European town offering free accommodation in a bid to attract residents
A quaint European town is luring new residents with free accommodation as a unique way to boost its population.
A quaint European town is luring new residents with free accommodation as a way to boost population in the area.
Eisenhüttenstadt, located on the Oder-Spree district of the state of Brandenburg, is a hidden gem on the Germany-Poland border.
The town is on the hunt for new people to call it home, with the council offering a 14-day trial starting September 6. Successful applicants will receive free furnished housing, local tours, and career networking opportunities as part of the innovative migration program called the 'Make Plans Now' campaign.
The application window is now until early July, and is aimed at attracting skilled workers, former residents who have moved away and self-employed workers looking for a change of scenery.
According to local German publication, The Local, before residents leave, they will be asked to write a 'love letter to Eisenhüttenstadt' in which they share their impressions of their stay.
The city was founded in 1950 by East German authorities as a socialist model city after the end of WWII alongside a massive steel mill, the town's largest industry.
It was known as Stalinstadt between 1953 and 1961.
According to The Local, the population of Eisenhüttenstadt has dropped by over half since German reunification in 1990. Reasons have been attributed to young people moving because of a lack of job opportunities and prospects.
However, the council is hopeful its rent-free move will help boost interest.
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News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trafalgar European tour: Highlights and mistakes to avoid abroad
There are some things you simply shouldn't do when you're in a tour group, with one of the biggest being a last-minute change of mind. That's according to Paul Wormsbaecher, who's been a tour guide for 23 years. And it's probably fair to say he's seen it all. Paul works as a travel director at Trafalgar, a company that offers guided trips to nearly 100 countries. Trafalgar has been around for decades, a way to see lots of sights but also travel in style. After I signed up to its Bohemian highlights tour – 13 days of feasts, sprawling palaces and historical sites in Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic – I learnt my own mother had also gone on a European Trafalgar trip in the 1990s. On my trip, there were Aussies, Americans, Canadians and Kiwis (plus one Singaporean couple). A young Aussie couple had just got engaged while another pair were newly retired. One guy was in his 80s who needed walking sticks and then there was a young guy who runs marathons in his spare time. It was a real mix. Some of the perks An iconic Trafalgar-branded bus takes you wherever you need to go (which felt like a second home by the end) and some people didn't even know the names of the hotels we were staying at (although I wouldn't recommend that). When it comes to luggage – you don't need to carry your bags. Like at all. The only time I ever had to lug my 15kg bag around was to and from the start and end point. You simply put your bag outside your room on a travel day, and it will be loaded into the bus. When you arrive from a destination, porters will take it to your room. And that's because, as I soon learned, a tour like this is designed to make everything as smooth as possible but still at an affordable price. 'That's the joy. You're being taken with a local specialist, without having to worry about queues, or if there's a problem with the food. It makes the vacation so much easier,' Paul said. But even though Trafalgar makes it a very smooth, action-packed holiday, Paul says that's no excuse not to make an effort with the locals. He recommends that 'you know some of the important words, even if you don't remember, it's good to at least try. Even though you might not sound Hungarian. And that goes everywhere in Europe, it goes a long way to say thank you and please.' What not to do There was a bit of a social gaffe I learned I'd been making the whole time. 'Don't call a Hungarian an Eastern European. They won't talk to you for a week,' I was eventually warned. Oops. Another one? 'Don't bring food out of the hotel breakfast,' he said. Oops again. But by far the biggest mistake Paul has seen on his years of tours is lack of research. 'If you don't want to do the optionals, don't come all this way and be disorganised,' he explained. Optionals is exactly what it sounds like – Trafalgar has some set activities on each tour, but then you can opt in for some of the extras. At each city we visited, we had one included group dinner as well as a local expert who took us on a walking tour to the most iconic spots to give us the lay of the land (think East Side Gallery in Berlin, what was left of the Warsaw Ghetto in Warsaw, the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest). But there are some bonuses which tour guests have to pay more for, like an all-you-can-eat dinner on a leisurely boat cruise down the Danube River, or visiting the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine deep underground in southern Poland, which some people now use as a wedding venue. Another highlight I'm pretty sure every person signed up for was a skip the queue ticket to the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. But the main mistake people make, according to Paul, is trying to save money and miss out on experiences. He sees it over and over again. Sometimes guests won't have planned anything else and ask Paul if they can join in the end. He does what he can but said sometimes it's not possible – and the tour attendees have got angry as a result. I did hear of one couple who ended up staying in their hotel room while the rest of us went and did a trip to a quaint little town outside of Budapest. Trafalgar likes to add personal touches. During the tour, Paul bought everyone fried cheese dumplings at a Polish market after a long day of travel and had doughnuts waiting for us when we were in minus 1 degree weather. I later learned that Trafalgar gave Paul an allowance, and it was at his discretion where he wanted to spend it to uplift the trip. 'Trafalgar is good at tweaking things,' Paul added. 'They try not to let things be too stale. They try to keep up to date with trends.' Paul is also tight-lipped about which nationalities he finds the easiest to tour with, and also was cagey about which European cities he likes the most. 'It's very difficult when people ask what's your favourite,' he said. 'I really enjoy these cities. Every one has something different about them. You have to look beyond the tourist aspect: the cuisine of the place. Or the natural beauty. It might be beautiful scenery.' A dual German and South African citizen, Paul spends half the year in Europe working for Trafalgar, and the other half in South Africa running his own tours. It's a lifestyle most Australians could only dream of. But sometimes it's far from an easy job. 'Be considerate of the people around you,' Paul said. 'You're in a group environment. The best way for getting along, is to be all considerate of one another. That makes a huge difference. 'Tour guides are very competitive. We want our guests to have the best time and get our guests in first (to tourist attractions) … So don't be late.' After introducing himself and explaining how the Bohemian Highlights tour would work, Paul set a pretty clear ground rule. Don't talk about politics. Paul said he 'never used to have to do that'. But he felt compelled to because of the 'current political environment'. 'It can get ugly.' He said on one tour, he had one guest wearing a MAGA cap. 'I went and bought another cap,' Paul said. Paul has travelled to more than 70 countries, a lot of them through his work, and he even used to run tours in Russia – though he can't do that anymore for obvious reasons. As a seasoned traveller, I ask Paul for his own travel advice. 'If I have two weeks off (between tours), I cannot sit at home for two weeks,' he said. 'A couple of days before (the new tour starts), I go to a new city. 'I practice what I preach. When I go to a place, I do it all. There's going to be things I don't like.' But he says he tries it anyway. There's still a few pockets of Europe he hasn't been to, like Macedonia. 'That's on my list,' Paul continued. He says he likes to make his mind up once he's had a chance to get there. 'I'm pretty organised but I don't do too much research. I like to delve in when I arrive,' he explained. 'I like to talk to the bellboy and the porter. I always say don't send me to where there are 15 million tourists. I want to go where you take your wife.' When he goes travelling with friends, he invariably ends up parting ways and doing his own thing. 'I get to a point where I have to leave them if they're faffing around,' he said. In the past there's sometimes been as little as a few days between one tour ending and the next starting. But now he does closer to one tour a month. The serial traveller got his start in his mid-20s. Paul was bored of working in hotels and spotted an advertisement to become a tour guide for Contiki, a sister company of Trafalgar renowned for being a rite of passage for young Australians. After eight years of Contiki – and joking he was getting too old for it – Paul nabbed a job in Trafalgar. That was more than a decade ago. For years, he lived out of a suitcase. 'I felt it would be nice to have a home base eventually,' he said. 'It was too much. I've got boxes of stuff in random places. There comes a point where living in hotels gets too much, then you're not distinguishing between work and rest.' Only during the Covid-19 lockdowns did Paul catch up on years' worth of rest. He returned to South Africa and ended up meeting his current partner – something he said was near impossible when he was constantly on the move. They are now engaged.
The Age
10 hours ago
- The Age
Not quite luxe but this expedition ship is the real deal
For a ship that carries 130 passengers, Greg Mortimer beats some larger expedition opposition in its generous public areas, which include a large lecture lounge with a help-yourself coffee station, and adjacent Elephant Island bar and lounge, popular for pre-dinner cocktails. The forward-facing observation lounge on Deck 8 has a small bar and large deck from which to view wildlife and scenery. Another expansive deck faces aft on Deck 7, which might normally be filled with Zodiacs on expedition ships. I particularly like the snug library on the port side, crammed with polar reference and history books, and with windows often framing views of mountains or icebergs. The ship also has a reception desk, small shop and, in its bowels, a mudroom for storing boots and poplar jackets (both supplied by Aurora Expeditions) and with access onto Zodiacs for excursions. The stateroom I'm in a balcony stateroom, each of which varies slightly in size. Mine is 20.9 square metres plus balcony. It's a generous and well-considered space with enough room for a desk and two small armchairs, and ample storage space for the contents of two suitcases. A large TV, a minibar and abundant electric and USB sockets are among amenities. The room is well insulated: I can't hear my jet-lagged neighbours, who worry I might be disturbed by their TV late at night. The ensuite is a decent size but is lacking a cabinet or much counter-top space. Yet it has what you really need in polar conditions: underfloor heating, and a generous shower space with gushing hot water. The food Dining times are short, and service swift but attentive. Seating is open. There's only one restaurant, with breakfast and lunch served buffet-style and providing a good range of hot and cold dishes. At lunchtime I'm very happy with the salad bar, cold cuts and cheeses, an always excellent soup, and various hot dishes and desserts that change daily. The galley delivers consistently good, home-cooking-style cuisine, rather than the fancy or adventurous. The menu is Europe-inspired but among the choices is always an Indian (and sometimes other Asian) dish to enliven the palate. Wine is included at dinner. A small section of the dining room is set aside in the evenings as a speciality, inclusive Tuscan grill restaurant. It has a limited and unchanging menu but the two pasta dishes (pappardelle alla norma and oxtail ragout) are excellent, as are various vegetable side dishes. Wellness The ship has a small spa, a good-sized gym with an impressive range of equipment, and two hot tubs on Deck 7 at the front of the ship that make for fabulous wallowing as glaciers and icebergs pass by. Also popular is the sauna, where chilled bones can be warmed, especially following the notorious 'polar plunge' or rite-of-passage dip into the icy Antarctic Ocean. Entertainment Nobody is on this ship for singers or piano players. Greg Mortimer is focused on maximising the expedition experience, so 'entertainment' is confined to informative lectures by highly experienced expedition staff, many of whom are scientists specialising in geology, ecology, Antarctic history or niche subjects from whales to penguins. Guests make Zodiac excursions twice daily (conditions permitting) and may opt for additional adventure activities such as kayaking, snowshoeing, mountain climbing, ice camping and scuba-diving or snorkelling (yes, even in polar regions). Greg Mortimer has a huge advantage in Antarctica, where regulations restrict landings to 100 people at a time. With some guests out kayaking or doing sporting activities elsewhere, guests can maximise their time ashore without any need, as on larger ships, to rotate. The crew The quality of any expedition hinges on the experience, knowledge and good sense of the expedition team, where Aurora excels. Greg Mortimer himself leads the team on my voyage but all its members are impressive, whether in the lecture lounge or out in the Zodiacs. On shore they patiently answer questions about everything from sea-ice formation to the sex life of penguins. The regular ships' crew are mostly from the Philippines, with all the usual charm and friendliness you expect from that nation's hard-working cruise staff. They soon remember guests' names and dining preferences. A shout-out in particular to the irrepressible Pel and the always-singing Wendy in the restaurant, who manage attentive service while always appearing relaxed. The verdict Aurora Expeditions isn't a fancy cruise company with an expedition-lite arm but the real deal, offering a thrilling and rugged sense of adventure in the remotest places – and yet not sacrificing comfort to do so. The details A 23-day Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula itinerary round-trip from Ushuaia departing December 27, 2025, is priced from $US28,215 a guest all-inclusive, except for some adventure activities. Greg Mortimer has two staterooms with disabled access. See The rating out of five
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Not quite luxe but this expedition ship is the real deal
For a ship that carries 130 passengers, Greg Mortimer beats some larger expedition opposition in its generous public areas, which include a large lecture lounge with a help-yourself coffee station, and adjacent Elephant Island bar and lounge, popular for pre-dinner cocktails. The forward-facing observation lounge on Deck 8 has a small bar and large deck from which to view wildlife and scenery. Another expansive deck faces aft on Deck 7, which might normally be filled with Zodiacs on expedition ships. I particularly like the snug library on the port side, crammed with polar reference and history books, and with windows often framing views of mountains or icebergs. The ship also has a reception desk, small shop and, in its bowels, a mudroom for storing boots and poplar jackets (both supplied by Aurora Expeditions) and with access onto Zodiacs for excursions. The stateroom I'm in a balcony stateroom, each of which varies slightly in size. Mine is 20.9 square metres plus balcony. It's a generous and well-considered space with enough room for a desk and two small armchairs, and ample storage space for the contents of two suitcases. A large TV, a minibar and abundant electric and USB sockets are among amenities. The room is well insulated: I can't hear my jet-lagged neighbours, who worry I might be disturbed by their TV late at night. The ensuite is a decent size but is lacking a cabinet or much counter-top space. Yet it has what you really need in polar conditions: underfloor heating, and a generous shower space with gushing hot water. The food Dining times are short, and service swift but attentive. Seating is open. There's only one restaurant, with breakfast and lunch served buffet-style and providing a good range of hot and cold dishes. At lunchtime I'm very happy with the salad bar, cold cuts and cheeses, an always excellent soup, and various hot dishes and desserts that change daily. The galley delivers consistently good, home-cooking-style cuisine, rather than the fancy or adventurous. The menu is Europe-inspired but among the choices is always an Indian (and sometimes other Asian) dish to enliven the palate. Wine is included at dinner. A small section of the dining room is set aside in the evenings as a speciality, inclusive Tuscan grill restaurant. It has a limited and unchanging menu but the two pasta dishes (pappardelle alla norma and oxtail ragout) are excellent, as are various vegetable side dishes. Wellness The ship has a small spa, a good-sized gym with an impressive range of equipment, and two hot tubs on Deck 7 at the front of the ship that make for fabulous wallowing as glaciers and icebergs pass by. Also popular is the sauna, where chilled bones can be warmed, especially following the notorious 'polar plunge' or rite-of-passage dip into the icy Antarctic Ocean. Entertainment Nobody is on this ship for singers or piano players. Greg Mortimer is focused on maximising the expedition experience, so 'entertainment' is confined to informative lectures by highly experienced expedition staff, many of whom are scientists specialising in geology, ecology, Antarctic history or niche subjects from whales to penguins. Guests make Zodiac excursions twice daily (conditions permitting) and may opt for additional adventure activities such as kayaking, snowshoeing, mountain climbing, ice camping and scuba-diving or snorkelling (yes, even in polar regions). Greg Mortimer has a huge advantage in Antarctica, where regulations restrict landings to 100 people at a time. With some guests out kayaking or doing sporting activities elsewhere, guests can maximise their time ashore without any need, as on larger ships, to rotate. The crew The quality of any expedition hinges on the experience, knowledge and good sense of the expedition team, where Aurora excels. Greg Mortimer himself leads the team on my voyage but all its members are impressive, whether in the lecture lounge or out in the Zodiacs. On shore they patiently answer questions about everything from sea-ice formation to the sex life of penguins. The regular ships' crew are mostly from the Philippines, with all the usual charm and friendliness you expect from that nation's hard-working cruise staff. They soon remember guests' names and dining preferences. A shout-out in particular to the irrepressible Pel and the always-singing Wendy in the restaurant, who manage attentive service while always appearing relaxed. The verdict Aurora Expeditions isn't a fancy cruise company with an expedition-lite arm but the real deal, offering a thrilling and rugged sense of adventure in the remotest places – and yet not sacrificing comfort to do so. The details A 23-day Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula itinerary round-trip from Ushuaia departing December 27, 2025, is priced from $US28,215 a guest all-inclusive, except for some adventure activities. Greg Mortimer has two staterooms with disabled access. See The rating out of five
