In the middle of Lake Steinhude, there is a small artificial island built by Count Wilhelm Schaumburg-Lippe in 1761 read more...

Castle Wolkenstein was first mentioned in documents in the 13th century. From 1378, Wolkenstein was the seat of the Waldenburg family. After the death of the last Waldenburger in 1473, the estate passed to the territorial rulers of Wettin read more...

A large artificial lake in the foothills of the Harz mountains in Saxony-Anhalt. There are already quite a few such lakes in Germany and many new lakes are planned for the next ten years read more...

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, towers in honour of Otto von Bismarck were built throughout Germany. A total of about two hundred were built, and this time we visited the Bismarck Tower in Bad Pyrmont, built in 1900. It is located within the city limits, a 30-40 minute walk from the centre read more...

A metal tower, 27 metres high, built in 1896. Interestingly, it was built by the Bad Pyrmont Speleological Society, which described itself as ‘an association of drunk, cheerful and lively men’. After 1992, the tower was renovated several times, most recently in 2019-2020 read more...

The Eggeturm observation tower is located on the Eggegebirge ridge, which is part of the Teutoburg Forest read more...

In a small town of Lütetsburg in northern Germany lies a beautiful old park. It was founded by Baron Edzard Mauritz ... read more...

In the small town of Wienhausen there is an abbey (monastery) founded in 1230 by Agnes von Landsberg, daughter-in-law of Henry ... read more...

The concept of the theme park Movie Park are Hollywood boulevards and studios. All arrtactions are related to various movies ... read more...

2023

We stopped again in Paderborn, just on the way, and walked around the centre for a few hours. I noticed that the centre had somehow changed, but I couldn't figure out what was changed. Already at home, I looked at satellite images and indeed, most of the trees have disappeared in the last year. I have made this gif, click and see the difference.


At first I thought it was a reconstruction, but this is Germany and it is not easy to cut down trees here, especially in the city centre. It turned out that in May 2022 a powerful tornado passed through the centre (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQrZ15L_GE).

The parks downtown look like this now. I can't say they look worse, I'd say quite the opposite.














More photos of the centre.






















2013

Paderborn appeared in 777, when the Frankish king Charlemagne founded the residence here. The place was not chosen by chance, there are more then 200 water sources in this area. In the heart of the city, the water comes to the surface and flows into the Pader river read more...

Stadthagen is a small town near Hannover. It belongs to the towns of Weser Renaissance, mainly because of an ancient ... read more...

Halle is one of those cities that are not small by the standards of Germany, but is still considered as ... read more...

Winsen is a town near Hamburg with a small old center. You can stop by to see the 700-year-old castle ... read more...

Iburg Castle is a former abbey where prince-bishops of Osnabrück lived for 600 years. There is small garden near the castle designed by Martin Charbonnier, better known for the Royal Gardens in Hanover. Gardens in Hanover, by the way, was ordered by Princess Sophia, who was born and grew up in this castle and later became the first Prussian Queen. And her brother George I, who also spent all his childhood in this castle, in 1714 became king of the Great Britain and Nothern Island read more...

If you think that the most expensive real estate in Germany is in Munich or in Hamburg, you think wrong. The three most expensive streets of the country are located on the island of Sylt in the North Sea read more...

The highest point of the island of Rügen. The tower was built from 1869 to 1877 in honor of the German poet Ernst Moritz Arndt, who devoted his works to the beauty of the island read more...

Tower of the Austrian architect Hundertwasser in the town of Abensberg read more...

The longest water bridge in the world (as of 2019), 918 meters long. Such bridges appear because of the construction of water channels, which sometimes pass at a different height than the rivers read more...

One of the earliest baroque castles in Westphalia, built in the 17th century. Was not rebuilt, so now you can see the original, 350-year-old castle read more...

The picturesque castle on the hill, first mentioned in 1221. Throughout the history, it took part in many battles and was a refuge during the wars read more...

Beautiful water castle near Münster. From 1417 belonged to the noble family of von Hulshoff, the castle hosts their museum read more...

A large park on the site of the former mine. Such parks are now very popular in the Ruhr region, which already been transformed from an industrial region into a cultural one. Construction began in 2009, when the mine was dismantled. The main part of the park was completed in 2014 read more...

In 1979, an otter research project was launched in the Harz Mountains. It lasted until 1986 and then it was decided to open a full-fledged nursery, which was done in 1988 in the town of Hankensbüttel read more...

A small fishing village in East Frisia on the shores of the Wadden Sea. Recently it has turned into a popular resort, mainly because of the historical center, which has been preserved in excellent condition. The village is a great base for cycling and hiking. We spent the night here to take a walk in the area and see the Pilsum lighthouse read more...

We found this castle by accident, just saw a road sign. The territory here is small, you will go around it in 20 minutes. In addition to the castle, the seashore is just around the corner, so you can also take a walk there read more...

The Oder Reservoir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with several neighboring sites. In summer you can swim in the reservoir, but we came in winter, as there is always snow. The circular trail is about about 4.5 km long read more...

In 2000, a Wild West-style town opened in the Hartz Mountains. "Megapolis" of the 19th century offers a wide range of entertainment with shows that change every hour. Just be aware that the shows are completely non-violent, there is no shooting or glorification of violence read more...

We came to the seaside resort Grömitz for a weekend, to relax with a small child. Stayed at apartments ({{183}}), the whole seafront is full of hotels and apartments read more...

In 2007 and 2008, paleontologists from the State Museum of Lower Saxony in Hanover discovered dinosaur tracks in one of the sandstone quarries in Oberkirchen. The footprints were found in sandstone 6 to 9 meters thick, which here lies beneath younger layers read more...

Hamburg's city park was opened in 1914 and appeared due to the expansion of the city and the absorption of the surrounding forests and garden farms read more...

An open-air park-museum built around the Dinosaur Footprints of Münchehagen (Naturdenkmal Saurierfährten Münchehagen). The exhibits are mainly life-size models of dinosaurs read more...

We came to Westerstede for the rhododendron festival. There are at least two other places with rhododendrons around the town, so we included them all in one trip read more...

Small and little known ruins of a castle dating back to 1153. Although most of it is not preserved, the castle is located in a forest and is quite picturesque read more...

Since 1213, there was a monastery on the site, which was confiscated in favor of the state in 1803. King Georg III donated the abandoned former monastery of Derneburg and its property to the Hanoverian minister Ernst Friedrich Herbert zu Münster read more...

A former hunting lodge built by Duke Welf Magnus I. (Welfenherzog Magnus I.) in Schöningen in the first half of the 14th century read more...

Herford is one of the most important and most fortified trading towns in Westphalia, was a member of the Hanseatic League from 1342 and is one of the founding members of the Westphalian Hanseatic cities. It was a free imperial city until its annexation by Prussia in 1652 read more...

The remains of one of the largest and oldest castles in the South Harz region. The castle was built in the early 13th century and served as the residence of the Counts of Honstein, who played a significant role in the medieval history of Thuringia read more...

Wooden observation tower located on the Wiehen hills (Wiehengebirge) in Lower Saxony. A popular local tourist attraction. It is part of a network of hiking trails through the Wiehen Hills and is accessible to visitors all year round read more...

A small resort town known for its healing mineral springs. The first mentions of local springs date back to the 17th century, and since then Bad Ihlsen has become a popular place for recreation and health improvement read more...

The observation tower on the slope of the Weser Mountains (Wesergebirge) near the town of Rinteln which was built at the end of the 19th century. There is a small café near the tower, so the tower has opening hours, be sure to check them. If the tower is closed, ask for the key at the cafe read more...

Since 1900, there had been a restaurant and a wooden tower on this site. In 1931, with the help of donations, an iron tower was built. The modern, reinforced concrete tower, 22 metres high, appeared in 1985, also thanks to donations read more...

The Wolfswarte rock is located in the Harz mountain region at an altitude of over 900 meters and is a rock formation featuring a viewing platform. It is not an artificial tower, but a natural rock. From here, a panoramic view opens up over the Harz forests, which stretch to the horizon read more...

If you are traveling from Hamburg to Hannover or back, you will definetely visit Uelzen with its unusual ... read more...

Blankenburg is a tourist town near the Harz mountains in eastern Germany. It is located 10 kilometers from Wernigerode, ... read more...

Reservoir in the mountains of the Harz. The dam was built in 1934 to protect against floods and to producе electricity. You can park near the dam and walk along it read more...

Reservoir in the mountains of the Harz. The dam was built in 1956 to protect against floods, regulate water levels and generate electricity. You can park near the dam and walk along it, there is also a restaurant read more...

Popular place in the region around Münster (Münsterland). The main attraction is an unusual rock in the form of... somebody read more...

The complex of three castles located on the hills in the middle of the fields. The place is quite famous, as the castles are located near one of the German autobahns read more...

An absolutely unknown, but very unusual place. It is called the Water Tree and it has an interesting story read more...

The first building on this site was first mentioned in 1310. In the 16th century the castle was fortified with moats. In 1584, it passed into the hands of the Von Mengersen family, who reconstructed it in the Weser Renaissance style. Also farm buildings were attached, they still exist nowadays read more...