Barbecue Across Countries: My BBQ Experience Across Germany, Mauritius, and Canada

I am privileged to have barbecue experience across cultures and continents. I have observed that at different places the barbecue style vary, though the essence of the barbecue remains the same. Read more…

Places to See in Potsdam: Potsdam in a day on Bicycle

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Little did I know about Potsdam in three months while staying in Berlin. Situated just 25 mins away from Berlin, Potsdam boasts its architectural beauty. Below is the list of places that I covered in a single day on a bicycle in Potsdam.

I and Shayan took an S-Bahn from Charlottenburg to Potsdam and Got down there. Then, we decided that we would rent a bike (Europeans often call the bicycle a ‘bike’) and explore the whole of the Potsdam in it.  Once, we got down at the railway station or Hauptbahnhof, we rented a bike for 10 Euro per day to explore the city of Potsdam on a bicycle.

I don’t remember it clearly but I think we were asked to submit our passport as a security deposit. The Bike guy also gave a cycling tour map of Potsdam which we were supposed to follow. Below is the list of places to see in Potsdam which we covered in a single day on a bicycle.

Sanssouci palace:

Sanssouci palace is a world heritage site because of its marvelous structure. Sanssouci was the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. Sanssouci palace has a very interesting architecture and structure. More about Sanssouci palace can be read here.

There are around ten rooms in the Sanssouci palace which include bedroom, entrance hall, marble room, dining room, study room, library, gallery, guest room etc.

Also read: Berlin Attractions: What to see in Berlin? Top 25 Must See Places

sanssouci-palace-2

sanssouci-palace

Sanssouci-palace

Sanssouci park and Vineyard:

Sanssouci park is actually a very large park within many other places to see in Potsdam are located like the New palace, Sanssouci Palace,  Sanssouci vineyard, Chinese house, dragon house, Roman baths, marble palace etc.

One of the most amazing places to see in Potsdam is the Sanssouci vineyard. There is a big garden type vineyard just in front of the Sanssouci palace on the terraces.

There are water pools, flower lawns, flower beds, hedges, and trees. It is said that in the hedge quarter, 3,000 fruit trees were planted. There was also a greenhouse which had numerous nurseries contained oranges, melons, peaches, and bananas. The goddesses Flora and Pomona, who decorate the entrance obelisk at the eastern park exit, were placed there to highlight the connection of a flower, fruit and vegetable garden.

flower-beds-sonssouci-park

flower-beds-sans Souci-park

goddess-of-flora-sanssouci

goddess-of-flora-Sanssouci

sanssouci-vineyard

Sanssouci-vineyard

sanssouci-park-green-house

Sanssouci-park-greenhouse

New Palace, Potsdam:

The list of places to see in Potsdam is incomplete without the New Palace, Potsdam. Situated on the western side of the Sanssouci park, the New palace boasts its beautiful architecture. It was badly destroyed during the second world war, you can still see the remains outside in the palace premises.

in-front-of-the-new-castle-potsdam

in-front-of-the-new-castle-Potsdam

new-palace-potsdam

new-palace-Potsdam

Charlottenhof Palace, Potsdam:

Charlottenhof Palace is situated deep inside the park.  Not so much magnificent but this is known for the place it was built on. Charlottenhof Palace was built on marshy land and lies deep inside the park.

Also Read: History & fall of Berlin wall: World war facts & Division of Germany

Orangery Palace, Potsdam:

Orangery palace is situated at the peripheral of the Sanssouci park. There is a lift using which you can go up. From the top, there is a very nice view of the entire Sanssouci park. It is another a must places to see in Potsdam.

sonssouci-park-view-from-orangery-palace

Sanssouci-park-view-from-orangery-palace

Chinese House, Potsdam:

Chinese House, Potsdam is small yet one of the most beautiful places to see in Potsdam. It is located deep inside but it has one of the most beautiful architectures. The Chinese house was made to adorn the beauty of the flowers and vegetables grown in the Sanssouci park.

chinese-house-sonssouci-park

chinese-house-sonssouci-park

Historic Mill of Sanssouci:

I still remember this mill when I was cycling on the roads of Potsdam. I was touched and fascinated by this windmill. Though I could not go inside the windmill, but all the time, while riding my bike, I was mesmerized by the beauty of this place.

wind-mill-potsdam

wind-mill-Potsdam

Babelsberg park:

If you think that the Sanssouci park houses most of the places to see in Potsdam then that was only half of the story! If you enjoyed the medieval architecture and royal stories of the king then Babelsberg park would take you away from the history towards deep into Nature.

Babelsberg park is a really big park. Such big park that often while cycling, we felt lost in this park, can you imagine? Sometimes, we felt lonely seeing no other people around. Many local people come here to spend a leisure time in this park. Babelsberg park, just like, Sanssouci park, houses other places to see in Potsdam.

Also Read: Berlin Ringbahn metro train: See the city on ride

It borders Tiefer See or Tiefer lake and River Havel while covering an area of 114 hectares. Now you can imagine why we felt lost.

1-babelsberg-park-cycling-road

1-babelsberg-park-cycling-road

babelsberg-park-lake

Babelsberg-park-lake

Steam-powered pump house, Babelsberg:

This pump is situated in one of the corners of the Babelsberg park. A very few tourist reach to this corner of the park. Because of less people, it is not so crowded and you can spend a lot of time sitting beside the pump house there.

steamhouse-babelsberg-park

steamhouse-babelsberg-park

Potsdam place to see: More pictures:

 Cycling in Potsdam video:

A visit to Nuremberg Castle: Opening hours, Entry fee & Photos and Congress Hall

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Nuremberg Castle is one of the most beautiful places to see in Germany especially if you are in the south of Germany, also known as the Bavaria.

Nuremberg Castle History:

The Nuremberg castle has been one of the most important imperial castles of the Holy Roman Empire since the medieval times. During the middle ages, the Roman emperors would travel a lot. So for their comfortable stay at most of the famous places which were a part of the holy roman empire, they made castles called “imperial castles”.

One of those famous imperial castles was Nuremberg castle. Nuremberg castle still houses the imperial artifacts and weapons. Once can still see things like the imperial stick, imperial throne, weapons including swords, cannon balls, different kind of rifles and pistols. These are all housed inside the castle, the most part of which has turned into a museum.

The whole of the Nuremberg town in the middle ages used to have a fort wall surrounding the city. There used to be towers also along the fort walls also known as fortified city walls. You can still see the walls around the city.

Google map view of fort wall around Nuremberg

Google map view of fort wall around Nuremberg

Nuremberg castle facts:

  • Nuremberg Castle was built up of sandstone. The underground rock cellars were used for centuries for fermenting and storing beer.
  • All the Holy Roman Emperors stayed at Kaiserburg Castle for a short period at least between 1050 and 1571.
  • Excavations on the site have uncovered remains of fortifications dating back to before 1000 BC.

Nuremberg castle parts

Castle courtyard

Castle courtyard is the front yard that you see on the entrance. There is a nice aerial view of the city from here as well.

Deep well and Sinwell tower

The Deep well is famous because during the middle ages deep well was the main source of water for the imperial castle. You can also climb using a staircase inside the sinwell tower and from there you get a very nice view of the whole of the Nuremberg town.

Imperial gardens

There are two imperial gardens called castle gardens and Maria Sibylla Merian Garden as a part of the Nuremberg castle premises.

Nuremberg castle timing

Like most of the visiting places in Europe, Nuremberg castle has its own timing as well. Here are the details:

  • Nuremberg castle timings from April – September: Daily 9 am – 4 pm
  • Nuremberg castle timings from October – March: Daily 10 am – 4 pm

However, the castle is closed for visiting during Christmas and new year timing. Also, the outside area like two gardens called castle gardens and Maria Sibylla Merian Garden have different timings. Here are the timings of the Nuremberg garden castles:

  • Nuremberg Castle Gardens timings from April – October: 8 am at the earliest until 8 pm
  • November – March: closed
  • Maria Sibylla Merian Garden timings from April – October: Sundays and Mondays from 2 pm – 6 pm
  • November – March: closed

Nuremberg castle entry fee

There are different entry fees for the different parts of the castle as mentioned in one of the paragraphs above. Based on these areas, here are different entry fees for the Nuremberg castle parts:

  • Joined ticket (Palas with Double Chapel, Kaiserburg museum, deep well and Sinwell tower): 7 € / reduced 6 €
  • Demonstration of the well and panorama from the Sinwell Tower: 3,50 € / reduced 2,50 €
  • Palas with Double Chapel/ Kaiserburg Museum: 5.50 € / reduced 4,50 €
  • Castle Gardens and maria Sibylla Merian Garden: admission free

More and up to date information about the entry fee can be found on the official site here.

Nuremberg castle photos

deep well and sinwell tower from nuremberg castle side

deep well and sinwell tower from nuremberg castle side

guns inside nuremberg castle

guns inside nuremberg castle

imperial cup inside nuremberg castle museum

imperial cup inside nuremberg castle museum

inside sinwell tower

inside sinwell tower

Nuremberg aerial view from Nuremberg castle

Nuremberg aerial view from Nuremberg castle

Nuremberg panorama on copper plate from nuremberg castle

Nuremberg panorama on copper plate from nuremberg castle

Nuremberg streets

Nuremberg streets

Nuremberg had always been a source of fascination for me because of two reasons. One, it was the hometown of one of my closest German friends, Sam and second, being a part of the Roman holy empire, Nuremberg is one of the most beautiful towns in the Bavaria region, or south of Germany.

Is Nuremberg really a rich city? And second world war

After visiting the Nuremberg castle and the congress hall, Nuremberg where Hitler came into the power after the famous rally of Nuremberg, I asked Sam that I was interested in visiting around the market street of Nuremberg.

As I have also mentioned in the previous blogs of mine that most of the European cities will have an old town square, so did Nuremberg as well. However, opposite to what I was expecting, the old town square of Nuremberg was very happening with a lot of shops displaying branded products.

I always thought the Bavarian region to be very mystical to me because I assumed the culture and people from this region to be mystical as well. In a sense, very silent, reserved and having a symmetry with the history, however, that was not the case. The truth is most of the famous German cities like Frankfurt, Munich or Nuremberg are located in the South of Germany. People often speculate that the southern part of Germany is much richer when compared to the other parts of Germany.

Some attribute this fact to the second world war. Hitler operated from the south of Germany and that’s how all the financial resources were shifted to the south of Germany. But anyways.

Nuremberg Market streets & history:

The opulence of affluent Nuremberg can be seen in the market streets. Trust me, there were so many branded shops and showrooms were there which sell high-end products. Coming from Berlin, I had never expected that. But somehow, I had to believe that. On the cultural front, Nuremberg has a lot of scope in the historical places but unfortunately, most of them remind us of the second world war and Hitler. That’s why the places have been ignored and they should be ignored.

The river Pegnitz crosses through the middle of the town and a walk along the river or inside the town would surely make you see this river. Ducks and birds swimming in the river. It is the same river which also crossed Bamberg which is also called as the Venice of Germany. There are nice restaurants along the river where you can sit and relax and have dinner. There are a lot of churches as well in this city as Nuremberg was once a part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Nuremberg Market & street pictures:

Nuremberg town hall and river pegnitz

Nuremberg town hall and river pegnitz

Nuremberg old town square

Nuremberg old town square

Nuremberg old town square fun

Nuremberg old town square fun

Nuremberg became famous in the modern era history because of the second world war and being the vantage point of Hitler. Nuremberg is known for Nuremberg trial, Nuremberg rally, congress hall etc.

Nuremberg, Hiter, and Second world war

Nuremberg was a significant city during the times of the second world war because of being the Hitler’s favorite city for planning. Also because of the city’s relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the centre of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions – the Nuremberg rallies.

From Nuremberg rally in 1933, Hitler rose to power from here. The Nuremberg rallies became huge Nazi propaganda events, a centre of Nazi ideals. Nazi propaganda included modernization of Germany, urbanization, industrialization but there was a huge conspiracy behind it.

Congress hall:

Nuremberg, being the hometown of my friend, Sam, we decided to go and take a look at the place. Trust me, the whole building was deserted and there were no tourists there. We really felt lonely. The congress hall in Nuremberg is a grand structure but people in Germany hate Hitler so much that it has been left just like that and no one likes to go and see that place. Although architecture wise this building is a grand building.

After the second world war, many people wanted to destroy the congress hall but it was preserved because of its architecture. Later, some proposals were proposed to turn congress hall into sports complex or a stadium but that was rejected. Today, congress hall just lie deserted and no one really likes to visit.

Congress hall pictures, Nuremberg:

Sam at congress hall in nuremberg

Sam at congress hall in nuremberg

congress hall, nuremberg

congress hall, nuremberg

congress hall in Nuremberg from inside

congress hall in Nuremberg from inside

almost no tourist at congress hall nuremberg

almost no tourist at congress hall nuremberg

Leipzig in One day from Berlin: Monument to the Battle of the Nations & Old Market Square

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Leipzig always attracted me from Berlin. Moreover, I also wanted to visit Leipzig because it has got an attractive name. Being situated not so far from Berlin, I along with one of my friends, decided to take a tour of Leipzig on weekends in a single day.

Leipzig in one day:

The best way to reach Leipzig from Berlin would be to use the regional express trains. There is also a special weekend pass for five people which you can take and use any of the train & bus services throughout Germany. I do not remember much about it but here is a site where you can check about these informations: German rail passes.

So, in short, the pass we had allowed us to use all the trains and bus throughout Germany and that was a kind of relief for us because even if we get off the track, we can use any of the buses or the trains to from one place to another. Anyways.

Regional express trains from Berlin take around 2-3 hours to reach Leipzig. We started early morning so that we could have ample time in our hand. Here are the places that we covered in Leipzig in a day.

Journey to Leipzig from Berlin is very beautiful one. Regional express in Germany are mostly double decker and not so crowded. So, I decided to find a sit on the first floor so that I can have a nice view throughout the journey. There were a lot of tulip or lily farms on the way and they really looked beautiful.

Lily farms on the way from Berlin to Leipzig

Lily farms on the way from Berlin to Leipzig

Leipzig Hauptbahnhof:

Hauptbahnhof is the german translation for the “main railway station” in English. Surely, Leipzig Hauptbahnhof was something which caught my attention the moment I got down there. It looks archaic and you will feel that you have stepped into some roman empire area with long pillars and arches.

Monument to the Battle of the Nations:

Monuments of the battle of nations is a very big monument located on the edge of the city. it’s really magnificent. When you approach this monument, you really feel that you are approaching something really grand. The big architecture, the big pillars these things give you a feeling of having stepped into a Roman time.

So, there is a ticket house just at the entrance, you will have to buy tickets to enter inside the monument. Once stepped inside, there are stairs to go till the top. These stairs are little clumsy and narrow.

You can even take small breaks at the different levels while climbing up the stairs. As approach closer to the top, you will find the view getting more and more beautiful.

Another thing, which caught my attention about the Monuments of the battle of the nations was the interior. The interior is just magnificent. I mean it’s really beautiful and awesome from inside. The interior reminded me of one of the churches which I had visited in the Rome.

So, to reach this monument, you might have to walk a bit from the main road. There is a long water body along which you walk. The walk gives you a feeling of approaching something really great.

Also Read: Traveling Hamburg in One Day: Best Places to See in Hamburg

Monument to battle of nations in Leipzig

Monument to battle of nations in Leipzig

Old market square, Leipzig:

Once we returned from the Monuments of the battle of the nations, we decided to head to the Old market square and explore more places in the town of Leipzig.

We had already explored some of the famous places in Leipzig like Federal Administrative court of Germany and old town hall at the market square.

Federal Administrative court of Germany:

Federal Administrative court of Germany is situated not so far from the old town square of Leipzig. This place is quiet and serene and not so crowded as well. There is a canal flowing in front of the building and you can sit there and relax in the park.

Federal Administrative court of Germany in Leipzig

Federal Administrative court of Germany in Leipzig

The old market square of Leipzig is a very happening place. Just like any other European town, you can enjoy a lot over there. There are many things to try, listen to the street music and street shows etc.

Around the old market square, there are some famous churches of Leipzig also. You can explore them as well. You can sit and have a beer and pizza over there.

It’s really a happening place. You can go shopping, buy ice cream, buy books, buy a souvenir and do a lot of things just to take a taste of the German culture and how an old market square looks like.

In the evening, we caught a train to Berlin and returned happily after exploring Leipzig on feet. Here are some of the pictures from Leipzig.

Also Read: Himmelpfort camping experience with my German friends

Leipzig pictures:

Castle view from the top of monument to battle of nations in leipzig

A Castle view from the top of monument to battle of nations in leipzig

Leipzig city view from monument to battle of nations

Leipzig city view from monument to battle of nations

Monument to battle of nations wall, leipzig

Monument to battle of nations wall, leipzig

Near Federal administrative court of Germany in Leipzig

Near Federal administrative court of Germany in Leipzig

Old market square building in Leipzig

Old market square building in Leipzig

Old town square leipzig

Old town square leipzig

Walk to Monument to battle of nations

Walk to Monument to battle of nations

Traveling Hamburg in One Day: Best Places to See in Hamburg

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Here is a list of beat places to see in Hamburg that you can cover in a single day on your feet. Some of these places include the main town hall,  city center, St. Nikolai church etc. Places to see in Hamburg in one day:

  • Mönckebergstraße (Main shopping street)

To the west of Hamburg Hofbhanhauf lies one of the very famous shopping streets of Hamburg called “Mönckebergstraße”. The moment you get out of the main railway station and step on this street, you can see a lot of branded stores on your left and right.

This street is a shopping street and you just have to walk straight on this road.
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 So, Monckebergstrasse forms the main shopping area of Hamburg. Some of the brands that you can expect on this street are Promod, New Yorker, Nike, Vera Moda, Zara etc. Besides shopping area, this street has a lot of restaurants as well where you can sit and spend some time looking the shoppers crowd and after long shopping hours.

Besides shopping area, this street has a lot of restaurants as well where you can sit and spend some time looking the shoppers crowd and after long shopping hours.

There are some famous archaic and historical buildings on this street as well. If you are into history and knowing about the chronological changes of a place in history.

Mönckebergstraße (Main shopping street) of Hamburg (1) Mönckebergstraße (Main shopping street) of Hamburg (2)

  • Hamburg Rathaus (Hamburg Townhall)

After you walk almost a kilometer on the Mönckebergstraße, you will reach near the Rathaus building of the Hamburg, Rathaus is basically town hall of a city.

Hamburg is said to have one of the most beautiful Rathaus in the Germany. Basically, you will start recognizing the Rathaus from a distance. It has a beautiful church like tall structure in the middle of it. I think that’s a clock tower.

Just in front of the Rathaus, there is a big open and large space. In that open space, you will see a lot of people eating and having fun.

Alsterarkaden

Just beside the big Rathaus area, you will also see a water canal. It’s called Kleine Alster. You will see people eating there, beside the river. And, there are a lot of white arches. That actually forms a very beautiful and romantic and peaceful spot to spend some time.  You can also see the old wall and new wall in that area.

Hamburg Rathaus Timings for Guided Tours:

Monday to Thursday: 10AM-3:15PM
Friday to Sunday:  10AM-1:15PM.
Closed on official events
Languages offered: English, German, French

Hamburg Rathaus Entry fee:

  • Adult: Four Euro
  • Hamburg card holder: Three Euro
  • Free for children under 14 years of age).

Hygieia-Brunnen fountain, Hamburg Rathaus:

Just behind the main Rathaus building, there is another building which is called Hamburg’s House of Commerce (“Börse”). Between these two buildings, lies the famous fountain of the Hamburg Rathaus called Hygieia-Brunnen.

Following the canal to the right and crossing the traditional shopping road, Jungfernstieg, you quickly get to the artificial lake Binnenalster.
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Boat tours take you to the even bigger artificial lake, Außenalster, directly behind the Binnenalster with lots of sailing boats in summer.

Alsterarkaden near the Hamburg Rathhaus

Alsterarkaden near the Hamburg Rathaus

Hamburg Rathaus from front

Hamburg Rathaus from front

Hygieia-Brunnen fountain, Hamburg Rathaus

Hygieia-Brunnen fountain, Hamburg Rathaus

Inside Hamburg Rathaus

Inside Hamburg Rathaus

  • Binnenalster, Jungfernstieg

Situated at a two-minute walk from the Rathaus, Binnenlster is an artificial lake with a fountain in the middle of the lake. Binnenalster is a connected to another bigger artificial lake called Außenalster which is north of Binnenalster. You can go for boating in these lakes. Außenalster is famous for sailing during summer. You can also take a walk around this lake, even sit on the chair and watch the birds playing in the water.

Binnenalster, Jungfernstieg, Hamburg (1) Binnenalster, Jungfernstieg, Hamburg (2) Binnenalster, Jungfernstieg, Hamburg (3) Binnenalster, Jungfernstieg, Hamburg (4)

  • St. Nikolai Church, Hamburg

There are five main churches in the Hamburg and St. Nikolai is one of them. St. Nikolai church is situated almost at the end of the Mönckebergstraße, the main shopping street of Hamburg. This church, like other main structures in Germany, was also destroyed during the second world war. But they were restored also.

St. Nikolai front view, Hamburg

St. Nikolai front view, Hamburg

St. Nikolai side view, Hamburg

St. Nikolai side view, Hamburg

St. Nikolai under reconsturction

St. Nikolai under reconsturction

  • Hamburg Harbour area and Speicherstadt

Hamburg forms one of the biggest harbours in Europe and largest in the Germany which makes Hamburg a must see places in Germany due to harbours.

I have already written about Hamburg harbours before. Another fascinating thing which caught my attention was the Speicherstadt. Speicherstadt translates to the warehouses. And these warehouses make Hamburg in Germany the largest warehouse district in the world.

I would recommend you to read about these warehouses as they have a lot of interesting facts around themselves. Read more about warehouses in Hamburg.

Speicherstadt and hamburg harbour areas (1) Speicherstadt and hamburg harbour areas (2) Speicherstadt and hamburg harbour areas (3) Speicherstadt and hamburg harbour areas (4)

  • St. Michael church, Hamburg

Near the Hamburg Harbour and towards the west beyond the St. Nikolai church, lies the St. Michael church. The visiting fee for St. Michael church is very minimal but it worths a visit because of the view it offers.

There is an elevator that takes you to almost more than a hundred feet above the ground level at the top of the church. And trust me, from there you get an awesome view of the entire Hamburg from Hamburg harbour to even people sailing in the Außenalster lake.

Since this church is located nearer to the Hamburg harbour, the view will be simply awesome from the top of this church.

Außenalster lake view from At. Michael church, Hamburg Hamburg city view from the top of the St. Michael church, Hamburg Hamburg Harbour view from the top of the St. Michael's church Inside St. Michael's church in Hamburg

Berlin from 15 Years Ago | Experiences | Old Stories | Things to do | Places to see

Here is a list of lesser-known as well as well-known places of interest in Berlin. These Berlin attractions remain in the list of ‘must see places in Berlin’ for most Read more…