Let's go travel again in beautiful Germany! This time we will visit Passau, the Dreiflüssestadt or the "City of Three Rivers" as it is famously called in English. The three rivers you can find here are the Danube, Inn and Ilz. The first picture I got here is the Residenzplatz (Residence Square) with the fountain in the middle which is called Wittelsbacher. You can also the Gothic east choir of the St. Stephen's Cathedral which is famous for its Church organ.

The second image is the shopping street in Passau. Feel free to browse my categories here to see more pictures and information about this city.

History of Passau

Passau was an ancient Roman colony of ancient Noricum called Batavis, Latin for "for the Batavi." The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe often mentioned by classical authors, and they were regularly associated with the Suebian marauders, the Heruli.

During the second half of the 5th century, St. Severinus established a monastery here. In 739, an Irish monk called Boniface founded the diocese of Passau and this was the largest diocese of the Holy Roman Empire for many years.

In the Treaty of Passau (1552), Archduke Ferdinand I, representing Emperor Charles V, secured the agreement of the Protestant princes to submit the religious question to a diet. This led to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555.

During the Renaissance and early modern period, Passau was one of the most prolific centres of sword and bladed weapon manufacture in Germany (after Solingen). Passau smiths stamped their blades with the Passau wolf, usually a rather simplified rendering of the wolf on the city's coat-of-arms. Superstitious warriors believed that the Passau wolf conferred invulnerability on the blade's bearer, and thus Passau swords acquired a great premium. As a result, the whole practice of placing magical charms on swords to protect the wearers came to be known for a time as "Passau art." (See Eduard Wagner, Cut and Thrust Weapons, 1969). Other cities' smiths, including those of Solingen, recognized the marketing value of the Passau wolf and adopted it for themselves. By the 17th century, Solingen was producing more wolf-stamped blades than Passau was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passau

I got here another interesting architecture from Germany, the famous and historical Cologne Cathedral. We visited this city last June 2007. I wish I have a good camera to take a good picture that time but I only have a very simple one. Hopefully in my next visit, I can already take better pictures. Please continue reading below for more information about this Cathedral.

Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne (currently Cardinal Joachim Meisner), and is under the administration of the archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of German Catholicism in particular, of Gothic architecture and of the continuing faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius".

Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete – a period of over 600 years. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall. The cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Cathedral, completed 10 years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir of the cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3.6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault.

Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship of the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe". more infos here

Sometimes I wonder why most colours of churches in Germany are yellow. This is St. Martin Church, the parish church in Lengenfeld, a village located in the city of Velburg which belongs to the municipality of Neumakrt in Upper Palatinate, Bavaria. This church is full of history as I read a shield located near it.

I really don't feel like going out yesterday because I was a bit tired..but my feet just get itchy that I need to go somewhere. After we ate our great lunch we decided to visit the Bürgerfest in Regensburg, Bavaria. This is the first time that I attended this festival which takes place every two years...(if I am not mistaken). I have been to this city for more than 20 times but this is first time that I visited this very lively and fantastic celebration. People were everywhere especially around the old city. You can see a lot bands playing their music in every corner of the streets. German festivals will not be happier and merrier without the beer tents and kiosk that sells food, drinks, bratwurst and a lot more.

It seems that the night is getting over again. I will give you more updates about this tomorrow. feel free to visit my other sites...have a great evening to all!

there were people everywhere..even the bridge down under in Steinerne Bruecke also had a lot of people. ..you can see a lot of kiosks and tents where people celebrate. I can't imagine how many thousands of people visited this festival since Friday until it was over last night.

I finally had the chance to post some photos from Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut. Neukirchen is a municipality in the district of Cham in Bavaria in Germany. Neukirchen beim Heiligen Blut is also a place of pilgrimage and at the same time a monastery. It's Patron Saint is Mary or Maria. It is located in the oldest and earliest trading street from Bavaria to Prague in the Bavarian Forest in Germany.

As usual I am fascinated again with the frescos on the ceiling of the Church. It is truly amazing how those artist made all those arts and paintings. Here are some photos I am sharing for now. I have to slowly sign-off now because I am not really feeling good. Have a great weekend!

After our shopping escapades in Czech Republic last Saturday, June 13, 2009, we also visited some small towns and cities in Bayerischen Wald or Bavarian Forest. One of the places we went to is Lam. Lam is a municipality in the district of Cham in Bavaria in Germany. I noticed that there are a lot of small hotels in this area. My husband also said that it is one of the tourist destination in the Bavarian Forest.

It was a nice Saturday because the weather was also very friendly as you can see in the picture here. You can also see in the background of the photo the tower of St. Ulrich, a Catholic Church in Lam. We went a bit around the small town and proceeded to other towns near here. more updates next time. It's time to say good night!

Visit this time the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. We had a trip in Cologne last June 2007. It was only a short trip but a very nice one. Cologne is known for its historical Cathedral being one of its famous landmark. We had a tour guide as we visited this city which gave us more information especially the Cathedral. find below a little info about Cologne.

The picture on the side was taken by a friend as we visited Cologne. Cologne is truly very rich in history. find below a little info about Cologne Cathedral.



Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of Gothic architecture and of the faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, being one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius".[1] Cologne Cathedral is one of the world's largest churches, being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Cathedral, completed ten years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world.

The choir of Cologne Cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3.6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault.

Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete – a period of over six hundred years. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall.

Cologne Cathedral, despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, eventually became unified as "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe", as was befitting a worship-place of the Holy Roman Emperor and the traditional shrine of the Three Kings. for more infos visit this url, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral

How many times I have been to Landstuhl already? I had a walk with a friend in this town once but we always passed this place when we visit everytime good friends in Ramstein, Miesenbach which is around thirty minutes drive from the city of Kaiserslautern. The photo first photo I got on the left side is the small chapel of the cemetery which is located at the back. The second photo is the Church in Landstuhl. Sad to say, we were not able to go inside because it was closed that time. Hopefully next time again. To give you more info of this municipality, please continue reading below.

Landstuhl is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the north-western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km west of Kaiserslautern.

It is perhaps best known in the United States of America because of the U.S. Army's medical installation. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) post, is often the first stop for American casualties leaving the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ramstein Air Force Base is also located nearby.

The earliest traces of human settlement in Landstuhl are from 500 B.C. From the Celtic period is the “Heidenfels” (i.e heathen rock), which was a holy site even into Roman times. From the Roman period is a settlement from the 1st Century A.D.

In the 15th Century, the von Sickingen noble family assumed responsibility for Landstuhl and the surrounding area. The most famous member of this family was Franz von Sickingen. Franz von Sickingen built his castle in Landstuhl – Burg Nanstein (the most visible landmark in Landstuhl and the surrounding area) - into a dominating fortress. From this base he moved to expand his domains by conquering other parts of southwestern Germany.

After several defeats, von Sickingen withdrew to his castle and was besieged by Richard Greiffenklau, Archbishop of Trier, and the Counts of the Rhine and Hesse. During the bombardment of Nanstein, Franz von Sickingen was killed. The castle was later expanded by von Sickingen’s descendants, but it was destroyed by the French in 1689.

Landstuhl is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde ("collective municipality") Landstuhl.

Landstuhl is also known for being the birthplace of Rob Thomas, the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, former German basketball player Shawn Bradley and LeVar Burton, an actor best known as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation,Young Kunta Kinte/Toby in Roots, and the host of the PBS series Reading Rainbow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landstuhl

I always admire the cleanliness of Germany especially in the state of Bavaria. Even the canals here have clean and clear water. This photo was taken the other Sunday in Forellenbach, Hohenfels near our Church. My husband told me that people sometimes drink this water here because of the belief that it cures sickness..i'll see you later again!

This photo was taken in front of Kaiserslautern Cathedral with a good friend, Liway!! miss you all Way..hope to see you next time!!

photos by: Euroangel
one of the Statues or Monuments in the Old Bridge



walking in the city of Wuerzburg last Jan. 9, 2008


in front of The Church of Our Lady (Marienkapelle)


at the bridge overlooking the Fortress Marienberg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Marienberg

Fortress Marienberg (German: Festung Marienberg) is a prominent landmark on the Main river in Würzburg, Germany. It has been a fort since ancient times. After Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden conquered the area in 1631, the castle was reconstructed in the Baroque style. Today, it is a park and museum. In 704 A.D., the Marienkirche was built atop a former Celtic shelter and in the 13th century was surrounded by the first fortification. In 1482, the main castle was encircled by a medieval ring wall with the Scherenberg gate. Some of the parts of the fortress accessible to the public are the Scherenberg-Tor (Gate) the Burgfried (keep), a chapel, a well house, Bibra Stairs / Lorenz von Bibra apartments, and the Julius Echter Apartments.

In May 1525, during the Peasants' War (Bauernkrieg), a peasant army of 15,000 men surrounded the fortification (seat of the bishop of Würzburg) but could not penetrate the concentric walls built on a steep incline. When their leader, Florian Geyer, went to Rothenburg ob der Tauber in early June to procure the heavy guns needed to at least attempt to breach the walls, the leaderless peasant army camped out around the castle, allowed themselves to be outflanked by a professional army in the service of the bishop. More than 8,000 peasants were either slaughtered or blinded on the bishop's orders. The Nazis would lionize Florian Geyer 410 years later, as part of the National Socialists' desire to connect with the common man and turn them away from the Catholic Church.

In about 1600, Julius Echter rebuilt the fortress into a Renaissance palace. After the conquest by Gustav II Adolf of Sweden in 1631 (Thirty Years War), the fortress was reconstructed as an even more formidable baroque fortification, and a princely park was laid out.

Still, during the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress was captured and, of course, the fortress wasn't defended in 1945 when the US Army quickly captured the side of the Main river on which Marienberg is located, across from the city center of Würzburg.

The Baroque Armory, built 1702-1712, houses the Mainfränkisches Museum, an excellent collection of Franconian works of art, including world-famous sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider. The Fürstenbau Museum in the princes’ wing of the fortress offers a stroll through 1200 years of Würzburg’s history. The mighty Fortress Marienberg is the symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the prince-bishops for nearly five centuries.

Taken in the Old City of Munich. You see that Cathedral Tower, that is the famous and historical Frauenkirche or the Church of Our Lady.

Munich's Geography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich

Munich lies on the elevated plains of Upper Bavaria, about 50 km north of the northern edge of the Alps, at an altitude of about 520 m ASL. The local rivers are the Isar and the Würm. Munich is situated in the Northern Alpine Foreland. The northern part of this sandy plateau includes a highly fertile flint area which is no longer affected by the folding processes found in the Alps, while the southern part is covered by morainic hills. In between there are fields of fluvio-glacial out-wash, like around Munich. Wherever these deposits get thinner, the ground water can permeate the gravel surface and flood the area, leading to marshes as in the north of Munich.

photo by: Euroangel
This is our beautiful Church in Hohenfels, the St. Ullrich Church..Everytime I go inside here, I can't stop taking some photos when I have my camera with me..I just find it very beautiful especially the fresco on the ceiling...very amazing how the painter did this painting!!

The Stone Bridge, built 1135–1146, is a highlight of medieval bridge building. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.

The Dom (Cathedral) is a very interesting example of pure German Gothic and counts as the main work of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. It was founded in 1275 and completed in 1634, with the exception of the towers, which were finished in 1869. The interior contains numerous interesting monuments, including one of Peter Vischer's masterpieces. Adjoining the cloisters are two chapels of earlier date than the cathedral itself, one of which, known as the old cathedral, goes back perhaps to the 8th century. The official choir for the liturgical music at St Peter's Cathedral are the famous Regensburger Domspatzen.

Landstuhl (IPA: [ˈlantʃtuːl]) is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the north-western edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km west of Kaiserslautern.

It is perhaps best known in the U.S.A. because of the U.S. Army's medical installation. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) post, is often the first stop for American casualties leaving the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ramstein Air Force Base is also located nearby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landstuhl

Burg Nanstein is a castle in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

It was built around the year 1162 after Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I demanded its construction as additional defense for the Palatinate.

In 1504, German knight Franz von Sickingen, inherited part of the castle after his father's death in the War of the Bavarian Succession, finally acquiring the entire castle in 1518. He immediately began extensive refortication to make the castle suitable for firearms.

Nanstein is well-known for an elaborate siege during the Knight's Revolt in 1523 which claimed the life of von Sickingen. The fall of Nanstein was a symbol for the decline of castles in the Palatinate.

In 1542, von Sickingen's sons recovered Nanstein as a fief and started reconstruction of the castle. Reinhard von Sickingen completed the reconstruction in 1595. In 1668, Elector Charles I Louis forced Lotharingian troops from the castle and razed the fortications.

In the 19th century the first conservation work was done on Nanstein, and this has continued to the present day.

Every time I lit candles in our beautiful Church in Hohenfels, I really can't stop taking pictures of the monuments, ceiling and fresco inside especially if I bring my camera with me. This Church is one of a kind. This is already a century old church and was built back in 1721.

That's all for today..hope to post here most photos, so you can have ideas how beautiful Germany is!!