Sibelius

Sibelius monument, Helsinki

A special and well-known monument at Helsinki, Finland, is the Sibelius-monumentti. Like a fascinating arrangement of organ pipes it is standing on a rock in the Sibeliuksen puisto park, waiting to be looked at from all sights and even from underneath. Whom the work titled Passio Musicae is dedicated to can only be understood when you look to the side and find the face of Jean Sibelius.

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Hotel Arthur

Hotel Arthur, Helsinki

I chose the Hotel Arthur mainly because it was a rather cheap hotel in contrast to others nearby and because of the fact that it is located close to the main railway station of Helsinki, Finland. When I arrived I was nevertheless quite surprised: it is rather old-fashioned, partially in a bad state and the elevator comes from a different century. And it is operated by the local Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). If you need something more beautiful book somewhere else, if you just need a cheap bed for the night this is your place.

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Lentoasema

Lentoasema, Helsinki

The airport of Helsinki (HEL) is located 18 kilometers north of the city center at a region called Vantaa. It was opened in 1951 for the Olympic summer games and has today three runways transporting more than 4 million passengers a year. Next to the two terminals you can find a large amount of parking lots and the typical car rental companies.

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Alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt

Danger Dan, Kulturzelt, Kassel

Since 1986 the Kulturzelt is a tradition at Kassel. Every year in summer well-known and lesser known artists fill a large tent close to the orangery with music. And the area next to river Fulda gives you the chance to spend a nice evening outside with friends and a good drink. This year I came here to see a solo performance of Daniel Pongratz, also known as Danger Dan, the singer of the left-wing hip-hop band Antilopen Gang.

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Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Müngersdorfer Stadion, Köln

There are many good bands that contributed to the soundtrack of my life. One of them are the Red Hot Chili Peppers from Los Angeles and one day I had to simply see them live on stage. This year they were playing on my birthday at the Müngersdorfer Stadion of Köln, Germany. And as I tend to travel on birthdays to avoid the classic celebrations I couldn’t resist partying with the RHCP.

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Savoy

Hauptbahnhof, Köln

When you’re travelling by train to Köln you might want to have a good hotel close to the railway station. I was struggling with that different times until I checked-in at the Savoy. It is located on the rear side of the main station and you need to exit towards the Breslauer Platz. From there it is only a short walk to the hotel entrance which makes life really easy.

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Rhein-Seilbahn

Rhein-Seilbahn, Köln

There is a simple rule that is most often true: wherever a federal horticultural show is held in Germany, you’ll later find a funicular. Such a Bundesgartenschau is not only an event for tourists, it is also always used to change the area it is organized at, to reactivate fallow land that is most often hard to reach. And therefore very often funiculars are built to make the area better accessible for visitors of the Bundesgartenschau. And people love it.

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Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Köln

If you’re visiting Köln, Germany, and you’re into art – have a look at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in the city center. It is a beautiful and classy art museum that presents sacred and profane art and opens up new perspectives on ancient artworks. If religious art is nothing for you, you can enjoy wonderful impressionist and neoimpressionist works from the Fondation Corboud as well.

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Posthalle

The Dropkick Murphys, Posthalle, Würzburg

The Posthalle is an amazing concert venue at the railway station of Würzburg, Germany. It is located in a former postal distribution center next to the railway tracks. The building was in use from 1970 to 1993 and then empty for fifteen years. In 2008 the concert location Posthalle was opened and hosts up to 200 concerts every year. Up to 2,800 visitors can join the many live events with this special industrial flair.

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