Germany - Deutschland

Bamberg - first mentioned officially in the year 902 - is built on seven hills and calls itself ‘Franconian Rome’. The city has a well preserved historical centre; for its historical architecture and preserved heritage, the whole old town of Bamberg is since 1993 listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Without any doubt Bamberg is a gem among German towns with its medieval appearance. One of the most picturesque parts is so called ‘Little Venice’ ( Klein Venedig ). It became its name from King Maximilian I (1848 -1864). Fisher- and boatmen lived closer to the Bamberg Dom before they moved to the banks of the river Regnitz in the 14th century. That time the area was an island, named Abtswörth. Originally the houses were built in the water on stilts. In the past the galleries were used for patching and drying nets and the boats could drive directly into the open basements. In the 19th century a shore area has been created, which today is transformed into small picturesque gardens. Nowadays the former fishermen’s district consists of a row of quaint houses along the river Regnitz, standing side-by-side with their balconies and small front gardens. If you are lucky you might see a ‘real’ gondolier rowing tourists.

The Bamberg Cathedral - officially the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. George ( Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg - is a late Romanesque building. The church founded in 1002 by emperor Heinrich II and dedicated on May 6, 1012, the birthday of the emperor. Two fires in 1081 and 1185 destroyed huge parts of the original building. The entire northern part was rebuilt; the church became its present late-Romanesque form in the 13th century. The cathedral is about 94 meters long, 28 meters broad and 26 meters high. The four towers are each about 81 meters high. Personally I found the interior quite sober, although it has a couple of treasures. One of the highlights is the tomb of Heinrich II and his wife Kunigunde (PiP1). Another treasure is the Bamberger Reiter (Bamberg Horseman); an equestrian statue full of mysteries (PiP2). No one knows who the figure is, although it is said that he is Stephan I of Hungary, who was said to have ridden to the cathedral to be christened Pope Clemens II is buried in the Bamberg Cathedral. He was the local bishop before he became pope in 1046, but he died in 1047. Bamberg Cathedral is the site of the only papal burial outside of Italy and France. The dedication of the cathedral was also the foundation of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral has been the seat of the Bamberg Archbishop ever since - by now for more than a thousand years! (The main picture shows the so called Princes’ Portal ( Fürstenportal ), located in the centre of the north wall. It is used only on holy days. )

The ‘Brandenburger Tor’ (Brandenburg Gate) is one of Berlin's most well known monuments; a landmark with over 200 years of history. The gate is the only remaining city gate of the former city wall. The Brandenburg Gate - a replacement of an older gate - was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm II. The design of this neoclassical triumphal arch - 65.5 meters wide and 28 meters tall - was based on the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. The construction started in 1788 and was officially opened in 1791. The Quadriga, a sculpture representing the Goddess of Victory was erected on the Gate in 1793. In World War II Brandenburg Gate was damaged but not destroyed by allied bombing. During the Cold War the gate was located right near the border between East and West Berlin and became a symbol of a divided city, which drew visitors who could get a glimpse of the world behind the Iron Curtain from an observation platform. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 the ‘Brandenburger Tor’ quickly reinvented itself into the symbol of a reunited Germany. The gate was thoroughly renovated in 2000 - 2002 and regained its 19th century grandeur.

The original Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche was built in the late 19th century, but was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The new building - church, foyer and a separate belfry - was built between 1959 and 1963. The damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall. The new church is constructed of concrete, steel and glass. The walls of the are made of a concrete honeycomb, containing 21.292 stained glass inlays with a predominant blue colour. The crucifixus, which is suspended above the altar, is made from so called tombak.

The Blautopf (Blau= Blue / topf=pot) is considered being Germany’s most beautiful karst spring. It is famous for its strikingly beautiful water colour, which is the result of the reflection of the light. All long-wave colours are absorbed, whereas the short-wave blue is reflected and thus becomes visible. This ‘Blue Pot’ is the spring of the river Blau, which flows after almost 15 km in the Danube in the city of Ulm. Because of its high water pressure, the spring has developed a funnel-like shape, which at its deepest point has a depth of 22 meters. Every now and then, the spring ‘boils over’, gushing out 32.000 liters/second, much more than the average of 2.300 liters/second. At the Blautopf is a hammermill, which is fed by the water of the spring. The church belongs to the former Benedictine monastery in Blaubeuren.

View from the trail from Hörnerbahn mountain station to Berghaus Schwaben into the Valley of the River Iller nearby Oberstdorf.

Breese im Bruche is a so called Rundlingsdorf or Rundling . Such a Rundling is a more or less circular village and were typical in the Early Medieval period. These kind of villages were originally found across a strip of central Germany from Kiel to Bohemia. A Rundling was a relatively common village form used by the Slavs. It usually comprises a central, circular village green owned in common with about 10 or 15 individually owned Low German houses, radiating out around it like the spokes of a wheel. There are no contemporary historical records of the founding of these circular villages, but most probably they were founded in the 12th century; although Breese im Bruche is dating back to the 13th century.

Bretten is a picturesque little city with a medieval old center. It is located in the Kraichgau and surrounded by the hills of the Odenwald and Schwarzwald. The nobleman Wigilo gave in the year of 767 a piece of land to the Lorsch Monastery under the name of “villa breteheim”. This was entered into the codex of the monastery and is considered being the first time the name of Bretten was officially mentioned. Since 1148 Bretten had the right to mint and issue coins and in 1254 it received city rights. The heart of the city is the market square, which is surrounded by half-timbered houses, dating back from the early 18th century. The Melanchthonhaus (Melanchthon’s House) – PiP2 - is also standing on the market square. This imposing reddish neo-gothic building was built in 1897 - erected as a memorial on the 400th anniversary of the birth - on the place of the birth house of Philipp Melanchthon, which was burnt down in the devastating fire of 1689. It hosts the second biggest exposition in Germany dedicated to the Reformation. (Melanchthon was one of the most important figures of the Reformation, a man of great erudition, a scholar, a theologian, an educator and one of Martin Luther’s close personal friends.)

Burghausen was first mentioned in an official document in the year 1025. But excavations at the castle have shown that the area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The town has developed over thousands years, but it is not possible to say how long there has been a permanent settlement. From the 13th century Burghausen became a wealthy city due to the trade of salt, which came from Hallein (Austria) using the river Salzach. The salt was brought ashore in Burghausen and transported further overland. The income from the salt trade was lost in 1594 because of the establishment of the ducal salt monopoly. After that the town experienced more than 300 years of administrative and commercial decline. By the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, Burghausen had become an impoverished provincial town with barely 2.500 inhabitants. However an economic upturn began in 1915 with the establishment of an important chemical company. The unique romantic character of the old town is preserved and the town square offers many architectural gems and is considered being one of the most beautiful squares in Central Europe. Burghausen Castle is situated on a hill above the town. The castle complex measures 1,051 metres from one side to the other, making it the longest castle in the world. The complex today includes the main gothic castle structure, a gothic-style chapel, several museums, one inner and five outer courtyards. (Panorama stitched of 4 pictures.)

The Walhalla - modeled on the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens - is a Hall of Fame to honor German speaking artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, politicians and other historic men and women. (For me as a Dutchman it was a bit odd to see some famous countrymen surrounded by numerous Germans.) The Walhalla is named after the ‘Valhalla’ of Norse mythology. King Ludwig I of Bavaria commissioned conceived his Temple of Fame in the early 19th Century. After choosing the location on a hilltop overlooking the river Danube, he ordered the construction of a Greek Revival monument. The building, called Walhalla, was built from 1830 to 1842 and became a symbol of "the German nation" at a time when Germany was a patchwork of kingdoms and small states. The large hall of the Walhalla is lined with marble and statuary, displaying some 130 busts and plaques of famous people from the German-speaking, who made notable contributions to German art, architecture, and history. Since 1962 new busts have been added to the original 96 at intervals of five to seven years.

The (former) Cistercian abbey in Ebrach was founded in the year of 1127 by a nobleman Berno and was the oldest and most important of its kind in Franconia. The abbey was settled by twelve monks from Morimond Abbey in Burgundy. The first church was dedicated in 1134. Throughout the centuries the monastery has endured wars, fires and looting. In the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648) it lost its precious church treasure, which was captured by the Swedes. It was not until the 17th century that the economy improved. The abbey was dissolved during the secularisation in 1803 and the properties were transferred to Bavaria. The abbey church became the local parish church of Ebrach. The construction of the present abbey church started in 1200, after which the consecration took place in 1285. The church unites many architectural styles: the building is early Gothic in style, the interior is mainly in baroque style with elements in rococo -, renaissance - and classicist style. Particularly striking is the colour scheme in yellow and white - the Catholic colours - mixed with light pink. Columns in marble style, ornaments, reliefs and figures in white, the beautiful play of light and the large rose window (see: www.ipernity.com/doc/cammino/47482756 ) give the church a special look.

The monumental rock formations of the Externsteine are considered being one of the most remarkable and impressive natural and cultural monuments in Germany, if not in Europe. The sandstone pillars are situated in the Lippe region and are part of the Teutoburgerwald, at the edge of the Wiembecke pond. Millions of years ago, these originally horizontal layers of rock were shifted into a vertical position and presumably owe their current form to the action of water over millions of years and the friction of ice during the Ice Age. The pillars rise up to a height of 38 metres. It has an observation platform with stairway dating back to the 19th century. The Externsteine - with a medieval sacral site in the midst of bizarre rock formations - have always fascinated people. The people who lived in this area in the Middle Ages appear to have established a place of Christian worship, with a grotto, a grave and a relief showing biblical scenes. It is no surprise that these rocks have inspired numerous folk legends. For instance it is thought that the site was possibly used for astronomical observation, worship and sacrifice. And that the site may have been connected, in some way, with the Irminsul aspect of Teutonic paganism. Legends or not, it did not stop the Nazi party in the 1930’s labeling the site as a sacred grove at which the ancestors could be honored. Heinrich Himmler presided over the foundation created to mythologize the site. Over the centuries the Externsteine underwent many alterations. It passed from the hands of the church in to those of the local nobility. Under their ownership it became a sometime fortress and prison. In the 16th century it was a hunting lodge. There was even one time in the 18th century when it became a pleasure palace. Yet it was restored as close to its medieval Christian incarnation as possible in the 1800’s.

Forggensee (Lake Forggen), a man made storage reservoir between Füssen and Roßhaupten, created in 1954, when the River Lech was dammed for the first time to create the Lechsee Lake. Forggensee is the fifth-largest lake in Bavaria, with a surface area of more than 15 km². The River Lech flows through it. Forggensee is known primarily as a tourist destination for aquatic sports and recreation.

The Ostmühle (East Mill) on the Mühlenberg (100 meter above sea level) in Gildehaus is a Dutch tower mill. The mill was built in 1749/1750 from Bentheim sandstone and has a long and turbulent history. Three year before a violent storm destroyed a wooden mill on the same spot. The mill was privately owned from 1913 to 1986. It was in danger of being demolished several times. The mill has been in operation again since 1986 and is managed and maintained by the tourist information Gildehaus. In the year 2011 an extensive renovation took place. When there is enough wind, hobby millers will make crispy bread from the freshly milled grain in the adjacent bakery. Mill and bakery are now a museum and can be visited, but has limited opening hours (during our vist it was closed).

Kloster Gnadenberg (Gnadenberg monastery) was the first Brigittine monastery in southern Germany. It was founded in 1422 by Count Johann I of Neumarkt and his wife Katharina. Katharina knew the order of the Vadstena monastery in Sweden, where she had spent her youth. In 1420 Pope Martinus V gave permission for the construction of the monastery. The official foundation document is dated 3 February 1426. The monasteries of the Brigittine Order (Order of the Most Holy Savior) were designed by the founder of the Order as double monasteries. The first monks came from the monastery of Paradiso near Florence in 1430. After the completion of the convent in 1435, the first nuns with their first abbess Anna Svenson came from the Maribo (Denmark) convent to Gnadenberg. After the reformation in the middle of the 16th century, the monastery went downhill until it was disbanded in 1570. From 1577 onwards, the properties were sold or fief used. In 1635, during the Thirty Years' War, the Swedish Tropics set fire to the church and parts of the monastery. Except for some buildings of the convent, Gnadenberg has been a ruin ever since.

It is said that already in 1071 a chapel have stood on the place of the present basilica. In 1240 the chapel was converted into a spacious church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The earliest official mention of a church in Gößweinstein however can be found in 1308 in the will of Gottfried von Schlüsselberg. The Schlüsselberg family is considered to be the founder of the first church, which became a pilgrimage church. The medieval church – although expanded several times - was soon unable to cope with the many pilgrims. A new and much bigger church was built (1730 – 1739) during the reign of Prince-Bishop Friedrich Carl von Schönborn of Bamberg by the famous architect and builder Balthasar Neumann. He designed the floor plan, a Latin cross, and created what has come to be considered a baroque masterpiece. The magnificent art depicting biblical stories on the walls and ceiling inside the church was not complete until 1768 and it is quite breathtaking. There are also several highly decorated altars around the church. The basilica is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Germany. Especially in the spring and fall of each year, thousands of religious pilgrims come to the basilica to pray before the Gnadenbild , the basilica’s Statue of Mercy. The church was elevated to a Basilica minor in 1948 by Pope Pius XII.

Heiligenhafen, a small city located along the Baltic Sea, has a modern marina with 1.000 moorings. The marina is located at the open part of a bight close to the city centre and the Graswarder Nature Reserve. It is considered being one of the most beautiful wharfs of the Baltic Sea.

Marktplatz (Market square) in Heppenheim during blue hour with the town hall (l) and half-timbered houses. The town hall (Rathaus) was built in 1561. After the city fire of 1693 the baroque half-timbered Rathaus was rebuilt in 1705/06.