Hints Archives ⋆ Page 48 of 255 ⋆ The Passenger

February 4, 2023April 3, 2023

Walhalla

When the Holy Roman Empire broke apart in 1806 the people in todays Germany were trying to define their identity. Who is German? What does it mean to be a German? The idea of these times was that everyone who is speaking the German language shall be defined as a German. Ludwig I, the later king of Bavaria, started to create a collection of busts showing persons whom he defined as important Germans. He planned to exhibit them in an impressive building which he named the Walhalla, after the place where fallen heroes find their eternal rest in Norse mythology.

February 3, 2023April 10, 2023

Mia san Mia

Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, Regensburg

When foreigners think about Germany they most often first think of Bavarian things: the Oktoberfest, the Schuhplattler dance, the Lederhose, the Weißwurst, or even the FC Bayern München. That is because the Bavarians are within Germany one of the few groups with a strong identity and preserved historic traditions. And a lot of self-esteem with which they annoy the rest of the country.

February 3, 2023April 9, 2023

St. Peter

The two towers of the Gothic-style cathedral St. Peter dominate the skyline of the city of Regensburg. Entering the building feels like being teleported into a different world, with the high ceiling and the rich decorations it has a special atmosphere. The church was built from the year 1275 on and became usable in 1450. The creation of the towers lasted until 1869, all in all a very long construction period.

February 3, 2023April 10, 2023

Porta Praetoria

The city of Regensburg was founded by the Romans in 179 CE. They created their military fortification called Castra Regina facing the river Donau. The main gate of every of these fortifications was called Porta praetoria and the Porta praetoria of Castra Regina has been preserved throughout the centuries. In fact, in addition to the Porta Nigra of Trier the gate at Regensburg is the only preserved Roman gate in Germany.

February 3, 2023April 10, 2023

Steinerne Brücke

Close to the city center of Regensburg a long bridge spans the river Donau, the Steinerne Brücke. It was built between 1135 and 1146 and was by that time the only bridge crossing the Donau between Ulm and Wien. The bridge is 336 meters long and eight meters wide. With its 16 arches it was the antetype for the famous Karlův most at Praha (516 meters long, built in 1357).

January 29, 2023April 2, 2023

All in one

When you’re visiting a small town with 65,000 inhabitants you’re not expecting to find impressive museums within. Fulda in the heart of Germany is an exception, as it hosts the Vonderau-Museum at the university square in the city center. It was founded in 1875 and is a surprisingly good combination of a natural history museum, an art collection, a lapidary and a planetarium.

January 29, 2023April 2, 2023

Kloster Frauenberg

High above the city of Fulda you can find the Franciscan cloister Kloster Frauenberg. If you want to enjoy great views on the city or do some sports (the ascent is quite steep) you should choose to get up. On top of the mountain you can relax in the cloister gardens or a enjoy a coffee at the terrace of the coffee bar of the cloister.

January 29, 2023April 2, 2023

Pomp & fancy tapestry

The Fuldaer Stadtschloß is a special castle: it is used by the city administration as the town hall building, but it is also a museum. When you’re visiting it you’ll have to search for the pompous representative rooms of the past between the many simple offices of the different departments of the administration. But it is a quest absolutely worth doing, the rooms are well-preserved with ancient tapestry, endless mirrors and very rich decorations.

January 21, 2023January 22, 2023

Palmengarten

Close to the city center of Frankfurt am Main you’ll find a pleasure rather unexpected in this central location: the Palmengarten, a botanical garden between high modern houses and ancient homes. It is 22 hectares large and was opened in 1871. The garden expert Heinrich Siesmayer received the order to buy the trees and plants of the orangery of Adolphe, the Duke of Nassau. The garden was created following the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and the buildings of the World Exhibition of 1867 in Paris. Some elements of that can be seen still today.

January 15, 2023April 3, 2023

Fagus-Werk

We’re all used to modern buildings made of steel and glass. But where was the first of these buildings standing? At New York? At Frankfurt? At Singapore? No, it was built in 1911 in rural Lower Saxony, in a small town named Alfeld an der Leine. Why is that? It has to do with the story of Carl Benscheidt (1858-1947). He was an expert in making shoe lasts, an element still necessary today to produce shoes. A replica of a foot is created from beech wood (today mostly from high-density plastics) and the shoe material is formed around.