Known as Deutschland and the Father Land by many this relatively modern country was founded on land spanning thousands of years of history and inhabitation Kingdoms have both risen and fallen—empires have thrived and crumbled—but what remains constant is Germany's famed beauty Whether that is its rolling green hills of Hochsauerlandkreis or the deep green forests in Bavaria the towns of Germany surrounded by its impeccable beauty continue to draw many to this day Germany is the perfect place to quietly settle down and it is home to the most welcoming towns to retire On a small island halfway between the German mainland and Denmark Burg auf Fehmarn sits cozily as a perfectly preserved town filled with ancient architecture being the largest town on this tiny island has only about 6,000 inhabitants from a 2021 estimate there is no doubt that you will appreciate its surreal beauty Burg auf Fehmarn houses a variety of activities and entertainment one of which is a well-known indoor zoo known as Schmetterlingspark Fehmarn a local hotspot and comfortable small space—filled with plenty of butterflies and a collection of reptiles that make for a calming experience The indoor zoo is also a perfect representative of the museum town Burg has already become coupled with the eccentricities of Brandung near the shores and this community is never a place that fosters boredom but a slow and meaningful living Yet what makes Burg auf Fehmarn a great place to retire specifically? Burg simply is a well-rounder: it has a hospital in town (AMEOS Klinikum Fehmarn), a moderate to moderately high range of rent expenses (3,000~ euros a month), with all the scenic views of the Baltic Sea in between amidst the Alpine peaks of snow and green valleys below a town known for its striking views of the mountains—and for creating some of the best musical instruments in the world Home of the once prestigious and generally considered best instrument-making families in all of Europe Mittenwald takes Klotz as part of its Bavarian tradition and atmosphere and thus has now become a beacon in the music world nearly becoming a sacred site for musicians of every flavor Mittenwald is not a one-trick pony either; its surrounding area's beauty has enough scenic views for a lifetime provides a wonderful hike through the mountains and woods all while the snow-capped peaks of the Alpines loom in the distance its old town is populated with numerous buildings from a bygone era with often family-owned businesses and museums on every corner A notable museum dedicated to Mittenwald's music past is the Geigenbaumuseum a wonderful place dedicated to the art of wood instrument-making but to retire there in the mountains along with its other 8,000 residents is still feasible the average rent for Mittenwald is nearly 6,000 euros Bavaria itself is one of the most expensive regions in the entire country—but what is the price of Mittenwald South and by the shores of the dark blue lake a town that looks straight out of a fairytale and tourists alike take the trolley leading to Mount Wallberg and bask at its high-mountain views with fields and forested paths below—all the way down to the Rottach Waterfall The nearby lake provides many opportunities to also sunbathe and enjoy the cold water Not many towns have the diverse biomes that Rottach-Egern does and the appeal to this lakeside community at the foot of a mountain has attracted a variety of wealthy families and individuals looking for a quiet place to pass the time It's no surprise then that properties here fetch in the millions of euros but the upside is its incredibly low crime rate—travelladies.com a website mainly for solo female travelers The town also has the necessary modern amenities such as a medical clinic (Medicum Tegernsee Medical Center) and a nearby hospital (Privatklinik Jägerwinkel) in Bad Wiessee For those with the means to live a life of luxury and quietude Rothenburg ob der Tauber has a mere 11,000 people walking its cobblestone streets nearly double from its medieval population status of 6,000 a few centuries ago while Rothenburg ob der Tauber is known for its celebration of medieval life and tourism it also happens to be a great place to live Since the town is steeped in its long history places like the Medieval Crime Museum showcase the macabre and fascinating facets of regular medieval life For those wishing for a more artistic experience of pure expression the town is also home to a prime piece of art on display at Saint Jakob's Church near the heart of the town and was masterfully crafted by Germany's finest woodworker In addition to its niche and culturally rich atmosphere the town has easy access to a nearby medical facility ANregiomed clinic Rothenburg ob der Tauber Gengenbach looks much closer to a rural community than that of its other medieval brethren With a population barely breaking into the 11,000 mark the town is less of a tourist area—but don't be fooled there are plenty of things to be enjoyed here caped and lined with small shops that go back generations and all the necessities of a refreshing and relaxed living the well-known distillery is around the corner the Brennerei & Weingut Wild is surrounded by vineyards and the greenery of the Black Forest Mountain range rent prices are in a moderate range of around 2,000 euros and above (according to rentberry.com) this once historic resort town ("bad" meaning bath in German) is surrounded by tall grasses and meadows watered by the long and flowing river of Neckar Home to the majestic Wimpfen Imperial Palace a must-see site with available guided tours by costumed and experienced locals there is no doubt that Bad Wimpfen is considered a beautiful and historic town resting by the water—one that is the beating heart of Bad Wimpfen that is filled with luxurious gastropubs (such as Weinstube Feyerabend) and a myriad of other historic buildings and key points of interest all worth visiting is within walking distance from Blauer Turm and keeping this in mind with the nearby medical center the town's soft and welcoming atmosphere is best rooted in its promotion of a luxurious lifestyle the main town of really a connection of three others—including Alstadt they are each distinct but seem to mingle and coalesce right in the middle of Dinkelsbühl and with the sheer amount of things to do and places to see a 15th-century work of art in its own right celebrates the saint who slew a conniving and extorting dragon—and now the church—more a time capsule—has become a hotspot for the religious and non-religious alike Though there are no more dragons to be slain the makings of a medieval moat can still be found at Bäuerlinsturm a 16th-century tower that has since become the icon of the town along the running Wörnitz River (which offers tours and is visitable) But Dinkelsbühl's appeal lies in the fact that one can actually buy properties there Realestate.com places the properties at around 1 million euros or so but these properties have the classic architecture one might expect to find in a borderline ancient German town; the difference is in the modern interior homes Pair this with a top-notch hospital in town (ANregiomed Klinik Dinkelsbühl) and the town becomes yet another historic and luxury pick for the soon-to-be retiree Germany is by no means in short supply of special towns that each have their own strengths and weaknesses Every town has something that draws seniors—whether their relative location they border the Alps or are in the central flatlands or whether they celebrate a medieval past or focus more on an artistic and musical kind of history—all of these are truly the cream of the crop And while some may attract the crowds every now and then what is better than a tourist getting to appreciate the gold of the land not just one day Head out to discover the most welcoming communities in Germany photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com An illustration of the night sky on April 22 2023 showing the Lyrid meteor shower originating from the Lyra constellation near the star Vega Find a spot well away from city or street lights and see this annual meteor shower for yourself If you want to catch a glimpse of a "falling star," tonight's your chance The Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight on Saturday (April 22) night into early Sunday (April 23) offering skywatchers the opportunity to spot some fast and bright meteors as they streak through the night sky.  the meteor shower will become visible at around 8:29 p.m when the point from which its meteors appear to stream also known as the "radiant," rises above the horizon to the northeast The Lyrids will disappear as dawn light breaks at around 5:34 a.m Related: Meteor showers 2023: Where, when and how to see them Longer trails from Lyrid meteors can be seen at other times when these fireballs travel further across the sky creating longer streaks of light This is because at these times meteors are entering Earth's atmosphere at shallower angles and can thus traverse more of the sky over our planet before burning up.  this celestial April shower is known for fast and bright meteors At peak activity and in ideal viewing conditions like dark skies and clear weather skywatchers could expect to see around 18 meteors per hour from the Lyrids reality is rarely "ideal" so realistic meteor hunters should expect to see less than this but should still watch out for the occasional bright fireball flash from the Lyrids NASA suggests that to increase the chances of spotting the Lyrids amateur astronomers should head well away from city or street lights After observing dark skies for around 30 minutes allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark NASA says you should be able to start seeing meteors with your unaided eye Like all meteor showers, the Lyrids are caused when Earth passes through a patch of dusty debris left behind by a comet or an asteroid as it orbits the sun.  As comets approach the sun solid ice is transformed straight into gas and this causes material to be blown from the comets' main bodies This not only creates the distinctive tails of comets and a characteristic glow called the coma around them but it also leaves debris around the sun.  it enters our planet's atmosphere at speeds as great as 29 miles (47 kilometers) per second.  The debris that creates the Lyrids meteor shower is created by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher which takes 415 Earth years to orbit the sun This means our ancestors have been marveling at this particular meteor shower for 2,700 years making the Lyrids one of the oldest known meteor showers.  Editor's Note: If you snap an image of the Lyrid meteor shower and would like to share it with Space.com's readers and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.  Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. For Star Wars Day, May the 4th, you'll have to use all your Jedi powers to grab this Lego set — Jango Fett's Starship WILL sell out fast These ARE the Lego Star Wars deals you're looking for What would it be like living on Tatooine from 'Star Wars'? This exoplanet orbiting twin suns could tell us you're going to be rewarded with gorgeous views to end the year.  Here are all the best stargazing events you'll be able to soak in during December.  It's a surprise addition to the December lineup The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued geomagnetic storm watches for December 9 and 10 and it has the potential to be a strong blast of solar wind with a G3 storm forecast for the first night from 11 pm to 2 am ET The moon and the brightest planet in Earth's sky will come together on the morning of December 12. The two will have a conjunction later that day, but the closest you'll be able to see them will be early in the morning after Venus rises around 5:08 am That will give you a little over two hours to catch them before the sun rises.  The duo will still be close together on the morning of December 13 when Venus will rise just a couple of minutes later.  One of the year's most exciting meteor showers will hit its peak the night of December 13 into the morning of December 14 The Geminids are almost always a good show Bill Cooke of NASA Meteoroid Environment Office tells Thrillist this it will be a "very good year to observe the Geminids." you might see as many as 100 meteors per hour with the best viewing coming around 2 am local time.  with a partial solar eclipse visible in Angola you should be able to watch a live stream of the totality if you don't want to miss the event.  we'll have a run of conjunctions between Jupiter and the moon as well as Saturn and the moon With the gas giants setting early in the evening the moment of their closest approach to the moon won't be visible from the US early in the evening of both December 16 and 17 creating a small triangle of celestial objects.  Both Jupiter and Saturn rise while the sun is still up and aren't visible until the sun has sufficiently faded from view They'll remain visible low in the sky until just after 7 pm That makes this a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity You'll even be able to spot the two gas giants in the same field of view through a telescope.  A conjunction between the two is referred to as a great conjunction because it's the rarest of all two-planet conjunctions that are visible with the naked eye. (Also, some are referring to this as the "Christmas star.") One between Jupiter and Saturn hasn't even been visible since 1980 Look in the south-southwest sky at sunset or just after to see the sight and be sure you've got a clear view along the horizon They'll only be above the horizon for a little while with a setting time just before 7 pm The Ursids—sometimes called the "cursed Ursids"—will look pretty tepid in comparison to the Geminids earlier in the month The shower is expected to produce about 10 meteors per hour but the cold temperatures and slow pace of meteors make it pale in comparison to the other big shower this month Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun thesouthafrican.com is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd Reproduction without permission prohibited Home » Here’s how to watch the Lyrids meteor shower tonight [live stream] The Lyrids meteor shower will peak between 00:00 and 4:00 on Wednesday The Lyrids meteor shower – one of the oldest known meteor showers – is usually active between 16 and 25 April every year; and tends to peak between 21 and 23 April The Lyrids meteor shower is going to peak on Tuesday night, going into Wednesday morning. Lyrids will be at it’s most visible in South Africa between 2:00 and 4:00 on Wednesday 22 April Better set those alarms! In addition, the Lyrids meteor shower is visible in both hemispheres we could (if we’re lucky) see up to 18 meteors per hour The moon’s glow might reduce the effect the shower will have in the sky but telescopes and binoculars remain non-essential viewing tools If you’re unable to see the meteor shower you can also tune into the ComsoSapiens live stream which will go live at 0:00 on Wednesday 22 April You’ll need to locate the Pi-Puppids constellation for this one as we’re not allowed to roam freely outside Find a comfortable spot to lie on the ground and look up Your eyes will need about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark The Lyrid meteor shower is named after the Lyra constellation and is leftovers from Comet Thatcher the Lyrid meteor streams are groups of meteoroids originating from dust grains ejected from the comet Meteoroids are small dust grains which are then distributed around the comet’s orbit These pieces enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up The Lyrid meteor shower is known for its bright fireballs We get to see the meteors every time Earth passes through that stream of dust particles It takes the Comet Thatcher approximately 415 years to orbit around the sun and we won’t get to see it again soon It was last visible from Earth on 13 May 1861; the next perihelion will be in 2265 Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more! Gayton McKenzie has finally registered a foundation in Joslin Smith’s name days after her mom was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking Today’s Daily Lotto jackpot stands at an estimated R520 000 If you want to win your share of the jackpot City Power Johannesburg has announced that a planned power outage will affect 8 suburbs on Tuesday Babylonstoren has announced the opening of BLOU at Keurbooms a new coastal escape on South Africa’s Garden Route Soweto giants Orlando Pirates will battle Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership minus two clutch players After a series of public holidays in South Africa over the last month here is the next one to mark down in your calendar