Feb 10th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Germany and Switzerland have long been known as bastions of cool efficiency, where the trains run on time, locals scold visitors for jaywalking and everything works. But travelers might be surprised to know that these countries are also home to four of the world's most crooked towers, all of which lean more dramatically than the much more famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
Since ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Germany posts
The battle of leaning towers: Germany wins
Feb 10th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Germany and Switzerland have long been known as bastions of cool efficiency, where the trains run on time, locals scold visitors for jaywalking and everything works. But travelers might be surprised to know that these countries are also home to four of the world's most crooked towers, all of which lean more dramatically than the much more famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
Since ...A museum of microcars in Germany
Jan 11th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
Before the automobile industry developed cars capable of going 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, there were the microcars. In the 1950s and 1960s, several European countries, in particular West Germany, manufactured cheap, zippy microcars that were one step up on the evolutionary chain from motor scooters. Most of these models are long gone today, save for those hiding in the garages and warehouses of ...Out of the big city in Bacharach, Germany
Jan 8th, 2012 at 4:00PM: While Berlin and Munich in Germany are both big cities with a lot to offer, it's sometimes nice to get away from the crowds and experience unspoiled old-warm charm at a more laid-back pace. A trip to Bacharach will give you the chance to sip vino in wine country, interact with locals, and relax right on the Rhine River.
Stay at:
IM Malerwinkel (shown right), a pension or bed and breakfast ...Video: Berlin street aesthetic
Jan 6th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
The Street Aesthetic of Berlin from Christian Andersen on Vimeo.
If you have ever wondered what the general Berlin street aesthetic is like, filmmaker Christian Andersen wants to show you. Sun rays, busy street corners, gliding boats, quick-moving trains, urban street art, and the city's lights at night all make appearances in this visceral video--among other Berlin staples, of course. ...
New budget travel magazine debuts: Off Track Planet moves into print
Jan 4th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Off Track Planet, a Brooklyn-based online budget travel publication, takes its f-bomb dropping idiom into print today with the debut of an eponymous magazine.
Off Track Planet, for the uninitiated, is geared toward the 18-30 set and is particularly focused on undergraduates.
Accordingly, the publication directs its attention to several subjects of primary interest to college kids; among ...Museum of European Cultures reopens in Berlin
Dec 27th, 2011 at 11:00AM: The Museum of European Cultures has reopened after a two-year renovation.
Located in Berlin, this museum focuses on the life of the common people of old Europe. While most museums focus on the famous accomplishments of the elite, this one looks at the everyday lives and traditions of regular people so often forgotten by the history books. Folklore museums can be found all over Europe and make ...New public artwork imitates the changing mood of the city
Dec 17th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
For the people of Lindau, Germany, there is no such thing as keeping your mood to yourself. At least, not since German artists Julius Von Bismarck, Richard Wilhelmer, and Benjamin Maus installed a "Fuehlometer" (Feel-o-Meter), an interactive piece of public artwork that gauges and replicates the city's mood swings.
The large smiley face is set on top of a lighthouse and changes ...
Visit the world's largest indoor rainforest resort
Dec 2nd, 2011 at 1:00PM: While Europe isn't typically known for it's tropical rainforests, a visit to the Tropical Islands in Germany can show you that they do indeed exist on the continent. In fact, the world's largest indoor rainforest is located right outside of Berlin in the town of Krausnick.
Located inside of a giant, 22,000 square foot dome, the indoor tropical resort is about the size of eight football fields ...Kids travel gift: Junior "crumpled" city maps
Nov 26th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Last year we reported on Italian designer Emanuele Pizzolorusso's crumpled city maps, a delightful series of maps made out of tough waterproof material. Pizzolorusso's maps can withstand crumpling and crushing. They fit in a little pouch and are easily transportable. They are a wonderfully fanciful yet solidly utilitarian tool for tourists.
Pizzolorusso, working with Berlin-based ...Want to walk up a giant, looping roller coaster?
Nov 18th, 2011 at 5:30PM: On November 13, 2011, the "Tiger & Turtle - Magic Mountain" sculpture in Duisburg, Germany, opened to the public. This isn't your average piece of public art, however, as it is designed like a giant roller coaster with stairs and slopes that people can actually walk on.
Traversing over the sculpture, visitors will be put 148 feet above the surrounding countryside, gaining access to great ...Remembering the fallen
Nov 11th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Today is Veterans Day, also known as Remembrance Day and Armistice Day because in 1918, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, World War One ended.
For four years the nations of the world had torn each other apart. The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, the Ottoman Empire was mortally wounded, Germany's Kaiser's fell and so did Russia's Czar. The world changed forever ...Airberlin announces new direct route from Los Angeles, California, to Berlin, Germany
Oct 25th, 2011 at 2:00PM: The USA is Berlin's most important market overseas, as can be seen by the 180,000 Americans that visited Germany's capital from January through August, 2011. That is why it is so exciting that airberlin has announced a new, direct route from Los Angeles to Berlin that is set to begin on May 11, 2012. From then on, travelers will be able to take the Airbus 330-200 direct, with three flights going ...Be a part of Christmas history in Weimar, Germany
Oct 22nd, 2011 at 1:00PM: Did you know that the first Christmas tree was erected in Weimar, Germany? Or, that one of the most famous Christmas carols, "O, Du Fröhliche" was composed there, as well? If you're looking to have a traditional Christmas as well as be a part of the holiday's past, then Weimar may be the perfect place for you.
In the early 1800's, on the night before Christmas, a man named Johann Wilhelm ...Enjoy art and brunch in the same place in Berlin, Germany
Oct 21st, 2011 at 4:30PM: What do you get when you mix an American editor and art curator and a French chef? Heroes, a venue in the Neukölln district of Berlin, that is equal parts food and art. In fact, there is an exhibition space in the back of the restaurant.
This small cafe has a funky, laid back vibe with flashes of bold colors against white walls. A bright red lamp sits next to a navy blue vase, while a red, ...Serial public art around the world
Oct 17th, 2011 at 4:30PM:
Public art exhibitions featuring a common sculpture that is multiplied and then embellished by various artists have been popping up in cities worldwide since 1998. Artistic director Walter Knapp first came up with the idea and convinced artists to dot Zurich, Switzerland with a collection of artfully-decorated lions. Within a year, Chicago businessman Peter Hanig had taken the idea and ran ...Germany opens new military museum in Dresden
Oct 15th, 2011 at 2:30PM: A new military museum has opened in Dresden, Germany.
The Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr opened today and is sure to court controversy. With the shadow of the Third Reich always looming over the German historical consciousness, the design of the displays was a delicate matter. The museum's director says that the focus is on individuals, both as perpetrators and victims, as well ...5 best fast food chains around the world
Oct 14th, 2011 at 1:00PM: While fast food often gets a bad rep, you can't expect to eat all of your meals sitting in down in slow food restaurants. And, when traveling abroad, you will sometimes find that fast food doesn't always necessarily mean greasy fries and fattening burgers. Travelers can make their quick dining experiences worthwhile by visiting these five delicious and budget-friendly fast food restaurants, ...Remains of forgotten genocide victims returned by Berlin museum
Oct 3rd, 2011 at 8:30AM: It's the genocide most people have forgotten, a ruthless extermination of men, women, and children while an uncaring world focused on other things.
From 1904 to 1908, German colonial rulers in what is now Namibia systematically exterminated the Herero and Nama people. They had rebelled against the colonizers and the German army quickly defeated them. Not satisfied with a only a military ...Visa-free travel by the numbers
Aug 15th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
Visa-free travel is easy travel. Procuring visas takes time, energy, and money, and is beyond debate a pain for frequent travelers. The erection of visa barriers responds to a number of factors, though it can be said without too many qualifications that the citizens of rich countries tend to have a much easier time accessing the world visa-free than do the citizens of poor countries.
The ...Germany marks 50th anniversary of the Berlin Wall -- where to commemorate
Aug 4th, 2011 at 10:30AM: This year, Germany marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, a barrier that isolated East Berlin from West Berlin for almost 30 years and was a powerful physical symbol of the Cold War. On August 13, 1961, authorities in East Berlin ordered the construction of the Wall in order to stem the tide of Germans moving from Communist East Berlin to Capitalist West Berlin. When ...
