Essen is a big number in terms of shopping and coal mining. Throughout this huge city, you’ll find symbols and stores all over the place representing its significance in these two areas I just mentioned.

It is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) and really represents the imposing Ruhr Area.

First off, the Zollverein Coal Mine industrial complex is a symbol of trade style and used for artistic purposes. This is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here, you’ll get a chance to see the conveyor machine, tipping hall and boiler house.

Essen Cathedral consists of segments of Abbess Theophanu’s medieval Ottonian basilica. The cathedral reserves contain one of Europe’s most precious collections of church treasures, plus precious religious objects from every epoch.

It further encompasses scores of works of art such as the Golden Madonna, the oldest full-relief Madonna statue in the West.

Old Synagogue (Alte Synagoge) is a domed building which was consecrated by the Jewish community in 1913 and was designed by architect Edmund Körner. In this restored building, you can see a memorial and lots of exhibitions.

Villa Hügel is another tourist site which was built at the end of the 19th century by industrial magnate Alfred Krupp. Now it frequently houses temporary art exhibitions and music concerts.

The City Hall is probably Germany’s highest city hall which was built from 1971 to 1979. Here, you can view from the 22nd floor, overlooking the city from 100 m above ground!

RWE Tower is located crossways street from the Aalto theater and is the 2nd-highest skyscraper in North Rhine-Westphalia. This site contains headquarters of the second largest electric power company in Germany.

Lake Baldeney (Baldeneysee) is a 14km extensive basin formed in the Ruhr river in 1931. It was particularly created to offer a leisure area for residents, and to purify the water in the river. Nowadays, it is still an extremely admired place for visitors, and numerous yachting and rowing clubs function on the lake.

Along with it, you could also find Weiße Flotte pleasure boats operating on the lake, which can prove an excellent outing in fine weather when you visit this shopping city. :-)

Last but certainly not least, it might interest you that this city has a regional airport, the Essen/Mülheim Airport [ESS], which is being used mainly by business travelers.

Bayreuth is an urban district located in the state of Bavaria (Bayern). Although first mentioned just in the year 1194, it is full of history.

Margravine Wilhelmine, sister of Frederick the Great, turned it into a scintillating center of fine art and customs some two century ago.

The town is located next to the Fichtelgebirge, the Franconian Forest and Franconian Switzerland local holiday regions. If you’re like me, looking for nature, you’ll also LOVE the baroque gardens of the Hermitage, the Fantasie Park and Palace and the Sanspareil rock garden.

Moreover, the University’s Ecological-Botanical Garden is a multicolored show of the sorts of vegetations more frequently seen on the American prairies or Europe’s heathlands.

The town’s Margravial Opera House is an extremely attractive baroque theater. It contains a number of eye-catching palaces and castles. Its Hermitage Park by way of its enthralled caverns and fountains, the Festival Hall in the midst of its highly praised acoustics and 22 interesting museums are making it a grand cultural town of the region.

The Richard Wagner Festival has dominated the artistic panorama of the town for more than 100 years.

Its Festival Hall is a precious art and is worth a visit even outside festival times. The Bayreuth Art Museum and Iwalewa Museum of African Art are full of mesmerizing shows and there are various music and drama events coming up with the highest calibre of cultural entertainment.

The Festival Hall, by way of its exceptional architecture and acoustics, is regarded among the world’s largest opera houses. Its Iwalewa House, also called as the Africa Center of Bayreuth University, is a center for learning and exploration. The Africa Center also has a museum which contains some of the valuable arts and culture from third-world countries.

The Bayreuth Museums and Galleries are plentiful and very popular…

The Bayreuth Art Museum, in the Old Town Hall, is famous too and very close to a new Art Museum which also takes account of the British American Tobacco Museum. You are likely be encountered with a number of exhibitions each year.

The Richard Wagner Museum, opened in 1976, is home to an enduring display on the life and works of this great music dramatist. This museum also sheds a light on the history of the Bayreuth Festival.

The Jean Paul Museum takes account of a significant compilation of text, portraits and pictures relating to Jean Paul, one of Germany’s leading writers.

On the other hand, the Upper Franconia Museum of Prehistory is also a very popular one in the town. This particular museum traces the records of Upper Franconia, predominantly the narrations of plants and animals.

Bochum as city is nearly 700 years old, though it was founded (or ‘born,’ as I like to say :-) a longer time ago, in the year 890. It is located in the Ruhrgebiet, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen).

Most appealing and crucial period for the city was the age of industrialization when its economic boom began with the discovery and mining of coal. There are innumerable monuments defining this period of the city’s history.

For example, the Westphalian Industrial Museum, where the 200 year history of industrialization is brought to life. The Century Hall (Jahrhunderthalle) also needs to be mentioned in this case; an extraordinary hall which was built in 1902. It is presently in use for exhibitions and cultural and sporting events. And the Rheinish Industrial Museum, which forms a compilation of museums that are exceptional in Europe.

Oops, almost forgot… The German Mining Museum is also worth visiting since it provides information about the most important history part of the city — coal mining.

You might also get a chance to see one of the Hannover Colliery which contains a series of exhibits on the development of the industrial Ruhr area. Here, kids will also find some relevance in the form of Knirps “children’s mine” where they can learn about mining through interactive exhibits.

If you love to see churches, no need to take tensions as here you will find the Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. This particular hall church was constructed in the Westphalian Gothic style. It was initially built through the time of Emperor Charlemagne between 785 and 800 (yup, even before this city was actually established). Its 68 meter towering steeple is the city’s most prominent milestone. You’ll get to see countless of fascinating works of art inside the church.

The church of St. Vincent is an example of Ottonian architecture which was built in Romanesque style. Later, it turned into a Gothic edifice.

Another attraction in this city is the Blankenstein Castle which was built in the 13th century by Count Adolf I of Mark.

Bochum possesses its own brewery and celebrates many festivals. Ruhr Triennale festival is really a delight to visitors as this festival started with the idea of combining the industrial heritage of the Ruhr region with an arts festival. This unique mixture of Ruhr Triennale has become famous throughout Germany and beyond. :-)

Cologne is considered as one of the most preferred tourist destinations in Germany with multiple facets.

It was founded by Romans more than 2,000 years ago, and was annexed with Prussia in the 17th century when it found growth in multiple dimensions. Throughout the past, this city has been challenged multiple times.

The First World War and the Second World War affected the progress of the city tremendously in the area of economic development. During the Second World War, it was bombarded with heavy bombings which resulted in almost halving the population of the city.

Cologne is the fourth largest city of Germany, having approx. 1 million inhabitants, and it is the largest in the state North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). It is present on the lowlands of the Rhine river.

Its history dates back to the first century, right before Christ. During 38 B.C., Marcus Agrippa inhibited his people along the left bank of the Rhine River (which, later, became the modern city it is nowadays). In 50 A.D., Agrippina, the daughter of Germanicus, established a colony of veterans which came to be known as Cologne.

Besides its economic and political significance, it has also been the center of medieval pilgrimage. And the Italian poet Francesco Petraca wrote in 1333, that the city was full of pretty woman and dignified men.

The climate here is comparable to that of United Kingdom or Northern France. July is the hottest month in the city while January is the coldest. Surprisingly, it is very hard to see any traces of snow that time (maybe because it’s so flat here?). While June being the month of most precipitation here.

Now that we know about Cologne’s history and climate, let’s delve and know more about what the city is popular for…

There are various historical landmarks. Its city hall is the oldest of Germany, which has a strong connection with the historical past.

The Cologne stadium was originally built in 1923 and was reconstructed during 1975. The fact that the stadium was one of 12 hosts for the FIFA World Cup 2006 speaks for the sporting prowess of the stadium — and the city!

The Cologne carnival is a world famous festival attracting millions of people from Europe and other continents. Its present history starts in 1823. Its festival committee is an umbrella organization of more than hundred carnival associations.

The city is also well-known for its beer culture. I think to remember that there are still 19 sorts of their Kölsch, which is the German name for their beer and the only language you can drink (since the accent spoken in that city has the same name ;-).

Traveling? You’re going to find a wide range of interconnected networks through land, rails, and air. There’s always a bus, tram or train running. And the next car rental is very close.

Entertainment? There is wide variety of entertainment shows. It ranges from wonderful cinema theaters, magnificent comedy shows, exquisite museums, night clubs, and majestic opera. Even TV shows take place in Cologne.

Shopping? A large number of the enormous departmental stores and home to a great variety of excellent foodstuffs are to be found throughout the city.

Don’t you agree that all these factors make Cologne the preferred travel destination for tourist around the world? At least for me, since I used to live in that city 17 years of my life. ;-)

Düsseldorf is the capital of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). It is positioned on the Rhine rive, right at the thickly inhabited Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area.

The city is famous for its celebrations and events. And also for trend and trade shows, like the Boot Messe which is universally leading in boats and water games and Igedo which is globally leading in fashion.

Each year about 5 Million people visit the Rhine folk festival during 9 days in summer. Many parks in the metropolis also present places to relax and recuperate.

Most of the companies in the city have their branch in the field of advertising. There are 400 advertising agencies in Düsseldorf, 170 national and international financial institutions and more than 100 insurance organizations and one of the biggest German stock exchanges. We can also see many publishing houses here.

TV, print, and online Media plays also a very important role here.

When the climate is humid and sunny the city has a holiday atmosphere. From the open-air steps at the Burgplatz and the Rhine promenade, you can get an wonderful sight of the Rhine ships passing by, the cable-stayed bridge, the Oberkassel Rhine banks, and the far-away Rheinauen.

By the way, Düsseldorf International Airport is situated 8km (5mi) from city center and can easily be reached by train. But public transport is very well maintained anyway, so you can reach almost all spots in Germany withing a few hours only, if not minutes! :-)

Düren had provided shelter to the Celts who lived here before Christ’s birth. Other Germanic tribes made it their resting place after the Celts and they were subjugated by the Romans under the leadership of Julius Caesar.

Düren got city rights in the late 12th century. The city trapped in the Thirty Years’ War in 1642 and faced grave consequences. A serious plague broke out in the city after the war in 1648 which claimed many lives.

It witnessed a series of earthquakes in the end of 17th century and was taken over by the French revolutionary troops at the same time.

The city turned its fortune in 19th century and being recognized among Germany’s richest cities. Like other German cities, it also faced the rages of the World War II.

It was positioned on the central fighting front throughout the Allied incursion of Germany in World War II. The city was utterly shattered by Allied air bombings on November 16, 1944, claiming the lives of nearly 22,000. The rest were vacated to central Germany.

U.S. troops got hold of it on February 25, 1945 and the people started to come back. They rebuild their damaged home against the wishes of the U.S. troops.

Düren is prominent as a transportation and industrial center. Its manufactures comprises paper, textiles, food products, plastics, chemicals and transportation equipments.

It has some old historical buildings which, again, were destroyed utterly during the wars period. Only their remains are to be seen at the moment. Its famous city wall, a construction which started around 1200, does not really exist anymore today. You will get to see only ruins of it.

The city has some old buildings in the form of churches. One of them is the Church of Saint Martin which had its historical significance.

The same church was renamed in the 19th century and was provided the name of church of Saint Anne. The debate is still on over the dates of its renaming and some suggest that it took place in the 18th century while other assert it as the19th century or even much later.

The saint’s day of Saint Anne is one of the biggest folk festivals of Germany which is celebrated every year on July 26. Düren’s Christmas market is very charming and very well-liked to far-off places outside the country. This market is lit up beneath a glittery sky, where people flock to have the experience of the performance at the living Nativity scene.

Bamberg, located in the state of Bavaria (Bayern), offers more than 1,000 years of history. It’s a town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Art and culture forms a central part of life in this town and you will get to see some fifteen museums in here. A lot of them are of European standing, dedicated to a broad variety of subjects, featuring fascinating collections and special exhibitions.

Its geography is shaped by the Regnitz River, and the foothills of the Steigerwald also provide it a sort of recognition.

Pretty similar to Rome, the town widens over seven hills, each crowned by a church. This is reason why it is also called as the Franconian Rome.

The town was first mentioned in 902. Henry II, King of the Romans, made the town the seat of a separate diocese in 1007.

The University of Bamberg was established by the name of Academia Bambergensis in 1647. It was first linked to the rail system in 1844. It has been a significant part of its infrastructure ever since.

Subsequent to World War I, while a communist rebellion took command over Bavaria, the administration ran off to Bamberg and had to stay for almost two years.

It comes among the very few cities in Germany that, fortunately, wasn’t shattered by World War II bombings.

You’re going to find some wonderful museums here. The New Palace museum by means of its superb picture gallery is one of them. The Diocesan Museum is also notable and in it, the cathedral treasury is kept. And the Franconian Brewery Museum demonstrates the long custom of beer making in Bamberg. (Their beer is outstanding!)

The Old Town Hall, built on a synthetic island in the middle of the river Regnitz, comes among the only construction of its kind in Germany. The river worked as a boundary between the merchant and episcopal parts of town at that very time. You could see the town hall’s façade which has been painted in a baroque style.

The adjacent half-timbered Rottmeister house, which was built in 1688, is a wonderful structure which seems to float above the river. Or the Villa Concordia international arts center, another popular place in the town, sponsors and supports contemporary artists. And you’ll love to see some exquisite Meissen porcelain on display at the baroque town hall.

If you let a few “not so nice” pieces of history stop you from coming to Celle, you’d be making one of the biggest tourist no-no’s imaginable.

Celle today is a vibrant and fantastic city on the German Framework Road — quite the transformation from the dark days of the Second World War.

Speaking of World War II, the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp was located nearby. It was originally opened as POW Stalag XI-C and soon grew to house thousands of prisoners, including a young girl by the name of Anne Frank.

Celle is much (much, much) older than its 20th century history; and it has over 400 (!) fairytale half-timbered houses (many from the 16th century) to prove it. Along all the framework houses in the Altstadt (Old City) is a pedestrian only area with cafes and shops.

Also from the 16th century is Schloss Celle. No, I’m sorry, it’s really from the 10th century — it’s just that today’s castle was built over its predecessor. Within the castle is the Bormann Museum which is part art, part local history, and part folklore museum.

A famous resident of Schloss Celle (in the 18th century) was the banished Queen Caroline Mathilda of Denmark & Norway. She lived here after her husband (Christian VII) divorced her after an affair — because this area was controlled by her brother, the King of England.

She died here in 1775 and is buried in Celle’s St. Marien Stadtkirche, which was built in 1308.

Celle also has an 18th century synagogue, which survived the Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938 because it was feared that the nearby buildings would be destroyed. Today the synagogue doubles as Jewish History Museum and culture center.

Shopping in Celle could be your last stop, and you have your choice! The Craft Market comes at the end of May, the Wine Market is at the end of July, and the Christmas Market is a month long affair starting at end of November.

Oh, wait! Don’t leave yet, I almost forgot! Have you seen the surrounding Lüneburg Heath yet? Speaking of hiking or bicycling around the countryside… it’s so beautiful, just like Celle itself!

What a wonderful place the Celle District in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) is. Located within the popular Lüneburg Heath, its twenty-one (21) communities are each unique, offering everything you can possibly imagine throughout its 1,554 square kilometers.

Celle District Map

Love museums? You’ll find them. Love history? Yup, it’s chocked full of that. Love the great outdoors? You guessed it, it’s some pretty real estate in these parts. Love a nice scenic route? Perfect, quite a few great ones manage to meander around.

One of the most famous places in the district is Celle itself. Located on the German Framework Road and the Weser Renaissance Route, Celle boasts over 400-plus half-timbered houses, but it also has the Bormann Museum — a blend of a Local History Museum, Lutheran History, and a look at a traditional Lower Saxon farmhouse. This is all in addition to the medieval Church of St. Mary, the French Gardens, and a whole slew of events.

Didn’t I say life was great around here? No? Well, I just did. ;-)

Another of Celle District’s towns is Bergen. These days the town of Bergen is great with prehistoric dolmens, dating back to around 3,500-2,800 B.C. Bergen is probably more infamously known as the location of the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. A memorial stands at the entrance to the former camp, and where Anne Frank died in the last days of World War II.

Wienhausen is also great for history buffs, especially if you’re into the Middle Ages stuff. Its monastery (Kloster Wienhausen) was started more than seven centuries ago, back in the 13th century. Plus, there’s also a Klosterpark (Monastery Park), and all its artistic treasures.

The Celle District isn’t all history, mind you. The district is home to a great number of festivals, not limited to just what you’ll find in the city of Celle itself (like its annual Regatta). Nienhagen hosts both an Easter Market and Christmas Market, but also a wonderful Music Festival. And Lachendorf is (besides laughing, as its name implies) the perfect place to be to enjoy a traditional Autumn Market and Autumn Festival.

Nature lovers, you’re sure to love it here in the Celle District, too. Lachendorf’s peat bogs are great for watching our feathery friends, but also the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath, and the Südheide Nature Park is found in the Low German speaking town of Südheide.

It’s too much to take in all at once, so grab a bicycle to trek along the 328 km Allerradweg, or stay a little more centrally located along the 51 kilometers of trails through and around Eschede.

There are a great number of wonders scattered through the Celle District… come explore and see what else you can discover.