Every big city, needs and surely has a symbol. The megacities have even more symbols.
How must be a symbol of a city? It has to be interesting, historically tight to the city, impressive, easy to describe and, above all, it must have a story!
A symbol of a city can be a building, a statue, a monument, or even a square, or maybe a street. etc. I can give you some examples:
-the symbol is a building: Big Ben or Tower Bridge in London, Tour Eiffel in Paris
-the symbol is a statue: Miss Liberty for New York
-the symbol is a square: Red Square in Moscow, El Zocalo in Mexico City.
-the symbol is a street: Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Champs Elysees in Paris
Frankfurt is such a dynamic, modern and active city. It is the only one German Alpha world city.
After the WWII, when Germany was ruined and divided, the first postwar chancellor of the western Germany, Konrad Adenauer, had to choice the capital of the new state. Frankfurt am Main was a serious proposition, but he preferred the tiny city of Bonn, as it was closer to his house! People say, if he had the choice for Frankfurt, it could have been practically impossible to move the capital after the reunification of 1989.
People have lived in Frankfurt for two thousand years. Roman artifacts are still emerging to light today.
In the middle Age Frankfurt( there is another Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Oder, which is significantly smaller) had trembled history. Prussia, Austria, occupations, destroy after the WWII, West Germany etc.
Tags: Frankfurt, Germany, Museums, travel
By Travel Advisor
I must admit, I like Germany, with no special reason , as I like usually the places and people I visit all over the world.
But shortly, the facts: after having discovered Berlin, I also visited Frankfurt, and I liked it.
I think Frankfurt am Main is much more modern; it is together with Paris and Moscow one of the european cities having skyscrapers. Here in Frankfurt you can get seven skyscrapers higher than 150 meters. These are usually not open to the public, excepting the Fernsehturm which offers a fabulous view.
Look what I got in Tallin: a really incredible impossible building!
Travelling by car is obsolete and damages the environment. I love more and more the travelling by train, and specially the Orient Express.
Orient Express was first of all managed by Compagnie Internationale des Wagon Lits and lead from Paris to Istanbul, through Switzerland, Austria, Budapest, Bucharest.
Orient Express stands always for high luxury, haute cuisine and high society. It was the favorite way of transportation for state officials, adventurers, business people, bourgeoisie. La creme de la creme.
And it stands also for crimes, intrigues and espionnage. Mata Hari, the famous spy, used to travel by orient Express. A few diplomates died in the train on more or less natural causes. Agatha Christie had a lot of material for its novel “The crime from Orient Express”, which she wrote patially even in the train!
It was actually a title of one of Marlene Dietrich’s wonderful songs: “Ich habe noch ein Koffer in Berlin“(I still have a suitcase in Berlin).
Marlene Dietrich was a Berlinerin, born in Schonerberg! She loved desperately her city, even living in Hollywood. And I also liked very much this extravagant cosmopolitan city during my stay in Berlin(Hotel Park Inn in city heart, Alexander Platz).
I still have something to tell about Berlin, the third european tourist destination!
Something about the history:
-Berlin is the capital of Germany since 1700. It lead the destiny of Kingdom of Prussia(1701-1918), German Empire (1871-1918),Weimarer Republik(1918-1933), The third Reich(1933-1945), Eastern Germany(1945-1989). Important mention: everyone of this regime had its own plans and visions for the city’s developpment and led unforgettable traces in Berlin’s architecture
Berlin is waiting for you, and I am sure this city worth your visit, you will not be disappointed. If you plan to visit Berlin, bear in mind these little things listed bellow!
Here are the things to do in Berlin:
1. Berlin Zoo (Berliner Tiergarten) is Europe’s biggest Zoo, and got very famous once again through the birth of Knut, a polar bear cube. Knut became a media star, and was very beloved.
2. East Side Gallery. These are nothing more than graffiti paintings on the remaining of the Berlin Wall (Berlinermauer), made by artists from 21 countries. It is a liberation cry!
3. The paintings Gallery (Gemaeldegallerie). Located in Potsdamer Platz, it offers the world’s Rembrandt’s biggest collection.
4. Potsdamer Platz. watch it, is a wonderful square. Take some shots, and think a little on its photo from 1945, after the fall of Berlin!
I am sure you would like to visit Berlin, it is a magnetic city. I will introduce it to you , with your permission.
Berlin is attested since the XIIIth century, and is the german capital since 300 years. Nowadays, with its 3,5 millions inhabitants, it is the country’s biggest and most important city. It is a modern city with first class universities and research centre, modern industries like IT, vehicle manufacturation, traffic engineering, biotechnology etc.
Berlin is famous for its liberal way of life, zeitgeist and low costs of living. During the 70’s the big singer David Bowie said nice words about this extravagant city. And John Fitzgerald Kennedy declared in West Berlin, during the cold war: “Ich bin ein Berliner“. Marlene Dietrich was also eine Berlinerin!
