Is working, living and learning in Germany a realistic proposition? In her regular Expatica column, Cultural Clues, Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich answers a letter about the cost of living in Germany

 Katie wrote:

I am a Canadian teenager planning to look for an equestrian job in Germany once I'm finished with high school.  I am good friends with an German riding instructor who is going to help me find a job, and I'm enrolled in a German language programme right now. How expensive will it be if I want to be enrolled in a vocational programme?  How expensive will it be to live?  Bottom line: is living/working/learning in Germany a realistic goal?

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 Dear Katie,

The state of Nordrhein-Westfalen is the hub for all things related to horses

Sure, why not have a portable career in a saddlebag? The love of music and animals is indeed universal, and will take people over national and cultural borders. The Germans have a love of both and in terms of horses, and the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) is the hub for all things related to horses.

NRW has its own “Gestuet” (horse breeding station). Its address is:

Nordrhein-Westfaelisches Landgestüt
Sassenberger Str. 11
48231 Warendorf

Although I prefer donkeys over horses, I have visited this well know and reputable Gestuet and it is beautiful.

The area round Warendorf and the bigger (historical) city of Muenster with its university offers a great area to live in. For one, it's not as expensive (in comparison to the Munich area) and it has a low crime rate (in comparison to Frankfurt).

 Now how about becoming a “diplom Pferdewirt”? The Gestuet offers this vocational programme.

Their email address is: info@landgestuet.nrw.de. For more information on the terms and conditions of acceptance as well as the costs you can visit their website: www.landgestuet.nrw.de (press the English language button!)  

November 2003

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Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich

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Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich is managing partner of CONSULTus. Her website is WWW.Consultus.net. She reserves the right to decide which questions she considers relevant for her column. She will, however, not answer any questions dealing with tax or legal matters.

For more information about Hilly, read Across cultural barriers