Els(67)

When my husband died, I was 64 and alone in a too-large house in Breda. The children lived far away, my friends were busy with their own lives. I had always loved southwest Germany — we often went there on holiday — and decided to do something drastic. I sold the house, packed up my life and moved to Freiburg im Breisgau, the sunniest city in Germany.

The pension side was simpler than expected. My AOW continued through the SVB. My survivor's pension from ABP was transferred without problems to my German bank account at the Sparkasse. I had to deregister from the BRP in Breda and register through the Anmeldung in Freiburg. The Finanzamt then sent me a Steuernummer, because even as a retiree you must file a tax return in Germany if you receive foreign pension income.

The Krankenversicherung as a retiree was more complex. Because I had no German employment history, I couldn't automatically join the gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (GKV). I chose voluntary insurance with Barmer — €395 per month including Pflegeversicherung. More expensive than the Netherlands, but the coverage is excellent and without a deductible. In Freiburg many doctors speak French or English, which really helped in the beginning.

Freiburg is a dream city for active seniors. It's compact — everything is reachable by bike or tram. The climate is the mildest in Germany, with an average of 1,800 sunshine hours per year. The Black Forest literally begins at the edge of the city. I hike three times a week with a Seniorenwandergruppe from the DAV (Deutscher Alpenverein). Through the Volkshochschule I take courses in painting and German, and through the Kirchengemeinde I've built a close circle of friends.

Financially I manage well. My Altbauwohnung in Wiehre — one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Freiburg — costs €780 warm for two rooms. I shop at the Münstermarkt, the daily market on the square by the cathedral, and at Aldi around the corner. With my AOW, survivor's pension and the proceeds from selling the house in Breda I have a comfortable life. The Deutschlandticket at €49 per month is a blessing — I use it to travel throughout the Black Forest and to Basel in Switzerland.

What I didn't expect: the Nachbarschaft (neighborhood) in Germany is tighter-knit than in the Netherlands. My neighbor brought me Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte when I had just moved in. The caretaker helps me with the Mülltrennung — four different bins, including the Biotonne and the Gelbe Sack. Every month there's a Stammtisch at the café around the corner where the neighborhood gathers. After two years I feel more at home in Freiburg than I ever felt in Breda. Sometimes you need a fresh start to discover who you really are.