Vienna - Austria

Vienna – Austria

Post published:27 September 2015
Post category:Austria Europe Western Europe

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The City of Music

Vienna, how to even start creating a guide for one of the most stunning cities in the world. Not only its impressive elegance from the incredible architecture all over the place, but its rich history and culture on every corner. And if with the eyes was not enough, this is a delight to the ears as well. No other city in the world has such a vast history and legacy from the greatest classical music composers of all times. That’s the fact in the city’s nickname, the “City of Music”. Now glad to return few years after the first time and continue to explore this magnificent place.

Few years back, we did arrive in Vienna after little over 4 hours train ride from Prague, the enchanting city of Central Europe. And if 3 days were definitely not enough back in Prague, we experienced the same conclusion here in Vienna back in the days. That trip was for merely 2 days and an extra evening since we planned a very busy day tour to Salzburg, therefore cutting short the overall stay. Now, talking from extra fresh new experience after this trip, I can finally say my visit is complete and definitely looking forward to the next time and more.

The city has a great urban plan and follows what is pretty much a circular pattern. The Old Town, which is the historic area is called Innere Stadt and is completely encircled by the first ring road, the Ringstrasse, which was built with magnificent palaces, buildings, fountains and monuments all the way along. Both the Old Town coupled with this ring road are mandatory places for sightseeing, leaving for last the sights on the outer neighbourhoods from the Ringstrasse, being the major landmarks the Prater, Central Cemetery and Schönbrunn Palace.

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Bonn - Germany

Bonn – Germany

Post published:29 October 2011
Post category:Europe Germany

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The Federal City of Bonn

Once more, another weekend spent in Dusseldorf, hence travelling around the whole region in search of new places and cities to visit. This is the time for the elegant city of Bonn. Founded as a Roman settlement in the 1st century BC, it is still to date the largest Roman fort known from the ancient world, although minimal archaeological remain from that period. It’s therefore one of the oldest city in Germany; the once de-facto capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990. It was this fact why it holds the title of Federal City in recognition for it.

With the fall of Rome, it became the Kingdom of the Franks well into the Middle Ages, when the Romanesque Bonn Minster was built between the 11 and 13th centuries, leading to a strong growth of population and expansion only accelerated in the 17th century and onwards with several grand constructions in Baroque style for what it is still famous the city. It was at this time, year 1770 that Ludwig van Beethoven was born here in Bonn, where he would study before leaving for Vienna as the composer’s first journey.

With such a rich history, you can expect to see many monuments and grand buildings, palaces, tree-lined boulevards and what I consider without to be one of the most elegant cities in Germany. While visiting it is quite straightforward. Distances are not big and you can enjoy the mix of the old town core narrow streets in contrast with broad boulevards, tree-lined avenues and gardens.

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