Germany is full of amazing historical sites and the city of Potsdam is loaded with them. Sanssouci Palace, former summer home of Frederick the Great, is one of these architectural masterpieces. Often used as an example of buildings in Germany that rival the Palace of Versailles, this much smaller yet beautiful palace is built in the warmer Rococo style. Designed between 1745 and 1747 by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to fulfill King Fredericks need for a private residence where he could relax away from the nearby Berlin court, the palace’s own name, a French phrase, even translates loosely to “carefree”. King Frederick was intimately involved in the palace design, so much so that its style is characterized as “Frederician Rococo”.
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Loveparade :: Germany
What started in Berlin as an alternative parade for 150 peace and techno loving partiers in 1989 has grown exponentially over its 20 plus year history reaching a record 1.6 million revelers in 2008. The Love Parade (actually shortened to the one word moniker “Loveparade”) in Germany is one of the biggest and most adored festivals in Europe. The Cold War had separated east and west for over 40 years and those in the heart of the struggle felt they needed to make a statement of openness and togetherness in the spirit of glasnost. Loveparade was born as a child of both the zeitgeist of the late 1980s and the need of the people of Germany to lift their spirits with love, laughter, and music. The first parade may have been small, but the peace demonstration grew over ten fold by the next year and to well more than 6000 the year after showing that the people of Germany were ready for the justice and reunification they were petitioning for.
[Read more…] about Loveparade :: GermanyFriction Fest :: Berlin, Germany
Friction Fest in Berlin, Germany is a two day festival for music lovers who are willing to enjoy the experiment and see musicians push boundaries. The name reflects the festival mission: to create friction between different genres and styles of music. The organizers goal is to establish an international forum for bands and artists who are committed to exploring new sounds and taking things a step further than your average rock or metal band. The Friction Fest is the opposite of run of the mill festival routines which offer only bands from a very narrow musical spectrum. With thirty two bands and artists scheduled to perform at three different venues, Friction Fest offers a truly diverse and unique lineup.
[Read more…] about Friction Fest :: Berlin, GermanyBaumhaus Hotel :: Germany
The Baumhaus Hotel in Görlitz, Germany allows guests to spend the night high up in 8 unique tree houses 25+ feet off the ground. Opened in 2005, it claims to be Germany’s first tree house hotel and offers travelers what is most likely to be the highlight of their vacation. All of the tree houses are connected by paths that meet at the celebration platform at the center of the hotel. Enjoy the wonderful sunrise with a morning rinse in the tree top shock shower. All of the tree houses include a little lounge, bed alcove and mini toilette, most of them also have beautiful balconies giving you breathtaking vistas of the adventure park below. Three of the eight also have a full in-suite bathroom and accommodate up to six people. Oh, and of course, being a tree house hotel located in Germany, each house also includes a mini bar fully stocked with delicious beer.
[Read more…] about Baumhaus Hotel :: GermanyEuropa-Park :: Germany
With over 4 million visitors a year, Europa-Park is the most popular theme park in Germany and the most popular seasonal theme park in the world. The park is usually opens for its summer season a few days before Easter and remains open until the beginning of November; it also reopens for winter season from the beginning of December through the second week of January. Following its name, the park is divided into fifteen different areas most named after European countries or regions. The park is run by the Mack family, who have been producing roller coasters since 1921, and was opened in 1975 to showcase many of their different ride models. The park is home to ten roller coasters and is respected greatly by enthusiasts for keeping waits short by running the rides efficiently. In 2007 the park brought the American idea of Halloween to Germany with “Terenzi Horror Nights” and the event has grown each year since.
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