Discover a traveler's stories: of shoes and adventures!

Discover a traveler's stories: of shoes and adventures!

The fascination with traveling has spanned the centuries and influenced not only people, but also culture. A current example is the film story “Patati Patata”, which can be seen today at the Cineplex Bad Hersfeld. This creatively presents different views on traveling and staying at home. The protagonist is often on the move and is inspired by her grandfather, a captain. He encouraged them to travel through the world with their eyes and ears open in order to discover exciting stories. Her journey takes her, among other things, north to the sea, where she finds two little shoes on the beach - the "flea walking shoes" - which live happily together and suggest a trip.

Such stories of discovery and exploration are part of a long human heritage that extends to the great voyages of discovery. These expeditions were often undertaken by civilized societies with the aim of exploring unknown territories and opening up new trade routes. The term “discovery of America” is Eurocentric and primarily refers to the experiences of European explorers.

The great explorers and their journeys

One of the most important explorers in history is Christopher Columbus, who discovered America in 1492 on behalf of Spain while trying to find a western sea route to India. This landing in the Caribbean opened access to the Americas and marked the beginning of the age of colonization and “Colombian exchange” between the Old and New Worlds.

Also important was Ferdinand Magellan, who led the first circumnavigation of the globe from 1519 to 1522. His goal was to find a western sea route to the Spice Islands. Even though Magellan died in 1521, his navigator Elcano managed to successfully return the expedition, proving that the oceans are connected.

Another outstanding explorer was James Cook, who explored the Pacific between 1768 and 1771 and mapped New Zealand and the east coast of Australia during his travels. Cook also documented local cultures, animals and plants, making a significant contribution to the geography of the Pacific.

Previous discoveries and modern relevance

History also lived from the adventures of Marco Polo, who traveled from Venice to China between 1271 and 1295 and spent 17 years there at the court of Kublai Khan. His accounts of the Silk Road expanded Europe's knowledge of Asia and inspired later explorers.

Furthermore, Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India around the Cape of Good Hope in 1497, which laid the foundation for Portugal's trading empire in the Indian Ocean. Amerigo Vespucci was the first to recognize that the “New World” was a separate continent in 1499, and his mapping led to America being named after him.

But the Nordic roots of the voyages of discovery should not be forgotten either: Leif Eriksson reached North America, known as Vinland, around the year 1000, thereby establishing the early Viking heritage on the continent.

Voyages of discovery often had the purpose not only of exploring new landscapes, but also of establishing trade relationships and colonies. Today, these voyages of discovery are part of our cultural heritage and show how important discovery and travel was and is for human development.