Colored glass or stained glass has helped to visually enhance most buildings since the Medieval Age and still continues to
Source: Amazing Stained Glass Works of Art
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Modernist holiday lets: The most popular finds at WowHaus; WowHaus
Another round-up, this time with one on eye on anyone thinking about a holiday or vacation. This is modernist holiday lets, the most popular holiday rentals spotted by WowHaus over the years. If you fancy a break somewhere a little more interesting this year, read on.
30. The UFO at the Treehotel, Harads, Sweden
Let’s start with something utterly bizarre. A flying saucer.
Ok, it isn’t quite that. This is one of a group of weird and wonderful dwellings overlooking some stunning scenery, this one essentially a pod in the air offering that sci-fi vibe as well as plenty of activities on the ground. Definitely one to impress friends with when you return.
29. 1950s Gene Leedy midcentury modern property in Winter Haven, Florida
When you think Florida you probably think art deco or Disney. Probably not so much midcentury modern.
Dating back to 1954, it has been restored back to its former glory, throwing in some design classics to enhance the period feel too. Seclusion and a 1950s vibe.
Read more from source: Modernist holiday lets: The most popular finds at WowHaus – WowHaus
Visit the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Olga Mecking; National Geographic
The Wadden Sea Islands and their unique mudflats comprise a UNESCO World Heritage site shared by Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark.
Source: Visit the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
How to Spend 5 Days in Germany; A Greek Adventure
Why a 5 days in Germany itinerary? Because Germany has lots and lots of interesting cities and locations. Most people are very busy from Monday to Sunday on their daily hustles and bustles and thus get no time to visit other places.
However, the fact that you are busy all week long is not enough reason not to explore the world.
A 5 days in Germany itinerary
If you don’t know where to start from the next time you get time, Germany is a good place to begin with.
If you still aren’t sure of where to begin from, don’t worry as we are more than glad to show you how to spend 5 days in Germany. You can also read more posts for Munich, Germany from here and here.
Day one: What to do in Berlin?
1. Visit the Grunewald forest
If you are planning to go to Germany for the first time, stopping at Berlin, which Germany’s capital city make you feel you are at the right place.
If you love nature, Grunewald forest is a good place to start your adventure from.
Read more from source: How to Spend 5 Days in Germany – AGreekAdventure
Hamburg: Having Its Moment And More; John Oseid; Forbes
Is Hamburg the new Berlin? If not yet, the northern German city is getting darn close in the sweepstakes for happening destinations. The once-mighty trading power on the Elbe river is certainly drawing plenty of fans of late for its booming profile of projects, such as the HafenCity, the “harbor city” that is one of Europe’s biggest urban renewal schemes.
And then there is the stunning new Elbphilharmonie concert hall at the edge of the HafenCity, as well as some fourteen major hotels in the works, to go along with the elegant Fontenay property that just opened on Lake Alster. Yet for all the new development and newly-resurrected areas, the city’s main cultural sights remain surprisingly easy to reach on foot, or are always just a short ride one from another.
Known for a rich musical and intellectual past, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg was always independent and was never hung up on Kaisers.
Read more from source: Hamburg: Having Its Moment And More
CroisiEurope 2018 Rhine River Cruise Itineraries; Lauri Wakefield; River Cruise Advisor
CroisiEurope offers 41 different Rhine River cruise itineraries that range in length from 4 to 18 days. Most cruises are roundtrip from Strasbourg and do not include destinations south of Strasbourg, such as Breisach and Basel. The company has only two packages with travel between Amsterdam and Basel. Several of its itineraries feature other waterways in addition to the Rhine River. You’ll find itineraries with travel on the Main, Moselle, Danube as well as some less common rivers like the Neckar and Saar.
Now, let’s take a look at two of CroisiEurope’s Rhine River cruise packages.
Holland and the Romantic Rhine Valley
This is a 7-day cruise from Amsterdam to Strasbourg. Some of the destinations visited are commonly featured by other river cruise companies; however, there are a couple that are unique to CroisiEurope. Also, there is an excursion featured on the first night of your trip.
CroisiEurope has 11 ships for this itinerary. You can read more about the company’s ships here. They vary in size; although, in general, CroisEurope’s ships tend to have smaller staterooms and tend to carry fewer passengers.
Read more from source: CroisiEurope 2018 Rhine River Cruise Itineraries – River Cruise Advisor
20 Things to do in Cologne, Germany; Hannah Lukaszewich; Getting Stamped
With so many things to see and do, Cologne is a great option for travelers looking to avoid the crowds of tourists that throng the streets of more popular destinations such as Prague, Florence, and Venice. While there are a plethora of attractions that will entice visitors throughout the year, the two most popular times to visit are during Oktoberfest and around Christmas, when twinkling traditional markets fill the squares with their delightful wares. The fourth largest city in the whole of Germany is a relatively undiscovered gem in comparison with other destinations. To help you out, here are some of our favorite things to do in Cologne.
1. CLIMB TO THE TOP OF COLOGNE CATHEDRAL
This huge cathedral is remarkably the most visited landmark in the country. Its twin spires dominate the Cologne skyline and you´re going to want to take a trip to the top for the breathtaking panoramic views of the city below. While the 509 steps do make it quite hard work, you’ll definitely be glad that you made the effort once you’re up there.
Read more from source: 20 Things to do in Cologne, Germany | Getting Stamped
Travel: Old and new combine in scenic North Germany; Linda Lange; Knoxville News Sentinel
The majestic Elbphilharmonie reigns over Hamburg harbor signaling a new chapter in the long history of this seafaring city. The opera house was 10 years in the building and opened in January 2017.
The Elphi, as it is nicknamed by locals, looks like a hoisted sail in the wind that always seems to blow here. The futuristic glass exterior soars to a height of 354 feet.
Though its price tag of more than $900 million has some Germans grumbling, the building has been a crowd magnet since its opening. Visitors ride its escalators for a balcony view of the harbor and city center. The concert hall, which can hold 2,100, has acoustics so perfect it has ticket buyers clamoring for any available seat.
Yet, as new-age hip as the Elphi appears, its base is an old warehouse constructed more than a half-century ago.
And, so it is in North Germany — a country where the old is revered and the new is craved and enjoyed much like the stout beer found at the many corner taverns.
Hamburg
Read more from source: Travel: Old and new combine in scenic North Germany
OLDEST – Church in Koblenz, RLP / Germany; Iris & Harry; Waymarking
“The Basilica of St. Castor (German: Basilika St. Kastor or Kastorkirche) is the oldest church in Koblenz in the German state of Rhineland Palatinate. It is located near Deutsches Eck at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle. A fountain called Kastorbrunnen (“Castor well”) was built in front of the basilica during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. Pope John Paul II raised St. Castor to a basilica minor on 30 July 1991. This church is worth seeing for the historical events that have occurred in it, its extensive Romanesque construction and its largely traditional furnishings.
Since 2002, the Basilica of St. Castor has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. In addition, it is a cultural property protected under the Hague Convention.
History
Emperor Louis the Pious donate money to construct St. Castors church
The church of St. Castor was built between 817 and 836 by Hetto, the Archbishop of Trier with the support of Emperor Louis the Pious, just outside the city of Confluentes (the city founded by the Romans in the area) and dedicated on 12 November 836.
Ever been to Hildesheim?; Ille Simon; Deutsche Welle
Hildesheim might be best known for its goth and metal music festival but the city in Lower Saxony boasts a rich history too. The medieval Hildesheim Cathedral and St. Michael’s Church are listed as UNESCO world heritage.
A Journey Back in Time
Hildesheim is more than 1200 years old. The city is home to more than 40 churches. Hildesheim Cathedral and St. Michael’s Church are some of the most notable examples of Romanesque architecture. What was an Episcopal center in the Middle Ages is now a city of 100,000 inhabitants.
Rosy Future
The legendary “Thousand-Year Rosebush” grows on the Hildesheim Cathedral wall. As the story goes, after the cathedral was destroyed by allied bombs in 1945, roses began to blossom among the ruins. Despite its name, scientists believe the rosebush is a “mere” 700 years old.
Cast to Perfection
The double doors on the cathedral’s western side were commissioned by Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim. Dating back to the year 1015, they feature ornate bronze relief work, making them the oldest doors of their kind of the medieval period. The doors are now kept inside to protect them from the elements.
