2014 Germany Trip - Worms' Old Synagogue (Alte Synagogue)

Location: Worms, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Worms places I went to

The city of Worms had little attraction that piqued my interest, so I chose to visit a synagogue, which I never did in my past travels before. A synagogue is a Jewish place of worship and although I came across a few in my travels, I had never entered one.

A modern sculpture for commemorating Rabbi Rashi, the founder of Worms Old Synagogue.

2014 Germany Trip - St Peter's Dom aka Worms Cathedral (Wormser Dom)

Location: Worms, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Worms places I went to

If there is a reason to visit Worms, a city not mentioned in most travel itineraries to Germany then the Worms Cathedral would be the reason. Officially named as St Peter's Cathedral, this is one of numerous churches dotting the city and its most important due to its significance as the seat of the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Worms. Of course, what drawn me to Worms in the first place is also my reason for visiting this cathedral - Worms Cathedral was a historical witness to the Diet of Worms of 1521, where Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic through the Edict of Worms. This was the turning point and the beginning of the Reformation Movement.

The frontal view of Worms Cathedral

Hotel Review - Holiday Inn Express Suwon Ingye

Location: Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Note: This article was written base on my experience of staying in Queen Standard Room by Holiday Inn Express Suwon Ingye. The following info is important to you because it tells you on which month we stayed, and the price relative to the amount of time between the date of stay to the date of booking. You may experience higher or lower price at different months/seasons and if you book further or nearer to the date of stay.

We booked through: Holiday Inn website

We booked on:         March 2018 (1 day ahead of say)

We stayed on:          March 2018

We paid in total:      167,200₩ (in total, tax included) @ One Queen Standard, 1 person, 2 nights, breakfast inclusive

Suwon was in my list of places to explore in South Korea but I never got around to it since it was out of the way from Seoul. A chance business meeting in the vicinity gave me the perfect opportunity to explore the area, and to do that I had to first figure out where to stay. This is where Holiday Inn Express Suwon Ingye comes into the picture.

Exterior view of hotel

2014 Germany Trip - Amphitheater @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Porta Nigra (UNESCO World Heritage)

The last place that I chose to visit in Trier was quite near to my stay in Hilles Hostel. While wandering around the nearby suburbs and reveling in their peace and quiet, the amphitheater was visible over the low hill. In reality I need not pay an entrance fee and would still be able to see it, but I thought: why not just check out what it had to offer? It was not exactly exciting inside but the entrance fee was not without its pleasant surprise as well.

View of Amphitheater from the highest seating tier - the size was bigger than it seemed in this photo.

2014 Germany Trip - Porta Nigra @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Cathedral of Trier (UNESCO World heritage)

next: Amphitheater (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

As the icon of Trier, Porta Nigra is a must visit point of the city even if one has no interest in history. Despite being a Roman structure, its original Roman name was lost in time, and in the Middle Ages the locals named it "Black Gate" in Latin due to its darkened exterior. Since it is the only standing gate in Trier, it was also simply called by the locals Porta.

View of Porta Nigra from north-east, or rather, the "outside". This would be the side where ancient travelers would see when they wanted to enter Trier.

2014 Germany Trip - Cathedral of Trier (Trierer Dom)/Cathedral of St Peter (Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Porta Nigra (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Visiting Liebfrauenkirche would naturally lead to another tour to the Cathedral of Trier next door. The structure is so humongous that it is easily be mistaken as a fortress. Compared to the former, the cathedral had lighter shades to its exterior but since both churches were basically next to each other and joined, it could confuse visitors that there were one church instead of two.

Cathedral of Trier

2014 Germany Trip - Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: St Gangolf's Church

next: Cathedral of Trier (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

I was confused at first: was that 2 churches or 1 huge connected church? It turned out to be both. From the outset, both the Liebfrauenkirche and Trier Cathedral were distinguished from each other yet inseparable - the former distinctly angular where the latter had more curves, the former a gothic work while the latter a Romanesque beauty. They were operated as 2 separate churches but they were connected structurally, freely accessible between each other internally. They had both been designated as part of Trier's single UNESCO World Heritage Site entry.

Liebfrauenkirche on the foreground, with Trier Cathedral at the back. They can usually be differentiated by the color tone of the building material - the former usually darker while the latter usually fairer.

2014 Germany Trip - St Gangolf's Church @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to


<- previous: Main market (Hauptmarkt)

next: Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Trier has no shortage of churches just like any other German cities with a long history. In fact they even had their churches differentiated by political affiliations due to the fact that the archbishops of past were both religious as well as secular leaders of a city. The Church of St Gangolf was the citizen's church and the second oldest church in Trier, second only to Trier Cathedral.

The Baroque portal that led me from Main Market square into the Church of St Gangolf.

2014 Germany Trip - Main Market (Hauptmarkt) @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Roman Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: St Gangolf's Church ->

The Main Market square of Trier was not a UNESCO World Heritage Site, however there was no doubt that it was one of the most important places in the city. A large square surrounded by beautifully preserved houses and structures, it was also a place that travelers should not skip in his visit to Trier. Its location near famous sites and as the geographical center of the historic section meant that it is not very likely for one to miss it anyway.

Main Market square is a concoction of buildings from different era and a confluence of streets.

2014 Germany Trip - Roman Bridge (Römerbrücke) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Electoral Palace and Palace Gardens

next: Main Market (Hauptmarkt) ->

The Moselle was a considerable distance away from most of Trier's cluster of historical offerings but there was one UNESCO World Heritage Listed site there. I was willing to go out of my way to take a look at what the Roman Bridge had to offer, which unfortunately wasn't much.

The Roman Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The black blocks of stone serving as the pillars are basalt from the Eifel Mountains.

2014 Germany Trip - Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Palais) and Palace Gardens @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Aula Palatina (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Roman Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Almost every famous cities or towns in Germany has a castle or palace, which are as ubiquitous as an aging church in the country. Trier's own representative is the Electoral Palace, an elaborate Rococo beauty situated close to the heart of the historic town center and adorned with spacious Palace Gardens. During my visit it was unfortunately not opened for visit - I realized only quite late that it was still used presently as a district administration office and not opened regularly for public visit. It was a pity because a beautiful Rococo staircase adorned the palace's interior and it would be great to see it up close.

The beautiful south wing facade of Trier's Electoral Palace

2014 Germany Trip - Aula Palatina/Basilica of Constantine (Konstantinbasilika) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Imperial Baths (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Electoral Palace and Palace Gardens ->

Most of the UNESCO heritage site of Roman architecture in Trier were in ruins, with Aula Palatina the sole exception. The iconic building of red brick is also called Basilica of Constantine as it was built by Emperor Constantine I as his palace and throne room. Its purpose transformed into a religious one after the fall of the Roman Empire, first used by the Bishop of Trier as his residence during the Middle Ages, and then currently used by Church of The Redeemer.

Aula Palatina as viewed from Konstantinplatz

2014 Germany Trip - Imperial Baths (Kaiserthermen) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Evergreen Hostel (previously Hilles Hostel)

next: Aula Palatina (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

I was drawn to the Imperial Baths from afar by its gigantic see through arches, recognizable from afar as the ruins' distinguished feature, even though I was not aware that it was one of Trier's UNESCO heritage treasure. In fact there wasn't much left of the original bath, the arches and some supporting walls being the only structure still standing. The structures looked impressively tall and sturdy when I stood close to it, and I could only think: the Romans were really capable engineers and architects to be able to build something that can last so long.

The impressive ruins of Imperial Baths

2014 Germany Trip - Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof)

Location: Cologne, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Cologne itinerary | Cologne places I went to

If you are not going to Cologne in a car, most probably you will be arriving via train like yours truly, and Cologne Hbf (short for Hauptbahnhof, German for main/central station) would be your point of arrival. That steelworks frame would be visible from distance away, at about the same time the iconic Cologne Cathedral comes into view, when the train crosses the important Hohenzollern Bridge.

As I stepped onto the platform, the pace of the station got to me, reminding me of the fact that this was one of the busiest station in Germany. With Cologne being one of the 4 biggest cities in Germany (the others being Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), its central station is definitely one of the busiest, the 5th busiest in fact, serving an average 280,000 travelers on a daily basis. As it is an important transport hub, several major rail services call into this station, including international lines connecting to Paris and Amsterdam, as well as ICE services connecting other major cities in Germany.

Traveler

2014 Germany Trip - Hohenzollern Bridge (Hohenzollernbrücke)

Location: Cologne, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Cologne itinerary | Cologne places I went to

A trip to Cologne guarantees a pilgrim to Cologne Cathedral but less people mentioned about walking the length of Hohenzollern Bridge. Its name is seldom mentioned but I recognized it from most Cologne introducing photos, with an iconic shot from across the River Rhine towards Cologne Cathedral and part of Hohenzollern Bridge in the foreground.

Bridge over River Rhine

2014 Germany Trip - Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Cologne, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Cologne itinerary | Cologne places I went to

To say that Cologne Cathedral is one of the most recognizable churches in the world is an understatement; it is a symbol of Cologne itself. It impresses onto visitors even before they stepped out of Cologne’s main train station, the structure dominating the view when one looks out of the glass wall. Check out the top sights of Germany on the Internet and it is not difficult to find it within any top 10 list of sights in Germany.

Exterior view of Cologne Cathedral

2014 Germany Trip - 1 Day Trip to Cologne (Köln)

Location: Cologne, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Cologne places I went to

Of all the German towns and cities that I have visited during my stint in Germany, Cologne is the only one I frequented the most. Not even Frankfurt, the closest metropolis to my workplace came close in frequency. And no, it was not because I like Cologne. It was because that was the most convenient meeting point between my friend closer to the north and me who was stationed at the south.

I presumed that most people would link the perfume Eau de Cologne, which is also known simply as cologne, to the city. In fact it is more of a reason for people to recognize the city than the iconic Cologne Cathedral. Although there are more to the historic city than these two, they remained the most impressionistic.

'The' Cologne - Eau de Cologne. If you are wondering why the perfume is named so, this is the place to visit - Number 4711, the plot of shop which created this perfume in 1709.

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To the interested readers, here is my 1 day itinerary in Cologne - which could be done under 6 hours. Click into each link to visit the dedicated post to the place of interest.

Morning: 

• arrive in Cologne Hbf (main train station) around 11 a.m. 
• visit Cologne Cathedral, climb 533 steps to get a panoramic view of Cologne (1 - 2 hour, take your time here as it could be quite crowded sometimes) 

Noon: 

• enjoy lunch in Haxenhaus (1 hour) 
• stroll along Hohenzollern bridge, took some shots of the love locks and the rider statues (<1 hour) 
• ride up KölnTriangle to get a panorama of Cologne (1 hour, maybe less, dependent on queue, may skip if you are not interested) 
• took some shots of Cologne Messe-Deutz train station (<0.5 hours, may skip this) 
• got back to cathedral side of the river bank, and strolled around the Altstadt (old town), although most of the buildings are no longer original (1 - 2 hours)
• day ends and head back to my point of origin 

I did not visit the 12 Romanesque churches, but the interested tourist could look for the few closest to Cologne main train station. This could be a better alternative to most than my trip to the opposite side of the river to explore Panorama and Cologne Messe-Deutz train station since the latter were more of a personal exploration.

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2014 Germany Trip - The Memorial Church of the Protestation (Gedächtniskirche der Protestation)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

If you arrive from the direction of the Speyer train station on foot, most probably the Old Gate (Altpörtel) will be within your sights and you would logically wander towards it, then from there to Speyer Cathedral, drawn by its majestic sight. However if you were to look towards the other direction from the Old Gate, you may see the skeletal spire jutting from the horizon. That was how I spied upon this church and decided to spend some time exploring that part of Speyer.

The Memorial Church of the Protestation, view from afar

2014 Germany Trip - Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

I wandered around Speyer aimlessly after completing my tour in and around Speyer Cathedral. It was grand and imposing but it somehow lacked the kind of impact I felt in other churches I loved in my trip. In my stroll around the alleyway nearby the cathedral, I stumbled upon this church building that was partially hidden from Maximilianstraße. With a curiosity that could kill more than a cat, I took a step in to see what this building held within.

Baroque exterior

2014 Germany Trip - Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (Der Kaiserdom zu Speyer) (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

Finally, I am writing about the focus of my visit to Speyer, a city that is barely mentioned in guidebooks, if mentioned at all. Strolling past the unmistakable Altpörtel (Old Gate), Maximilianstraße afforded me an unobstructed view towards Speyer Cathedral, an edifice listed in UNESCO World Heritage List for being one of the most important Romanesque building in Germany, a status well earned by being the largest Romanesque church still standing to date. Despite it being listed in the said UNESCO list and being hailed by the German National Tourist Board as one of the Top 100 Sights of Germany, it remains relatively unknown to most travelers.

Its official name is the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer), however it is a mouthful to call it by its full name every time one mentions it. Fortunately it is more commonly known as Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (German: Kaiserdom zu Speyer) or just Speyer Cathedral, a name which my post will use to save my poor hand from typing more.

Approaching from Maximilianstraße