The Culture Bank

Berlin has had a troubled and violent history and left a few unfortunate legacies and associations, but it is a city that has rediscovered its more cultured and civilised past, and is now a prime attraction on the Continent.  Maybe it’s precisely because of its past traumas that Berlin these days is one of the most open, welcoming and exciting cities in the world, as if making up for lost time.

Luxury Berlin holidays will introduce you to a fascinating city with a wealth of historic monuments and buildings, as well as some of the best shopping around.  Take a tour of the world-class museums and art galleries, stroll in extensive parkland and experience the fantastic nightlife.  Music is in Berlin’s soul, from cabaret to classical concerts and the very latest in-house music.

This multi-cultural city has some of the most varied cuisine in Germany, from traditional Teutonic fare to Thai, Turkish, Chinese and much more besides, and is a gourmet capital.

Famous places to explore on a luxury break include Berlin Zoo, Reichstag and the great Brandenburg Gate, symbol of the city.

Luxury holidays cater for your usual needs and then add another layer of service to make your stay as enjoyable as possible, including collection from the airport and valeting.  There’s no better way to see a pulsating city such as Berlin, where there’s so much to see and do that you don’t have time for attending to anything not relevant to your enjoyment of the vacation.

New York City is a hugely popular holiday destination, with many breathtaking sights to behold.  This article aims to provide you with information on the attractions of New York that you simply can’t miss out on when visiting this fantastic city.

Times Square

Times Square is located between sixth and eighth avenues.  There’s so much to look at, from the dazzling lights to the huge bright advertisements.  There always seems to be something going on in Times Square.  It is a particularly appealing sight on New Year’s Eve when about a million people gather to ring in the New Year.  Remember your camera; there’s so much you will want to take pictures of.

Central Park

Central Park is an 843-acre park in the heart of New York City.  In the winter it offers outdoor ice skating, and in the spring you can see the blossom on the trees.  Many people go to the park to sit in the sunshine and eat their lunch or to ride on their bikes.  You can also take a horse and carriage ride around the park. 

The Empire State Building

You cannot miss out on seeing the Empire State Building when you visit New York City.  For a small price you can go right to the top, which is the highest viewing point in the city.

The Statue of Liberty

Take the Staten Island Ferry for free across to Staten Island, and on the way you’ll be able to see breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty.

If you are lucky enough to be taking a trip or a holiday to the exciting city of Tokyo in Japan, you’re sure to want to know all of the best places to eat out to try the local Japanese cuisine.  This article gives brief overviews of some popular places to eat out in Tokyo.

Tajimaya

Tajimaya is a restaurant located on the 9th floor of the Yodo-Bashi Centre in Akihabara, Tokyo.  This restaurant is famous for its traditional Japanese hotpots: you cook your own meat and vegetables in boiling water.  A recommended dish is the Shabu Shabu.  This is thin beef cooked with vegetables.  It’s served with various dipping sauces.  Tajimaya is open daily from 11am to 11pm.

Kushimura

This Roppongi restaurant is very inexpensive, and it is recommended that you order the ’10 piece’.  The 10 piece is comprised of a number of different dishes served directly after one another.  This gives you a chance to try a little bit of everything delicious that they have to offer.  Kushimura is situated along Roppongi in Japan.  It’s open from Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm to 11pm. 

Gonpachi

Gonpachi is situated at Nishi-Azabu Minato-ku, along Roppongi in Tokyo.  This restaurant offers huge amounts of traditional Japanese food from large plates of noodles to ‘yakitori’ (skewers) and sushi.  There is sure to be something here to suit everybody’s taste buds.  It is recommended that you book in advance because this restaurant is very popular.  Gonpachi is open daily from 11:30am to 6am.

If you are looking for city breaks that take you a little further from home, consider one of these exotic destinations:

China

Explore Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall or the Silk Alley Market.  Head to Shanghai for city breaks that put you at the heart of one of Asia’s most vibrant cities; shopping, art, river cruises and great nightlife abound.  Sample traditional Chinese delicacies in a fantastic restaurant or at one of the many street carts favoured by the locals.

Egypt

Not much beats the glamour and mystery of weekend breaks to Egypt.  The sights of urban Cairo, the legendary Pyramids at Giza, the Sphinx and the priceless treasures at the Egyptian Museum will leave you breathless.

Morocco

Exotic Marrakech is gaining popularity as a prime destination for short breaks.  Snake charmers, souks, mystics and ancient kasbahs are easy to find all over the city, but will be very hard to forget once you return home.

Jordan

Tour the famed Rose City of Petra, see the Shobak Crusader castle or Mount Nebo and take a relaxing dip in the salty Dead Sea during weekend breaks to Jordan.  There is plenty of history, but you will also be impressed by the growing modern sensibility in many urban areas.

Syria

Wander through Damascus, the oldest inhabited city in the world.  Ancient mosques, winding alleys, palaces, ruins and street markets combine to make this city feel like a living museum.  Short breaks to Syria are like nothing you have experienced before.

Berlin is one of Europe’s most exciting destinations for a city break. The capital of Germany was split between East and West for nearly 30 years by the Berlin Wall but has now merged to become a centre of culture and nightlife.  With a long and somewhat tortuous history, Berlin is one of the most interesting cities in the world.

Tourist attractions are quite far apart so it is a good idea to take a walking tour or a multilingual bus tour of the city.  Public transport, buses and the U-Bahn are excellent.  Places not to miss are the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichtag, the parliament building with its glass dome.  The Tiergarten with its zoo and parklands is interesting, especially for children.  A visit to Checkpoint Charlie is a must, to see what little remains of the Berlin Wall.

The Unter-den-Linten is the mile-long avenue which leads from the Brandenburg Gate to the Schlossbrucke. Some of Germany’s most important buildings lie on this road including the German State Opera and the German Historical Museum.

The beautiful Charlottenburg Palace is well worth a visit not just for the architecture but for its stunning gardens and collection of romantic paintings.  This historical palace is over 300 years old.

For more modern architecture, visit Potsdammer Platz. This has been extensively renovated and has become a thriving area of shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, with many other entertainment venues.  Panorama-Point, at the very top of the Kolhof building has stunning views of the city.  You will ride up here in what is thought to be the fastest lift in Europe.

The distinctive monument of Nelson’s Column rises above the open space of Trafalgar Square in the heart of central London.  Trafalgar Square is a popular meeting place and has become known as a centre for New Year’s celebrations; it’s also the location for London’s Christmas tree, which is traditionally a gift from the Norwegian city of Oslo each year.  It is also famous for the number of pigeons that used to populate the square, although these are now much fewer in number than they once were.

The square is adorned by a number of fountains and statues.  Four lions are placed at the base of Nelson’s Column, and among the plinths around the square is one that is used for the temporary display of work of national and international art.

Trafalgar Square is the address of the National Gallery, which provides free entrance to view its large collection of Western European paintings from between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Visiting Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery on the northern perimeter of Trafalgar Square is open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm, with extended hours on Fridays. Like many London museums, it is closed for Christmas.

Trafalgar Square is in the centre of London and can be directly accessed by entrances to the Charing Cross underground station, which provides services on the Bakerloo and Northern Lines.  Trafalgar Square is easily accessible from London hotels with a good connection to either of these underground lines.  London hotel reviews are also available for those central London hotels near Trafalgar Square.

Eltham Palace is a very large residence located in Eltham in the London Borough of Greenwich.  Currently, it is owned by English Heritage and is open to the public.  A part of the building (built in the 1930s) is a spectacular piece of art deco style architecture, it has been hailed a “masterpiece of modern design” and has been featured in a wide variety of films and advertising clips. 

Most notably, Eltham Palace is known for having a surprisingly modern design style despite the original structure having been built over 500 years ago.  Eltham Palace’s massive hammer beam roof remains standing to this day.  While much has changed over the years at Eltham Palace, the beautiful, well maintained garden remains a mainstay of culture and life surrounding the palace.

For hundreds of years Eltham Palace was an occasional residence of the monarchy, even housing the historically very significant King Henry VIII for a time.  By the 1630’s, the palace had been transferred to new ownership until the Civil War, at which point it was used as a barn.  All in all, through the changing of hands, this palace has developed a unique history, ending in an excellent example of an Art Deco house.

While Eltham Palace is not nearly as popular a historical site as Buckingham Palace, or Westminster Abbey, it still serves as an excellent cultural and historical site for tourists.  For those interested in visiting Eltham Palace, it is an excellent idea to book a London hotel room nearby.

Amman is the capital city of Jordan.  A feel of ancient Arabia can be experienced in its streets and markets, as it is one of the oldest cities in the world.  The King Hussein (al-Husseini) Mosque is an excellent place to experience the atmosphere of the city. This massive building can accommodate 3000 worshippers and is famous for its blue dome.

Jabal el Qala, or Citadel Hill, is an area where visitors can explore many historical attractions.  For example, visitors can see the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, the remains of an Arab castle and a wall built by the Romans.  There is also a Roman amphitheatre which has been well preserved and is occasionally used today.  In the area there are several museums including the Jordan Folklore Museum, the Museum of Popular Traditions and the Archaeological Museum. 

Some of the most interesting sights involve a day trip away from the city centre of Amman.  For example, visitors can travel to the Dead Sea. The salt content of the Dead Sea is so high that no fish can survive in its water.  It is possible for a person to float in the water and not sink.  Another interesting sight near Amman is the ancient city of Petra. This city is carved into the side of a mountain. 

Flights to Amman are available from airports throughout the United Kingdom.  Prices vary based on city of origin.  However, travellers can quickly check for cheap flights with online search engines.

The Jewel Tower, located in Westminster, London, is one of the two surviving sections of the medieval royal Palace of Westminster, the other surviving building being Westminster Hall.  The tower was built in approximately 1365 for the sole purpose of housing the personal effects and treasures of King Edward III.  A small, three storey building constructed of stone, it stands directly across the street from the modern Palace of Westminster, current home to the British Parliament.  The building was built on the far south end of the palace.  This building was unique in that it was built into the defensive walls and fortifications of the palace, but was detached and separate from the main buildings, explaining its survival of the great fire of 1834.

Today, the tower remains relatively unaltered, with its moat still complete.  While not a very impressive building in its own right, the Jewel Tower remains one of the few complete medieval buildings left standing.  Located conveniently close to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, it is an excellent place to visit during a trip to Westminster.

With so many attractions located so close to one another, London hotels in the Westminster area are constantly filling up.  Hotel room shortages are common, and should be avoided by booking your trip, as well as your London hotel room, well in advance.

The National Maritime Museum at Romney Road in London is well known for being one of the greatest maritime museums in the world.  The museum is located very close to some of the best London hotels.  On exhibition are numerous models, displays, paintings and trophies from each and every continent around the entire world.  The history of the great ocean liners and the importance of maritime trade are featured along with the jacket that Lord Nelson was wearing when he was shot during the Battle of Trafalgar.  The National Maritime Museum caters for families with something of interest for all ages.  The children can be amused at the “All Hands” gallery while young people can enjoy an afternoon operating a ship simulator.

The museum also stages special events for all ages to enjoy.  There are regular lectures and the building holds hundreds of books, manuscripts and also an e-library.  This is a very popular attraction for maritime specialists and model makers.  The museum is free to all who wish to visit and experience one of the best museums in London, and indeed the world.  It is open daily and admission to most events held in the museum is free.  There is also a coffee shop and restaurant available on site.

Therefore, if you are planning a trip to the capital in the near future, after you have booked your London hotel, why not visit the National Maritime Museum website.  Not only will you find loads of things to do and look at, but you can also be assured that a visit will be one that the entire family can enjoy together.