Travel On

LEIPZIG

With an estimated population of 500,000, Leipzig is the largest city in the German federal state of Saxony. It is famous for being an industrial and cultural center, with many to offer to its inhabitants as well as tourists, such as breathtaking scenes, shopping opportunities and busy nightlife. Leipzig also has the nickname of ‘Little Paris’ for being the center of a classical literary movement in the 18th century. Tourists can travel to Leipzig through several methods of their choice – by car, by train or by plane.

One of the must-see in Leipzig is none other than Leipzig Zoo, one of the largest and renowned in Germany. It has a very long tradition and there are several interesting constructions including the new elephants’ enclosure, with a swimming pool where tourists can watch the elephants close up. There is also a monkey house where the monkeys can live freely in their community and an open-plan, safari-style Africa landscape.

Another tourist attraction of ‘Little Paris’ is the Auerbach’s Keller, a pub that has been around since medieval times. Opened in 1525, Auerbach’s Keller is among the oldest pubs that are still operating in Germany. The conditions in the pub are retained to give customers the feeling of being in an ancient pub and the cellar has been a part of a scene in one of Germany’s most famous plays. The rooms are also frequently used as a set for around-the-city re-enactment of the play.

Built in 1556 in the Renaissance style, Leipzig’s Old Town Hall is still one of Germany’s largest and is located in the heart of the city. It is magnificent Renaissance style building with its six gables and a tower. Formally the home of the city administration, today the Town Hall serves as the city museum, housing many important artifacts and drawings, especially the huge Banquetting Hall that has never failed to mesmerize tourists that stepped into it. Hanging on the walls or on the sides of the hall are many fine ancient religious works such as altars, paintings, wood sculptures and many more which were originally from churches which were deconstructed around Leipzig. Tourists can also visit the treasure chamber for a very miniscule fee.

As for the Old City Hall, today it is a home to a museum of city history which possesses the one and only original painting of Bach produced. It is displays interesting information on the public executions in the market in front of the city hall that previously took place. The outside view of the hall is a head-turner, with its interesting Renaissance style, but nothing can be compared to the interior of the Old City Hall. The museum covers the history of Leipzig from the 12th century till this very day and is, by far, one of the must-visit places in the city.
Last but not least, situated in the Leipzig University, Botanical Garden in Leipzig is a property of the Leipzig University and is one of the oldest botanical garden in Germany. It is also rumoured to one of the first botanical garden in the world.
There are many more interesting places in Leipzig that can’t be put into words – you have to be there to witness it yourself, as the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. Words are just not enough to describe to magnificence of Leipzig.

HAMBURG

The second-largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg with its central port, Hamburg Harbour, has the ninth largest port in the whole world and second in central Europe. An approximate 1.8 million inhabitants currently reside within Hamburg, making it the most populous city besides the capital city. Hamburg, being another Hanseatic city, is also one of the sixteen Federal states of Germany and a city-state famous for its commerce and diverse culture, especially in Northern Germany.

Tourism plays a major role in Hamburg’s economy, and a very good reason why – two of Germany’s most visited sites, the harbour and the Reeperbahn, not to forget the Cathedral in Cologne or the castle Neuschwanstein are all located here. The harbour, being the world largest and sometimes referred as Germany’s “Gateway to the World”, has always been favoured by tourists, especially the canal boat tours from the harbour itself around Hamburg. Visitors who prefer the low life also have the privilege of walking down the streets of Reeperbahn – Europe’s largest red-light district by far due to the vast numbers of strip clubs, bars and nightclubs. This place might be a famous tourist spot for some of the music-lovers as the Beatles started their career at the on of the clubs there, the Indra Club.

In Hamburg tourists can also witness the famous Neo-Renaissance building with its 112 meters-high tower, easily Europe’s highest townhall. The emperors of the Holy Roman Empire was shown on the fa?ade of the townhall as Hamburg was formerly under the status of Free Imperial City and was under sovereignty of the emperor.

Hamburg’s zoo in Stellingen, the Tierpark Hagenbeck is famous for taking the initiative to use open, moat surrounded enclosures to let the animals feel more at home, rather than barred cages. A visit to the Tierpark Hagenbeck is a must as it is the only zoo in the world that uses a barless enclosure which makes it a closer resemblance to a park rather than a zoo. The animals in the park are also grouped by species, separated by wide moats or wide pits to ensure that every animal is confined to its own region. Carl Hagenbeck, the founder certainly earned his park the title ‘animal paradise’. It is certainly to feast to the eyes as one could look across an expanse of the zoo and see many animals at once, as if in the wild.

Alster, the large lake right in the heart of the city has always made the people of Hamburg proud of their city – and it’s not hard to see why. Formally a river, Alster and the parks around it serve as a significant recreational area and contribute much to the development of tourism in Hamburg. The banks of the Alster river are perfect for a relaxing walk with the breathtaking scenes around the lake and a boat tour on the Alster ends up in the busy city centre, where tourists can go shopping or relax in a street caf?.

As most people can easily guess, Hamburg is also the origin of hamburgers, a delicious snack that is popular all over the world. With the beautiful scenes around the city of Hamburg and the opportunity to taste the original taste of hamburgers, a lot of tourists seldom hesitate to take a trip to Hamburg. Why you?

DUSSELDORF

Famous for its fashion and trade fairs, D?sseldorf as the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has a dense population of over 10 million inhabitants solely in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area. Every year more than 4 million tourists, mainly fashion-lovers, visit D?sseldorf for its Kirmes fair. The name D?sseldorf was adopted from the name of a stream in the city, the ‘D?ssel’.

There are many city landmarks in D?sseldorf, one of it being the Rheinturm, a 240.5 metre high TV tower with a light sculpture on its shaft, which works as a clock. The light sculpture on the Rheinturm is the biggest digital clock in the world. The Rheinturm also carries aerials for directional radio, FM and TV transmitters and a revolving restaurant at a height of 174.5 metres in the air.

Another interesting landmark is none other than the D?sseldorf Opera House and is one of two opera houses where performances are given by the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, a opera company. The original opera house was constructed between 1873 and 1875, and was severely damaged during the Second World War. It was not until 22 April 1956 when the house was restored to its original form.

To the north of the Rhine lays Kaiswerth, a tiny town which is famous for housing the ruins of Emperor Freidrich’s palace. Although not in perfect condition, the ruins of the palace still can give tourists a picture of what the palace looked like in the olden days – with tapestries hanging down the brick walls of the palace and fountains that shoot sprinkles high up in the air.

D?sseldorf is also home to the largest Japanese community in Europe, thus it is not surprising to see buildings with Japanese style around the city. Eko House is one of the examples. Eko House can be found in the Old Town of D?sseldorf and has a lovely garden which serves as a culture centre where frequent tea ceremonies and Buddhist readings are held.

The Heinrich Heine University of D?sseldorf is also quite famous for a certain reason, perhaps because the university itself is named after Heinrich Heine, the German poet and political thinker who was also born in D?sseldorf in 1797. The Heinrich Heine University of D?sseldorf has been a fully-fledged university since 1965, consisting today of faculties of law, medicine, philosophy, mathematics and natural sciences, and economics.

Apart from all that, tourists shouldn’t miss out on the world-renowned art museum, Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen which houses paintings of famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Expressionists and Surrealists.

Last but not least, tourists who travel with their family can consider Grafenberger Forest, a popular spot for a day trip, picnicking, long walks or just to relax. Different species of deers can be spotted running freely in the forest and a forestry school stands at the edge of the forest for children who are interested in the region’s flora and fauna.

The D?sseldorf of today is a sophisticated, modern city, and home to a multinational corporation base despite the many terrible calamities over the centuries. A trip to Germany would not be complete without paying a visit to D?sseldorf – home of fashion of Germany.

BREMEN

Located along the Weser River and one of the Hanseatic city in the northwestern Germany, Bremen is a port city about 60 kilometres south from its mouth on the North Sea. There are two towns in the state of Bremen, one being Bremen and the other is Bremerhaven. Bremen is the second most populated city in the North Germany with a population size around 545 thousand in year 2005.

Many of the sights in Bremen are found in the Old Town, or more famously known as Altstadt, which was surrounded by the Weser River on the southwest, and the Wallgraben (former moats of the medieval city walls) on the northeast. The oldest part of the Altstadt is marked by the Marktplatz, or commonly known as the market square. The market square is overshadowed by the magnificent fa?ade of the Town Hall. The building was erected between 1405 and 1410 in Gothic style, but the fa?ade was built in Renaissance style two centuries later. Now, it has been changed of its main purpose into a restaurant which brings out the ambience of German in their early days with huge wooden wine barrels and large mugs, and they serve more than 600 exclusively German wines to their customers It is certainly a treat of the lifetime to be there as it is also home of the twelve oldest wines in the world, stored in their original barrels in the Apostel chamber.

Beside the Town Hall are two statues that you shouldn’t – and can’t possibly miss. One of the two statues is bearing a sword and a shield decorated with imperial eagle is Roland, the city’s protector from evil. The sword he bears is Durendart, the ‘sword of justice’ in the legends of the Germans. Standing next to it is the famous bronze sculpture Die Stadtmusikanten, also known as Bremen Town Musician, which is a statue of the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster standing on each other of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale. Despite the title of the fairy tale the animals never actually arrive in Bremen.

To the east of the Marktplatz stand the magnificent Breman Cathedral, a Lutheran church which was dedicated to St. Peter. The cathedral has twin 99 meter towers referred to as the north tower and the south tower and it is possible to climb the south tower for a view of the city. An unusual lead basement is located beneath the nave which even before the Reformation is rumored to be an excellent place to preserve the bodies of the dead in amazing form. The crypt which housed eight mummies in glass coffins has become the cathedral’s famous tourist spot for more than 300 years
Besides medival buildings there are also modern structures in Bremen, such as the the Kunsthalle Bremen, which is an art museum in the Hanseatic City. The Kunsthalle was built in 1849 and enlarged in 1902 to serve the purpose of housing an important collection of paintings from the 19th and 20th century including works of artists from the nearby art colony of Worpswede.
There are more than meets the eye in Bremen, and the beauty of the Hanseatic City is indescribable with words. It is certainly a feast to the eyes to be in Bremen, and probably a feast to your guts as well - if you are a booze-lover - with German’s original, finest wine.

Famous for its festivals, contemporary architecture, nightlife, history and literature, Berlin has always been popular among the tourists. Being the capital city of Germany, Berlin is the countries largest city with an estimated population of 3.4 million. Berlin’s urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions and is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums. There are several ways to get around Berlin – on foot, by car, by bus, by bicycle, or you can even rent to boat to move around the 197 kilometers of waterways, and each method of transport will offer different surprises along the way.

Berlin’s most famous landmark, over 200 years old, the Brandenburg Gate is today a national symbol of unity of Berlin and Germany. It is a magnificent structure created by Johann Gottfried Schadow, the mastermind who also designed the four-horsed chariot at the top of the gate - Quadriga. The goddess of peace Victoria was placed on the chariot as a bringer of peace. During the World War II, Brandenburg Gate and Quadriga was once severely damaged during the World War II and was restored in 1956.

Museums and art galleries are a common sight around Berlin as there are more than 170 museums which offer everything from the ancient to the ultra modern. There is a spot in Berlin where they call it ‘Museum Island’ where you find almost all the museums in Berlin there. One of the many museums in the Berlin is the Pergamon Museum. Pergamom Museum is visited by more than 800 thousand visitors a year and is Berlin’s prime museum with its bizarre and outstanding collections: the Antiquity Collection, the Museum of the Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art. Another must-see museum is the Charlottenburg Palace, which is the summer residence of the Prussian kings. The golden gallery to east wing was once the official residence of Friedrich the Great.

The Berlin Wall, a symbol of Cold War between two divided nations, used to serve as a border between East and West Berlin is now nothing but a memory of the past. The two halves of Berlin, being separated by the Wall for several decades, have in fact been unified. However, Berlin authorities have been working hard on trying to preserve the sections of the wall and have managed to identify several meters of inner and outer wall, as well as three guard towers in the middle of the city.

Last but not least, the Hohenzollern Royal Palace is a tourist spot not to be missed in Berlin. Situated between the two arms of the River Spree, the palace was badly destroyed during the World War II; the remains of this monumental structure were blown up and cleared away. Only a few basement walls, unearthed some years ago, remain. Reconstruction of the palace took place in November 2003 for use as a cultural centre known as Humboldt Forum.

Above are just few of the many interesting sites at Berlin that makes Berlin a must-visit location of many tourists during the holidays. There will never be a dull moment in Berlin, even though you are not an art-lover – the beauty of the structures will keep you mesmerized.

The History of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands has always been a well-known name in the world history. It is well-known throughout the world as the greatest planned city of the northern Europe, and is highly acclaimed for its rich heritage. It was considered as the center of world economy in the 17^th century, and now the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands is acclaimed for its tolerant character.

The Early Days

The greatest planned city of Amsterdam, Netherlands was first founded as a fishing village around the thirteenth century. It developed round a dam ion the Amstel river at the end of the 12^th century, and the name Amstelledamme occurs for the first time in October 27, 1275 when the toll concession of Floris V. Count of Holland happened. During the 14^th century throughout the 15^th, Amsterdam, Netherlands experienced a rapid development, which later on laid the foundation for the city’s Golden Age.

It was noted that only very few medieval buildings in the city survive today. The houses were then built of wood, a vulnerable type of construction material. The world famous Houten Huis is no exception to this rule. However, most of them were destroyed, but a surprisingly large number of Amsterdam dwellings still have timber frames.

The City’s Golden Age

The Golden Age of Amsterdam, Netherlands starts from the period 1585 and ends in 1672. This period was said to be the hey-day of the city’s commercial success. During this time, the Amsterdam, Netherlands was the staple market of the world and it is also during this period that the characteristic Amsterdam cityscape was developed. It is just worth noting that in 1613 and 1663, urban expansions are what set the city’s characteristic appearance. It is also during this time that a number of today’s historic buildings were built, like the town hall in the Dam Square, which is known as the Royal Palace at present.

The Age of Gold and Silver

1672 in Amsterdam, Netherlands was a year of disaster for the Dutch Republic as the French and English were attacking simultaneously during this time. The Golden Age of the city had come to end; however Amsterdam, Netherlands was still able to manage the consolidation of its prosperity during the period 1672 to 1795 despite of the predicament that the Republic found itself in.

At that time, the city remained as the major staple market and managed to retain its position as the financial center of Europe. Also, a large number of dwellings were built at this period, both simple and rich canal houses reflect the city’s prosperity.

Amsterdam’s Recession and Decline

In 1795 the government of the patrician oligarchies was overthrown from power and the old Republic ceased to exist. Soon, the French were to occupy the country. It was during the period 1795 to 1813 that Amsterdam, Netherlands has suffered badly from the economic recession, which is a state of affairs reflected by the stagnation of the demographic development. A number of houses were vacant at this time, and some even collapsed for lack of maintenance. However, some facades and interiors dating back to the Empire period of Amsterdam, Netherlands still survive up to these days.

1813 to 1940 in the history of Amsterdam, Netherlands marked the period of economic recovery and it was from 1870 onwards that the expansion began. A rapid population growth started to happen and from here an increasing wealth was accumulated. As many have noted, this development was primarily the result of the Industrial Revolution which triggered off a New Golden Age.