Sightseeing in Nürnberg: Castle, Churches, Museums, Old Town, Nazis

The best sights to see in Nuremberg are the Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg), top museums, Gothic churches, a wall-enclosed old town, and sights associated with the Nazi party rallies and trials.

photo credit: rs-foto

Nuremberg (Nürnberg) was a major power during the Middle Ages and despite extensive damage during the Second World War has many interesting and historical sights worth seeing. Uniquely for a German city of this size, the old town is still encircled by its defensive town wall. The Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) was central to German power politics for centuries. Several Gothic churches are filled with art while the Albrecht Dürer house is a museum dedicated to the memory of this important German Renaissance artist. The German National Museum has the largest collection of German art and cultural objects in the world. The Nazi Party Rally Grounds have the largest buildings surviving from the Nazi era while the courthouse used in the Nuremberg Trials may also be visited.

Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria and also the unofficial capital of Fraconia (Franken), the cultural rather than formal political or geographical area that includes most of northern Bavaria.

• Nuremberg is written Nürnberg in German and may also be written as Nuernberg.

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Large Special Collection of Impressionist Paintings in the Kunstmuseum, Switzerland

Vincent van Gogh’s Landscapes Paintings Special Exhibition in the Kunstmuseum, Basel will be one of the greatest temporary art gallery shows in Europe 2009.

Blumenbeete in Holland, Vincent van Gogh April 1883, © National Gallery of Art Washington

The Vincent van Gogh – Between Earth and Heaven: the Landscapes will be one of the best temporary art collections in Europe in 2009. The Kunstmuseum Basel (Art Museum) will host the Vincent van Gogh – Zwischen Erde und Himmel: Die Landschaften exhibition from April 26 to September 27, 2009. On display will be 70 Vincent van Gogh landscape paintings as well as more landscape paintings by Van Gogh’s contemporaries including French Impressionist and Fauvist painters.

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Art Collections, Opening Hours, Admission Prices, and Cheap Passes

The Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (State Art Collections) in Saxony, Germany is magnificent collection of art spread over museums in the Zwinger, Schloss, and Albertinum.

photo credit: dierk schaefer

The eleven museums of the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) are mainly housed in three buildings in Dresden’s old town: the Zwinger, Residenzschloss (Palace), and the Albertinum. The magnificent collections include not only paintings (old masters, impressionist, modern) and sculptures but also a huge collection of porcelain, prints, and coins. Scientific instruments and weaponry on display are as much art as practical instruments. »»»Continue reading…

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Galleries and Cultural Collections

The National Museums in Berlin are amongst the top cultural collections and art galleries in the world. The Pergamon and Gemäldegallerie (Picture Gallery) are the most popular.

photo credit: Spigoo

The cultural and art collections of the 17 Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (National Museums) cover a wide spectrum of topics with astonishing quality. The museums are mostly located in four geographical areas in different parts of Berlin. Museums in a given area usually have a combination admission ticket. The four main areas are – Museum Island (Museumsinsel) , the Cultural Forum, Charlottenburg, and Dahlem. The Hamburg Bahnhof Museum of Contemporary Art is not in these groupings but also very popular with foreign visitors. »»»Continue reading…

Opening Hours, Admission Prices, Free Entry, Cheap Passes

Berlin’s excellent State Museums have amongst the best collections in the world. Opening hours are long, ticket admission prices low (free for under-16s & savings with museum passes) and sometimes free.

photo credit: jwalsh

The 17 State Museums in Berlin (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) have wide-ranging, excellent-quality cultural collections and art galleries. Opening hours are long while ticket prices remain relatively low (although no longer the absolute bargain they were a few years ago). Museum passes offer excellent value, while most permanent collections can be seen for free on the final four hours of opening hours on Thursdays. »»»Continue reading…