Reconstruction of the Berlin City Palace, then known as Humboldtforum, approved

6 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Berlin, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  5 minutes

© eldaco

© eldaco

The Stadtschloss (English: Berlin City Palace), was a royal palace in the centre of Berlin, capital of Germany. The palace bore features of the Baroque style, and its shape, finalized by the mid 18th century, is attributed to Andreas Schlüter, whose first design is likely to date from 1702, though the palace incorporated earlier parts seen in 1688 by Nicodemus Tessin. It was the principal residence (winter residence) of the Hohenzollern Kings of Prussia from 1701 to 1918 (the German Emperors from 1871 to 1918) and a museum following the fall of the German Empire in 1918. Damaged by Allied bombing in World War II, although possible to repair at great expense, the palace was demolished in 1950 by the GDR authorities, despite West German protests. Following the reunification of Germany, it was decided to rebuild the Stadtschloss.   read more…

Roman Abramowitschs Mega Yacht Eclipse

1 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Hamburg, Superyachts, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  4 minutes

Yacht Eclipse in Hamburg © Hummelhummel/cc-by-sa-3.0

Yacht Eclipse in Hamburg © Hummelhummel/cc-by-sa-3.0

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich boasts not only the world’s largest plane (the ‘Bandit’), but also the world’s biggest yacht: a 557-foot mega-boat called the Eclipse, which set sail from the dock of shipyard Blohm and Voss, Hamburg, Germany.   read more…

Augsburg, the Fugger city

15 June 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Fuggerei, the world';s first ever build social housing project © Wolfgang B. Kleiner / context medien und verlag Augsburg

Fuggerei, the world’;s first ever build social housing project © Wolfgang B. Kleiner / context medien und verlag Augsburg

Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria in Germany. It is a University town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a population exceeding 264,000 citizens. After Neuss and Trier, Augsburg is Germany’s third oldest city.   read more…

Romantic Road, from the river Main to the Alps

14 June 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  3 minutes

Romantic Road map - Photo: mario

Romantic Road map - Photo: mario

The Romantic Road (German: Romantische Straße) is the term for a theme route coined by travel agents in the 1950s to describe the 350 kilometres (220 mi) of highway in southern Germany (in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg), between Würzburg and Füssen. In medieval times it used to be a trade route, connecting the center of Germany with the South. Today this region is thought by many international travellers to possess “quintessentially” German scenery and culture, specifically in towns and cities such as Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The route is also known for passing a lot of castles, such as Burg Harburg and the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. The Romantic Road is marked with brown signs along the road.   read more…

Wiesbaden, gate to the Rheingau

3 June 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

Kurhaus Wiesbaden © Holger Reinhardt

Kurhaus Wiesbaden © Holger Reinhardt

Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the American military). Wiesbaden, together with the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people. Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name literally means “meadow baths”. At one time, Wiesbaden boasted 27 hot springs. Fifteen of the springs are still flowing today.   read more…

Lübeck, the Queen of the Hanseatic League

2 June 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Town Hall on Market Square © Mylius

Town Hall on Market Square © Mylius

The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the “capital” of the Hanseatic League (“Queen of the Hanse”) and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In 2005 it had a population of 214,000.   read more…

Nordkirchen Castle, Versailles of Westphalia

30 May 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Main building with Venus Island in front © Mbdortmund

Main building with Venus Island in front © Mbdortmund

Schloss Nordkirchen in the Gemeinde Nordkirchen in Kreis Coesfeld, Westphalia, Germany, built in 1703 to 1734, is known as the “Versailles of Westphalia” as it is the largest of the partly moated Wasserschlösser in that region. It was originally one of the residences of the Prince-bishops of Munster.   read more…

Kiel, place of diversity

27 May 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Town Hall tower with Opera House in front © Arne List

Town Hall tower with Opera House in front © Arne List

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 237,000. Kiel is approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel has become one of the major maritime centres of Germany. For instance, the city is known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Kiel.   read more…

German Wine Route

25 May 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage Reading Time:  6 minutes

German Wine Gate © Charles01

German Wine Gate © Charles01

The German Wine Route or Wine Road (German: Deutsche Weinstraße) is the oldest of Germany’s tourist wine routes. Located in the Palatinate region of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the route was established in 1935.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top