Kilmainham Goal

Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin

The most important sight at Dublin, Ireland – and all tourist guides and guide books share this view – is a jail. Kilmainham Goal is a typical jail of the Victorian era located in the city quarter Kilmainham in the west of the city. It was built in 1796 and plays an important role in the history of Ireland: when in 1916 the Easter Rising happened and Irish rebels fought against British occupation, this was the place the caught fighters were brought to. The Easter Rising was unsuccessful, the rebels were executed in Kilmainham Goal – but their goal was partially achieved in 1922 when Ireland became a free state.

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Irish Museum of Modern Art

National museum of modern art, Dublin

When you search for the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) at Dublin, Ireland you’ll have to walk through a residential zone in the city quarter Kilmainham. A road winds slowly up the hill towards the old Royal Hospital. A sign tells dog owners where they can enjoy a walk with and train their dogs. And when you’re standing in front of the ancient hospital building you still don’t have a clue what to find inside.

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Ugly dumpling

Ugly dumpling, London

It is pretty much impossible to leave Soho hungry – with so many fantastic small restaurants gathered in this area of London, England. A very good place to taste delicious Chinese dumplings is the Ugly dumpling in Newburgh street. It looks like the smallest restaurant ever with just a small amount of tables crammed into a tiny corner restaurant. But don’t worry if it seems to be full; there is also another tiny area one floor down. Waiting is worth the time, they’ve good some very fine dumpling versions on their menu.

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The Blind Phoenix

The Blind Phoenix, London

It is a hidden bar which you won’t find unless you explicitly search for it. The Blind Phoenix is a speakeasy for witches and wizards hidden in the underground of Dalston, London. When you arrive there look out for an inconspicuous black door. I already wanted to give up and leave as a house-elf pointed me towards the hidden entrance. There you’ll have to enter the secret code on an old-school telephone and afterwards the door opens and you’ll see the long stairway into the cellar.

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Wembley

Wembley, London

Wembley Stadium is the second-largest soccer stadium in Europe, home to the English national team and visible from far away because of its 133 meters high arc. It can host up to 90000 spectators and was opened in 2007 on the grounds of the former stadium (with its iconic twin towers) built in 1923. For soccer fans this is holy ground – not only because of the final of the world championship held here in 1966.

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Air Line

Emirates Air Line, London

Did you know that there is a cable car in London, United Kingdom? It is a quite unexpected opportunity to take a flight over the river Thames. The Emirates Air Line has been opened in 2012 for the Olympic summer games and connects the Greenwich peninsula (the station is close to the Millenium dome) with the Royal Victoria Dock where you can switch to the DLR. During the day a ride takes you five minutes but in the evening hours they lower the speed and you can enjoy 13 minutes of good views on the docklands.

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Millennium dome

Millenium dome, London

The Millennium dome (nowadays called ‘The O2‘) is a giant dome made of synthetics and shaped by wire ropes on the Greenwich peninsula of London, England. It was opened on the 1st of January 2000 and contained an exhibition to celebrate the new millennium. Today it is a giant sports arena, concert hall and it contains a cinema and some restaurants. Because of its special shape and construction, the building itself also attracts visitors.

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Goldgrube

Fortuna Ehrenfeld, Goldgrube, Kassel

The Goldgrube is an alternative music club at Kassel, Germany. It can be found in the north of the city in a street called Eisenschmiede (iron forge). The club was opened in 2014 as a stage for bands that not yet fill the big music halls. I must admit that I would have never gone inside if I hadn’t bought a ticket in advance. When standing in front you wouldn’t expect what to find underground.

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Drachenschlucht

Drachenschlucht, Eisenach

A narrow valley, a beautiful gorge: the Drachenschlucht (dragon canyon) at Eisenach, Germany is a good place for a nice walk; in fact one of the most beautiful I‘ve ever done in a gorge. Through the Mariental you can walk on a well-maintained path consisting of wooden and sometimes metal walkways. It leads along and above the water of the small river and sometimes the gorge is very narrow (at minimum 68 cm) – only one person can pass at a time.

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