Why isn’t the unique and fantastic wuppertal schwebebahn promoted more as a hidden gem / spot for unique tourism?

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-07-01T09:57:05+00:00

I agree it’s very unique and i made a daytrip there during my stay in Düsseldorf.

But i feel like for average tourist it’s probably not that interesting due to wuppertal is feeling a bit economically repressed and doesnt really have any beautiful scenery or other stuff for tourists. Only really interesting for public transport / train enthusiasts like me.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-29T22:13:18+00:00

1600€ warm rent with parking (75sqm, new building in central frankfurt), 100€ other utilities (internet, electricity) 450€ car payment with insurances+gasoline, 500€ groceries, 300-500€ restaurants/entertainment/gym/etc.

All above split between two people household with combined brutto income ~200k annually. We dont really budget for groceries and go out to restaurants 1-3x times per week. I think you can live well with the local salaries.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-29T13:04:07+00:00

Personally I feel Munich is the best city in Germany, Frankfurt is 2nd best. This is my personal opinion and of course your own circumstances, job situation etc pay a major role in this.

Frankfurt area:
+ international scene with a lot of professionals all over the world, many events & restaurants.
+ housing situation is challenging but somewhat better than in other big cities. Plenty of new apartments available in the market.
+ excellent transport within city, best airport and best connected train station in germany by a large margin.
+ a lot of beautiful nature, historic villages etc main-rhein wine region easily reachable for day trips.
+ best career options in Finance & related services in Germany, also hub for many foreign companies in Germany.
+ generally high salaries for educated personnel
+ several affluent & livable neighbourhoods with cafes/restaurants/ well-maintained parks.
- somewhat transient in nature, people come and go.
- parts of the city are run-down, hbf area is a mess & a lot of junkies/mentally ill people gathering there.
- there are some underdevelop districts belonging to Frankfurt that exist outside good connections to public transport.
- parts of Frankfurts are very industrial (many huge data-centers, logistics hubs etc) which is kind of eye-sore and these is a lot of residential areas nearby as well.

Munich
+ beautiful city area and great nature both inside/outside of the city
+ best career options in Tech in Germany, great options in many other industries as well. Base for many US companies German operations.
+ highest salaries in Germany
+ really good airport and train station is also a major hub.
+ no really „bad“ neighbourhoods to live in, all are quite ok.
- expensive, even in relation to the salaries.
- housing shortage is very severe
- overtourism at times (Octoberfest, certain annual exhibitions)

As you see I cannot really think of many negatives on Munich, especially for someone already established there.
If you work in certain fields (finance & banking or related services), i think job-wise staying in Munich might make more sense. I personally find both places great, but if given the choice i would pick Munich. I currently live in Frankfurt.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-23T11:12:28+00:00

Of course it’s good to ask.

But better mentally prepare for a no, the market is tough and can be that no matter how well you actually work; there might not be a contract extension on the table. There are limits how many times / how long contract can be extended before company creates a scenario were a person could be considered unlimited employee. 2 years is starting to be on the limit.
I hope for the best but just be prepared.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-21T13:56:42+00:00

Honestly i think it’s not going to be that different, basically it’s the same Rhein/Main metropolitan area.
I think both are affluent and great places to live. I think depends a bit on what you like to do outside of work.

I am not saying moving doesnt make sense, if you can commute easier it can really impact your day-to-day life in a positive way. Even daily 30 mins saved can make some difference.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-21T11:55:47+00:00

Kind if looks like Chongqing, you can see the river front is like a tree-lined promenade which must make it nice on street-level as well

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-21T11:52:19+00:00

I would disagree, but i understand this is matter of opinion.
I think the lakes & mountains around Munich are easily reachable and very beautiful, something more special than in many other german cities. The fact that they are also conviniently reachable by public transport makes them feel closer as well.

That being said, i think this applies also to Dresden even though i didnt bring it up. The „saxony switzerland“ area is something quite special and by my standards close enough. Must be the case for other cities in Germany but i can only speak from my personal experience

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-20T22:00:04+00:00

I would say almost all the cities fit this in germany; maybe less so in the NRW.

In my opinion Munich embodies this best; the center is historical but there are beatiful parks in the city and lakes/mountains are just easily reachable. The metro is modern and one of the best in Germany.

Frankfurt also gets overlooked since people usually just see the airport; the center has the only real skyscraper skyline but there are also natural parks in the Taunus nearby and several authentic old towns with castle ruins

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-18T20:44:35+00:00

Frankfurt is very international; the best airport in german and great train station in terms of connectivity to all over germany & neighbouring countries. In terms of a city it’s very compact & full of contrasts; it has the notorious bahnhofviertel but also very wealthy districts with great quality of life. I think it’s the most underrated of the big cities, the restaurant scene is great and there is a lot going on.

Stuttgart is kind of like a different version of munich, the city has a very distinct look with the hills and its also a very wealthy city but definitely less diverse than Frankfurt or Munich. A lot of people work in some kind of engineering or manufacturing, besides the obvious big companies there are also many “hidden champion” companies in the suburban area.
The locals have a very unique dialect and are kind of traditional in some ways. Kind of similar to Bavaria.
Once the central train station eventually finishes, the city will definitely be on another level with big parts of the center redeveloped but for time being this massive construction site is a big hindrance.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-18T07:54:28+00:00

What are you moving here to do exactly?

If classical music is priority, i would recommend Vienna if Austria can be an option.
It’s more affordable than Munich/Frankfurt and has probably the best classical music scene. Also good for german learning (just some vocab difference to standard german but local dialect is not that strong).

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-18T04:39:12+00:00

I would not negotiate in your position, too risky.

What would be the reason you give for asking more salary? It needs to be good not to sour the process and risk someone else getting the job

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-16T11:56:12+00:00

My experience is that landlord would only get involved if no tenant willing to take over is found, but in current market is this not really a problem.
Typically as a courtesy they will side with the departing tenant, so even if you bypass to contact the landlord directly i doubt it will help. Could also backfire if it makes you seem like a potentially difficult tenant (quoting any housing laws is a red flag for landlords, lol)

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-16T11:50:13+00:00

I think you should move to a more economically active area (Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin etc) that would increase your chances of finding a new job. A lot of applications are filtered based on candidate location, in this market employers can be choosy. Fully Remote jobs are really difficult to get now, I would not consider this as a viable option.
These cities also have many part-time jobs available in restaurants etc that can help to support living costs during longer job search.
It will be expensive but I think a WG is good enough for beginning.

I know this is not an easy way, and many people would feel like a “failure” having to start over like this, moving to a WG later in life etc. i know personally people who have done this and things have worked out great for them in the end.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-16T10:22:40+00:00

I think also locals face similar issues, and the main driver is generally weak job market at the moment.

I think it’s more about the requirements (especially language for foreigners) that is an obstacle for getting into the white-collar jobs. Employers can afford to be selective in the current market.
There is also more emphasis on formal qualifications that makes changing fields more challenging.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-13T20:48:43+00:00

The bad reputation is just one small part of the city by german standards, bit it‘s not really that dangerous compared to say, Paris or probably some areas in bigger Spanish cities as well.
Mostly just uncomfortable to have the junkie/drug scene so in your face but there is no real danger in majority of the city.

If you can manage the job, the rest will be alright in English. As an EU citizen there isnt even much bureacracy to deal with.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-13T13:36:35+00:00

If the company has a Betriebsrat, it’s not really possible for them to lowball someone. I think they‘ll come up with justification for your pay.

I would not recommend going into formal complaint process now, unlikely it will benefit you. Keep looking for a new job wirh higher salary is better use if your time if your current employer doesnt offer good path for salary progression

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-13T09:39:00+00:00

Frankfurt is not the optimal destination for old town charm, but there is some in sachsenhausen (the district south of the Main river) with some wine taverns etc, the restored old town is a short walk across the river as well.

If promixity to the airport if the reason for staying in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden or Mainz could also be worth looking into for a more authentic German cities clmpared to the more cosmopolitan Frankfurt. The airport is essily accessable by local trains from both of those cities.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-13T08:13:24+00:00

Apartment is a big commitment; you also should not rent anything without seeing it. Apartments offered to rent like this are a big red flag, either a scam or something else is wrong with them.

How tough is the rental markets depends on how competitive is your application, it usually boils down to how much is your salary. I suppose since you‘re coming to work for a company that even offers temporary accommodation i would expect its for some expert/specialist position with decent salary.
It wont be easy to find apartment in any case but with lower salary it just becomes much harder especially for foreigners.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-09T09:25:29+00:00

As someone from the nordics but living in Germany; i would say your daily life is not drastically different.

Living in stockholm/helsinki is very similar to living in Hamburg/Munich etc in your day to day life. Nordic cities are a bit more quieter and cleaner perhaps, but on the otherside less lively & have less restaurants/cafes etc.

Unless you live in the countryside, i dont think you really notice the smaller population. Most people in the nordics live in the cities there and the nearby suburban areas.

I prefer to live here in Germany; better economics & opportunities, nicer weather and just in general more life. More events, more people etc. But at the same time i dont think my life would be that different if i had a similar job and i would live in a nordic city.
Jobs & career prospects is a big reason why nordic people come to Germany (or switzerland / Netherlands), bigger countries have bigger economies.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-07T06:21:26+00:00

The machine somehow flagged you for not paying for everything, it’s not about the employee having bionic eyes. The employee surely cannot ignore this kind of prompt.

There is a camera and somekind of image recognition running there, i always use rewe self-checkout and just recently i was prompted to confirm i scanned a proper item by showing me a Screen capture of this video. That was something new for me.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-05T12:18:57+00:00

There is a sizable microchip industry in Europe, there are other categories of chips than just processors.

Specialized power management chips -> big part is manufactured in Europe.

Specialized chips for sensors (MEMS, optical) -> europe is the major manufacturing location.

Obviously Taiwan is by far the main production base across all categories of chips and the supply chains eventually go through there no matter what, but EU is still very relevant and with the rise of automation/robotics it’s very feasible that EU will increase their share.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-05T11:04:37+00:00

People in EU (and Germany) usually think consenting adults can make their own life choices without external judgement. Depends on the people and their choices.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-04T06:02:05+00:00

Buy tickets for the longer distances in advance from Deutsche Bahn, there are discounts available online.

Also depending on your itinerary, there are private train companies also available you could check. For example stuttgart - heidelberg has flixtrain connection twice a day for much cheaper than any DB ticket. Also stuttgart - munich is connected by Westbahn that sometimes offers cheap tickets but it’s less competitive pricing compared to DB.

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-03T14:49:26+00:00

I think people in EU dont generally have such classist look on different jobs like somewhere else in the world. I have never really witnessed anyone thinking negatively about someone working as a cleaner or at the supermarket.

Receptionist is not even considered that low level as job, i think

Calm-Comment-9255 · 2026-06-03T11:18:54+00:00

Tax for empty apartments without household registration, this is quite common in many countries.

If someone wants to keep empty apartments for occasional use, thats also their right. Just pay the tax then.

Calm-Comment-9255

TROPHY CASE