Travel Guides

cecil on March 29th, 2012

Guest Post

Frankfurt, the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth largest city in Germany, is the financial and transportation center of Germany. Located on the river Main, Frankfurt is not only the financial capital of Germany, but of Continental Europe, and is home to the European Central Bank and the European Stock Exchange. Frankfurt is well known for its futuristic, avant-garde skyline, which is home to wealthy bankers and students alike, and draws millions of tourists per year into its popular downtown area.

If you’re planning a trip, here are a few reasons why you should consider Frankfurt.

History of Frankfurt

Frankfurt has a rich history that goes back centuries. It was founded close to the 1st century as a Roman settlement; in fact, even its city district Bonames has a name dating back to Roman times. During the Holy Roman Empire, Frankfurt was considered one of the most important cities, and the coronations of kings and emperors were held there. Because Frankfurt was seen as such an important center for business and trade, it was often the subject of occupation by other countries who desired it, including France. Frankfurt was also very involved in World War II suffering severe bombing that destroyed the city’s once famous medieval center along with many irreplaceable and historically significant documents. After consideration and then rejection as provisional capital of Germany after the war, Frankfurt settled into a bustling and rich community known for its efficient underground transportation systems and thriving economy.

Architecture of Frankfurt

Frankfurt is well-known for its ultramodern skyline, being one of the few European cities with a significant number of skyscrapers, most of which are located in the financial district. Apart from these contemporary, awe-inspiring structures, Frankfurt is also home to much post-World War II architectural progress, partly because of the need to reconstruct after the damage suffered by the city during World War II bombings. Even in spite of the sectors of Frankfurt that were destroyed in the war, there are still many examples of gothic and baroque architecture that have survived or been reconstructed as accurately as possible. In contrast, as a “green city,” one can also enjoy the many naturally preserved forest, parks, and botanical areas along the Main River as an escape.

Frankfurt Day and Nightlife

After a day of shopping on the Zeil, the main shopping street of Frankfurt and one of the most frequented shopping streets in Europe, those looking for more can head towards the Fressgass, or “munching alley” for a wide variety of cafes, restaurants, delis, and street food. After that, entertainment can be found in the sectors of Sachsenhausen, Bockenheim, Bornheim, and Nordend, as well as the city center, the main areas of action in Frankfurt. A youthful metropolis where socializing is high on the agenda, one can always find something to do. Accommodations include bars, reggae/ dancehall/ R&B clubs, and parties ranging from up-style to university student gatherings.

On the whole, Frankfurt is a city that is perfectly attuned to providing the tourist a promising and exciting expedition with a meld of historic and modern aspects that promise to delight and inspire. Don’t miss an opportunity to absorb all that Frankfurt, Germany has to offer.

This article is brought to you courtesy of Singapore Airlines.  For information on traveling to Frankfurt from the U.S., visit http://www.singaporeair.com/jsp/cms/en_UK/promotions/new-york-flights.jsp. :) Travel Feeder, your ultimate guide to Europe travel

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cecil on March 25th, 2012

The Duomo of Florence, or Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, is one of Italy’s largest churches, and the most prominent and highest structure in Florence. It is one of the structure in the cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, which includes the Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile bell tower. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence. No visit to Florence would complete without paying a visit to the cathedral complex. In fact the large dome of the Duomo could virtually be seen from almost any part of Florence. I can see it every time I stepped out of the camping site we stayed on my Florence travel 2 years ago. It is the most prominent structure in the historic city of Florence.

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Here are some of my travel photos taken in and around the cathedral complex.

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The Giotto tower next to the Duomo is the highest point in the city from where travelers could oversee the Florence city skyline perfectly.

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From the Piazza della Signoria, we walked through some pedestrian streets in Florence heading North and the Duomo was not far away.

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Along the side road of the Duomo, many street painters were gathered there to showcase their beautiful paintings and portraiture painting service were offered.

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This is the back of the cathedral. When I was there 2 years ago, it was scaffolded and hoarded up for maintenance and cleaning works. You can see how rundown the marble surface was if compared with the front facade.

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This is the interior of the cathedral where visitors or devotees were lining up to get into.

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Next to the Duomo is the Florence Baptistery, one of the oldest buildings in the city, built between 1059 and 1128, as the venue for baptism. The Baptistry is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures.

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This is the most famous East door, The Gates of Paradise, displaying scenes of baptism by Christ.

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Another set of doors at South of the building, with bronze carving displaying various religious scenes. I remembered I was able to touch the doors when I first visited Florence 15 year ago but it was gated now. You could still see some bronze colour revealed at parts where being touched most by visitors.

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That was it. Amazing heritage site, and great destination for travel photography hobbyists, isn’t it?

Travel photography tips: You will need ultra wide angle lens such as the Nikkor 10-24mm, to capture the whole structure from such a near distance within the square, and to expect some distortion of building lines as seen above.

Click HERE to view all my travel photos in full resolution via my flickr album.

If you love Florence as much as I do, why don’t plan your next budget trip to Europe? Check out my planning guide for Europe budget travel for some tips. :)Travel Feeder, your ultimate photo travel guide to Europe

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You should know how much I love Florence by now. I took too many photos in Florence until a point where processing all of them really took me months of free time. Late always better than no show, here I’m gradually getting them sorted out and posting them in Travel Feeder. I have shared where [...]

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If you are an avid traveler wishing to explore Florence with limited budget, overnight in one of the camp sites perhaps is your best choice of accommodation in Florence. Camp sites are quite popular in Florence as backpackers, campers or caravan can stay within the compound while enjoying various facilities provided which includes shared toilets, [...]

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