Germany
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Review: Motel One, Hamburg Airport
Hotel Review Motel One is a design hotel chain, founded in Germany and to be found throughout Europe with one hotel in New York City. Don’t let the name ‘motel’ put you off as the chain is far removed from the motel concept offering affordable, stylish hotel accommodation. Location: Motel One Hamburg Airport is situated…
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Review: Park Hotel Post, Freiburg, Germany
Hotel Review Park Hotel Post is a four star hotel located in a beautiful old building on the edge of Freiburg’s old town. Location: Freiburg is a university town and popular tourist destination on the western edge of the Black Forest in south west Germany, lying close to the Rhine river in the state of…
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A day in Bremerhaven from Bremen, Germany
Bremerhaven is situated on the North Sea coast of Germany, a short rail journey from Bremen. Maritime history combined with historical sights makes for a worthwhile day trip. The town was originally a sea port for the Hanseatic city of Bremen but soon grew to become a city in its own right as a major…
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Travel Guide: Bremen, Germany
Travel Guide: Bremen About: The city of Bremen is situated in north west Germany lying approximately 120 km south west of Hamburg. Its location on the Weser River enabled the city to be a key post in the Hanseatic League. The League was a group of trading guilds that existed during the 13th to 17th…
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Review: Hotel Scandic Hamburg Emporio, Germany
Hotel Review Location: This large, modern hotel is one of the tallest in Hamburg and is located in the city enter close to the Gänsemarkt U-Bahn station. It’s also a short 800m walk from Jungfernstieg on the banks of the Alster and one of my favourite parts of the city. Arrival and check-in: I arrived…
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Review: Hotel Hirschen, Schluchsee, Black Forest
Hotel Review Location: Hotel Hirschen is located in a small village a five minute drive (3 km) from the charming lakeside resort of Schluchsee in the scenic Black Forest. The hotel is an ideal base for hiking, cycling and cross-country ski holidays being just 15 km from the Feldberg mountain and a 40 minute drive…
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Caracalla Spa, Baden-Baden: A Complete Guide to Germany’s Famous Thermal Baths
We were blessed with sunshine once again on our final day in south west Germany and what better way to end our trip than with a visit to the stunning Caracalla Spa in the centre of Baden-Baden. The town’s Roman Baths date all the way back to the first century when the Roman emperor Caracalla…
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A Scenic Walk Through Baden-Baden, Germany: Culture, Parks & Architecture
After sleeping soundly at our hotel in Gutach, we tucked into a delicious breakfast spread served to our table at Gasthof Hirsch. With freshly baked croissants, eggs, cold cuts of meat, fruit and cheese to tempt us, we definitely overindulged setting us up for the day ahead. Back in the car, it was just an…
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Exploring Triberg Waterfalls and the Black Forest Open-Air Museum in Gutach
After starting the day with a delicious buffet breakfast at the characterful Hotel Hirschen which included ham, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit and rye bread we were ready to load up the car and continue our road trip through the Black Forest. Our first stop of the day was the town of Triberg, famous for its…
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Top Things to Do in Freiburg and the Hochschwarzwald, Germany
After a good night’s sleep we started the day with a delicious buffet breakfast at the Park Hotel Post setting us up nicely for the day ahead. Our morning began with a stroll over to the cobbled Münsterplatz (main square) where a large market was already underway. The market takes place each morning with the…
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A Day in Freiburg: Exploring the Heart of the Black Forest
We took an early morning flight from London Heathrow to Basel airport, officially referred to as Euro Airport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. The airport lies in France on the south western edge of the Black Forest, close to the borders with Switzerland and Germany. Passengers are able to depart from either the Swiss or French side…
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A Day in Hamburg: Explore Chocoversum and Miniatur Wunderland
There were more foodie treats in store for us to experience during our Hamburg city break with a morning visit to Chocoversum, the city’s chocolate museum. It’s located in the Kontorhaus district with the nearest U-Bahn station being Meßberg on the U1 Line. We joined one of their 90 minute chocolate tours which are offered…
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Hamburg’s Best Eats: A Culinary Tour Guide for Visitors
After a good night’s sleep in my lovely room at the Scandic Hamburg Emporio I enjoyed breakfast along the corridor in the hotel’s ‘Living Room’ which is for the exclusive use of guests staying on the upper two floors of the hotel. Here I enjoyed a selection of cold cuts of meat, mackerel and smoked salmon…
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Hamburg City Guide: Top Attractions, Food & Things to Do
With three days to explore a world of culinary delights and top sightseeing spots in Hamburg I couldn’t wait to get off the plane! I’d travelled with KLM from Leeds/Bradford connecting via Amsterdam and with direct flights available from both London and Manchester, the city is easy to reach for a short break from all…
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Review: Leonardo Royal Hotel, Nuremberg
Hotel Review Location: Nuremberg is situated in Bavaria, southern Germany and is a delightful place to enjoy a city break with its impressive old town, Imperial castle and wealth of museums. The Leonardo Royal Hotel is a newly opened hotel (2021) located in the city centre just a few steps from the railway station. As…
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Exploring History: Nuremberg Rally Grounds, Courtroom 600 & Afternoon in Fürth
Nuremberg’s history is complex with its symbols of power from the days of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany to its dark Third Reich history as the ‘City of the Nazi Party Rallies’. On our final morning in the city we took a tram to to the south east of the city to view the…
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Explore Nuremberg’s Castle and Old Town: Best Spots to See on Foot
A leisurely breakfast in the stylish restaurant of Nuremberg’s Leonardo Royal Hotel was a perfect way to start the day tucking into a varied buffet selection followed by omelettes freshly made to order. After downing two cappuccinos we were ready for the day ahead and utilised our Nuremberg Cards by taking the metro, followed by a tram…
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Top Highlights for a Weekend in Nuremberg
Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria, southern Germany. It’s a city famous for its Imperial castle, half timbered houses and cobblestone squares, and somewhere I’d long wanted to visit. One Friday evening a few weeks ago my wish finally came true as we took a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Nuremberg’s Albrecht…
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Review: The Pullman Hotel, Cologne
Hotel Review Location: The hotel is located in a central yet peaceful location in the Innenstadt district of the city, just an easy 12 minute walk from the central railway station. Arrival and check-in: The spacious entrance lobby is bright and airy with modern furnishings. Check-in is from 3.00 p.m. and it was shortly after…
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Top Highlights of Cologne: Best Things to See and Do
The hotel’s restaurant appeared quieter than the previous morning but as breakfast is served between 7.00 and midday on Sundays, perhaps other guests were having a well earned lie in. We enjoyed tucking into a wide selection of healthy and perhaps not quite so healthy (but equally delicious) options to keep us going for most…
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Exploring Cologne: Top Things to See and Do
After enjoying a hearty breakfast in our hotel we popped on our coats and scarves and wandered along to Cologne Cathedral which had been closed the previous afternoon as a service was taking place. Fortunately, it was open and we were able to admire the majestic interior with its wonderful stained glass windows. This UNESCO…
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Arriving in Cologne: How to Get from the Airport and First Impressions of the City
After recently enjoying a winter break in Düsseldorf, we decided to turn our attention to neighbouring Cologne, another German city that we had yet to visit. Looking into airline schedules from Manchester we discovered that we could fly out at lunchtime on a Friday returning just before midnight on the Sunday allowing us plenty of…
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Düsseldorf’s Japanese Quarter: Exploring Little Tokyo in Germany
Our final day in Düsseldorf began with a leisurely buffet breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express, then after packing up our belongings we took the U Bahn along to Graf-Adolf-Platz to enjoy a morning stroll around MedienHafen (Media Harbour) near the Rhine Tower we had visited the previous morning. This former abandoned city docks located…
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Düsseldorf Highlights: Benrath Palace & the Rheinturm Tower
After enjoying a delicious breakfast in our hotel we wrapped up warm as a strong wind was blowing and took the U Bahn to Graf Adolf Platz so that we could take a ride up The Rheinturm, one of the city’s landmarks (admission €9 (£7.47) or €5 (£4.15) with the Dusseldorf Card. Designed by Horst H…