I live here together with my girlfriend Nataly. Our apartment is in the city region of Feuerbach, which lies less than 15 minutes with the subway from the city center of Stuttgart. Within minutes one can be in the forest or can be wandering through the local vineyards.

The state capital of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart was completely destroyed at the end of the second world war, due to it's industrial importance. It is proclaimed the automobile capital of Germany, since DaimlerChrysler, Porsche and related companies, such as Bosch have their world headquarters located in and around Stuttgart. The local dialect here is "schwäbisch" and with a population of 600,000 the city has much to offer, including a world-class ballet.

During my time in Bonn I worked in the National Executive Board of AIESEC in Germany. My apartment was situated directly on the Rhine River and was only a few minutes from the city center. I had the pleasure of sharing the apartment with another Robert, a co-worker in the National Executive Board.

A relatively small city (300,000), Bonn was chosen as the capital of the former West Germany for precisely this reason. It is also famed as the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and claims to be in the region with the friendliest folk in Germany. The Rhine rivers slices through the city, but also shapes much of the local culture (e.g. wine). As the former capital, there are also many company headquarters here (e.g. Deutsche Post/DHL) and many non-profit organisations prefer Bonn due to it still capital-like flare and its proximity to important EU cities: Brussels and Strasbourg.

In this period of my life I had several amazing experiences: First, to have written my Master Thesis in this city at the Fraunhofer Institute IPM. Second, Freiburg quickly became the city, where I have most enjoyed living. Third, although not a member, I rented a room in a German fraternity and experience a very different way of student life.

Described as a provincial city, the population is small (210,000), but it's reputation and flare are huge. Freiburg is at the foot of the Black Forest and is tucked in a large valley/plain, which extends to the nearby Rhine. With probably the warmest climate, most sunshine in Germany, many waterways and rivers, plus a volcanic history, this region in Baden is perfectly suited and well known for its wine, which is a way of life in this part of Germany.

Karlsruhe, my home during my Master education, is the city where I first met and fell in love with Nataly. At first in a university dorm, I quickly found better accommodation in a German "Wohngemeinschaft" or WG - a type of shared apartment, where I lived with three male Germany: Christian, Eric and Johannes.

As a planned city, Karlsruhe is also one of the youngest in Germany because it is only 275 years old. Built based on a dream of a young prince, who took a nap on a nearby hill, the palace sits in the middle of a huge ring, which enclosed the original city, from which streets radiate like sunbeams. With a population nearing 300,000 Karlsruhe ranks as an important city in German and is the location of the German Supreme Court, plus the one of the top European technical universities. Trams rule the streets in Karlsruhe, which is a model in Germany for organized public transportation, however its proximity to France and the students ensure enough "joi de vive"!

This city could have been plucked directly out of a fairytale and was my first home upon my arrival in Germany, while I worked for Hewlett-Packard. My first struggles with the language, my first German friendships and my decision to live in Germany all happened and were inspired here.

Home to one of the oldest and most respected universities in Germany, Tübingen is without a doubt a university city. It's population of around 80,000 can quickly shrink to 50,000 if the students leave during the semester break. Spared by the bombs of the second world war due to its academic importance, the medieval city center is still very original and breathtaking. With rolling hills and the famed atmosphere of the Neckar river, you would swear to be in a fairytale.

• www.deutschland.de - The national German portal.
• www.bundesregierung.de - The official site of the Federal Government.
• www.bahn.de - The national German railway company, "Die Deutsche Bahn".
• dict.leo.org - A German/English and German/French online dictionary.
• www.gutenberg.spiegel.de/ - A collection of free German literature and famous works with information and history about the authors.
• www.spiegel.de - A national magazine similar to Macleans (Canada) or Time (USA).
• www.billigertelefonieren.de - A site, which informs about cheaper telephone rates, in Germany and worldwide from Germany.