St. Pölten in Lower Austria

29 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Rathausgasse © Alexander Wagner

Rathausgasse © Alexander Wagner

Sankt Pölten is the capital city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria. With 51,956 inhabitants, it is Lower Austria’s largest city. Sankt Pölten is a city with its own statute (or Statutarstadt) and therefore it is both a municipality and a district in the Mostviertel. The city lies on the Traisen river and is located north of the Alps and south of the Wachau.   read more…

The Maximilianstrasse in Munich

29 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Shopping Reading Time:  5 minutes

Street sign 'Maximilianstraße' © Maximilian Dörrbecker

Street sign ‘Maximilianstraße’ © Maximilian Dörrbecker

The neo-Renaissance Maximilianstraße in Munich is one of the city’s four royal avenues. It starts at Max-Joseph-Platz, where the Residenz and the National Theatre are situated, and runs from west to east. Principal was king Maximilian II of Bavaria, who started the project in 1850, the avenue is named for his honour. Leading architect was Friedrich Bürklein.   read more…

Bad Pyrmont in Lower Saxony

28 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Bad Pyrmont Castle © picasaweb.google.com / Hein

Bad Pyrmont Castle © picasaweb.google.com / Hein

Bad Pyrmont is a city in the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont with a population of 22,000. It is located on the River Emmer, about 10 km west of the Weser, and a popular spa resort that gained its reputation as a fashionable place for princely vacations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its large park is among the most spectacular in Germany, with a renowned outdoor palm garden. The baroque castle (1706–10) is part of an impressive complex of fortifications from the 16th century. The castle now houses the Museum of Municipal and Spa History. Unique in Europe is the vapor cave, where therapeutic carbon dioxide vapors emerge from the earth. The town is also the center of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Germany. Bad Pyrmonter mineralwasser, popular throughout northern Germany, is bottled in Bad Pyrmont.   read more…

Zermatt and the Matterhorn

27 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Zermatt and Matterhorn © Stan Shebs

Zermatt and Matterhorn © Stan Shebs

Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants. The village is situated at the end of Mattertal at an altitude of 1,620 m (5,310 ft), at the feet of Switzerland’s highest peaks. It lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the over 10,800 ft (3,291.84 m) high Theodul Pass bordering Italy.   read more…

Theme Week Brittany – Vitré

25 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Historical city centre © Electzik

Historical city centre © Electzik

Vitré (Breton: Gwitreg) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France. Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants (2006). It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou. The town has been designated a ville d’art et d’histoire, a town of artistic and historic significance, by the Ministry of Culture in recognition of its rich cultural inheritance. Vitré is the 37th French city with the most historic buildings and has 14% of the historical monuments of the department.   read more…

The first 5-star Marina on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast!

24 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels, Sport Reading Time:  5 minutes

© yachthafen-hohe-duene.de

© yachthafen-hohe-duene.de

The Yachthafen Hohe Düne offers 750 berths, half of which are available for visiting yachts. The marina is complemented by one of the most exclusive and impressive hotel complexes on the Baltic Sea, the Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Düne. Close at hand are ship builders, technicians, engine specialists, sailmakers and more. Along with the attractions of the hotel complex, including its diverse restaurants and spa, numerous additional restaurants and bars can be found nearby, while for the more energetic there is a diving school, which offers not only training courses but also assistance with keel or propeller problems.   read more…

Theme Week Abu Dhabi – The Emirates Palace Hotel

22 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Poco a poco

© Poco a poco

The building was designed by renowned architect, John Elliott RIBA, who was Senior Vice President at Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, an international firm specialising in Luxury Hotels. It opened in November 2005 but certain restaurants and spas did not open until 2006. The hotel was built by and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, and is currently managed by the Kempinski Group.   read more…

Theme Week Brittany – Quimper

22 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

St. Corentin Cathedral © Falk Koop

St. Corentin Cathedral © Falk Koop

Quimper (Breton: Kemper) is a commune and capital of the Finistère department in northwestern France. Quimper is the ancient capital of La Cornouaille, Brittany’s most traditional region, and has a distinctive Breton character. Shops and flags celebrating the region’s Celtic heritage can be found throughout the city. Quimper was originally settled during Roman times. By AD 495, the town had become a Bishopric. It subsequently became the capital of the counts of Cornouailles. In the 11th century, it was united with the Duchy of Brittany. During the civil wars of the 14th century, the town suffered considerable ruin. In 1364, the duchy passed to the House of Montfort.   read more…

Damp Marina

20 February 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels, Sport Reading Time:  6 minutes

Damp Marina © Xocolatl

Damp Marina © Xocolatl

Here the Baltic Sea is just one pier away: On the tip of Schwansen (located 54° 35‘ North/10° 016‘ east) the Damp marina welcomes you with its 14 footbridges and 365 moorages of which 100 are reserved for guests. Irrespective of where you dock your boat, a hose connection for drinking water and a 220 V socket are available directly in front of the boat. In addition the depth of the water is perfect for docking: Water depth in the outer harbour is 3 meters, in the inner harbour it’s even 3.20 meters and in the outer area 4 meters.   read more…

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