🇩🇪 Paderborn, Germany: Castles, Carnivals & Cathedrals 🏰🎡⛪

Even though Paderborn is in NRW, my Lower Saxony semester ticket got me here for free—score! 🎫 First impressions? 🚉 The "train station" was just platforms—no proper building (under construction?). 🌿 Strong weed smell right outside—welcome to Germany, I guess? 😅 🚌 Bought a €4.9 day ticket—super affordable for exploring! 1️⃣ Schloß Neuhaus 🏰 ⏰ 13-min bus from station ✨ Rebuilt Baroque palace & gardens (free entry!). Tiny but charming, with a mini moat and elderly locals strolling. Some museums inside charge, but the gardens are open 24/7. 2️⃣ Parkplatz Liboriberg 🎢 (Funfair!) 🎡 Shock discovery: Went for a COVID test, found a PACKED carnival across the street! Zero mask checks (despite "3G" signs). Rides galore: Ferris wheel, pirate ship, spinning horrors—plus junk food stalls. 🍟 😷 Crowd level: "No social distancing, just vibes." 3️⃣ Paderborner Dom ⛪ 🏛️ Gothic cathedral near the carnival. Pretty, but (hot take) all German churches start looking alike after a while. 😅 Free to enter, museum inside. 4️⃣ LWL-Museum in der Kaiserpfalz 🏺 📜 Westphalian history deep dive—student ticket €2.50! Right by the cathedral. 5️⃣ Rathaus Paderborn 🏛️ ☕ City hall + café crowds: Again, zero masks. Do Germans fear nothing? 🤷‍♂️ Final Thoughts Skip if: You hate crowds/weed smells. Go if: You love castles, carnivals, and €2.50 museums! Weird flex: Semester tickets > regional borders. #Germany #TravelGermany #AmusementPark #Castle #Paderborn #StudyAbroad