Berlin (07/06/2018)

Having decided to spend a few days touring the Baltic States, we took a bus to Berlin to sleep the night there and then fly the next day to our destination. We took an early bus from Hamburg and arrived three hours later in the center of Berlin. We decided to leave our luggage at the main station to be able to walk freely during the day. We started by heading to the Gendarmenmarkt, an 18th-century square, which features a 19th-century concert hall and two neoclassical identical churches. One is the Französischer Dom, or French dome, and the other is the Deutscher Dom, or German dome, due to the affiliation of its participants to those communities. As most of Berlin, the square and the buildings were badly or completely destroyed during WWII and later rebuilt. After that, we headed towards Alexanderplatz, the city's largest and main square, with the iconic 1960s TV tower. Nearby stands the Church of St Mary which we proceeded to visit. Originally from the 13th century, it was partially restored during the 19th century and spared of major destruction during WWII. The interior features a bright white Gothic style with a few frescoes appearing here and there on the columns, a beautiful baroque pulpit, and renaissance tombstones. Once out of the church we headed on our walk and passed by the Rotes Rathaus, the 19th-century town hall built in the northern Italy high renaissance style. Not much further on we reached the Church of St Nicholas, considered to be the oldest in Berlin. Dating to the 13th century it is set among a district which was partially rebuilt in its original medieval style after the war. The next attraction we passed by was the Berlin Cathedral, which having an entrance fee, we decided to skip visiting but rather admire its Neo-renaissance beauty from the outside. We then finally reached the so-called Museum Island, an island located in the middle of the Spree river, whose northern part hosts some world-famous museums. After buying the ticket for 9 euros, we had entrance to all the museums and decided to start with the Pergamon Museum. Despite the main attraction, the Pergamon Altar, was located in the part of the building which was under reconstruction we were still able to see amazing sights such as the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, the Market Gate of Miletus and many others. We were then off to the second museum, the Neues Museum, which holds mostly roman, greek and Egyptian antiquities including the bust of Nefertiti, and the Berlin Gold Hat, a late bronze age gold artifact. Next door we then visited the Alte Nationalgalerie, containing paintings from the Neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist periods. Next on was the Altes Museum, containing more classical antiquities which we toured quickly. Finally, last but not least, to conclude our tour of the Museum Island, we headed to the Bode Museum. The building featured sculptures from the middle ages and the Renaissance, including several Italian examples and a beautiful section of Byzantine art which included the reconstructed mosaic from the Church of San Michele in Africisco of Ravenna. After the long, yet satisfying (at least for me) visit to all those museums, we headed on. We finished our walk for the day at the famous Brandenburg Gate, an 18th-century neoclassical monument, and the nearby Reichstag building, from the 19th century, and which now houses the German government. From there we then decided to head to Ania's friend's house and relax, ready to leave the next day for the Baltic trip.

The Gendarmenmarkt and the French Dome

The Church of St Mary and the TV tower

View of the Church of St Nicholas

St Nichola's facade

Detail of the Ishtar Gate at the Pergamon Museum

The mosaic of the Church of San Michele in Africisco at the Bode Museum

View of the Berlin Cathedral and the TV tower in the back

The Brandenburg Gate

The Reichstag building

Lübeck & Wismar (05/06/2017)

After the visit to Lüneburg, I was planning to do another trip soon, so just a few days after we were heading to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. After getting off the train at the city's main train station we headed into town encountering the impressive Holstentor, built in 1464, in brick Gothic and marking the western entrance to the town. From the city gate, we headed on and reached a small footbridge from where we had an impressive view of the old town, located on an island surrounded by the Trave river. From the footbridge, as we entered the old town, we headed to the southern end of the island where the Cathedral is located. Built during the 12th century in Gothic brick style, it was damaged, as many other structures of the city during WWII and had to be partially rebuilt. A mass was taking place inside so we had to visit it discretely without being able to take many pictures. After the visit to the church, we headed further into town reaching the St. Anne's Museum which is set in what was once St Anne's Priory. After paying the entrance fee we visited the museum's interior finding mostly sacred art, including several important medieval altars, and paintings dating from various centuries. From there we then headed out once more and walked towards the direction of the center of the old town, stopping by to give a look at the Church of St Peter, originally built during the 12th century but completely destroyed during the WWII air raids. Thus being completely rebuilt, its interior was completely plain and white but still impressive. Around the church, all the buildings had a modern look to them as they were also built on top of the destructions caused by the war. Not far on we reached the city's main square, where the beautiful town hall is located. Mostly built in the Gothic style it features some exquisite renaissance style additions. After admiring the main square and impressive town hall, we headed inside the nearby St Mary's Church, built in the Gothic style during the 13th century and situated at the highest point of the island containing the old town. It features the highest brick vault in the world but like other buildings, had to be rebuilt after being completely destroyed during WWII. Right outside the southern entrance, lays a slab of stone on which a small statue of a devil sits on. Legend says that when the devil visited the construction site back in the 13th century, the workers, scared to tell him there were building a church, told instead a wine bar was to be built there. Thus the devil, pleased with such a building decided to help in the construction, and right before the building was completed realized the true intent and grabbed a slab of stone to destroy it. Some workers managed to stop him by promising to build a wine bar in the same area, and thus the devil dropped the stone slab right next to the church pleased with the outcome. This is where the slab and the statue of the devil which was then cast by a local artist at the end of the 20th century now sit. Walking along the street cutting the island north to south we then reached and visited the Church of St Jacob, built during the 14th century in a Gothic style. Being spared by the bombings, the interior is well preserved and features intact art pieces and decorations unlike other churches in town. Not much further on we finally reached the northern end of town, closed by one of the only two city gates remaining, the 15th-century Burgtor. From there we walked back into town strolling around admiring the mix of old medieval burgher houses and the more modern constructions which were erected where the war had left devastations. After that, we headed back to the main station where we took a train headed to Wismar. After a brief stop and change in the small town of Bad Kleinen, we reached the Hanseatic town of Wismar. We started out by visiting the Church of St Nicholas built between the 14th and 15th centuries in the Gothic style. Its brick vault is the second highest right after the one of St. Mary's in Lubeck. As we exited the church we walked along the small canal running westward and lined by interesting old burgher houses. Walking on we then reached the town's main square, the Am Markt. All around are buildings dating from various centuries, some with gothic, renaissance or baroque features. At the southern side of the square stands the Wasserkunst, or waterworks fountain, built at the beginning of the 17th century in the Dutch Renaissance style. Just a few steps from the square are the remains of the Church of St Mary, heavily damaged during WWII and then destroyed by the East German Communist government. Only the 80m tower remains as an example of the past grandeur of the building. Right in front of the tower stands the Renaissance Fürstenhof, a princely residence dating to the 16th century. Beside it stands yet another church, the Church of St George. Also badly damaged during the war, it was partially rebuilt and now can be visited though featuring a mostly empty interior. Walking back through the town streets we quickly stopped to peek inside the Church of the Holy Ghost built in Gothic style during the 13th century and featuring an interesting wooden painted ceiling in its interior. We then ended the visit to the town by strolling around the small port where the Wassertor, the northwestern medieval gate is located. Once there we finally headed to the train station where we took our ride back to Hamburg.

The Holstentor in Lubeck

View of the old town of Lubeck

One of the streets of the old town

Lubeck's Cathedral

Statue of St George and the dragon inside the St Anne Museum

The town hall

The statue of the devil outside the Church of St Mary

St Mary's interior

The Burgtor gate

Houses in the old town

View of the canal and the Church of St Nicholas in Wismar

One of the streets in Wismar

The main square in Wismar, with the Wasserkunst

The tower of St Mary and the Furstenhof palace

Old wooden building in Wismar

Lüneburg (03/06/2017)

Even though cloudy, we decided to head to the nearby town of Lüneburg, located about 50km southeast of Hamburg. After taking the train after lunch from the main station we arrived sometime later in the afternoon. Our first visit was to the Wasserturm, or water tower, built at the beginning of the 20th century. As we reached the top of the tower, we had a great view over the surrounding town center including its many important landmarks. Descending back down at ground level, we then headed to the Church of St John, built during the 14th century in Gothic brick style. The doors had just closed on us so we, unfortunately, did not manage to visit its interior. We thus continued on walking through the town's main square, the Am Sande, admiring the medieval houses surrounding it, mostly in brick gothic style. From the square, one could admire the impressive 108m high steeple of St John's church. Walking further among the pretty winding medieval streets, we then reached the church of St Michaelis. Also built during the 14th century in the Gothic brick style, we were able to give a quick look inside right before the guardian decided to close it for the day. Apparently, in this same church, the German composer Bach studied for two years as a pupil. Not far on, climbing a little uphill, we reached the top of the Kalkberg, a hill which used to be a gypsum mine, and now offers great views over the old town. After the nice view, we walked back through the medieval streets reaching the Wochenmarkt square where the town hall is located, originally built in the middle ages it now features a Baroque style. A few streets down we then encountered and entered the church of St Nicolai, the third of the three main churches of the town, built in the same style as the other two but in the 15th century instead. After the visit to the church, we then ended the day by visiting the old harbor and the 18th-century crane still standing there. From there we were close to catch the next train headed back to Hamburg.

View from the Wasserturm

A Gothic styled house in the town center 

View of the Church of St John from the Am Sande square

More gothic houses in the center

A street with a view of the St Michaelis church 

Another medieval street

The old harbor and the wooden creane

Another street in Luneburg

Bremen (01/06/2017)

After having finished the semester in Strasbourg, Ania and I headed to Hamburg for a few days, and in the meantime, I decided to visit a few places around the area. The first trip was to Bremen, a once Hanseatic city, and thus as Hamburg, having its own Bundesland. After taking the bus from Hamburg and reaching the city of Bremen, we headed directly in the Altstadt, or old town. As we approached the town center, we passed by the Am Wall Windmill, built in the late 19th century is the Dutch style. Walking a little further we reached the Wesser river and walked along its quayside until we encountered and entered the church of St Martin, built in the Gothic style during the 13th century. After visiting the church, we headed back into town, walking through the Boettcherstrasse, a hundred meter long street filled with Brick Expressionist buildings dating to the 1920-30s Just one building is from the 16th century, and that is the Roselius House. As most of Bremen, even this area was heavily bombed during WWII and mostly rebuilt. Reaching the end of the street we came out in the Marktplatz, or market square, which is the main square of the old town. All around sit important buildings, such as the Schutting, which used to be the merchant's guild-house, and the town hall, which is a Unesco world heritage site. Originally built during the middle ages, the current building features a beautiful Weser Renaissance facade from the 17th century. Behind it stands also the new town hall building, dating to the beginning of the 20th century, and built in the same style to maintain a continuous harmony in the buildings. Underneath the building is located the Ratskeller, or wine cellar, where both old bottles and newer ones were kept at the disposal of the city. Right in front of the town hall and close to the center of the main square stands the statue of the Roland, also part of the Unesco listing, erected in 1404, and representing Roland, Charlemagne's paladin. Carved in limestone, the statue itself is 5.47m while with its baldachin it reaches a height of 10.21m. Built in many towns during the Middle Ages that were under Saxon law, it was used as a symbol of freedom, and in fact, the legend of the one in Bremen goes that as long as the statue stands up, the city will always be free and independent. At the western end of the town hall stands the 1953 statues of the Town Musicians of Bremen, a famous fairy tale regarding a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster becoming musicians. Next to it stands the Church of Our Lady, dating to the 13th century in the Gothic style. After the visit to the church, we crossed back through the main square and reached the city's Cathedral. Dedicated to St Pete, it was built in a Gothic style during the 13th century. Its oldest part is located in the crypt below with Romanesque columns and a baptismal bronze font from 1229. After visiting the inside of the church, we exited to the cloister where we descended down the Bleikeller, or lead cellar, where a small museum displayed the well-preserved mummies of some inhabitants of the city from the 17th century. After the Cathedral, we walked further and gave a brief look a the Gothic church of St John. From there we then entered the Schnoor, a medieval neighborhood, which is the only survivor of the WWII destructions. Walking along its narrow streets we admired the nice small medieval houses, which looked even better on this sunny day. From there it was a short walk to our last stop of the day: the Kunsthalle, or art museum. Inside were several paintings from all over Europe including some portraying Italy and even one on Venice. After this last visit it was time to go, so we headed to the bus station where we got our ride back to Hamburg.

The Am Wall Windmill

The Roselius House

The town hall

Burgher houses on the Marktplatz

The Roland

Interior of the Cathedral

One of the mummies in the Bleikeller

The main street of the Schnoor

A side courtyard in the Schnoor

Another view of the Schnoor's main street 

A side street in the Schnoor

The Cathedral facade

 

Bike tour of Alsace (28/05/2017)

Right after coming back from the trip to Lyon, the next day, as I had already planned it, I decided to do a bicycle trip of the northern part of Alsace. I started out early in the morning by catching the tram to the nearby town of Ilkirch from my dorm in Strasbourg. After getting off I had saved a few kilometers of biking and was ready to set off for the trip with my bicycle. I left around 10 and after about one hour and twenty minutes reached the first town of the day: Rosheim. I entered the town from the eastern end through the Porte de la Vierge, a fortified medieval gate. As I approached the center I started seeing more and more timber-framed house, or maisons à colombage as they are called here. I passed through yet another gate, the Porte de Hohenbourg and reached the impressive Romanesque church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul. Built around the 12th century it is included in the Route Romane d'Alsace, or Romanesque route of Alsace, comprising several Romanesque buildings in the region. Despite having an empty interior, it features some beautiful phytomorphic and animal-like decorations typical of that architectural style. Exiting then the town at its western end I passed under the pretty clock tower or Zittgloeckel, heading on to the next town: Boersch. I fastly approached the town's eastern gate called the Tour Basse and reached the main square with the 16th-century town hall and the Eglise St Medard from the 18th century. As there was a communion taking place I decided to head on to the next destination. Fifteen minutes later I reached the town of Obernai, much larger and famous than the previous ones, meant that I started to see the first tourists. After entering its main church, the Eglise Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, I then arrived in the town's main square called the Place de la Mairie, where the Halle aux Blés, or grain hall, and the town hall are located. After cycling around the town admiring the timber-framed houses, I also circled on its outer ramparts having a view of the houses from a higher position of the town walls. Back in the center once more, I passed by the impressive Kappelturm, or bell tower, before heading out the southern end of the walls and into the countryside once again. I passed through the town of Bernardswiller and cycled through fields of cereal and vineyard covered hills. At one point I had to confront a long and uphill road which left me quite tired once completed, prompting me to sit down under the shade of a tree and consume my lunch while having a break. After the break, I was back on my bicycle and passing through the next town Heiligenstein, where I stopped briefly to cover my head with a t-shirt I drenched in water to keep it fresh from the scorching may sun, before reaching the town of Barr. Cycling through its streets filled with timber-framed houses I then continued south through more beautiful vineyards. After not much of pedaling, I passed by the town of Mittelbergheim, which set among hills filled with vineyards is listed among the most beautiful towns in France. From there a nice downhill road surrounded by more vineyards brought me to the town of Andlau, nestled in a small valley and hosting the famous Abbey built in 880 by Richardis, empress, and wife of Charles the Fat. After visiting the church built in a Romanesque style, I headed back on my way and pedaling through yet more vineyards and passing through three more towns, Itterswiller, Nothalten, and Bienschwiller, before reaching the town of Dambach-la-Ville. After entering through the Tour de Bienschwiller, due to the direction of the road coming through it, I crossed the town observing the pretty timber-framed houses, and the main church, Eglise St Etienne. After crossing biking through its winding streets, I exited the town at its southern gate, the Tour de Dieffenthal. I continued on pedaling among beautiful vineyards and two more towns, Dieffenthal and Scherwiller, before reaching the town of Châtenois. I traversed the town center and passed by the Eglise Saint-Georges, which I just glanced at while pedaling on to my next destination. I passed by the town of Kintzheim and its castle, cycled through Orschwiller, briefly pedaling through Saint-Hippolyte and Rorschwihr, before reaching the town of Bergheim. Completely surrounded by a double set of walls, the town features a nice historic center. I entered through its western gate, the Porte Haute, and traversed its center filled with timber-framed houses. I then decided to take a short break and get myself an iced tea from the closest bar to refresh myself and sit down for a few minutes. After seeing Bergheim, pedaling just a few more minutes, took me to the more famous town of Ribeauvillé. A few more tourists were to be seen around, and that led me to have to watch out for random people as I was pedaling through the town's beautiful streets filled with incredible mansions and buildings in all colors. I passed by the main sights of the town including the town hall, the Augustinian church, the 13th century Porte des Bouchers, and then reaching the western end of town at the Place de la Republique with a beautiful view towards the castle of St Ulrich perched on a hilltop overlooking the town. After pedaling back through the old center, I continued on my way heading further south. At this point I had two options, either head uphill passing by some more historic towns, one of which I had already seen when my parents had come to visit me during Easter, or head downhill along a more relaxed and direct way. I opted for the second choice and after half an hour I reached the town of Kientzheim. The Chapelle St Felix et St Regule appeared as the first sight as I approached the town. After cycling through its tight streets, I headed westwards and passed an M4A4 Sherman Tank from WWII right outside the town walls. In just less than five minutes I then reached the next town: Kaysersberg. Though filled with beautiful timber-framed houses as all the other towns so far, this had the peculiarity of featuring a small pretty rivulet running through its center which made it even more appealing. Furthermore, the nearby castle ruins right above the town invited me to take a closer look, but that meant getting off my bike and walking uphill, which I did not even want to fathom at that moment. I thus decided to visit the lower part of the town instead and after that head on forward on my bicycle. I passed the town of Ammerschwihr and then took a quick break as I found a tree ripe with cherries which I snacked on for a little bit. Then back on my journey, I passed more vineyards and the town of Katzenthal before reaching the town of Turckheim. I pedaled around the town, appreciating the houses and the medieval gates including the Porte du Brand and the Porte de Munster. Originally, I had wished to take a two day trip from Strasbourg to Mulhouse and sleep half way somewhere with my sleeping bag, however, now I was quite tired, and there weren't any important places between here and Mulhouse so I just decided to head to Colmar and take a train back home instead. After pedaling a little more I reached Colmar, which I had already seen twice, and managed to take the next train leaving for Strasbourg and be able to sleep in a bed instead of the grass that night.

The Porte de la Vierge in Rosheim

The Porte de Hohenbourg in Rosheim

The church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul in Rosehim

Rosheim's clock tower

A street in Obernai

The main square in

The main square and Kappelturm

Street in Bernardswiller 

The countryside between Bernardswiller and Heiligenstein

Timber-framed houses in Barr

View of the town of Mittelbergheim among vineyards 

More vineyards

View of Andlau

A street in Dambach-la-Ville

City gate in Dambach-la-Ville

Even more vineyards

The Ortenbourg castle close to Chatenois

View of Saint Hippolyte 

The main square in Bergheim

Main street in Ribeauvillé

Timber-framed houses in Ribeauvillé 

Place de la Republique and view of the castle of St Ulrich in Ribeauvillé

Another street in Ribeauvillé 

The Tour des Bouchers in Ribeauvillé

Street in Kientzheim

Another street in Kientzheim 

View of Kaysersberg

Another view of Kaysersberg

The rivulet in Kaysersberg

View of Ammerschwihr

View of Katzenthal 

View of Turckehim and its valley

A street in Turckheim

The Porte de Munster in Turckheim

Another view of the town gate

The main street in Turckheim

The Porte de France in Turckehim

The town hall and main church 

The Hotel des Deux Clefs