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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.

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.