Sunday, December 25, 2011

Compton Acres Gardens

Compton Acres is situated in Poole, Dorset and consist of 10 acres of different garden types. It is a privately owned historic garden.

Compton Acres Gardens

Picture:
One of the waterfalls in Compton Acres

There you have an Italian garden with fountains or a small wood with huge trees and waterfalls. You can also find a rock and water garden, a heather garden and a Japanese garden. I think there is something for everybody's taste and everybody can find the place they really like.
On the whole area you can find cosy benches to sit and from some places you can even enjoy the view of Brownsea Island. There is a winter garden as well with different statues and you have many photo options all year long.
In the gardens are different events over the whole year and you can even marry there if you want to. An interesting place for the whole family.


You can read more here:
Compton Acres

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Fotografiska

The Fotografiska is a definite must see for a photographer when he/she is in Stockholm. It is located in an old industrial building in Södermalm, directly at the harbour.

Day 261
Day 264


Pictures:
Fotografiska from outside
Poster from the exhibition of Sandy Skoglund

The museum has changing exhibitions from contemporary photographers not only from Scandinavia but also from around the world. There are normally two to three different exhibitions at the same time, so it should be something there for everyone. They have a big shop as well where you can buy different art or photography books but also poster or postcards with pictures of the exhibitions. Directly under the roof is a cafe and a gallery where you can buy pictures from different artist.
Not only something for rainy days.


Have a look here when you want to read more:
Fotografiska (English)
Wikipedia

Friday, December 16, 2011

Roemer- and Pelizaeus Museum

The Roemer- and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim is a great museum, which arose from a private collection of Egyptian artefacts.

Outtake Day 153

Pictures:
Permanent and Special Egypt exhibition

They have several permanent exhibitions, including ones about Egypt, America or Asia. Every year they have several special exhibitions, which are definitely worth a visit. I can still remember the ones about dinosaurs or the ice age. You can take pictures in some parts of the museum but not everywhere. You can take a guided tour through the museum or there are audio guides as well but I'm not sure if they have them in different languages. When you like museums or when you are facing a rainy day and want to do something, this is a good place to go.


If you want to read more, you can have a look here:
Roemer-Pelizaeus Museum (English and German)
Wikipedia

Monteliusvägen, Stockholm

When you get the chance to visit Stockholm, you should go up to Monteliusvägen, which is in Södermalm. It is a great viewpoint from where you can see a lot of the city.

Day 198
Day 304


Pictures:
Panorama of Stockholm from Monteliusvägen
Stadshuset

You have a great view over Gamla Stan, Östermalm, the Stadshuset and Lake Mälaren. On a sunny day you can watch boats travelling from the Baltic Sea to Lake Mälaren or into the other direction because one of the locks is directly besides Gamla Stan. You can also see the houseboats beneath you and some of them are hotels where you can stay when you want to.

Monteliusvägen is a great place to see a big part of Stockholm.


If you want to read more, you can have a look here:
www.visitstockholm.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Basel Münster

The Basel Münster was originally a Catholic church but is a reformed Protestant church today. It was finished in 1500.

Day 180

Picture:
Inside and outside of the Münster

The Münster is already beautiful when you look at it from the outside. It is built out of red stones with a patterned roof. There is a kind of terrace behind the Münster from where you have a beautiful view over the Rhine and a part of the city of Basel. On the outside of the church are several statues, which are made out of the same stone as the building. I really liked to walk through the big and small cloister, which are on one side of the Münster. The inside of the Münster is rather simple but that can be beautiful too. You can look at some beautiful coloured windows or the interesting pulpit. It is no problem to take pictures inside the Münster but there is also a small shop where you can buy postcards and things like that.

You can go up onto the tower as well and it is only 242 steps to get up there. It costs you a small amount of money to get into the tower, which you can either pay in Euros or Swiss francs. During your climb, you can see the bells of the church. The last part of the climb is a bit steep but it is manageable. From the tower you can look over the timbered houses of Basel or the Rhine and on a clear day you can even see parts of the Black Forest. Definitely a beautiful view from up there.


If you want to read more, you can have a look here:
Wikipedia
Das Basler Münster (German)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Ulmer Münster (Ulm Minster)

The Minster in Ulm, Germany is a Lutheran church, which was completed in 1890.

Day 269
Picture:
Inside the Münster

You can visit the Minster for free and it is allowed to take pictures inside. I'm not an expert in architecture but the inside of the Minster is really beautiful with high ceilings and beautiful details everywhere. The wooden choir is definitely worth a look and there are several small chambers you can visit as well. Another beautiful sight are the colourful windows, especially when the sun is shining through them. If you want to light a candle for someone you can purchase them in the church for a small amount of money. On the inside and outside you can find different sculptures and the altar is beautiful too.

The steeple is 161.5 meters high and you can climb nearly to the top. You have to pay a couple of Euros when you want to go up but the view you get is definitely worth it. It is 768 steps to the top but you don't have to go all the way because there are three platforms from where you can look at your surroundings. The spiral staircase for the last part is quite narrow and you can only hope that no one comes down while you climb up. The view from the tower is amazing and you can get a good look at Ulm, the Danube or even the Alps when it is a clear day.


When you want to read more, you can have a look here:
Wikipedia
Das Ulmer Münster (German)