, fries and a white sauce, reminiscent of a salad dressing. I have to tell you: this was the best Döner I have ever had in my life! Fresh, delicious and savory, all of us tried our best to wipe the plates clean.

The man who had prepared the Döner for us was actually the owner. His name is Kiyanosh, and he moved to Leipzig from his home country of Iran. In between helping customers, he sat down with us for a chat about his family, his home country and Leipzig in general. His Döner store was one of the first in former East Germany, after the wall fell in 1990. He told us proudly, that over the years he managed to open more than eight stores. We had a great conversation with him while enjoying our Döner Teller. It was definitely worth spending our late lunch break there, and we left feeling like we had a friend in Leipzig.

Drinks to Try With Your Döner
When you go for a Döner (at any store), make sure to try one of the Turkish sodas they sell. My favorite is Gazoz, which is a lemonade-like drink, made with whey, water, sugar, and fruit flavors. Its in a bright green and yellow can, you can see it in front of Denise in the picture above. The taste of Gazoz is most comparable to Sprite, but less sweet in my opinion. As a parting gift, Kiyanosh gave my mom a yogurt-based drink with water and salt called Ayran, and he told her, that this drink would keep her healthy.

Kiyanosh, if you read this, thank you again for your hospitality and great food. We will stop by again on our next visit to Leipzig!

Our Germany Bucket List has a variety of sources. Some are from German history books that mention a particular city again and again, others because they have a specific castle that has captured my attention, perhaps they have a polar bear residing in the zoo, or I develop a longing to go somewhere from Pinterest. When we are in the early trip planning phase, often I refer back to pins I’ve saved from other travel bloggers. We're so excited that in the next two weeks, we’re visiting our top 4 on our bucket list, Kassel, Bamberg, Leipzig, and Weimar.

Kassel, a city in the central German state of Hesse
It has a castle that popped up on my radar when I read “Why You Should Visit Wilhelmshöhe Park in Kassel, Germany,” by Tamara for her blog Globe Guide. Her photos captured my imagination and Kassel was swiftly on my list. The grand opening of the Grimm World museum a few weeks ago and plans were put in motion! We’re planning on doing a family day trip with Sebastian’s parents and his sister, since it's only a two hour drive from their home near Frankfurt am Main. Finally, we’re going to Kassel!

Bamberg, a town in southeastern German state of Bavaria
Lorelei of California Globetrotter using the word ‘Bumbling’ in her title “Bumbling Around in Bamberg”, grabbed my attention. I’m a sucker for innovative verb usage! Wow, what a half-timbered beauty, and I can’t wait to take my own photos of the Old Town Hall built atop the Regnitz River. I’m also fascinated by the Market Gardeners’ District that feature active vegetable fields run by two dozen families that is an ongoing example of an early medieval town, and significantly helped Bamberg achieve Unesco World Heritage status.

Leipzig is a city in the eastern German state of Saxony
I first heard about Leipzig in regards to their zoo, that it was exemplary. I did some digging around on Pinterest and found Adelina’s article on her blog Pack Me To, “A Day in Leipzig: History, Bach, and Cake,” and decided to keep digging. It looked like a city that could our entire family entertained for more than a few days. Beyond the Leipzig Zoo, we’re planning on visiting the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum der bilden Künste), Time Historical Forum (Zeitgeschichtliches Forum, charts the history of GDR from division through reunification), and visiting the German National Library. Add in a plethora of historically important cafes, churches, and town squares and we’re going to have an epic trip!

Weimar, a city in the east central German state of Thuringia
This city just won’t be ignored. It's mentioned as consistently as Berlin in my history books. Goethe lived there. Schiller lived there. Nitzche lived there. Weimar is not a day trip city, it's responsible for such a wealth of German culture that you should plan several days to really ‘get it’. I loved the overview and photography that Russell of Roaming Required shared in “Discover Germany’s Cultural Heartland-Weimar”. If you’re fascinated by German history and culture, you’ll want to put Weimar on your list too.

Our bags are packed! Multiple color copies of our itineraries are printed and in page protectors. Yes, page protectors! That’s how we roll. We’re so excited for our annual September trip to Germany! As a result, our blog is on vacation for two weeks, and we look forward to returning the first week of October refreshed and refueled with adventures in Germany. Do you have any suggestions for us before we visit Kassel, Bamberg, Leipzig, and Weimar? What cities in Germany are on your bucket list and why? Let us know in the comments below or send us an email.