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GERMANY
Top Things To See
(provided by worldtravelguide.net)
Venture into Berlin, the largest city in Germany,
the country’s capital, and the seat of Government.
The German Parliament (Reichstag), designed by British architect
Norman Foster, testifies to the construction boom in the
German capital. Since November 1989 when the Wall came down,
nearly 100 streets have been reconnected, disused ‘ghost’ railway
stations have sprung back to life and the watchtowers, dogs
and barbed wire that divided the city, the country and indeed
the continent for 28 years have virtually disappeared. Nevertheless,
there is often stark contrast between the two parts of the
city, partly due to economic contrasts between East and West,
but also because they have never been of a uniform character.
Explore the eastern side of Berlin to help conceive what
life might have been like when the Wall still stood. The
east contains the densely populated working-class quarters
of Mitte, Pankow, Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain, which
inspired the theatre of Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht.
After the city was occupied by the four post-war victorious
powers, the two halves diverged even more as West Berliners
broke away from their past and embraced the idea of a new,
intensely western, Americanised city. At the same time, eastern
counterparts chose to retain what remained of the old Berlin
instead. This is why the eastern half of the city probably
gives a more accurate image of what Berlin was like in the
1920s and 30s. To find areas retaining the pre-war atmosphere,
visitors must move away from the city centre. The People’s
Park Friederichshain in the eastern part of the city is the
largest and oldest park in east Berlin. The Deutsche Staatsoper
(German State Opera) stages performances in a classical setting.
Alexanderplatz was one of the main centres of 1920s Berlin
as well as of post-war East Berlin. It is an important focal
point in the city. Relentless modernisation, however, has
changed the character of the Alexanderplatz, which is now
a bustling if faceless area of cafes, hotels and the 368m-
(1207ft-) high Television Tower (Fernsehturm), which dominates
the skyline of the city. It is also home to the World Time
Clock and The Fountain of International Friendship.
Stand next to where was the site of the Berlin Wall. Unter
den Linden was what Frederick the Great saw as the centrepiece
of his royal capital and which changed from one of the premier
thoroughfares of the old unified city to the showpiece of
the German Democratic Republic. Restored monumental buildings
and diplomatic missions to the former GDR capital now line
it. However, for nearly 30 years it was a dead-end, cut off
by the Wall. At its western end, the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger
Tor) has been the supreme symbol of the city of Berlin since
it was built in 1791. The Wall once partly obscured the view
of the Gate from the West, so it became a potent symbol of
European division. Now it is again accessible from both East
and West. The Berlin Wall has all but gone and walkers and
cyclists now roam along what was once nicknamed ‘Todesstreifen’ -
or Death Strip. Quite a few tourists bought their ‘own’ piece
of the Wall – museums also display pieces. • Germany
is awash with cultural highlights preserved in museums and
galleries. Berlin houses three opera houses, over 150 theatres
and playhouses and no less than 170 museums and galleries.
Included in this is the Berlin Wall Museum situated at the
former Checkpoint Charlie in Friedrichstrasse. The Ägyptisches
Museum (Egyptian Museum) in Charlottenburg contains the world-famous
bust of Queen Nefertiti. The Berlin Museum is in the old
Supreme Court Building in Kreuzberg. East Berlin has a rich
array of museums, five of which can be found on Museumsinsel
(Museum Island) in a fork of the River Spree. The most famous
is the Pergamon Museum which houses works of classical antiquity
such as the Pergamon Altar and art of the Near East, Islam
and the Orient. The Bavarian capital, Munich (München),
the third-largest German city and 800 years old, contains
numerous museums and galleries. The Alte Pinakothek is home
to the largest collection of Rubens paintings in the world.
Two other galleries of note are Pinakothek der Moderne, and
the Museum der Fantasie. The Glyptothek on the Königsplatz
houses Greek and Roman sculptures. Bonn was administrative
capital of Germany until 2000 and is still host to a number
of museums on the Museum Mile, including Kunstmuseum Bonn
(Bonn Art Museum), Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundersrepublik
Deutchland (art and exhibition Hall) and the Museum Alexander
Koening (zoological centre).
You must see one of Germany's exquisite castles and, to be
truthful, you are downright spoiled. The country has many
of them and their quality matches their quantity. Coburg
Castle (13th to 16th centuries) is one of the largest fortified
sites in Germany, and towers over the former ducal capital
(and one-time refuge of Martin Luther) of Coburg, in Bavaria.
In the Baden-Württemberg region, the Neckar Valley -
a major wine-growing region - is located around castles such
as Gutenberg, Hornberg and Hirschhorn, each of which offers
splendid views of the surrounding landscape. Traces of Frederick
the Great are evident at Rheinsberg, immortalised by Kurt
Tucholsky’s tale of the same name, whose interior of
the beautifully situated castle is still undergoing restoration,
but visits are possible, and one of the towers houses a Tucholsky
Memorial. Schwerin Castle, on the lake of the same name,
surrounded by a terraced garden crossed by a canal and the
state capital of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, was for many
decades the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and is
one of the finest examples of German Gothic architecture.
Rüdesheim, famous for its Drosselgasse, a narrow lane
with many little wine bars and pubs, some serving the delicious
Rüdesheimer Kaffee (locally produced brandy with coffee),
has a cable car which takes visitors up to the beautiful
Niederwald Castle, a starting point for walks in the Taunus
hills. Perhaps the most famous castle of all is within the
Upper Bavaria region. A spectacular feat of architecture,
and epitomising the fairytale landscape of Bavaria, Neuschwanstein
Castle, built by Ludwig II, is constructed on the ridge of
a mountain valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks. It is
a vision from fairyland during the day, and indeed inspired
Disney's portrayal of the beautiful castle in Sleeping Beauty,
while at night it changes into the perfect sinister home
for Count Dracula.
Pay a visit to one of Germany's host of romantic university
towns: Freiburg is the gateway to the Black Forest and an
Archepiscopal see and old university town, with its architectural
masterpiece, the Gothic Cathedral (12th to 15th centuries)
with magnificent tower (116m/380ft), the historic red Kaufhaus
on the Cathedral Square (1550), Germany’s oldest inn,
Zum Roten Bären, and many excellent wine taverns; Heidelberg
is the most famous place on the Neckar River and Germany’s
oldest university town, dominated by the ruins of its famous
14th-century castle; Tübingen, south of Stuttgart, is
a world-famous romantic university town also on the River
Neckar, with an unspoilt old town centre complete with a
Castle of the Count Palatine (1078), a late Gothic Collegiate
Church (1470) with royal burial place and former student
dungeons (1514); and Rheinland-Rheinland, state capital
of Rhineland-Palatinate, is a university town and Episcopal
see dating back 2000 years, situated
on the rivers Rhine and Main, with an 1000-year-old Cathedral.
Go to Constance (Konstanz), a German university and cathedral
town, and stare across at the enormity and beauty of the
Bodensee (Lake Constance), which has shores in Austria,
Switzerland and the Germany. Constance is a frontier anomaly,
a German town on the Swiss side of the lake, completely
surrounded by Swiss territory except for a strip on the
waterfront. Attractions include the Konzilsgebäude
(14th century); Renaissance Town Hall (16th century); historic
old Insel Hotel (14th century); Barbarossa-Haus (12th century);
Hus-Haus (15th century); and the old town fortifications
Rheintorturm, Pulverturm and Schnetztor. The town has theatres,
concert halls, a casino and hosts an international music
festival as well as the Seenachtfest, a lake festival.
As an area, Lake Constance is the focal point of a delightful
holiday district, rich in art treasures and facilities
for outdoor activities.
Germany also has some spectacular countryside, from its
well-known Black Forest to vineyards such as those which
nestle inbetween Bavarian towns and are famous for their
Bocksbeutel (specially formed bottle). The picturesque
Schorfheide area of forest, north of Berlin, contains beavers,
otters and eagles, and in the centre of this landscape
of birches and pines lies the Werbellin Lake. East Friesland,
on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony, consists of a wide
plain interspersed by ranges of tree-covered hills known
for their health resorts and modern spa facilities, as
well as their fine sandy beaches. The traffic-free East
Friesian Islands also offer relaxing health-oriented holidays.
Sea air and scenery along the coast guarantee a happy and
restful holiday atmosphere. In contrast is the large nature
reserve between the rivers Elbe and Aller further inland.
The countryside comprises moorland with wide expanses of
heather, grazing sheep, clumps of green birch trees and
junipers. In Rhineland are the vast plains of the Lower
Rhine farmlands, the strange volcanic crater lakes of the
Eifel Hills, the Bergische Land with its lakes and Altenberg
Cathedral and the Siebengebirge. Rhineland and the Moselle
Valley attract visitors not only for their beauty and romanticism,
but also for the convivial atmosphere engendered by wine
and song. Like most of its tributaries, vineyards line
the Rhine wherever the slopes face the sun. Alternating
with the vineyards are extensive orchards, which are heavy
with blossom in spring. The Ahr Valley in the Eifel region
is particularly renowned for its lush scenery and its red
wine.
In Hessen, feast your eyes on what speckles the German
Fairy Tale Road. As the name might suggest, Schwalmstadt
was the home of Little Red Riding Hood, a town where people
still wear traditional costumes to church on Sunday and
at folk festivals. In the Reinhardswald, Sababurg – now
a castle-hotel – inspired the Brothers Grimm to write
Sleeping Beauty. The romantic scenery of the rolling hill
country of the Odenwald is one rich in legend and folklore.
Kassel is home of the Grimm Brothers Museum. Away from
the Fairy Tale Road, but still worth a visit, is the town
of Hameln (Hamlyn), famed for the tale of the Pied Piper,
found in the Weser Valley near Hannover. A play about the
infamous piper is re-enacted during the summer months every
Sunday at noon.
Explore the medieval Hanseatic League, whose main members
were the towns of Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen and Rostock.
The Hanseatic League an alliance of these four trading
cities who established and maintained a trade monopoly
over the Baltic Sea and most of northern Europe between
the 13th and 17th centuries. Their greatness and wealth
through such trade is evident in the long-lasting delights
of these towns. Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany
with a population of 1.8 million people and its attractions
include the Baroque Church of St Michael (der Michel),
the Town Hall with its distinctive green roof, the elegant
Hanseviertel and the Alster Lake, the biggest lake inside
a European city. In the city’s heart is the Planten
und Blomen park near the Congress Centrum Hamburg, with
its spectacular fountain displays during the summer evenings.
Lübeck is a picturesque oval-shaped old town, ringed
by water, which still has many reminders of the city’s
medieval golden age and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It justly claims to be the most beautiful town in northern
Germany. The Holsten Gate, the Rathaus and the many examples
of northern red brick town houses are part of the historic
heritage. Thomas Mann set his famous novel, Buddenbrooks,
here, and Buddenbrook House (Buddenbrookhaus) contains
the Heinrich and Thomas Mann Centre, giving information
on the life and works of both authors. Bremen is the oldest
German maritime city, having been a market town since AD
965, but for all its history, also boasts two of the country’s
most modern high-tech visitor attractions: the interactive
Universum Science Centre and the Space Travel Visitor Centre.
Historic Bremen clusters around the marketplace, featuring
the Gothic Town Hall (1405-1410), in front of which stands
the Roland, the statue of a medieval knight and symbol
of the city. The extensive pedestrian zone includes a sculpture
of the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Musicians of Bremen), made
famous in the fairy tale by Grimm. Also part of this is
the Schnoorviertel, a district full of medieval charm,
with narrow cobbled streets now housing art galleries and
exclusive shops. Lastly, Rostock has a University founded
in 1419, the first in Northern Europe, and its attractions
include the elegant burghers’ houses in Thälmann
Square, the 15th-century Town Hall, the late-Gothic St
Marien Church with its 15th-century astronomical clock
and Baroque organ, and the district of Warnemünde
with its fishing harbour and seaside resort.
Almost midway between Rüdesheim and Koblenz, see the
symbol of the Rhine, Lorelei Rock - which has provided
the inspiration for many songs about its legendary siren
for centuries.
Leipzig has a fascinating history. Lenin printed the first
issues of his Marxist newspaper here. Lessing, Jean-Paul
Sartre and Goethe all studied at the university. Music
and books are important – there are no less than
38 publishers in the city, and it is Wagner’s birthplace.
The German Museum of Books claims to be the world’s
oldest of its kind. Mendelssohn was director of music,
and Bach was choirmaster, at the now completely restored
St Thomas’ Church, between 1723 and 1750. There are
museums dedicated to both composers in the city. Bach’s
church choir still exists and is of an excellent standard,
as is the city’s Gewandhaus Orchestra and visitors
can go to Mendelssohn's House where he lived and died.
The old University (1407), the famous Auerbach’s
Kellar and the Coffe Baum, the most famous of the city’s
cafes, are further attractions in the city. Today, Leipzig
stages major international trade fairs.
One of the most famous Reformation towns is where Martin
Luther nailed his ‘95 Theses Against Indulgences’ to
the door of the castle church in 1517. Numerous magnificent
buildings from the 16th century – Luther’s
House, the Melanchton House, the Castle Church and the
buildings of the former University bear witness to the
town’s historical significance. Martin Luther is
an extremely important figure in Germany history, having
effected the standardisation of the German language. His
theology also paved the way for modern religion, and therefore
Wartburg Castle, where Martin Luther sought refuge and
translated the New Testament into German, is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and dominates the town of Eisenach. The cultural
centre of Thuringia contains an Augustinian Abbey where
Martin Luther lived as a monk.
See the southern 1000-year-old town of Weimar, home to
many great men, including Luther, Bach, Liszt, Wagner and
Schiller. An important cultural centre of the past, the
city experienced its golden age in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived here for 50 years and
was a major influence as a civil servant, theatre director
and poet. His house is now the Goethe National Museum.
Literature enthusiasts should not miss the Goethe and Schiller
Archive. Bach was Court Organist and Court Concertmaster,
Liszt and Richard Strauss were both directors of music.
There is documentation of their private and public lives
kept in hotels and museums in the town. Weimar was also
the original home of the Bauhaus architectural school before
it moved to Dessau. |
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