If you have been to Prague, Czech Republic, you might be able to see a bridge that almost resembles the Old Main Bridge in Würzburg, a lovely city in the state of Bavaria (Bayern in German) in Germany.

The Old Main Bridge, called in German as Alte Mainbrücke, was built on 1473–1543 to replace the destroyed Romanesque bridge from 1133. This impressive bridge was adorned from 1730 on in two phases with well-known statues of saints and famous persons.

I have been to this city for a lot of times and always love to come back from time to time. Here are some snapshots I took during one of my visits there.

I had the chance to stop-by in this monastery four years ago. We were on our way to Beilgries and when I saw this building, I immediately made a detour there. Called as Kloster Plankstetten, this monastery was founded in 1129 as a private monastery of the bishops of Eichstätt by Count Ernst of Hirschberg and his brother Gebhard of Hirschberg, Bishop of Eichstätt. It is located between Beilgries and Berching in Bavaria, Germany.

There is a restaurant inside the compound. During our visit last 2009, there is also a souvenir shop inside and a bookstore. I bought some postcards and a book about this monastery. If I am not mistaken this abbey is producing their own organic beer. They also have a big garden with different produce.
I just visited their website here, http://www.kloster-plankstetten.de and found out they actually have all of the below;

Landwirtschaft or Farming and Gardening- they are doing organic farming planting different fruits, vegetables and grains. They are also raising animals like cow and pigs.

Brennerei or Brewery- They are producing Bierbrand (beer), Obstler (fruit schnaps), Zwetschgenwasser (plum brandy).

They are also producing honey, have their own butcher and meat shop, a souvenir and bookstore inside their compound.



The abbey also have parish responsibilities for Plankstetten and a neighbouring village.

After a short notice today, we decided to drive to the town of Weissenburg in central Bavaria. The weather don't look friendly because it was very cloudy when we left. I said to myself rain or shine or else nothing will happen today. This town is actually written as Weißenburg in German and I even had a difficulty to input it in our navigator. Good to know that I had its postal code or else we will be lost. Typing the postal code of a town or city in Germany is better because sometimes there are a lot of places that have the same name. There are even Weißenburg in other states of Germany.

Since we drove on the back road which is quite slow as the Autobahn or motorway, it took us almost two hours to reach this town. One advantage of driving on this so-called Landstrasse or back road is that, you will be passing a lot of interesting small towns and villages.

Weissenburg is a historical city dating back to the Roman times. The many stages in the history of Weißenburg can still be seen today. There are many ruins from the Roman times. One of the finest is the remains of a Roman bath was excavated in 1977 and has been turned into a museum. The city wall from the Middle Ages has survived almost intact with its towers and in the Gothic Town Hall the city's elected members have held their meetings from 1476.

Sights to visit in Weissenburg are;

The Late Gothic Andreaskirche (St Andrew's Church; 14th-15th century)
Ellinger Tor, a town gate of 1469-1510
Late Gothic Town Hall (1476)
The Carmelite church (15th century; now a cultural center)

Also take a walk around the walls of the town where you can find a lot of historical buildings.

It took me sometime to figure out the name of this church in Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany. I tried to enlarge the image in my file and finally saw the name in front of it. This is the Collegiate Church of St. John the Evangelist named after its patron saint.

Since this is the last Thursday of the year which also means that 2011 is almost ending, I would like to greet everyone a

This pavilion is located in the Schlossplatz or Castle Square in Stuttgart, Germany. The Schlossplatz is the largest square in the centre of this city. It is home to the New Castle which was built between 1746 and 1807.

This pavilion is also called as the bandstand. We had the chance to visit Baden-Württemberg's capital last October 2010 during the celebration of Canstatter Volksfest, the famous festival in this region.

Most of the American soldiers who were assigned in the U.S. Base in Hohenfels in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, Germany surely have ideas where Hohenburg is located. There are also army housings in and around this area.

Hohenburg is a municipality located in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach in Bavaria. Some of its areas are part of the US Army Training Area, one of the biggest training areas in Europe. In its town center, you can find historical colored houses. There is also a castle located in the are but it is inside the U.S. Base.

The St. Jacob Church in the town center is worth to visit. Among the outdoor activities in this area are biking and wandering especially on the Lauterachtalradweg and Wacholderwanderweg. There are also Gasthaus or restaurants there. The Asian grocery store of Jovita is also located near the area named Allersburg.

Let's visit this time the south-west part of Bavaria, Germany. It's been a year now since we visited Augsburg. We only had a day-trip that time which is not really enough to see everything. At least, we saw some of its main sights like the Augsburg Rathaus (City Hall), Schaetzlerpalais, Jacob Gate, Church of St. Jacob, St. Ulrich Church and other sights and monuments in this city.

Augburg is known to be a university town. It is Germany's third oldest city, after Neuss and Trier.



Jacob Fugger: March 6, 1459 – December 30, 1525

Born into a prominent Augsburg merchant family, in his time he was Europe’s wealthiest merchant and banker. Through the clever exploitation of mineral rights, his firm held a monopoly on the European copper market and thus laid the groundwork for the prosperity and international standing of the Fugger family business. In 1511, he was elevated to the nobility.

As a banker, Jakob Fugger served members of the nobility, the European royal families and the Catholic Church. He financed wars and ascents to the monarchy and consequently achieved rapid growth and considerable political influence for his business. Even by today’s standards, his wealth was unfathomably immense—thus earning for himself the sobriquet of “Jakob the Rich”. Largely due to him, during that time Augsburg stood in the center of world affairs. augsburg.de

Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz is the capital of the Neumarkt district in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate, in Bavaria, Germany.

I have below an image of the Rathaus or Town Hall of Neumarkt. The town hall was built in the late Gothic period (around 1430) and destroyed in 1945, but rebuilt in 1956/57. The town hall was extensively renovated in 1999.

The Altes Rathaus or Old Town Hall is one of the main sights to see in this Franconian city of Bamberg. It is accessible by two bridges (you can see one bridge in my image here) being built in the middle of the Regnitz River. Its construction was said to begin in 1386.

The Old Town of Bamberg is included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.


The Old Town Hall in Bamberg is quite a curiosity: The frescoes that adorn the facades are as amazing as the story behind the building's construction.

According to legend the bishop of Bamberg did not grant the citizens any land for the construction of a town hall. This prompted the townsfolk to ram stakes into the river Regnitz to create an artificial island, on which they built the town hall they so badly wanted.

The location marks the old border of rule between the episcopal city on the hills and the bourgeois island city and is a clear demonstration of the bourgeoisie's thirst for power.

The Old Town Hall's frescoes never fail to impress as they lend the facades a three-dimensional quality achieved with trompe d'oeil architecture. A special detail is a continual source of mirth among tourists: the leg of a cherub protudes out of the wall as a sculpture. Today the Old Town Hall accommodates the prestigious rococo hall and the Ludwig Collection.Bamberg Rathaus

It's almost two years now since the last time I visited Landshut, a city in Bavarian region in the southeastern part of Germany. It was also the first time I witnessed the famous festival in this city, the Landshuter Hochzeit or Landshut Wedding Festival. The River Isar runs through the city center. Most of the buildings you can see especially in the city center are of Gothic architecture.

The main sights of the city include St. Martin's Church, Trausnitz Castle, the Ländtor, Church of St. Jodok, the Altstadt or Old Town and some other more.

I had been to this city thrice. This also means I did also see St. James Church three times. My first visit was sometimes in 2008, the second one was in January 2011 and was again followed last February 5, 2011.

St. James Church is a historical Lutheran church in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The church was built between 1311-1484. Its east chancel was completed in 1322, nave built from 1373-1436, and west choir, which bridges the street, from 1453-1471. The church was consecrated in 1485 by the Bishop of Würzburg. In 1525 the peasant leader Florian Geyer read aloud the articles of the revolting peasants from its west chancel.

Karlstor is one of the main gates in the old city of Munich in Bavaria, Germany. It is the most important buildings dominating Karlplatz, a square in front of Karlstor. Karlstor, a gothic gate of the demolished medieval fortification, the rondell before the gate and the neo-baroque Justizpalast (Palace of Justice).

Here is an image I took during our visit last August 2010.

In front of the Karlstor is a big fountain during the summer period. In winter an open-air ice rink is installed there. The underground contains a large shopping center. Also between Stachus square and Marienplatz the main pedestrian area of the city (Neuhauser Strasse / Kaufinger Strasse) houses numerous shops and restaurants. The Karlsplatz (Stachus) U-Bahn and S-Bahn station is located below the square. The Stachus also serves as a hub for the city's tramway system, located on Altstadtring, the Old Town's orbital road system.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, the biggest state of Germany. It is the third largest city of Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. This city is well known for its architecture and culture. It is also very famous for hosting the world's biggest fair, the Oktoberfest. In 2010, Monocle ranked Munich as the world's most livable city.

I believed, Munich has everything to offer to its tourists and visitors. It has numerous museums and galleries, amazing architecture, parks, palaces and castles, night life and so many things to see and experience in this cosmopolitan city. Always remember, that a day-visit in Munich is not enough to see and experience everything. That is also the reason why I visit this city some times in a year.

I did not know that the President of Germany resides in Schloss Bellevue or Bellevue Palace until I visited Berlin last February 2011. The name Bellevue came from a French word which means "beautiful view". This is due to the scenic prospect over the river course where this palace is located, on the banks of the Spree river. This palace has been the residence of the President of Germany since 1994.

We only passed this building during our bus tour in the city of Berlin. This is one of the snapshots I took during my visit.

The palace in the central Tiergarten district of Berlin is situated on the northern edge of the Großer Tiergarten park, on the banks of the Spree river, near the Berlin Victory Column.

Schloss Bellevue was erected in 1786 as a summer residence for Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, the younger brother of King Frederick II, according to plans by architect Michael Philipp Boumann on the site of a manor built in 1743 by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. It then was the first Neoclassical building in Germany, characterized by its Corinthian pilasters, with wings on either side ("Ladies' wing" and "Spree wing"). The upper floor features a ball room designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The palace is surrounded by a park covering about 20 hectares. In 1843 Bellevue was acquired by King Frederick William IV of Prussia and in 1865 became the residence of his niece Princess Alexandrine after her marriage with William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It served the royal and imperial princes of the Hohenzollern dynasty until the German Revolution of 1918. credit

It has been two years now since we visited Nabburg. It is a municipality in the district of Schwandorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Naab, 23 km east of Amberg. It has a small but beautiful romantic old town.

The architecture of the medieval town of Nabburg, makes it possible to attain a glimpse of ancient times. The historic old town and the nearly completely intact town wall where the Mähntor and Obertor are landmarks for the significance of the town in the Middle Ages. Some of the sights include the Old Town Hall, the Bürgerspital, Dechantturm, the Palace Court, the Schmidt-Haus, the Church, the Pulverturm and the Zehentstadel. There are guided tours offered all year round. You can also make a trip around like what we did during our visit. It was quite interesting.


This is the Obertor (translated in English as "over gate"). The two-storey, octagonal tower with an open staircase which lies on the north-western exit of the town. At the outside wall one can find traces of a portcullis. The date 1565 next to it, shows the time of a renovation.

The town hall of Nabburg, has already been built in the year 1417. In the 16th century the tower with the clock, the extension in the style of the Renaissance with the portal, the stairs and the loggia, followed. In the town hall, there were small shops, the scales of the town, a conference hall and furthermore a wedding hall. The house was misappropriated more than over 100 years until its redevelopment from 1995-1998, it became the headquarters of the Mayor and the seat for the administrative community of Nabburg.

The Hohenschwangau Castle, called in German as Schloss Hohenschwangau was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It is a 19th century palace created by King Maximilian II of Bavaria, the father of King Ludwig II. The name of the castle literally mean, High Swan County Palace.


It is located in the German village of Schwangau near the town of Füssen, part of the county of Ostallgäu in southwestern Bavaria, Germany, very close to the border with Austria.

Hohenschwangau Castle was built on the remains of the fortress Schwanstein, which was first mentioned in historical records dating from the 12th century. A family of knights was responsible for the construction of the medieval fortress, and it served as the seat of the local government of Schwangau. In 1523, the schloss was described as having walls which were too thin to be useful for defensive purposes. After the demise of the knights in the 16th century the fortress changed hands several times. The decay of the fortress continued until it finally fell into ruins at the beginning of the 19th century. more infos here

Passau is also called "The Three River City" because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. It is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany.

One of the main attractions of the city is its Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus). It was was constructed between 1298 and 1408, and is located on the square of the same name in the centre of the town.

Here are some images taken during my second visit last November 2009. I visited it for the third time last August 2010.


the Neo Gothic tower which was constructed in 1893. It can be seen from all around the town.

This is the St. Peter's Church in Heidelberg, Germany. It is considered to be the oldest church in this city. It is now a Lutheran church but was built by early Christians (Catholics) sometime during the 12th century, although there is no exact documentation of the date.


This stone tablet says that St. Peter's Church was built since 1485. From 1864-70, there are massive changes that were done. It is the University church with important gravestones or sepulchral monument.

This is one of the beautiful cities I visited in Germany. Heidelberg has been a popular tourist destination due to its romantic and picturesque cityscape's character including the Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town.

During our visit in Heidelberg, a very friendly old man told us that the first University in Germany was founded in Heidelberg. He was very proud that he lives in this part of Germany.


GEOGRAPHY:

Heidelberg is partly situated in the Rhine Rift Valley, mainly on the left bank of the lower part of the river Neckar. Heidelberg, being located in a bottom of a valley, is bordered by the mountain Königsstuhl (568 m) and the mountain Gaisberg (375 m). The river Neckar flows here in an east-west direction. On the right bank of the river the mountain Heiligenberg (445 m) rises. The river Neckar leads to the River Rhine approximately 22 kilometres north-westerly in Mannheim, measured from the end of the bottom of the valley. The villages incorporated during the 20th century reach from the Neckarvalley through the Bergstraße, a street situated alongside the hillside of the Odenwald. more about Heidelberg

I have been partially sharing images from Berlin, Germany in my other sites. As of now, I can't still fully describe Berlin but I can only say one thing, for me, it is the city of almost everything. I can compare it to other European capital cities like Paris and London. Each cities has each uniqueness and all of them are beautiful for me.

I was overwhelmed when I saw and experienced Germany's capital city. I believed with what my friend from Berlin told me that visiting and seeing everything in this city takes a lot of time. A three-day visit is not enough. You probably need around three weeks to see everything. Would it mean that I will be visiting this city in the near future again? I believed, yes!

I am sharing one of the most beautiful squares I had seen in Europe. This is the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. This is quite a perfect setting with those two famous and almost similarly designed cathedrals, the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) and the German Cathedral. Right in the middle of this neoclassical square is the Concert Hall, called in German as the Konzerthaus which is the home of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. I should watch and witness an opera in my next visit to Berlin. What do you think guys?