High Fens Nature Park

The university Aquarium-Museum, pole of excellence of animal biodiversity, has been labelled « Museological Institution of Category A » by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and has been accredited « Tourist Attraction 4 suns » by the Public Service of Wallonia. Approximately 2,500 representatives of 250 species of ocean, sea, lake and river fish from around the world populate the 46 pools of the Aquarium and nearly 20,000 stuffed animals from every continent are exhibited at the museum. https://www.visitezliege.be/en/aquarium-museum

Discovering 7000 years of art and history! What is the Grand Curtius Museum? This museum contains more than 7000 years of regional and international artefacts and more than 5200 items displayed in chronological or thematic order. You also can find prestigious collections from the archaeology, decorative arts, religious art and Mosan arts, as well as the weaponry and glass. The Grand Curtius located in the historical heart of the Ardent City, the Grand Curtius offers a fresh perspective of the city, houses gardens and a cafeteria that are open all year round. https://www.visitezliege.be/en/le-grand-curtius

This private mansion, built in approximately 1740 for a banker, pays witness, through its architectural features and decorative arts that are typical of Liège, to the sophisticated lifestyle of this era. Art objects are on display, whilst furniture from Liège and the rest of Europe depict what the interiors of the time would have resembled. The Ansembourg Museum also proposes exhibitions throughout the year which promote one aspect or another of the collections from Liège's museums. For the Ansembourg Museum, this beautiful mansion built around 1740, the first phase of restoration will soon begin. In 1903, the city of Liège acquired the building, which in 1905 became its museum of archaeology and decorative arts. https://www.liege.be/en/discover/culture/museums/ansembourg-museum

Vibrant activities within ancient walls, a medieval townscape with idyllic half-timbered houses, narrow streets and cobblestones. Monschau is the cultural centre of an entire region and one of the most popular holiday and excursion destinations in the Eifel. More than 350 kilometres of signposted trails to the right and the left of the Eifelsteig will lead you through paths of adventure, e.g., along the imposing beech hedges, to the blooming narcissi meadows and up through the Hohe Venn (High Fens), a raised bog that is absolutely unique in its kind within Europe. https://www.monschau.de/en/

Nestled at the heart of the forests near Spa, by the Fagne de Malchamps, this estate opens its spaces to the public: a panoramic tower, a tree planted park with a pond and picnic area. It is also home to the Musée de la Forêt et des Eaux and to the CRIE. Le Domaine de Bérinzenne, with its tree-shaded alleys and exceptional views of the region, is a pure invite to relax and dream. From the top of the tower, visitors can see the Fagne, sometimes all the way to the horizon, bathed in sunshine or quite mysterious partly wrapped in mist. The pleasant Maison de la Nature et de la Forêt (open weekdays) provides information on the region, documentation on the local hikes and features: a nature shop, temporary exhibitions and cafeteria. http://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/content/domaine-de-berinzenne-maison-de-la-nature-ardennes-belges

The Museum of Laundry, in the old part of the city, offers you a journey through the history of soap, laundry and the living and working conditions of laundresses in Spa. Some twenty rooms tell you how women - and sometimes men - did the laundry from antiquity to the present day. You can admire the first wooden washing machines, discover the products used before the invention of soap, see amazing machines working... and learn how soap was invented and which processes were found to whiten linen. http://walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk/en-gb/produit/attractions/activites/musea/discoveries/musee-de-la-lessive-laundry-museum-in-spa/9258

Kornelimünster is located in the Inde valley, and is Aachen’s most picturesque district. The historic centre, which surrounds the Medieval priory church, St. Kornelius, has remained almost entirely intact today, and invites visitors to walk around and spend a few hours there. As well as its wonderful, historic town centre, Kornelimünster is also a good starting point for a large number of expeditions to the surrounding area. Whether you prefer leisurely cycling on the Vennbahn track, mountain bike tours or hiking on the Eifelsteig – here, there’s something for everyone. https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/en/discover/sights/kornelimuenster-the-eifel/

Woods, water, wilderness - the only National Park in North Rhine-Westfalia is worth exploring with a ranger. The Eifel National Park extends over an area of approx. 110 square kilometres in the middle of the Hohes Venn Eifel nature park. The large protected area offers almost entirely undisturbed living space for wild cats and black storks, among other animals. In the early summer, the yellow broom flowers turn the Eifel National Park golden. https://www.eifel.info/en/nature/the-eifel-national-park

A little bit further from the city you can discover the largest and most exciting labyrinth in the Netherlands and much more. You try to reach the green heart. Wandering the way to the center. But watch out for the spontaneously spraying water walls! In addition to the unique entrance building with a giant butterfly-shaped roof, a water playground with dozens of fountains has been laid out. This is beautiful to look at, fun to walk through and play with! https://www.drielandenpunt.nl/dagje-drielandenpunt/labyrint/

Charlemagne intended his Church of St. Mary to become a complete image of the Heavenly Jerusalem, symbolizing the contact of the Earthly and the Heavenly. After app. 20 years of construction this vision was architecturally and liturgically realized around the year 803. The significance of the church arises from its 1200year old history: burial place of Charlemagne, coronation church for the Roman-German kings and Pilgrimage Church attracting the faithful from all over the world every seven years. https://www.aachenerdom.de/

Charlemagne's palace, the era of coronations and the tradition of pilgrimages have produced an unique and magnificent church treasure whose most famous pieces are on show today in the Cathedral Treasury. The oldest piece is a Roman sarcophagus which portrays a scene from ancient mythology, and in which Charlemagne was initially buried. From Charlemagne's palatine school in Aachen comes a book cover carved from ivory and showing scenes from the story of Christ's resurrection. According to medieval legend, several other pieces of the Cathedral treasure belonged to Charlemagne himself, one of them a hunting horn fashioned from the tusk of an elephant. http://www.route-charlemagne.eu/Stationen/Dom/Domschatzkammer/index.html?lang=EN

Located between the Puppenbrunnen, the city hall and the Bahkauv, the Hof square has something to offer everyone, and is a good place to spend a few hours with its restaurants, bars and cafés. Take a break here, lean back and take it easy, Aachen-style. Starting from the Hof, walk down the Medieval-style Körbergasse, past the traditionalist Plum’s Kaffee coffee roasting house and the basket weaver’s “Korb Bayer”, which first opened its doors in 1865, until you reach a symbol of the city: the “Printenmädchen”, or “little gingerbread girl”. Now enter Aachen’s oldest coffee shop, the Alt Aachener Café-Stuben van den Daele, which was founded in 1890. The rooms, which are full of nooks and crannies, and the many stairs in this historic building, give the café its particular charm. https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/en/discover/sights/hof/

The historic façade is already an indication of the building’s glorious history: 50 rulers, 31 of whom were crowned in Aachen, surround the central figures of Charlemagne, the Holy Mary and Pope Leo III. In the elaborately decorated rooms, too, the story of the city hall, which was built on the historic site of the great palace hall of Emperor Charlemagne, is brought to life. In the coronation hall, where formerly the rulers took a meal after being crowned, copies of the imperial regalia remind us of this glorious era today. https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/en/discover/sights/town-hall/

If you like it tranquil, treat yourself and your family to a boat trip over one or more lakes in the Eifel Lake District and enjoy the beautiful landscape from the water. Four passenger ships with their crews provide the framework for a few pleasant hours in the Eifel. With the RURSEE-BAHN you can take a one-hour tour to the nearby spa town of Heimbach. During this romantic drive over Hasenfeld, through the town of Heimbach, along the castle, the small reservoir, the art nouveau power plant and adjacent national park, you will learn about these sights. https://www.rurseeschifffahrt.de/index.php?willkommen-an-bord-2

Experience the natural power of the Bad Aachener mineral-thermal water. The Carolus Thermen has continued this tradition in the best sense and offers a bathing world without compare in a beautifully designed thermal area. Let the natural power of the healing thermal water fill your senses and experience moments of complete wellbeing. Eight indoor and outdoor pools of various temperatures with many different attractions, the unique brine steam bath “Strokkur”, a beautiful sun terrace and our wonderful Carolus Beach create the perfect ambience to switch off completely and gather new strength. https://www.carolus-thermen.de/en/thermalbath/

In one of the highest spots in Holland, miles of tunnels make for a unique experience. A tour beneath Saint Peter’s Mount near Maastricht allows you to explore the caves that were excavated by men through the centuries. https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/maastricht/caves-of-st-peter.htm

Saint Peter’s Fortress was built on St. Peter’s Mount in the early 18th century. It’s initial purpose was military, allowing the people of Maastricht to defend the city from the French. While successful for a long time, the city had to surrender in the end. https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/maastricht/fort-st-pieter.htm

The best-known market in Maastricht is the one held on the square of the same name, Markt. Surrounding by stately mansions and the imposing city hall, Maastricht’s main market is set up here every Wednesday and Friday. https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/maastricht/markets-of-maastricht.htm

Vianden Castle was built between the 11th and 14th Century on the foundations of a Roman castle and a Carolingian refuge. This Castle-Palace bears the Hohenstaufen characteristics and is one of the largest and finest feudal residences of the Roman and Gothic eras in Europe. Until the early 15th Century it was home to the powerful Counts of Vianden who could boast of their close connections to the German Imperial Court. The greatest of them, Count Henry I (1220 -1250) was even married to a member of the Capetian family, which ruled France at the time. In 1417, the castle and its lands were inherited by the younger line of the German House of Nassau, which -in 1530- also acquired the French principality of Orange. The castle's most remarkable rooms; the chapel as well as the small and the grand palaces were built in the late 12th and the first half of the 13th Century. In 1890 the castle became the property of Grand Duke Adolphe of the elder line of Nassau and remained in the hands of the Grand Ducal family until 1977 when it was transferred into state ownership. It has been painstakingly restored to its former glory and today ranks among the most significant historical monuments of Europe. https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/castle/vianden-castle

The Wickrath Palace, which is surrounded by a lake and romantic parklands close to the river Niers. http://www.germany.travel/en/towns-cities-culture/towns-cities/moenchengladbach.html

The old castle, protected by a moat, was built in four periods. The oldest part of the castle dates from the early 11th century. It was a small square-shaped fortress on a massive rock, surrounded by a wide ditch and a second wall facing the valley. Around the first half of the 12th century, a flanking tower was added and the access gate was moved and enlarged. http://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/castle/beaufort-castle

A trip to Mönchengladbach would not be complete without a visit to Rheydt House, the beautifully preserved Renaissance palace. http://www.germany.travel/en/towns-cities-culture/towns-cities/moenchengladbach.html

Arnsberg's historic heartbeats at the Old Market Square with its belfry, Old Town Hall (1710), "The Crimea" and Maximilianbrunnen (1779). The Madonna in the niche at the town hall has survived many city fires and bears witness to an eventful history. On the side of the town hall is the symbol of Cologne rule in Arnsberg. The wonderfully renovated patrician building "Zur Krim" is reminiscent of a dark chapter in legal history, because the witch judge of Arnsberg once lived in it. The bell tower - the symbol of the city - forms the "parlor" Arnsberg with the old town hall (1710) and the Maximilianbrunnen, framed by patrician and half-timbered houses. The bell tower was part of the former city fortifications in Arnsberg and is one of the oldest buildings in Arnsberg. He found a first written mention in a document by Count Gottfried III. from the year 1236, in which it was about the expansion of the city area towards the monastery Wedinghausen. With the execution of this plan, the tower lost its function as a defensive tower and served only as an inner-city gate. For centuries, the top of the tower consisted of a tent-like roof with four small corner towers. It was only around 1723 that the tower received its baroque onion dome after a city fire, which was preserved until 1945. http://www.arnsberg-info.de/geschichte/sehenswuerdigkeiten/alter-markt/

The Cathedral is still the second highest building in Cologne after the telecommunications tower. Its footprint is no less impressive, with the full length of the Cathedral measuring 145 m and the cross nave 86 m. http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/the-cologne-cathedral.html#hash-2-0

Roy Lichtenstein's M-Maybe, Andy Warhol's Brillo Boxes and George Segal's Restaurant Window, all icons of American Pop Art, had all just been completed when in 1969 they arrived as a loan at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/museums.html

Gallery "De Mijplaal" is situated on the fine line different styles and arts. In this way, they prove, that because of between confrontation the borders between those styles fade away and that leaves room for very interesting dialogues to flourish. Starting from the dialogue between what the old and new was and what is. De Mijlpaal wants to continue on its search for the interfaces between visual arts, photography, mode and design. Gallery De Mijpaal is a pioneer who tries to bring young artists together with the already renowned artists. It's not the first rodeo for gallery De Mijlpaal on multiple occasions in the past, they already hosted a wide range of projects with international artists at unique locations situated in Belgium and abroad. https://www.myknokke-heist.be/en/galleries/kunstgalerij-de-mijlpaal

Cologne Zoo was founded in 1860 and is one of the oldest - yet also one of the most modern - zoological gardens. In no other zoo the development of the zoological gardens over the years can be seen so clearly: the buildings starting from the menagerie of the 19th century to the wildlife reserve of the 21st century, from the Moorish-style elephant house and the former birdhouse in the style of a Russian basilica dating back to the 19th century, to the ape island created in a Hagenbeck style and modern natural worlds such as the rain forest. Since the big cat enclosure opened, designed as a biotope habitat, visitors to Cologne Zoo have been able to view the animals in glass-fronted enclosures without bars. The conversion of the old birdhouse into the South America house for primates shows that tradition and progress must by no means be mutually exclusive. The modern elephant park provides the zoo's elephants with the most space north of the Alps. Cologne Zoo is also famous for its primate collection. The zoo has around 500 different species of animal from all the world's continents and oceans, including predators as well as the magnificent aquarium with a terrarium and insectarium. http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do/zoo.html

The art and media center Rheinhafen by Frank O. Gehry (USA) is divided into three contrastingly designed parts of the building and looks like a giant sculpture. https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/architektur/gehry-bauten-der-neue-zollhof/

For the newly arrived guest, the Porta Nigra is the best place to begin a tour of Trier. The gate dates back to a time (about A.D. 180) when the Romans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks (here, the biggest weigh up to six metric tons). http://www.trier-info.de/english/porta-nigra-info

Going back into the early Middle Ages, a wall defined an area surrounding the Cathedral, the close, whose center today comprises, along with the Cathedral, the recently redesigned Cathedral Square with the grandiose view onto the Romanesque west façade of the Cathedral and the Early Gothic Church of Our Lady. http://www.trier-info.de/english/cathedral-square-info

The Palace Church (Schlosskirche) is the landmark of the town, with its two 55 m. high domed towers of Rorschach sandstone, visible from far out on the lake. http://en.friedrichshafen.info/discover/sightseeing/palace-church/

The Electoral Palace directly next to the Basilika is considered one of the most beautiful rococo palaces in the world. http://www.trier-info.de/english/electoral-palace-info

The history of the North Rhine-Westphalia Art Collection began in 1960 when the state government acquired a collection of 88 works by the painter Paul Klee. The Klee collection is the foundation of the "Foundation Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen" founded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1961. https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/architektur/kunstsammlung-nordrhein-westfalen-k20-grabbeplatz/

At that time, the opinions of contemporaries about the new theater building differed widely. The Schauspielhaus, created by the Düsseldorf architect Bernhard Pfau, was one of the last major theatrical buildings of the postwar period. https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/architektur/duesseldorfer-schauspielhaus/

The Municipal Park, an English park laid out by landscape engineer Edouard André on the old fortified grounds at the front of the plain, is a real island of green in the heart of the city. Green spaces such as the Kinnékswiss in the city centre are the ideal place to recharge your batteries. http://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/parkgarden/edouard-andre-municipal-park

The name Luxembourg was first mentioned in 963 when count Siegfried exchanged lands for a small fortified castle by the name of Lucilinburhuc. Throughout the Middle Ages, the House of Luxembourg considerably extended its territory and power. Between 963 and 1443 Luxembourg was independent, at first as a County, then since 1354 as a Duchy. In the 14th Century and the first half of the 15th Century, four Holy Roman Emperors and four Kings of Bohemia came out of the House of Luxembourg. Thanks to its strategic position in Europe and its formidable fortress - referred to as “Gibraltar of the North” - Luxembourg was much coveted. Thus -between 1443 and 1815- the castle of Siegfried had to endure a succession of Burgundian, Spanish, French and Austrian rulers who each shaped the fortress and the surrounding countryside. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Powers of the time gathered at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to reorganise Europe. Due to the importance of the fortress they decided to create a new country around the fortified castle on the Bock: the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/castle/the-former-castle-of-the-counts-of-luxembourg