ArtandCulture, Luebeck

With around 1.5 million square metres, Stadtpark (lit. city park) in Winterhude is the third largest park in Hamburg. For the centennial anniversary in 2014, around 1.6 million euros were invested in flower beds, paths, playgrounds and the renovation of the Planetarium. Especially in summer, life is easy around the luscious green meadows. Hundreds of locals and visitors alike come to Winterhude, where the park serves them as a popular meeting point and recreational site. However, the park is not only the right place for meeting people and sunbathing. In summer, music enthusiasts will also get their money’s worth. Thousands head to the open-air stage to experience performances in a unique setting. Art lovers will find more than 20 different sculptures and installations. http://www.hamburg.com/explore/outdoors/city-park/

Flensburg is a historic seaport and trading post. The Flensburg maritime museum explains the maritime history of the city with all of its stories about the port and merchant courtyards, the ships and shipowners, and the machinists and captains as well as their typical day on board. These are stories from far-off lands as well as from the coast of the homeland. Stories from the Danish West Indies about sugar, rum and slavery. Stories from the firth about butter transporters and women who spoke the Petuh dialect. Stories from the shipyard about engineers, riveters and welders. The museum offers a rich experience for all of the senses. It features interactive, hands-on stations that require you to participate, watch, listen and marvel, making a visit to the museum a journey of discovery for sailors of all ages. Special exhibits, promotional days, holiday programmes, tours of the museum and the city, knot-tying courses, rum tastings, concerts, readings and presentations create a rich variety. Feel free to browse the museum gift shop and pass time in the Café. https://www.flensburger-foerde.de/en/experience-culture/museums/maritime-museum/

The Kreiskantorat Bremerhaven is one of the great cultural institutions of our city with a significant national broadcast. The three representative groups of the church district, which "Evangelical Stadtkantorei Bremerhaven", the "Bremerhaven Chamber Choir" and "Bremerhaven Chamber Orchestra", offer - often supported by renowned guest orchestra and vocal soloists from all over Germany - in the Christ Church concerts on a high professional level Chamber performances and thematically linked series of concerts. https://www.bremerhaven.de/en/tourism/architecture-monuments/christuskirche-church-of-christ.21507.html

The Bremerhaven Initiative for Culture (BIK) presents North German artists in the rooms of the Gallery 149. Annually the association presents seven to eight exhibitions with a wide range of works of art in the areas of photography, painting, graphics and sculpture. https://www.bremerhaven.de/en/tourism/museums-adventure-worlds/bik-gallery-149.17073.html

Celle is one of the most important residence cities in the state of Lower Saxony. For almost three centuries it was the permanent residence of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg and therefore the seat of government in the most significant Guelphs principality. http://www.celle.travel/travel-tips/museums-in-celle/residence-museum.html

One of the most important examples of Renaissance art in northern Germany. The chapel was founded in the 15th century, and soon after the Reformation – some time between 1565 and 1576 – it was entirely refurbished by Duke William the Younger. http://www.celle.travel/celle-palace/palace-chapel.html

It is the oldest building in Celle and it is regarded as one of the most splendid Guelphic palaces in Northern Germany. http://www.celle.travel/celle-palace/the-ducal-palace.html

Paintings, sculptures, prints and media art from the past 600 years – Bremen's Kunsthalle is home to many styles of art.The Kunsthalle art gallery re-opened in summer 2011 after two years of renovation and the addition of two new wings. https://www.bremen-tourism.de/kunsthalle-bremen-art-museum

Bremen´s 'drawing room' is the Marktplatz, and its greatest attraction is the Town Hall. Guided tours of the historic building provide an insight into its fascinating 600-year history. The tour includes the impressive Upper Town Hall and a look into the splendid Golden Chamber. Since 2004, the Town Hall and the Roland have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. https://www.bremen-tourism.de/bremen/offer/detail/DEU99999990039255330?lang=en

Kongegaarden, built in respectable Rococo style in 1761, is now the perfect setting for a regional centre of professional art and music. The idea of using Kongegaarden as a professional centre of art and music was put forward by the Korsør Municipality cultural council in 1986. http://www.visitwestzealand.com/ln-int/kongegaarden-gdk718830

'Filosoffen' is not a museum but rather a creative meeting-place for pictorials, design and the exchange of ideas. http://www.visitodense.com/ln-int/art-gallery-filosoffen-gdk612905

The Regional Museum Neubrandenburg (founded in 1872) is one of the oldest civic museums in Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. At two close-by locations in the western part of the centre the visitor will see exhibitions about the history of Neubrandenburg and environment which are complemented by changing special exhibitions about different themes. https://www.neubrandenburg-touristinfo.de/en/culture/regionalmuseum

There are regular events in the Coastal Museum, such as the adult cultural café or the monthly children's event Lilli * Billi. http://www.kuestenmuseum.de/km/DE/index.php

The Great Garden is one of the most important baroque gardens in Europe, captivating tourists from all over the world. The main attraction here is the recently rebuilt Herrenhausen Palace, home to the new Herrenhausen Palace Museum. The Garden itself presents a dazzling array of romantic fountains, exotic plants and striking sculptures. Events such as the international fireworks competition and the Small Festival in the Great Garden regularly attract large numbers of visitors. The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen are Hannover's most famous attraction, a reflection of aristocratic savoir-vivre for more than 300 years. The centrepiece is the 17th-century Great Garden, one of the best-preserved baroque gardens in Europe. Be sure to visit Herrenhausen Palace there. Rebuilt to its original splendour and boasting cutting-edge, multimedia facilities, the palace now hosts more than 160 events every year as a scientific venue and innovation hotspot for the whole of Lower Saxony – very much in the tradition of a famous former resident: the universal scholar Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The Great Garden is a place to lose oneself in, to marvel at the magnificent Great Fountain, which is 82m high (the largest of its type in Europe) and the Grand Cascade, to be enchanted by artist Niki de Saint Phalle's magically decorated grotto. And during the annual international firework competition, to watch transfixed as world-class pyrotechnics transform the sky above into a dazzling sea of trailing sparks. https://www.visit-hannover.com/en/Press/Press-Information-sorted-by-topic/Royal-Gardens-of-Herrenhausen

The Museum August Kestner is named after August Kestner (1777-1853), who collected a considerable number of Egyptian and Greco-Roman cabaret as well as other works of art during his time as Hanoverian ambassador in Rome. The Museum August Kestner as the oldest municipal museum in the state capital of Hanover is enclosed by a listed glass-concrete façade (1961). Inside are still parts of the staircase and the side wings and almost the entire entrance facade of the original first museum building. As the only building in Hanover and far away, the Museum August Kestner shows 6000 years of applied art in four collection areas: Ancient and Egyptian cultures, applied art from the Middle Ages to modern design and one of the largest collections of coins and medals in northern Germany. Several special exhibitions per year also inform about special topics and place objects of the collection areas in a special context. https://www.hannover.de/Museum-August-Kestner/Das-Museum-August-Kestner

Many visitors are quite astonished to hear that the magnificent building they are standing in front of is, actually, the "new" town hall. Its size and grand architectural style make it look more "historical", like a relict from more majestic times, when Hannover used to be a kingdom. The town hall itself was, however, ceremonially opened on 20 June 1913, after twelve years building time. "And it is all paid in cash, your Majesty", as the then Mayor of Hannover, Heinrich Tramm , proudly announced to the emperor Wilhelm II, present at the opening ceremony. The proud figure of ten million Mark was the amount the municipality was willing to pay for its new splendid building, erected upon 6026 beech-tree piles. It was designed by the architects Eggert and Halmhuber. The top of the dome of the New Town Hall reaches 97,73 m (320 ft.). The diagonal lift in the town hall's dome is unique in the world. At a 17-degree angle it covers the 43 metres up to the gallery at the top of the dome. From this vantage point one can enjoy a marvellous view of the whole city, even as far as the Harz Mountains when visibility is good. https://www.visit-hannover.com/en/Sightseeing-City-Tours/Sightseeing/Tourist-Highlights/The-New-Town-Hall

The Sprengel Museum Hannover, which focuses on German Expressionism and French Modernist painting, is one of the most important museums of 20th and 21st-century art. It was founded after the collection of Dr. Bernhard und Margrit Sprengel was donated to the City of Hanover in 1969. The new building was opened in 1979. Works by Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Emil Nolde, Pablo Picasso and Kurt Schwitters, as well as by groups of artists such as Die Brücke and the Blauer Reiter set the scene. Art after 1945 is represented in an impressive fashion by works by artists ranging from Gerhard Richter to Bruce Nauman. A special attraction are the rooms designed by artists, including the reconstruction of Kurt Schwitters’ legendary ‘Merzbau’, El Lissitzky’s ‘Abstract Cabinet’ and James Turrell’s light spaces. Particular emphasis in the collection is placed on photography. The Sprengel Museum Hannover unites the collections of modern art in what was formerly known as the Städtische Galerie and the Landesgalerie. http://alfredflechtheim.com/en/provenance-research/sprengel-museum-hannover/

The only museum in Denmark where you can see visual art, crafts, design and furniture design. The exhibitions always offer new and exciting experiences, featuring both international and Danish artists and designers http://www.visitkolding.dk/ln-int/trapholt-gdk608312

The construction of Koldinghus started in 1268, when the Danish king wanted a castle that could guard the border between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Duchy of Schleswig. http://www.visitkolding.dk/ln-int/museum-koldinghus-gdk652622

At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was planned and erected by the Viennese architect Friedrich Ohmann. Architectural elements were used to recall the splendour of Renaissance and Gothic style. The Magdeburg Cultural History Museum was opened in 1906 and its first director Theodor Volbehr (1862-1931) took over many art and craft collections from various societies and from the city which were exhibited in the centre of the museum as the most important witnesses to Magdeburg's rich past. http://www.magdeburg-tourist.de/Start/Tourism-Leisure/Culture/Museums/index.php?La=2&NavID=115.10&object=tx|37.6876.1&ModID=9&FID=37.477.2

The Puppet Theatre boasts a repertoire ranging from stories for the youngest theatregoers (aged 3 and up) through to classic fairy tales, fantasy stories and adventure stories for older children and right through to modern drama and classic examples of world literature. http://www.magdeburg-tourist.de/Start/Tourism-Leisure/Culture/index.php?La=2&NavID=115.9&object=tx|37.6876.1&ModID=9&FID=37.84.2

See, hear and feel your way through the history of rhythmic music from 1950s rock'n'roll, through1980s pop culture to today's wild rhythms - and get an idea of ​​tomorrow's music scene. http://www.visitroskilde.com/ln-int/ragnarock-museum-pop-rock-and-youth-culture-gdk912482

The Kings Jelling offers a journey with stories in the flames, about life as a Viking and warrior, the journey to Valhal and the transition to Christianity. Here you will also learn about the Danish kingdom, from Gorm the Old and to our current royal family. All told so that both children and their curious adults get a unique experience back home. From the roof terrace, there is a view of the monument area and with the two digital binoculars it is possible to zoom in on today's Jelling, but also to get an overview of Jelling through the ages. The experience center of Kongernes Jelling is located on the large monument area, which Harald Blåtand had fenced with a palisade, which was the largest Viking Age building. Here are the two rune stones, the church, the ship's setting and the two highs. These have been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1994. https://www.visitbillund.dk/billund/service-information/kongernes-jelling-gdk608020

The Esbjerg Gospel is a 140 sqm wall-painting that interprets the Bible in images and text, using a modern pictorial idiom. http://www.visit-esbjerg.com/ln-int/esbjerg-gospel-gdk632541

Discover the magic of the rococo at the beautiful Charlottenburg Palace – once a royal summer residence, today Berlin’s largest and most magnificent palace. In the Neuer Flügel (New Wing), you can view the staterooms and the rococo ballroom known as the Goldene Galerie (Golden Gallery). The Silver Vault includes quite stunning tableware of gold, silver, glass and porcelain displayed on laid tables. Around 100 table services have survived intact, a vivid reminder of the magnificence of dining at court. The impressive display of the remaining pieces of the Prussian crown jewels, complete with the imperial insignias, as well as personal treasures, such as the elaborated designed, exquisite snuffboxes collected by Friedrich the Great, are also well worth seeing. The Porcelain Cabinet in the Old Palace offers a breathtaking collection of the finest blue-and-white porcelain decorating the entire room. https://www.visitberlin.de/en/charlottenburg-palace-old-palace

There is something about sculptures as an art form that can soften the heart of even the harshest critic – the battle between the artist and his materials, the hidden meanings behind a simple object and the expression of the artwork itself. http://www.visitbillund.dk/ln-int/billund/sculpture-park-billund

The Teddy Bear Art Museum is housed in the LEGO family's former private home in downtown Billund. The museum is an architectural gem from 1959 of 776 m2 and is today home to over 1,200 teddy bears. Enjoy the visit to the universe of teddy bears and discover that teddy bears are not only toys but also art. The museum has many different exhibits that show the charm and great diversity of the teddy bears. The museum is surrounded by an enchanting park-like garden of 10,512 m2 - a true oasis in the middle of Billund. The garden is open to guests during museum hours. Enjoy a lovely walk and all the lovely flowers and trees in the garden. https://www.visitbillund.dk/billund/service-information/teddy-bear-art-museum-gdk1102212

Esbjerg Art Museum houses a renowned collection of art from the 20th century onwards and also organizes temporary exhibitions of international contemporary art. http://www.visit-esbjerg.com/ln-int/esbjerg-art-museum-gdk610157

"Bakkehuset'" (which means The Hill-house) is a museum of literature, art and culture of the Danish Golden Age spanning from around 1800 to 1850. The permanent exhibition centres on the literary socialites Kamma and Knud Lyne Rahbek, who owned and inhabited the house from 1802 until 1830. Their home became a hub for some of the prominent authors and literary figures of the Danish Golden Age. Bakkehuset's famous living room was filled with discussions of art, literature, philosophy and science. Famous Danish authors such as H.C. Andersen and Adam Oehlenschläger as well as scientists like the physicist H.C. Ørsted visited the house. This is why Bakkehuset, as a meeting place for influential people, had a durable impact on Danish Literature and Cultural History. Among the exhibits on display are the couple’s furniture as well as Kamma Rahbek’s beautiful boxes which she created with her guests sitting around her living room table. In addition, the permanent exhibition includes a library with periodicals and books by authors from the Danish Golden Age. Together with the surrounding romantic garden, the house provides a unique and authentic insight into 19th century lifestyle and culture. https://bakkehusmuseet.dk/en/about-the-museum.html

The government buildings in the heart of Berlin form a ribbon across the river Spree, symbolically connecting East and West. The parliamentary offices and the chancellery were not built until the wall came down and Berlin was chosen as the country’s seat of government. The buildings are exciting examples of contemporary architecture that no-one sightseeing in Berlin can afford to miss. The original idea for the Band des Bundes was a gesture of reunification. In a dual piece of symbolism, the government buildings and the offices for democratically elected MPs are both a physical connection and a symbolic bridge between East and West. The federal buildings are not just the centre of the town in geographical terms; since 2006, the striking concrete and glass buildings have been the first thing that visitors to Berlin see when they arrive at the city’s main station. https://www.visitberlin.de/en/band-des-bundes

The Reichstag is an internationally recognisable symbol of democracy and the current home of the German parliament. Every year, thousands of guests visit the Reichstag - and with good reason: It is not often that you can enjoy such an amazing panorama while, just beneath your feet, the political decisions of tomorrow are being made. Both as an architectural wonder and a historical testimony, the Reichstag has an important role to play in Berlin. There are several options to visit the Reichstag: join a guided tour; listen to a plenary session (in German of course) or climb up to the dome and the roof! https://www.visitberlin.de/en/reichstag-in-berlin

The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most iconic sights in today’s vibrant Berlin. More than just Berlin’s only surviving historical city gate, this site came to symbolise Berlin’s Cold War division into East and West – and, since the fall of the Wall, a reunified Germany. Architecturally, the sandstone Brandenburg Gate also represents one of the earliest and most attractive examples of a neo-classical building in Germany. Constructed between 1788 and 1791, the Brandenburg Gate was Berlin’s first Greek revival building. Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans, architect to the Prussian court, it was inspired by the monumental gateway at the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. The Brandenburg Gate is 26 metres high, 65.5 metres long and 11 metres deep, and supported by two rows of six Doric columns. In 1793, the gate was crowned by the Quadriga statue, designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow. This statue also has its own story to tell. In 1806, when Napoleon’s army took Berlin, the French Emperor had the Quadriga transported to Paris as war booty and a sign of his victory. In 1814, after Napoleon’s forced abdication, the Quadriga was returned to Berlin where it once again adorned the Brandenburg Gate, facing towards the east and the city centre. https://www.visitberlin.de/en/brandenburg-gate

Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 and has become a national treasure and an international attraction. Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen visited many times, as did Walt Disney and many other celebrities, who all fell in love with the gardens. http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/tivoli-gardens-gdk424504