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Kobe

Culture of Kobe. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Kobe is a treasure trove of unique architectural and historical monuments. Many old buildings and cultural centers were completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1995 but later restored by the efforts of local residents. An incredibly beautiful 19th-century historical monument is the Ijinkan, a complex of several luxurious old mansions. Once they belonged to wealthy foreign diplomats and local merchants. Now the architectural ensemble is surrounded by a lush garden. The best time to visit this picturesque place is spring when old houses are buried in flowering trees. The mansions operate as museums, presenting interesting collections of antiques and works of art.

Your active city break in Kobe. Attractions, recreation and entertainment - best places to spend your day and night here

Kobe has a lot of places for an active and interesting holiday. In the warm season, you should definitely visit Takenaka, the most beautiful park in town where more than 200 species of herbs …

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A very symbolic place for Kobe is Meriken Park. On the territory of this park is the Kobe Port Tower, which is the main symbol of the city. A few years ago, a memorial was erected here in honor of the victims of the devastating earthquake. It would be interesting to visit the main city park in the evening. After dark, the tower and many other objects in the park are spectacularly illuminated. Every spring the park is decorated with flowers, more than 10,000 tulips alone are planted here every year.

The city offers dozens of museums and galleries, and Hakutsuru is among the most unusual ones. This museum occupying a beautiful historic building decorated in the style of past years introduces visitors to sake-making traditions. Local people consider the strong rice drink to be one of their main national symbols. During the tour, visitors will be told a lot of interesting secrets of its brewing. An important part of the excursion is sake tasting. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Advices to travellers: what you should know while being in Kobe

1. The most favorable period to visit Kobe is spring and autumn when it is always very warm and sunny here. In summer, it often rains and a strong wind blows, which can ruin your vacations. …

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A very revered site is Kitano-Tenman-jinja Shrine, which was moved to the city at the end of the 19th century. The beautiful ancient temple was erected over 250 years ago. Completely built of wood, it has retained its original appearance for almost three hundred years. Anyone can visit the temple and admire its decoration. Throughout the year, many beautiful holidays and festivals are held in the temple.

One of the most visited cultural sites is the Kobe City Museum. More than 50,000 unique exhibits are kept within the walls of the main city museum. All of them are grouped by thematic sections. In the museum, one can see collections of archaeological finds, works of art, jewelry, and handicraft items. A significant part of the collection is devoted to the difficult war times that the city had to endure. The museum building itself is an important architectural monument built in 1935, which is considered a vivid example of neoclassicism.

Extraordinary weekend in Kobe - unusual places, services and attractions for travel gourmet

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A unique historical object is Himeji Castle. It is situated on the slope of Himeyama hill, a quite hard-to-reach but incredibly beautiful area. The first mention of this castle dates back to 1333. Several years ago it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the hundreds of years, the majestic castle had been ruled by the noblest and most influential clans. Every new owner has brought something new into the architectural appearance of the palace.

Now the castle is a large-scale complex of buildings with several picturesque gardens, including the mysterious labyrinth garden. The ancient castle was not damaged during the Second World War by a miracle, even destructive earthquakes had no effect on its condition. The present-day castle houses an interesting collection of antiques, and its adjacent territory offers a gorgeous view of the surroundings.

Shopping in Kobe - main shopping streets, outlets and boutiques

Kobe has several dozen shopping centers, and Kobe Harborland umie is among the most visited ones. It is located near the port area and is distinguished by an original design. Here it will be …

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Among original Kobe attractions, it's worth mentioning the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. This suspension bridge is the longest and highest in the world, its length is 3,911 meters. The bridge was laid across the Akashi Strait. Before the bridge was built, locals could only cross the strait by ferry. In 1955, one of the ferries sank, killing hundreds of people, including 168 children.

After the terrible tragedy, the city authorities decided to build a bridge, the construction of which began in 1988. It took ten years to build one of the most modern bridges in the world. Now, several viewing platforms are equipped not far from the bridge, from which tourists can see the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in all its glory. Each quarter of Kobe has interesting religious and architectural monuments to explore. A huge number of art galleries and private museums is concentrated in the city.

In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Kobe and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Kobe and surroundings

This guide to cultural sights Kobe is protected by the copyright law. You can re-publish this content with mandatory attribution: direct and active hyperlink to www.orangesmile.com.

Kobe - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Reference information

Map of all palaces

Public palaces near Kobe
♥ Palace 'Osaka Castle' , 32.8 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Heijo Palace' , 57.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Katsura Detached Palace' , 59.8 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Nijo Palace' , 64.5 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Jurakudai' , 65.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Kyoto Imperial Palace' Kyoto, 66.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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♥ Palace 'Kyoto Omiya Palace' , 66.3 km from the center. On the map Show on the map

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Culture of Kobe. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

City tours, excursions and tickets in Kobe and surroundings

Photogallery of cultural heritage of Kobe

Landmarks of culture on Kobe map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Kobe