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.

Tourist Spots in Brussels

The Brussels

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and the largest city of the country. It is the administrative center of the European Union. Brussels was developed from a fortress town which was founded by the grandson of Charlemagne.

The official city of Brussels has a population of 140,000 inhabitants. It hosts some of the key European Institutions such as the Commission, Parliament and the council. Apart from these many pan-European organizations have their headquarters in Brussels.

Tourist Spots in Brussels

Brussels has been a major tourism center in Belgium. Some of the famous tourist spots in Brussels are the Museum of Fine Arts, Royal Palace, The Grand Place, Auto World Car Museum, the City Museum, The Atomium and much more.

Museum of Fine Arts

Belgium has many Royal Museums of Fine Arts and among them the Museum of Fine Arts also known as The Mus?e d’Art Ancien has some of the best collections. This museum especially has excellent collections of the Old Masters with the works of Rubens, Bouts and Memling. There are also small collections of Hieronymus Bosch and Brueghel. You can also go through the passage way to the Museum of Modern Arts where you will find a splendid collection of the Belgian Surrealists. This museum is a must visit place.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace in Brussels is located in the heart of the city. It was actually a fortress in the 12^th century. The building is available for rents in a six period week in the summer every year. The present day building is a modified form of the original and was built during the French and Dutch rule. The Palace is now used for receptions, royal audiences and some ceremonies.

Grand Place

The Grand Place has a unique city hall and a splendid ornate and guilt houses which is the first attractions for every tourist here. In 13^th century, it was a market and has many cafes. It is also used as a venue for concerts.

Auto World Car Museum

The Auto World Car Museum is a real treat for the car mad. This museum displays over 400 cars. Here, they have also the models that are used during the pre-World War. The museum has the entire auto history from the year 1886 to 1970 of the 21^st century.

Atomium

Atomium is one of the most visited places in Brussels. The Atomium’s construction has become a symbol of Belgium. It was actually built for the 1958 World Fair. The structure is 102-metre tall made of steel and aluminium and was intended to symbolize the atom concept. The structure is increased by 165 billion times and from the above it offers a spectacular view of the city of Brussels and its surroundings.

Tourism in Dublin

The Dublin

The Dublin is the capital of Ireland and is located near the midpoint of the east coast. It was founded as the Viking settlement and is largest city in Ireland. This city has served as the Ireland’s primary city in medieval times. At present, it is the economy, administrative and cultural center for Ireland.

Tourism in Dublin

The Dublin is one of the most visited tourist spots in Ireland. Main tourist places in Dublin are The Trinity College, Stephens Green, Customs House, Bull Island, Dublin Castle, The Phoenix Park and the Dublin Zoo.

The Trinity College

The Trinity College of Ireland founded in the year 1592 by the Queen Elizabeth I is the oldest university in the entire Ireland. In 1992, this college celebrated its 400^th anniversary. The Trinity College has the buildings dated since the 17^th century. This college is famed for preserving many great treasures like the Book of Kells, a 9^th century manuscript, the Books of Darrow and Armagh. These books are displayed in the library which has 200,000 other old books.

Stephens Green

The Stephens Green is the meeting place for the people of Dublin. As it is located nearby the Trinity College, it is also the favourite meeting place for the college students also. This place was actually a walled area surrounded by walk. It was walled in 1678 and ditch was dug around it.

Customs House

The Customs House, located on the north side of the Liffey is a fine example of Georgian building. The Customs House was designed and built by James Gandon. Unfortunately in 1921, this house was destroyed during the war of independence. There are 14 keystones in the building and each is said to represent the main rivers in Ireland.

Bull Island

Bull Island is an 800 metre wide and 5 kilometre long with 300 hectares of area. This island contains and preserves a wide range of marine and land animals. This island is shelter to about 27,000 birds. It has an undisturbed sequence of plant community. This island is really beautiful and you must not afford to miss a chance.

Dublin Castle

The Dublin Castle situated near the junction of the river Leffy is in the centre of the city. This castle was once a Gaelic Ring Fort. This castle is also home to stunning state apartments and now it hosts the state functions and presidential inauguration. These places are open to visitors.

Phoenix Park

The Phoenix Park in Dublin with a circumference of 11 kilometres is the largest urban enclosed Park in the whole continent. This Park was opened in 1747 and is home to the Irish president and the US ambassador the Ireland. The landscaping of this Park is really beautiful with quite pedestrian walkways.

Tourism in Athens

Athens city

Athens is the capital city of Greece and is one of the oldest cities in the world. It has its history recorded from at least 3000 years ago. It is also the largest city in Greece. Athens spreads for 39 square kilometres of area and has a population of 745, 569.

The urban area of Athens which spreads outside the administrative limits has an estimated population of 3.7 million people. This area is one of the most populated places in the European Union. Athens is also the center for finance, industry and cultural life in the entire country of Greece.

Tourism in Athens

Athens is the sixth most visited capital cities in the world. The European Union funds for major infrastructures in and around the city. Many attractive places are found in this city due to its history across centuries. It is also the place where the first ever Olympic Games were held and in 2004, after a gap of 108 years it hosted the Olympic Games again.

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens is a collection of many ancient things. It is located in the centre of the city. This museum displays all the culture followed by the Greek people through ages. It exhibits the culture from the Cycladic Island culture till the present day advancements.

Byzantine Museum

The Byzantine Museum is an art museum in Athens which houses the collection of Byzantine art between the 4^th and 9^th century. The Byzantine collections include Byzantine icons, sculpture, wall paintings, mosaics, prints, bronze and many others.

Museum of Cycladic Art

The Museum of Cycladic art is another museum in Athens which was founded in 1986 which houses all the collection of Cycladic and Ancient Greek art belonging to Nicholas. This museum is housed on a neo-classical building and has relics from over a span of 5000 years.

Agora

The Agora is also an attractive place but most people overlook it because they confuse this with the Roman Agora. Here you can spend hours wandering and visit the museum, Hephaestus temple and many monuments.

Syntagma Square

The Syntagma Square is a place where they often host many holiday events. There are also many luxurious hotels in this area. It has the Parliament building along one side of the square. It is also one of the heavy transportation hubs in the city. The Plaka is another place where you will find shops and restaurants. This place is especially renowned for its smaller building structures and its local architecture.

National Garden

The National Garden in Athens is a place where you will find yourself in peace. This garden is found in the central Athens and was once the palace garden of the royal family. This garden also has small lakes with ducks and a zoo. Daphni Monastery is also a famous tourist spot which was built in the 5^th century A.D. It is built on the ancient temple and was rebuilt in the 10^th century.

London Tourism

London City

The London city is the capital of England. It is the largest area in the country and was founded some two millennium ago by the Romans. London is ranked as a global city and is one of the world’s leading cities in finance, business, politics, education, entertainment and media.

London is a part of many historical events like the industrial revolution and the gothic revolution. The ancient city in the core of London still retains all its medieval boundaries and since the 19^th century, the name London was often used for the area that was developed around it.

London Tourism

London has many beautiful places to visit. The city has been a major attraction in the entire country. Some of the famous sites in London may include the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, The British Museum, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London and much more.

Tower Bridge

The Tower Bridge is one of the famous attractions of the place and it was built a100 years ago. The Tower Bridge has two drawbridges which weighs one ton each have been lifted and lowered for at least a half a million times. It is now replaced by the electric motors instead of the old steam engines and it takes only 90 seconds to raise the bridge. From the top you can see the HMS Belfast.

Buckingham Palace

The Buckingham Palace has as the residence for Monarch since the accession of Queen Victoria. It was built in 1702 by the Duke of Buckingham and was later sold to George III in 1762. Then in 1820s, the Palace was refurbished for the Price Regent and again in 1913 for George V’s coronation. The Palace has 660 buildings and is the largest house in the city of London.

Hampton Court Palace

The Hampton Court Palace was the favourite country palace for Henry VIII and was once home to Cardinal Wolsey. It has world famous hedge maze and the world’s first tennis court. It also has other unique grounds and an astronomical clock. The Kensington Palace was the birth place of the Queen Victoria and later is the house of the Princess Diana. It has beautiful gardens to spend time with.

The British Museum

The British Museum is world class museum that attracts thousands and thousands of people each year. This museum is located in the Great Russell Street. This museum has almost all the collections from Egypt, Greek and Roman coins, medals and other ancient collections like drawings and prints. The visitors here are awed by the collection. You can spend a whole day to see the entire museum.

Tower of London

The Tower of London has been in use for various reasons. Now, it is been used as a safe box for the crowned jewelleries. This is also a major reason for the tourists to visit this place. The jewels have been preserved in this place from the late 1320s. It displays the 317 carat Indian diamond called the “Kohinoor”. This sapphire is said to be from the ring of Edward. You can explore all the other jewels in the tower. This place is really worth a visit.

Amsterdam Tour

When we talk about Amsterdam, Netherlands, it is very hard not to imagine misty cafes and scantily clothed women moving provocatively in windows with red lights. Many of the travelers from across the world return to this ultimate city of “sin” because of these sights alone. Most of them are busting with tales of the unexpected and if you get chances to visit the place, I’m sure that you will also create your own tales to tell.

Well, Amsterdam is not just about sex and drugs; it has all the great things that Mother Earth has to offer. The Netherlands has in fact that most amount of great museums per square foot than anywhere else in the world. If you take a tram ride 10 minutes from the heart of the city, you can overwhelm yourself with those narrow streets occupied with nothing else other than the cyclist and a car every now and then. The city is in fact so quite, but interesting.

Things to See in Amsterdam

The greatly planned city of Amsterdam is one of the few cities in the world where the people, the streets and the atmosphere are an attraction in themselves. It is in fact well-known throughout the world as the sole city where marijuana and hashish are sold legally. And, the worldly known Red Light District is just as much an attraction as a favorite hub for young men full of testosterone to go at night.

But as mentioned earlier, there is far much more to the city than drugs and prostitutes or sex. The city has long been considered as the “Venice of the North” because it was built on a cobweb of canals. You can greatly see most of the city from a canal boat, and from there you’ll surely appreciate the unique architecture that Amsterdam has long been proud to offer.

Furthermore, Amsterdam is heaving with a culture. It has a lot of great museums and libraries. Of all the interesting museums in the city of Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank Museum and Van Gogh Museums are names not to be missed.

Where to Eat

When you stroll around in the city of Amsterdam, you’ll surely find a high volume of restaurants. As commonly noted, you can see sandwich boards in front of the many restaurants advertising their daily specials and from a minute walk down the Damrak, the street facing Central Station, there are some neon lights saying “pizza”.

If you delver further into the city, you can find the Damstraat, the street on Dam Square, also peppered with eateries. Further down again towards Leidseplen, the Leidsekruisstraat and Leidsetraat have their good share of restaurants too. It is necessary to note however that the streets mentioned earlier are located in some of the city’s most touristy areas. So, if you wish to steer clear of such commercial centers, you have the chance to visit the Jordaan as some of the city’s coolest restaurants are found there.

In case you prefer to eat out in a restaurant beyond your budget during your tour, there are also some fast food outlets all over Amsterdam where you can get pizzas, chips or kebabs. However, just be careful when asking for mayonnaise on your French fries for they will be completely drowned.