
- CLICK
FOR LARGER VIEW
Berlin
Area357.022 km²
(8,6x the Netherlands)
UTC +1
LanguageGerman, Frisian, Danisch, Italian, Turkish
Highest pointZugspitze - 2962 m
In 1848, a flag with horizontal tricolor of black, red and gold was adopted. From 1867-1918 and 1933-1945 the colors were black-white-red. and from 1949 the original colors were adopted again.
The euro was introduced simultaneously in 12 European countries, as well as in Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City on 1 January 2002. This was the largest monetary exchange operation of all time. On the front of the note is a gate or window and a bridge on the back. These are all fictional. De euro replaces the Deutsche Mark, introduced in 1948.
Carl von Hessen-Kassel ordered the construction of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe near Kassel in 1696. Construction took 150 years. In 1701, Italian architect Giovanni Francesco Guerniero began construction of the Hercules Monument and the grand cascades. In 1786, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe was built. The style of the park was transformed from Baroque to English landscape garden. Heinrich Christoph Jussow designed a number of structures for the park that are still present today such as the artificial ruins of the Löwenburg, a Roman aqueduct and the Teufelsbrücke with the Höllenteich (hell pond). In 1826, the last major modification took place, a waterfall. From 1899 onward, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe became the summer residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Paul von Hindenburg organized the withdrawal of the German army in the 1st World War here.
Erfurt is the capital of the state of Thuringia. Erfurt was first mentioned in 742, when Boniface founded a bishopric there. During World War II, the city suffered from 27 air raids in which about 17% of the buildings were destroyed. Some of the highlights of the city include the Krämerbrücke (Merchant's Bridge), built 1325, a medieval arch bridge built with houses. The bridge has been continuously inhabited for more than 500 years, longer than any other bridge in Europe. Construction of the houses on the bridge was completed in 1486, after a fire in 1472 which destroyed nearly half the city and the market stalls on the stone bridge. The bridge spans the Breitström, a tributary of the Gera River. It is 125 meters long and connects two town squares. Originally, a church stood at both ends. One of them has been preserved. Dominating the hill at the Domplatz are the cathedral of St Marien and St Severi church. In the early 14th century, the hill was enlarged to make way for the Cathedral. Suspended in the middle of the three towers is the Maria Gloriosa, a huge bell which was cast by the Dutchman Geert van Wou in 1497. It was the largest freely revolving bell in the world. It is the largest surviving medieval clock in the world. It is known for the purity of its tone. The clock weighs about 11,400 kg.
Festung Königstein is located on a table mountain in Saxon Switzerland, 240 meters above the Elbe River. The table mountain was already inhabited around 1100 B.C. The fortress has more than 50 buildings, some from around 1600. The total length of the surrounding walls is 1.8 km and they are up to 42 meters high, built on steep sandstone walls. The name Königstein was first mentioned in 1241. The fortress was part of the kingdom of Bohemia. In a treaty of 1459, the Saxon / Bohemian border was established and the fortress came into the hands of Saxony. The fortress was expanded at the end of the 16th century and the deep well dates from this time. The well is 152.5 meters deep. During World War II, it was a prisoner of war camp 'Oflag IVb'. The French general Henri Giraud escaped in 1942. After the war, it became a museum.
The Saxon Switzerland National Park is a national park in eastern Germany near the Czech border. It has an
area of approximately 93.5 km² and is located on the right bank of the Elbe river in Saxony.
It was established in 1990.
Together with the surrounding landscape protection area, which was established in 1956,
the national park forms the Saxon Switzerland National Park region.
The Bohemian Switzerland National Park is located on the Czech side of the border. The park attracts approximately
1.7 million visitors annually. the National Park has a marked network of 400 km of trails,
and 50 km of cycle paths.
From Stadt Wehlen or Rathen you can
explore the western part of the park with highlights such as the Basteibrücke with fantastic views over the
rock formations and the Elbe river. You can descend into the gorge called Schwedenlöcher, which
served as a shelter for refugees during the 30 year war. From Stadt Wehlen you can go
north and visit the Teufelsgrund where you
have to conquer narrow passages between and under the rocks. After this loop, return to the main path and
turn left at the fork towards Uttewalde.
The eastern part can be reached by bus or by the Kirnitschtalbahn that leaves from
Bad Schandau. This is a cheaper option than by car. There are limited locations, and you will have to pay.
The Kirnitschtalbahn is a tram that runs from Bad Schandau to the Lichtenhainer waterfall.
Highlights in the eastern part are the Kuhstall, a large natural passage in the rocks with
the himmelsleiter at the rear to the left. A staircase leads up into a very narrow gorge. On the
other side is the Frienstein where you can walk to the Ida cave. This is not for
people with a fear of heights. There are steel rings attached to the rock wall that you can hold on to.
To the southwest of the Frienstein are the Schrammsteine. Here you can also climb the stairs for a beautiful view.
Then walk along the ridge towards the east to the Breite Kluft for a beautiful view. You also
have a beautiful view on the carolafelsen. From Hinterhermsdorf you can walk to the Kirnitschklamm.
The Kirnitsch flows for a large part along the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. A small dam
has been constructed at the Kirnitschklamm
and you can take a boat trip for 8 euros and find out a lot about the park.
You can also bypass the boat trip. At the end of the boat trip is Hermannseck. There is also a staircase
in a very narrow gorge here, but it is only suitable for children or crawling for adults without a backpack.
The only downside in the Saxon Switzerland National Park are the numerous fallen trees, either due to the wind or ravenous beetles.
Schloss Moritzburg is located 11 kilometers northwest of Dresden. It was built between 1542 and 1546 as a hunting lodge for Duke Moritz of Sachsen. Between 1723 and 1733 it was converted into the country residence of Augustus III the Strong, the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. The present palace is as it was reconstructed in 1733. The wall of the rooms are decorated with lavish scenes.
Schloss Colditz is located on a rock, prominently above the town of Colditz. In the 18th century the castle was abandoned by the nobility. From 1803 it was used for various purposes, such as a workhouse for vagrants, an institution for the mentally ill, a concentration camp of the National Socialists and a sanatorium/nursing home. From October 1939 it became a prisoner of war camp 'Oflag IVc' for troublesome Allied officers. There were Dutch, French, Belgians, British and Poles. They made many escape attempts, which were partly successful. Some dressed up as women, German soldiers and officers. Documents were forged and uniforms and clothing were made using an ingenious wooden sewing machine. They even planned to escape from the attic with a self-built glider plane, but before that plan could be carried out they were liberated by the Americans. Some escape tunnels can still be seen. After the war, a TV series and several films were devoted to it. Since 2024, it has been a museum where you can walk through the rooms with a Histopad on which the escapes are displayed as if in a game and where you can click on the names of the residents for more information. In a small museum you can see things that were used for counterfeiting German uniforms, forgeries of identity cards and also the wooden sewing machine. This museum is a must see.
Quedlingburg is located just north of the Harz nationsl park in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Quedlinburg was first mentioned in 922 as villa quae dicitur Quitilingaburg. King Henry the Birder, king of Germany from 919 to 936, had his favorite palace here. After his coronation in 919, Quedlinburg became the capital and also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1426 it became a Hanseatic city. The city flourished after the 30 Years' War (1618-1648). Most of the preserved half-timbered houses date from this time. Of the more than 1,300 half-timbered houses, it is certain that at least 11 were built before 1530. Parts of the city wall and a number of towers built in 1330 are still preserved. Walking the streets of the old center you'll find yourself in an open-air museum. There is virtually no traffic in the city center. Have dinner at Brauhaus Lüdde where the old brewing kettles are located in the restaurant or visit the railway and toy museum in a house that is completely filled with toy trains and locomotives over four floors.
The town of Goslar is located on the northern edge of the Harz in the state of Lower Saxony. It was founded in 922
by King Henry the Birder. The Abzucht is a branch of the Oker river and it runs
through the old city. It got its name because the polluted drainage water from the Rammelsberg mine
ends up in it. Mining has been carried out in the Harz since Roman times, which
led to the development of settlements. The discovery of silver in the mine attracted the nobility and
King Henry II built a palace in Goslar in 1005. The current palace was
built by Henry III between 1040 and 1050. To maintain it's independence, it was a Hanseatic city from 1267 to 1566.
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, 28 people were put to death because they
were found guilty of witchcraft. In 1806, after the end of the Holy Roman Empire, numerous
buildings were demolished. After the discovery of a new ore vein in 1859 and the construction of a
spa in 1842, the economy improved. On the market there is a clock work with figures that
illuminate history with figures. You can
witness this every day at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM . The Siemens House and Peterstrasse
are some of the city's highlights.
The Rammelsberg mines are located just south of the city in the 636 meter high Rammelsberg. For more
than 3,000 years, until its closure in 1988, copper, lead, zinc and silver ores were mined here.
At the end of the 14th century, no ore was mined for almost 100 years due to flooding.
These problems were solved again around 1460. Since 1992, the mines, together with the city of Goslar, have been
on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A large number of different guided tours are
given in the mine. We took part in the Roeder Stollen guided tour and went deep into the mine and
learned everything about the use of water wheels deep in the mine. These were built on different levels.
The inventor of these water wheels was chief miner Johann Christoph Roeder. His system of
water wheels was used for more than 200 years until the arrival of electricity in 1906.
Water from a lake was guided into the mine by way of a tunnel. There are exhibitions in the buildings of the mining
complex.
Dresden is the capital of the state of Saxony. Dresden was
mentioned for the first time in a preserved document in 1206: Acta sunt hec Dresdene. Dresden was
mentioned as a city in a charter dated January 21, 1216 . In 1485, Dresden became the ducal residence of the Saxon
rulers for centuries. Because of its architecture, the city was nicknamed 'Elbflorenz' (Florence on the Elbe).
Witch persecutions took place in Dresden from 1407 to 1695. During the Second World War,
large parts of the city area were heavily damaged by Allied bombs
(incendiary and high-explosive bombs)
during the air raids on Dresden in four successive night-time attack waves from 13 to 15 February 1945.
The historic city center was wiped out. Just after the war,
the historic monumental buildings in particular were reconstructed, albeit with long intervals due to the
economic situation of the DDR. The Frauenkirche remained as a ruin in memory of the war.
The church was rebuilt in 1994 and put back into use in 2005. The original church was
built between 1726 and 1743. From the viewpoint on the dome of the church there's a beautiful view of the
surroundings (entrance fee, no elevator).
Located in the village of Hahnenklee, not far from Goslar, is the
Gustav Adolf stave church of the Protestant community. It is built entirely of spruce wood and based on Norwegian examples.
Construction started in 1907
and finished in the summer of 1908. The name was given in honor of the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf
who was also one of the main players in the 30 Years War and fought for the cause of the Protestants.
The Harz National Park is located in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt and covers almost 247 km². More than half is located in Lower Saxony. 97 percent of the national park area is covered by forest. At 1,141 meters, the Brocken is the highest point in the park. The black stork and the lynx live in the park. Some walk: at Thale, walk to the Hexentanzplatz where a theme park around witches has been created and descend to Treseburg and walk back to Thale via the path along the Bode. The Ilse wasserfälle near Ilsenburg are also highly recommended