Berlin is an intriguing place to visit and is overflowing with attractions that are sure to hit you at every level, from emotional to spiritual.
A Varied History
Berlin lies right in Germany, whose historic past can never be forgotten. The city itself has a history that is considered epic by many. If you are over 30 then you probably remember the Berlin Wall and the whole interesting events that unfolded as it came crumbling down, bringing a once divided city back together again and calling an end to a communist regime.
Going back even further, Germany played a large role in WWII and thus many of its cities, Berlin included, bare deep wounds and left over scars from the torturous war. However, despite the dark spots in its history, Berlin has managed to rebuild itself and completely change into a city that has a pride that runs deep within its people.
Must See Attractions
When visiting Berlin it is easy to get caught up in the modern day Berlin, but it is the deep history that will really draw you into the city's heart and soul. When in Berlin there are some attractions that you must see or risk kicking yourself for missing once you leave.
These must see attractions include, of course, the ruins of the Berlin Wall and surrounding attractions, the German Parliament, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. You also will want to see WWII era attractions like the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Jewish Museum.
Other attractions to see include the Oberbaumbrucke Bridge, the 18th century baroque palace, Scloss Charlottenburg, Berliner Dom Cathedral and the Kaiser Wilheim Memorial Church. For more history go to Bebelplatz which is home to many historical buildings. More museums can be found on Museum Island. Here you will find the Alte Museum, The National Gallery, the Bode Museum , the Neues Museum and the Pergamon Museum.
Finally, rounding out the top attractions you won't want to miss is the most famous Berlin square, Gendarmenmarkt and the biggest synagogue in the city, Neue Synagogue. Don't forget the Berlin Zoo and Tiergarten.
Planning your Trip to Berlin
Planning a trip to this popular German city can be challenging. You certainly want to try to find the fastest and easiest way to book accommodations. Consider going online for your planning needs. You can book a holiday apartment online and save a lot of time. You get access to great deals and you can beat the crowds by booking early. The best part of it is that you can do it from your own home whenever you have time. Just get on the internet and set up your accommodations. Before you know it you will exploring Berlin and learning just how amazing this city truly is.
Looking for Berlin rentals? Holiday apartments Berlin are the best accommodation alternative for you! Cheap apartments Berlin.
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Showing posts with label germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label germany. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The 10 Greatest Castles of Germany
If you like castles, you'll love Germany, for Germany has castles the way Venice has canals, or Norway has fjords, or the Napa Valley has wineries. There are literally scores of them, virtually in every German state and seemingly on every other hilltop, especially along the river Rhine. There are schlosses (which are essentially castles or palaces) and there are burgs (castles or fortresses); and then there are festungs (quite simply, fortresses).
Here are ten of the most famous German castles, the must-sees, the "great castles" of Germany.
Burg Eltz
At the top of the list is Burg Eltz, one of Germany's most beautiful medieval castles, 850 years old and unscathed! It is located in the lower Mosel Valley, high above the Rhine. Although still family owned and occupied, it can be seen on guided tours for 6 euros a pop. And it's well worth it, for you'll get a peek at not only the original period furniture and decor, but you'll also get to see 20 flushable toilets that supposedly date back to the 15th century!
Meersburg Alte Burg
Another famous 'burg' is the Meersburg Alte Burg, located in the scenic Black Forest area in Baden-Wurttemberg. It dates from the seventh century and offers superb views out to the Bodensee. This is also the oldest of Germany's castles that is inhabitable. A Merovingian king, Dagoberth, originally started it, and it then served as the residence of the bishop of Konstanz for decades. For 8 euros you can meander through 30 rooms of the castle, including the chambers used by the famous 19th-century German poet, Annette von Droste-Hulshoff.
The Wartburg
The Wartburg, situated just outside Eisenach in the Thuringia region, is considered to be the most German of the German castles. It was here that Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German while in hiding. The castle is open to public tours for 5 euros per head.
The Marksburg
This one, the Marksburg, is perched on a hill on the shores of the Rhine, high above the town of Braubach in the Rhine Valley. And make no mistake, this is not just another 19th century imitation - and yes, there are several of those in Germany! - this is the real thing, boasting one of the most impressive armory collections anywhere, including one of the oldest cannons in Germany. And for 4.50 euros you can see it all on a guided tour.
Schloss Sanssouci
Here's a castle that's hard to miss, Schloss Sanssouci. It is centrally located in Potsdam in the Brandenberg region, not far from Berlin, and is a genuine masterpiece from the Baroque period. What's more, it has its associations with Frederick the Great. It was in this small but lively summer palace that the sovereign entertained the thinkers and musicians of his time, notable among them Voltaire. The Rococco residence can be toured for 8 euros apiece, albeit with German-only commentary.
Schloss Braunfels
Schloss Braunfels is an 800-year-old palace located in the Hesse region's Lahn Valley. While well worth visiting, the unfortunate thing about it is that it was rebuilt in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style. But don't let that deter you. A guided tour of the castle's interior is a realtime romp through rooms filled to the gills with medieval weaponry, porcelain, and paintings. And it's only 4 euros for the tour.
Schloss Neuschwanstein
And then there's Schloss Neuschwanstein, perhaps the most picturesque, the most recognizable of Germany's great castles. In fact, this is the one that inspired the magical castle at Disneyland, the one with interiors that resemble scenes from Wagnerian operas. Set on a hill in an alpine setting in Schwangau, along Northern Bavaria's Romantic Road, the castle follows a distinctly Romanesque style. It was built between 1869 and 1886 and was the ultimate fantasy of the Mad King Ludwig. Public tours of it are 9 euros each, not cheap, but worth it.
Festung Konigstein
Festung Konigstein, located near Dresden in the Saxony region, is easily the largest fortress in Germany, and a triumph, if ever there was one, of fortress construction in Europe. Now more than 750 years old, it represents a confluence of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century architecture. During world War II, it housed senior French prisoners of war as well as Dresden's best artworks. Guided tours of the fortress and its grounds are available year-round for 6 euros.
The Residenz
The Residenz, the principle address of the ruling Wittelsbach family for over 500 years, is located in Munich, Bavaria. It is a massive complex, lavishly decorated, constructed between 1720 and 1744 by Balthasar Neumann for the bishops of Wurzburg. It is also one of the finest Baroque palaces in Europe and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. And it's 4 euros for a guided tour.
Schloss Heidelberg
Schloss Heidelberg, located in Heidelberg of course, in the Baden-Wurtemberg region, is easily Germany's most famous ruin, and possibly also one of its most romantic sights. For five centuries the principle residence of the Prince Electors of the Kurpfalz, it was destroyed by the French in the 17th century but continues to dominate Heidelberg's skyline. Photograph this, if only for the memories and the joy of it!
BJ Sangwan is a globetrotter, travel editor and published travel writer. He is a contributor and co-publisher at http://www.indianchieftravel.com, where these castles (with photos) can be found at http://www.indianchieftravel.com/en/germany/germany/great-castles-germany
Here are ten of the most famous German castles, the must-sees, the "great castles" of Germany.
Burg Eltz
At the top of the list is Burg Eltz, one of Germany's most beautiful medieval castles, 850 years old and unscathed! It is located in the lower Mosel Valley, high above the Rhine. Although still family owned and occupied, it can be seen on guided tours for 6 euros a pop. And it's well worth it, for you'll get a peek at not only the original period furniture and decor, but you'll also get to see 20 flushable toilets that supposedly date back to the 15th century!
Meersburg Alte Burg
Another famous 'burg' is the Meersburg Alte Burg, located in the scenic Black Forest area in Baden-Wurttemberg. It dates from the seventh century and offers superb views out to the Bodensee. This is also the oldest of Germany's castles that is inhabitable. A Merovingian king, Dagoberth, originally started it, and it then served as the residence of the bishop of Konstanz for decades. For 8 euros you can meander through 30 rooms of the castle, including the chambers used by the famous 19th-century German poet, Annette von Droste-Hulshoff.
The Wartburg
The Wartburg, situated just outside Eisenach in the Thuringia region, is considered to be the most German of the German castles. It was here that Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German while in hiding. The castle is open to public tours for 5 euros per head.
The Marksburg
This one, the Marksburg, is perched on a hill on the shores of the Rhine, high above the town of Braubach in the Rhine Valley. And make no mistake, this is not just another 19th century imitation - and yes, there are several of those in Germany! - this is the real thing, boasting one of the most impressive armory collections anywhere, including one of the oldest cannons in Germany. And for 4.50 euros you can see it all on a guided tour.
Schloss Sanssouci
Here's a castle that's hard to miss, Schloss Sanssouci. It is centrally located in Potsdam in the Brandenberg region, not far from Berlin, and is a genuine masterpiece from the Baroque period. What's more, it has its associations with Frederick the Great. It was in this small but lively summer palace that the sovereign entertained the thinkers and musicians of his time, notable among them Voltaire. The Rococco residence can be toured for 8 euros apiece, albeit with German-only commentary.
Schloss Braunfels
Schloss Braunfels is an 800-year-old palace located in the Hesse region's Lahn Valley. While well worth visiting, the unfortunate thing about it is that it was rebuilt in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style. But don't let that deter you. A guided tour of the castle's interior is a realtime romp through rooms filled to the gills with medieval weaponry, porcelain, and paintings. And it's only 4 euros for the tour.
Schloss Neuschwanstein
And then there's Schloss Neuschwanstein, perhaps the most picturesque, the most recognizable of Germany's great castles. In fact, this is the one that inspired the magical castle at Disneyland, the one with interiors that resemble scenes from Wagnerian operas. Set on a hill in an alpine setting in Schwangau, along Northern Bavaria's Romantic Road, the castle follows a distinctly Romanesque style. It was built between 1869 and 1886 and was the ultimate fantasy of the Mad King Ludwig. Public tours of it are 9 euros each, not cheap, but worth it.
Festung Konigstein
Festung Konigstein, located near Dresden in the Saxony region, is easily the largest fortress in Germany, and a triumph, if ever there was one, of fortress construction in Europe. Now more than 750 years old, it represents a confluence of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century architecture. During world War II, it housed senior French prisoners of war as well as Dresden's best artworks. Guided tours of the fortress and its grounds are available year-round for 6 euros.
The Residenz
The Residenz, the principle address of the ruling Wittelsbach family for over 500 years, is located in Munich, Bavaria. It is a massive complex, lavishly decorated, constructed between 1720 and 1744 by Balthasar Neumann for the bishops of Wurzburg. It is also one of the finest Baroque palaces in Europe and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. And it's 4 euros for a guided tour.
Schloss Heidelberg
Schloss Heidelberg, located in Heidelberg of course, in the Baden-Wurtemberg region, is easily Germany's most famous ruin, and possibly also one of its most romantic sights. For five centuries the principle residence of the Prince Electors of the Kurpfalz, it was destroyed by the French in the 17th century but continues to dominate Heidelberg's skyline. Photograph this, if only for the memories and the joy of it!
BJ Sangwan is a globetrotter, travel editor and published travel writer. He is a contributor and co-publisher at http://www.indianchieftravel.com, where these castles (with photos) can be found at http://www.indianchieftravel.com/en/germany/germany/great-castles-germany
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