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Germany

Architecture of Germany. Must see and must visit landmarks

Aachen Cathedral, Aachen

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Roman Emperor wanted to build a palace with a prayer room. For this, architects from Rome and Byzantium were invited. Charles the Great was buried here. The sacred place with his remains has survived to this day.
»  The prayer room is octagonal. Arched vaults are decorated with colorful stones. Wall panels are covered with mosaics.
»  A 12-m forged chandelier is lead. It symbolizes celestial Jerusalem. It was gifted by Frederick Barbarossa, one of the rulers in medieval Europe.
»  In the hall, there is a preserved marble chair. It was gilded over time. Here, German kings were crowned.
»  In the treasure trove, there are Christian relics: the white underwear of the Virgin Mary, the blanket of newborn Jesus, and the belt he wore when he was crucified. The authenticity of artifacts brought from the East has never been proven but they are spiritually invaluable.
»  There is a belief that it had to take money from Satan to construct the cathedral. In this case, he must have taken the souls of the first person entering the house. Cunning citizens let a wolf in. You can see its statue at the entrance.

Aachen Rathaus, Aachen

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The locals are proud of the Town Hall being an architectural monument.
»  In front of the building, different events - fairs, sports competitions, and concerts - are held. The citizens take an active part in them. There is also a museum and offices of the municipal authorities.
»  The first stone was laid in the foundation in 1330. By the way, the foundation has left from the former building, the Imperial Palace. The construction lasted about 20 years.
»  The building was burned several times but rose from ashes like a phoenix. When the Town Hall was reconstructed several times, new elements and premises appeared.
»  The facade is decorated with 50 different stone statues. They depict the nobles and revered apostles. Wooden panels, a lot of wall frescoes depicting the scenes from the life of Charles the Great, and paintings of the settlements add certain flavor to the interior.
»  In 1943, the enemy intended to destroy the house. After the war, it was thoroughly restored. The original pattern of wall fragments was reproduced to preserved drawings. Artists selected paints for it.

Abbey of St. Maximin, Trier

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The imperial abbey is one of the oldest monasteries in Western Europe.
»  It was named after the clergyman Maximin when the bishop died in 353. The crypt with the clergyman’s body has survived to this day. You can see the sarcophagus in the courtyard of the monastery.
»  The temple was built in the 4th century. The complex is located near the city market square.
»  Over the years of its existence, the building was repeatedly damaged by the fire and looted during the war.
»  In 1674, buildings of the church complex were demolished. They were rebuilt by a new plan. During the Second World War, the houses were destroyed again. The original exterior has not been preserved.
»  Only the central entrance and the church has remained undamaged. The religious building served not only as the House of God. There are barracks for soldiers and cells for prisoners.
»  In 1996, the territory of the abbey became the property of the private person. Now, there is a concert hall that can accommodate 1 200 guests and the Catholic school in updated rooms.

Altes Rathaus, Magdeburg

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» Over the centuries of its existence, the city hall has been destroyed and looted many times. Each subsequent restoration transformed the appearance of the building and changed its architectural style as well.
»  There are fragments of the wall panel preserved in the basement. In 1293, a gothic city hall building was erected on the remains of the foundation.
»  During the Thirty Years’ War, the construction was completely destroyed. After restoration, it was already a Renaissance building.
»  The cast copper entrance door is worthy of attention. It has pictures from the history of Magdeburg and images of famous residents on its panels.
»  In the 15-16th century, it became fashionable for government buildings and church belfries to have a multi-voice musical instrument consisting of at least 23 suspended bells. The carillon was installed on the roof of the city hall. The chimes were made to order by a Magdeburg caster. 47 bronze objects weigh 6,000 kg. The largest bell is 115 cm in diameter. The belfry is brought into action by one musician.
»  Nowadays, the City Hall is the headquarters of the local government.
»  There is a fountain in front of the city hall.

Andreaskirche, Dusseldorf

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Church of St. Andreas was built from 1622 to 1629 and belonged to the Jesuit order. Over time, the building of the Jesuit College was attached to it.
»  In 1717 they built a tomb of the Wittelsbach family. The sarcophagus of Johann Wilhelm is placed exactly here. A monument located in front of the Dusseldorf City Hall is also designated to him.
»  In 1773, after the dissolution of the Jesuit order, the church became a parish, and in 2005 it was transferred to the Dominican order. Since 1984, the church has been protected by the state.
»  The modest appearance of the temple is in contrast to the rich interior decoration: the sculptures of 12 apostles and saints and the altar with stairs of white marble.
»  The pipe organ, created in 1782, was repaired after the war in 1953 and 1971. Citizens like to come on Sundays to the concerts of organ music.
»  The temple hosts the relics of several dozen saints, including Saint Andrew, John the Baptist of the Prophet, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and others.

Angel of Peace, Munich

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Angel of Peace was erected in honor of the 25th anniversary of the end of the Franco-Prussian War, which ended with German victory.
» Construction of the monument was conducted under the supervision of the architect Jacob Mol commissioned by the city council.
» The central niche of the monument has the form of the grotto that serves as a backdrop for the fountain.
» Portraits of rulers and military leaders, who participated in the Franco-Prussian War, can be seen on the podium.
» Golden Angel of Peace is the culmination of the monument; it corresponds to the Greek goddess of victory Nike. In his right hand he holds a palm, and arms of Pallas Athens in the left.
» There is the fountain in Baroque style, which is an integral part of the composition and decoration of the monument.

Basilica of Constantine, Trier

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Basilica of Constantine is the monument of the past because there is the preserved old throne hall.
»  It is 67 m long, 26 m wide, and 33 m high. The floor is covered with black-and-white marble tiles. It is heated. The heating system is also integrated into the walls. Wall panels are inlaid with natural stone. Windows are adorned with mosaics. There are statues in the niches. Foreign guests were welcomed here.
»  The building built in 310 served as the residence of the first Christian Emperor. It is named after him.
»  The residence was not reconstructed many times, even though it changed many owners.
»  The big house is built of red bricks. The masonry is plastered.
»  The age of the Roman Empire was changed by the period of the reign of Frankish kings that loved staying here. In the 12th century, the local diocese occupied the palace. In the 17th century, Aula Palatina became the part of the prince’s castle. The army of Napoleon used its rooms as barracks. In 1856, the building served as an Evangelical refuge, the Church of Our Savior.
»  It had existed for 1500 years but was blown up during the Second World War. The ancient building was reconstructed in 1956.

Basilica of St. Severin, Cologne

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» Basilica of St. Severin is the Catholic Church, which is the second highest of all the Romanesque churches of Cologne.
» The western church tower has a height of almost 73 m in total; it’s only 3 m inferior to Great St. Martin Church.
» The church was consecrated in honor of St. Severin, the Catholic saint known as a Christian educator and assistant to the poor. His relics are kept in this church.
» After the World War II, the church had long time to recover. However, despite of the military bombing of Cologne, the church has still preserved furnishing items, the crypt of the 10th century and frescoes of the 16th century dedicated to St. Severin.
» At the time of the church liturgy tours around the temple are allowed just outside.

Basilica of St. Ursula, Cologne

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» Basilica of St. Ursula is the Roman Catholic church in the northern part of the old town, built in honor of the holy martyr St. Ursula.
» Already in the 4th century on the site of the church there had been a chapel in memory of the holy virgins, Early Christian Martyrs of Rome.
» The church houses the sarcophagus of St. Ursula with sculpture of alabaster. However, this sarcophagus is empty; it only serves to honor the saint. Her relics are kept in a casket on the altar.
» The church has a lot of interesting details. The amazing sculpture depicts St. Ursula protecting her friends with her cloak. The sculpture was created in the middle of the 15th century.
» There was built a separate room, called the Golden Chamber, for storing sacred relics in the church of St. Ursula.
» Walls of Golden Chamber are lined with bones, where prayers are written.

Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Cologne

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Basilica of the Holy Apostles is another Catholic church in Cologne that is the basilica with two transepts and three Romanesque naves.
» The church is decorated with three towers; the height of the highest is 67 m. This tower is the third highest among all the Romanesque churches of Cologne.
» The church was built in the 9th century, and later the Basilica of the Holy Apostles was erected there.
» In 1860, the gymnasium, which still exists today, was open in the church.
» After World War II, the church was badly damaged. However, funds for the restoration of the temple were collected, and in 1957 the building was renovated.

Basilika St. Lambertus, Dusseldorf

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » St. Lambert's Basilica is the oldest building in Düsseldorf. In the 8th century, the first chapel in honor of St. Lambert was built by Saint Willeick.
»  In 1288, the village of Düssel received the status of a city and the construction of a wooden church began. After several fires that destroyed the wooden structure, the Duke Wilhelm I continued the construction of the temple, and in 1394 the basilica was consecrated.
»  This event is considered as the year of the church foundation. At the same time, the relic of St. Apollinaris, the patron of Dusseldorf, were brought into the basilica.
»  To this day, the temple keeps the relic of the head of St. Willeick. Apart from this, the church hosts two miraculous images of the Blessed Virgin dated from 1100 and 1334, and the tomb of the Duke Wilhelm V, buried in 1592. A valuable relic also is the Gothic tabernacle, which depicts the most ancient coat of arms of Dusseldorf.
»  In 1974, the Pope awarded the status of a "small Basilica" to the church of St. Lambert.

Bavarian National Museum, Munich

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Bavarian National Museum holds a collection of European works of art and objects of cultural and historical significance.
» The museum was founded in 1855 by King of Bavaria Maximilian II. The building was constructed in eclectic style.
» Exposition of the first floor of the museum tells the history of culture and art in Bavaria and southern Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day.
» The second floor of the museum houses specialized collections of porcelain, art products made of ivory, gold and silver, watches, textiles and stained glass art.
» On the ground floor there are exhibits dedicated to rural life. The most popular among them is the world's largest collection of cribs sculpture.

Bavarian State Opera, Munich

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Bavarian State Opera was founded in 1653.
» About 350 operas and ballet performances a year are staged there.
» Music director of the Bavarian State Opera, Kirill Petrenko, came from the Soviet Union.
» Currently the Bavarian State Opera is one of the best opera houses in the world.

Berlin Cathedral, Berlin

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» Berlin Cathedral had never been a cathedral in the truest sense of the word, because Berlin has never been the seat of the Bishop of the Catholic Church.
» Initially this richly decorated building of the Silesian granite with a dome reached 114 meters. In 1945, the bomb hit the dome. The building hasn’t been demolished and almost 50 years it stood decapitated.
» There is the open crypt of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which represented 70 of the 89 surviving burials. The magnificent sarcophagus of the Great Elector and his wife Dorothea is among them. Prussian kings and princes are buried in the crypt.
» The pipe organ for the cathedral was built by the famous German organ master of the Romantic period, Wilhelm Sauer.
» Lustgarten Park is laid before the cathedral; its name is translated as the Park of Desires.
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Thailand Relaxes Its COVID-19 Policy

New Year events in Thailand are likely to bring more people this year because everyone is tired of lockdowns and craving normal life. Many tourists, who book hotels in Pattaya, Krabi, or Phuket for the holiday season, also want to participate. As champagne has become an essential drink for New Year celebrations, the question regarding alcohol consumption comes to mind. The government allowed serving alcoholic drinks during the New Year countdown but only open-air cafes and restaurants with good ventilation will be permitted to do this until 1 am on 1 January 2022. This rule is nationwide. Read this

29.03.2024

Photogallery of Germany architecture

What to see in top cities of Germany

Berlin
Are you fed up with visiting classic historic sights and being always surrounded by hordes of other travellers? If so, it’s time to make an unforgettable quest to historic landmarks of Berlin. For example, you can find all remaining parts of the Berlin Wall. It was almost completely destroyed, but some fragments of the wall have survived. For example, fragments can be found on Potsdamer Platz, Niederkirchenstrasse not far from Ostbahnhof and on Invalidenfriedhof. It is interesting to walk in … Read more
Munich
Do you plan to use public transport in Munich? If so, be sure to make a ride in the local underground. Some stations are more like ultra-modern art galleries and look very stylish and artistic. For example, München Marienplatz Station is made in black-and-orange shades, and Westfriedhof is blue and silver, and is decorated with creative illumination. Candidplatz shines like a rainbow because of a wonderful combination of glass panels and artistic lighting. The design of Garching Station is also … Read more
Hamburg
The charming Krameramtsstuben is a treasure trove of priceless architectural monuments of the 17th century. If you want to see unique half-timbered houses built more than 300 years ago, be sure to find this place. It is located near St. Michael's Church, and you can get there through Krayenkamp street. On the aforementioned street, find the house No. 10 and go through the gates located next to it. An incredibly beautiful architectural ensemble will appear before your eyes. If you're a … Read more
Cologne
The next secret place will be also liked by fans of noisy parties. This is the secret club Steken. It is called secret because there are no neon signs near its entrance, so it’s not that easy to find it. If you manage to do that, you will enjoy an evening in a cozy place with lively and informal atmosphere. Once a week, the club hosts jazz parties. By the way, Steken is also famous for quite cheap drinks and snacks. If you prefer visiting elegant places, the party-bar Arty Farty could satisfy … Read more
Dusseldorf
If you completely do not have time to visit local pubs and cafes but still want to join the fun and try something unusual and unique, it is possible to do that literally on the go. On one of the city’s streets, Flinger Str., which is located in the Old Town, there is a very popular café - Et Kabüffke. It is open in a beautiful old house. This café offers a popular local delight, Killepitsch liqueur that is made of herbs and berries. In total, the liqueur contains 98 different ingredients. … Read more
Dresden
Do you want to find one of the most hidden historic landmarks of Dresden? If so, it’s time to start searching for Napoleon stone! Many important events in the history of Dresden are connected with the name of the great French emperor. Napoleon visited the city many times and stayed at different palaces. In 1813, he lived in the palace of Marcolinipalais. The famous battle of Dresden happened in the same year, with the Napoleon army fighting against the Bohemian army that was led by Field … Read more
Nurnberg
The peaceful romantic city also has Red light district, a walk along which would be of interest to all fans of exotic entertainment. This quarter has much in common with the legendary one located in Amsterdam, at least window shows are no less impressive here. Those who prefer more traditional locations will be like walking through the central city streets. Here, each house can safely be called a unique attraction. If you look at facades, on each of them you can notice unusual carved … Read more
Bremen
While walking on Am Markt, many tourists only admire the view of Bremen Town Hall. Although it’s not a museum, the building of the Town Hall is open every day. All visitors can see the rooms where the Senate and the President of Germany work. A beautiful building, the Town Hall is no less interesting inside and is recommended for a visit. House Atlantis is one more unusual architectural landmark that is often neglected by many tourists. The Nazis called the building “an example of … Read more

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