Germany is of undoubted interest for the Russian traveler. A huge number of attractions and recreational opportunities attract millions of tourists here every year. It is not very realistic to have time to see everything within the framework of one trip, and therefore many people prefer to visit the west of Germany for a start. This region is rich in amazing natural landscapes, and its cities offer a rich excursion program for true fans of European culture and history.
Cards on the table
West Germany is an area lying in the middle reaches of the Rhine on the border with Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Officially, the region includes the federal states of Saarland, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The largest and most famous cities in western Germany are Cologne, Bonn and Dusseldorf, and in general this part of the country is one of the most important industrial regions of the Old World.
In the homeland of cologne
The most beautiful old city of Cologne has been an important settlement since the days of the Roman Empire. It is famous for its cathedral, the construction of which began in the middle of the 13th century. The relics of the Three Wise Men are kept in a golden casket in the temple, which makes it one of the most significant cathedrals in the Christian world. The towers of the temple soar into the Cologne sky to a height of more than 157 meters and are the architectural dominant of the old part of the city. Frescoes and mosaics, statues and altars - the interior of the cathedral strikes the imagination no less than its external decoration, and therefore the magnificent medieval building rightfully takes its place of honor on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Need attention
Other sights of the west of Germany, certainly included by guides in the program of visiting tourists, rightfully include:
- Ruins of the Upper German-Rhetian Limes - a segment of the border of the Roman Empire that ran between the Danube and the Rhine. In the area of the city of Rainbrol, you can see the surviving remains of the fortress wall, which once stretched for more than five hundred kilometers.
- The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Trier, whose construction began in the first third of the 13th century, is one of the oldest Gothic churches in the world.
- The Basilica of Constantine in Trier was built at the beginning of the 4th century and was a throne meeting room. Today the majestic building is also on the UNESCO lists.
- Speyer Cathedral is the largest Romanesque temple in the world, which has adorned the city since the first half of the 11th century.
