The Villa Wahnfried in Bayreuth

28 November 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Dickbauch~commonswiki/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Dickbauch~commonswiki/cc-by-sa-3.0

Wahnfried was the name given by Richard Wagner to his villa in Bayreuth. The name is a German compound of Wahn (delusion, madness) and Fried(e), (peace, freedom). According to Richard Wagner’s wife Cosima the name came to mind after visiting the picturesque town of Wahnfried in Hesse.   read more…

Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich

21 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hotel Bayerischer Hof © Mattes

Hotel Bayerischer Hof © Mattes

The Bayerischer Hof on Promenadeplatz in the northwestern part of Munich is a five-star Grand Hotel. Built in 1841, it remains a destination for celebrities and guests of state in Munich. The hotel was erected in 1841 on behalf of Joseph Anton von Maffei according to plans by Friedrich von Gärtner. It initially had about 100 rooms and two halls. Some of its renowned guests included Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Sigmund Freud. In 1897 the Hotel was purchased for 2,850,000 Mark by Mark Hermann Volkhardt, who converted the facade to its historicism style. Performances in the grand ballroom at this time were made by artists such as Enrico Caruso along with many others. After the reconstruction period in 1924, the Bayerischer Hof was the largest hotel in Europe. During the Second World War the building suffered heavy damage, but was rebuilt after the war.   read more…

Mittenwald in Upper Bavaria

11 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Mittenwald and Lake Lautersee © Kogo

Mittenwald and Lake Lautersee © Kogo

Mittenwald is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen with 7,500 inhabitans, in Bavaria. Mittenwald is located approx. 16 kilometers to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar, on the northern foothills of the Alps, on the route between the old banking and commercial centre of Augsburg, to the north, and Innsbruck to the south-east, beyond which is the Brenner Pass and the route to Lombardy, another region with a rich commercial past and present.   read more…

Walhalla memorial, high above the Danube River

10 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Ingo Steinbach/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Ingo Steinbach/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Walhalla is a hall of fame that honors laudable and distinguished people, famous personalities in German history – politicians, sovereigns, scientists and artists of the “German tongue“. The hall is housed in a neo-classical building above the Danube River, east of Regensburg, in Bavaria. The Walhalla is named for Valhalla of Norse mythology. It was conceived in 1807 by Crown Prince Ludwig, who built it upon ascending the throne of Bavaria as King Ludwig I. Construction took place between 1830 and 1842, under the supervision of architect Leo von Klenze. The memorial displays some 65 plaques and 130 busts of persons, covering 2,000 years of history – the earliest person honored is Arminius, victor at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD).   read more…

Therme Erding, the largest thermal bath complex in Europe

3 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  9 minutes

© Therme Erding/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Therme Erding/cc-by-sa-3.0

Therme Erding is the largest thermal bath complex in Europe at 145,000 square metres (36 acres). It is 30 minutes northeast of Munich by car and is visited by around 4000 people every day. On 12 February 1983, the American oil company Texaco drilled 2,350 metres (7,710 ft) below ground, just outside the town of Erding, Bavaria, Germany. Instead of oil, they discovered sulphorous water. Initially a ‘mini thermal bath complex’ was constructed on the site, and then the foundation stone of Therme Erding was finally laid on the 10 November 1998, and it was officially opened on the 3 October 1999. The complex has a clothed bathing area, and a no clothing (sans textiles) sauna section. In 2007, Therme Erding underwent an expansion. The baths contain four distinct areas: the waterslide area Galaxy, the Thermenparadies, the Vital-Oase, the Saunaparadies, a wave pool and the Hotel Victory Therme Erding with 128 themed rooms. The hotel design is based on the ship HMS Victory.   read more…

Herzogenaurach in Middle Franconia

20 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Main street © Tilman AB

Main street © Tilman AB

Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria. Herzogenaurach is situated in the Middle Franconia area of Bavaria, approx. 23 km or 14 miles northwest of Nuremberg. The town is located on the Aurach river, a tributary of the Regnitz river.   read more…

Altötting, the heart of Bavaria

5 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Shrine of Europe © Bene16 / Quibik

Shrine of Europe © Bene16 / Quibik

Altötting is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Altötting. This small town is famous for the Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace), one of the most-visited shrines in Germany. This is a tiny octagonal chapel which keeps a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary. According to the legend, in 1489, a 3-year-old local boy who had drowned in the river was revived when his grieving mother placed him in front of a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary at the high altar. News of the miracle quickly spread, and the chapel was immediately extended by the erection of a nave and a covered walkway.   read more…

Tutzing on Lake Starnberg

30 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Boathouses © Digital cat/cc-by-sa-3.0-de

Boathouses © Digital cat/cc-by-sa-3.0-de

Tutzing is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria, on the west bank of the Starnberger See. Just 40 km south-west of Munich and with good views of the Alps, the town was traditionally a favorite vacation spot for those living in the city.   read more…

Vilsbiburg in Bavaria

6 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

City Square © Mathias Plonka/cc-by-sa-3.0

City Square © Mathias Plonka/cc-by-sa-3.0

Vilsbiburg is a town on the river Große Vils, 18 km southeast of Landshut, in the district of Landshut, in Bavaria. Vilsbiburg has 11,000 inhabitants. Vilsbiburg lies in the center of Lower Bavaria and is part of the Alpine foothills. The river Große Vils runs through the town center. Vilsbiburg is about 55 miles northeast of Munich.   read more…

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