Hamburg – the official name being official name is the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg – is the second-largest city in Germany, after Berlin, and the seventh-largest city in the European Union. Situated on the river Elbe, the port of Hamburg is the third-largest port in Europe.

I’m inviting you to see the city in 3 lovely videos.

Hamburg

Sightseeing Hamburg

Hamburg meine Stadt

In an evening, in Hamburg, this year, my husband made this photo.

I admit I like it a lot! You? (click on the photo for a larger view!)

Berlin has a lot to offer during the winter season and is a great destination for a city break. Though it can get rather cold, wrap up warm and be enchanted by the outdoor life – at the end of the night you can look forward to curling up in a cute Berlin boutique hotel. There are many different activities and entertainments on offer over the festive period in particular and Christmas in Berlin is a magical experience. Although Berlin is a massive urban area, due to the former divide across the city many of the main attractions and in walking distance from one another.

Brandenburger hof courtyard lounge

Berlin Christmas fairs
The “Weihnachtsmarkt” is one of Germany’s longest and most popular traditions and in Berlin alone there are as many as 60 individual Christmas markets to visit. The Christmas fair at “Schlossplatz unter den Linden” is a popular choice and starts from the last weekend of November and runs right through to Boxing Day. Here you can find all kinds of festive treats from decorations and Christmas trees through to traditional German treats (gingerbread, Stollen etc) and some wonderful gifts. There are plenty of rides and games to entertain kids while adults warm up with tasty mulled wine.

Weihnachten am Gendarmenmarkt - Christmas

Winterworld – Potsdamer Platz
Get your heart racing with some unusual urban winter sports at the popular Potsdamer Platz ‘Winterworld’ attraction. This generally opens on the first week of November and runs throughout December. On offer are some great activities such as a 70m toboggan run and plenty of hot food and drink stalls.

Ice Skating
There are plenty of skating rings on offer around Berlin during the festive period including the popular ring at the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz (close to Potsdamer Platz) and between the various chalet-like stalls on Alexanderplatz. Hire skates for just EURO 2.50 and the rink is free if you bring your own skates. There are also free lessons offered for children between 4 and 7 years old.

Ice Skating Schloßpark Charlottenburg

Cozy Hotels
There are some lovely cozy hotels in Berlin for you to snuggle up in at the end of a long day of shopping or exploring. There are a number of ultra modern boutique hotels such as Hotel Q! which offers impressive interior design schemes, comfortable accommodation and the latest in fine dining. If you prefer a more traditional luxury hotel then the 5 star Regent Berlin is a magnificent place to stay with one of the world’s greatest Michelin star restaurants on offer and an amazing onsite spa – the perfect rejuvenation in Germany’s most exciting city!

Louisas place room

Guest post by Escapio.com

Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change
(Wind of change, Scorpions)

On the 9th of November 1989 a huge number of East Berliners were crossing freely though several check-points to West Berlin, leading to a silent revolution and eventually to the fall of the Wall. Last year, I was there, during the days preceding the celebration of two decades from the German reunification…

Night in Berlin. I leave for Berlin in small plane, enjoying a surprisingly lovely flight. Before getting the landing permission on the Tegel Airport we make a wonderful tour above the city, convincing me I’m in a Christmas dream, as the lights, the parallel or curved streets are all lit up beautifully, in thousand colours. And just to fuel my soul, mind and imagination already gone with the jingling bells, I see an ice rink. I am close enough to perceive the graceful silhouettes dancing on ice like unreal ghosts. I do not worship the wonders of mankind, but this time I am overwhelmed. I dare to say that I have experienced a lot as a world traveler, on lonely streets like today, facing the strong wind among the dead leaves, filling my chest with the winter smell, witnessing the last gasp of a powerless autumn. However, there’s room for more, for deeper, for more profound. It’s dark and quiet when I arrive in Berlin.

I spend the Halloween night on the streets, in a pleasant, but bizarre atmosphere, marked by revelers dressed in ghosts or wearing oxygen masks. The city is alive, full of tourists eager to visit all the buildings of Berlin, open on this occasion, until late at night. I choose to visit the Bundestag, the German Parliament, a modern building, impressive, with a heating and lighting system based on green energy. Berlin is not necessarily the sunniest city in the world, but the few moments offered by the skylight of the day are captured and processed in the Parliament’s electricity plant. The sight offered by the building heights still strikes the eyes not used to the differences between the East Berlin architecture, made of uniform blocks, voided of personality – Plattenbauten, and the West Berlin, truly Occidental by its nature. Further on, I see the artistic soul of Berlin – the Museum Island, and also the Berlin’s Television Tower, the symbol of press freedom and democracy.

Checkpoints of a divided city. Later, I get to the Brandenburg Gate, an important emblem of the city, and one of the only surviving monuments in PariserPlatz after World War II, gloriously marking the entry on the boulevard of linden trees, which leads to the Tiergarten. Shining in the night, the beautiful Gate in a classical style, inspired by Greek art is a bastion of freedom: on November 9, 1989 East and West Berliners gathered here to demonstrate for the demolition of the wall that separated them. A month and a half later, the gate was opened and the Wall destroyed. Near the Gate lies the Reichstag, the former East German Parliament building which has become later on the symbol of united Germany.

Next day continues with experimenting division, and I head to Potsdamer Platz, an intersection famous for its cafes and hotels, divided during the Cold War and actually abandoned, but eventually becoming one of the first places where the wall was cracked. Now souvenir sellers tempt you with Russian hats, socialist flags… making peace between the East and West.

I pass several times at the Check Point Charlie and read the inscriptions on the fake wall. Then I walk on the brands’ paradise boulevard, the Kurfürstendamm and I get at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, a strange church, completely renovated inside and highly contrasting with the bombed, ruined exterior. My journey continues at the Column of Victory and I get to the Gendarmenmarkt to visit the Deutsche Dom and the Konzerthaus.

A heart-breaking story. As evening comes, after a demanding walk, I chose to go on a small cruise on the river Spree and review the city through a glass of gluwein (hot red wine). Darkness does not allow me to distinguish many of the buildings I have passed along, but the both the lack of light, and the cold nurtured my reflection on what I have seen. According to the way the captain pronounces it, Berlin seems one of the most beautiful German words. It is a musical name with a sad resounding. Apparently, the city is invigorating, cheerful, and lively, although hiding a still not healed heart-ache. Suddenly it comes across to me the heart-breaking love story written by Mark Levy, between an American girl, animated by democratic ideals and Tomas, an East Berliner having suffered of persecutions in pursuing his dream to become a journalist, daring to worship the freedom of press in a world ruled by propaganda. Only few details recall a past marked by wars, bombings and division. It’s a city of impressive buildings that bring together glass, metal, and the tiniest light reflection is avidly sipped by Berlin’s misty eyes and smile, in which the sun rarely shines. And my ears are filled with Elton John’s song: “Nikita, you’ll never know”; indeed you will never know Berlin’s mystery…

It’s beautiful at night in Berlin! I would not spend one night, but many, with Berlin. Its gorgeous lights, the streets emanating freedom are crying against a cruel fate of forced division. It’s the liberty insulting the humiliation of years of deprivation and suffering, showing how Germany reborn from its own ashes…

By Michael Schuermann aka Easy Hiker

One former East German town I would highly recommend for you to visit would be Erfurt. This small town has always been the pride and joy of eastern Germany, even during the reign of the communists. It is picture pretty and was the perfect town to end our short hike in Germany’s oldest hiking trail, which is in the same region, Thuringia.

The Erfurt Cathedral as seen from  Zitadelle Petersburg

The Erfurt Cathedral seen  through the little vineyard growing beside it. Erfurt was once a Bistum, i.e.a Bishop Seat

These old houses have survived through 40 years of communist East German rule that have been lovingly restored after reunification

Have some coffee in front of the town‘s Art museum

Since the reunification of the two Germanies, money has flowed in to help modernise the town. Here their  modern electric tramway passing by the city hall

The town can offer a gastronomic experience from the restaurants that have mushroomed in the town since Germany became one

In one of the cafes around, this is one offer you can never refuse: all the coffee and Apfelstrudel and other cakes  you can eat for only 5.50 Euros

The houses on Kraemerbruecke (Kraemer Bridge)

Entrance to the Kraemerbruecke (Yes, this is a bridge)

This hotel is famous because of Willy Brandt. Find out how and why here

A relic that reminds people of the dark communist past of Erfurt – the former Stasi prison – now being renovated into apartments

Pretty back streets, away from the hustle and bustle of central Erfurt

Houses that have been lovingly restored that now offer a pretty sight in the cobblestoned streets of Erfurt

But these are still to be seen in many corners, old rundown buildings neglected during the communist era that are waiting for investors for renovation

Short bio of author: Michael Schuermannn is Easy Hiker, sharing the hikes he’s done with a view of tempting you to take up hiking for your next holiday. Follow him on Twitter as @easyhiker101 or join him in Facebook

This week’s photo of the week recommendation: Stuttgart.

2 years ago I made a very short (half a day) trip to Heidelberg, Germany. Yes, a town famous for a special castle – but unfortunately I never got to see this castle up close, therefore sometime I’ll have to go back there.

Walking down the streets at some point I entered a souvenir shop. There I saw many, many interesting objects – and I bought several as souvenirs for my mother, my friends and myself. But part of my soul remained there along with a special cuckoo clock.

Why special?

First of all I have to tell you that I simply love cuckoo clocks. I had one at my mother’s home, whan I was a child (unfortunately it was broken for a long time and no one could fix it properly). Then, in this souvenir shop there were many cuckoo clocks – with prices varying from around 30-40 EUR (for a small one) to much more.

Looking back I think that if in that day I had to choose a clock, it would have been a very hard decision to make. Every clock had something special: a special domestic scene, a party on the countryside, a fishing scene, people dancing and many more. You can, therefore, understand why such a choice would have been very difficult…

Still I hope I’ll get there sometime and by the I’ll be able to buy one. In the mean time I even found a site (with only some models, not everything I saw there): Souvenir-Shop-Heidelberg

I wonder how many people like such clocks?

*Photo credits Souvenir-Shop-Heidelberg

In each country and almost in every touristic city you can find magnets with different local symbols. These magnets are usually put at home on the refrigerator’s door (or other metallic vertical surface) and represent in fact souvenirs from different trips/holidays.

There are also people that manage to gather a true collection of such magnets. I have a friend that has such a collection – an already impressive one. Her collection includes many bought by herself, as well as many others received from friends who know about her passion. You can travel to many countries with the collection on my friend’s refrigerator door…

Why magnets as travel souvenirs?

• They are small - they don’t require a lot of space to keep;
• They manage to capture a local specific – the magnets are usually illustrated with local buildings or some other special local symbols.
• They are cheap – a magnet costs usually several euros/dollars;
• They are almost a “sure” gift – usually you cannot fail by offering a magnet (alone or together with something else) as a souvenir from a trip.

I have several magnets too – although I didn’t travel very much (but I still have time to change that).

I have a magnet from Vienna, Schoenbrunn palace. I have another one – also from Vienna (Austria) – but with several famous buildings from the capital of Austria. From Heidelberg (Germany) I have another souvenir-magnet.

Sometimes you can find yourself traveling back in time simply by looking at these magnets, remembering wonderful memories from those vacations when you got them. At other times these magnets bring back memories about a friend who brought you a certain magnet.

I guess that these are only several reasons for which magnets are so famous and why so many people buy them all over the world.

by Monica Jitariuc

We decided to spend New Year’s Eve (2009) in Berlin. That was a wrong decision, because at -20C it was very difficult to enjoy Berlin so we have to go again, maybe during summertime. However, we are not going to talk about Berlin this time, but about a great hotel I have discovered there: Circus Hotel.

The hotel opened late October 2008 by the owners of a hostel with a similar name. The upgrade is not only obvious, but extremely charming. The warmth of people in a hostel, always ready to offer you a helping hand combined with the standards of a design hotel lead to Circus Hotel: a magnificent value with plenty of aesthetic style.

Location
Circus Hotel is situated on the northern edge of Mitte, Berlin’s central district, on the opposite side of Rosenthaler Platz. There is an U-Bahn (underground) station directly opposite, bringing you to the famous Alexanderplatz in just 2 underground stops. So, the location is unbeatable.

Style
The rooms have a very special design, though minimalist. They are stylishly decorated. It is a matter of personal experience, so let me describe a little bit the room we stayed in. There was a circus theme involved in the design. We had this figurine on a table and a nice picture on the wall. The figurine was all over the picture, as you can see. It is maybe a detail, but, in my opinion it is this kind of a detail that makes an experience unforgettable.
p.s. the bathroom is big and very cosy with wooden floor and a large shower cabin.

Services
The staff is very, very nice. They indicated us where to park the car for paying a smaller parking fee, they called a gas station for us in order to find out if any parking vignettes were available. Services include renting iPods’ loaded with the best of Berlin music, bike and segway rental, and a garden courtyard not to be missed.

Food
The Restaurant Cafe Bar Fabisch on the ground floor of the Circus Hotel will complete the experience. The design concept for Fabisch reflects on the former use of the space as a clothing store and developed into a theme for contemporary times. The food is excellent and the service is great (among other things, I have seen the most beautiful (yes, physically beautiful) and polite waiters ever. Pour la bonne bouche, I suggest you to drink the mint tea in the morning and try the homemade cake in the afternoon.

Price
Singles start at 68 Euros a night; doubles, 88 Euros; suites, 98 Euros; and large apartments, 160 Euros. The Circus Hotel, 1 Rosenthaler Strasse; (49-30) 2000-3939; www.circus-berlin.de.

I hope you’ll spend a great time and that my suggestions will help you. Maybe you’ll send me feedback: jitariuc AT gmail.com

*Photo “Credits: The Circus Hotel”

Monica Jitariuc has 9 years of communication expertise. She likes understanting things, people and situations. In love, married and happy mother of Flaria.

Personal blog: www.lostandfounddesk.blogspot.com
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