What to See When Spending a Weekend in Nuremberg, Germany

On November 13, 2020November 13, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

We took the train from Frankfurt to Nuremberg during the first week of January during our time in Germany. It was more or less a spur of the moment trip, so we hadn’t researched anything about Nuremberg before deciding to go there. We loved living in Germany as we would pull up the train app on a Thursday and book a trip for Friday and away we would go. It was a quick trip and very cold at the time, but we had a wonderful time there. As with any trip, just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere of the city is the most important thing, but there are a few places that should not be missed when visiting Nuremberg.

Nuremberg Castle – The castle in Nuremberg is a must location to visit for a variety of reasons. First of all, since it sits above the city central, as many castles do, it provides wonderful views of the city. It is also part castle, part fortress, and part medieval village. Whether just walking along the fortress walls and enjoying the views or going through the castle rooms, you can easily spend a couple of hours touring the castle grounds.

The Most Stunning Feature Inside of the Church

Gothic Architecture of the St. Lorenz Church

Saint Lorenz Church – As with many cities in Europe, the main cathedral dominates the skyline and is worth taking time to visit. Although the church was originally a Catholic cathedral, it was converted to a Lutheran church after the reformation. With wonderful artwork and typical gothic architecture, it is certainly worth spending about an hour visiting the church.

The Nuremberg Trial Courthouse – You don’t need to be a history buff to visit the famous courthouse in Nuremberg where the trials of the leaders of the Nazi party were held following the end of WWII. It is a stark reminder of the horrors that people are capable of when their power is left unchecked. It was also probably the most notable use of international law to punish those who committed the atrocities of the Holocaust as well as other war crimes. The courthouse is a short distance from the old town area of Nuremberg, but it is worth taking the time to visit this famous location.

Old Town – We found a wonderful little boutique hotel in the Old Town area of Nuremberg called the Hotel Drei Raben (the three ravens). It was the perfect location to tour the medieval old town area of Nuremberg and simply walk the historic streets and walk along the Pegnitz, which is the river that runs through the city. There are many wonderful restaurants and pubs to enjoy as well, especially when needing to find some warmth on a cold winter day.

We truly enjoyed our time in Nuremberg, perhaps partially due to not having any preconceived expectations prior to our arrival. Our trip there was very short as we really only had one full day in Nuremberg, but we certainly made the most of it.

Historic Old Cairo in Egypt

On November 6, 2020November 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt2 Comments

One of the things that we truly enjoyed when we visited Egypt was taking time to tour Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo. We actually visited the area on two separate days, one focusing on the historic churches and synagogues and the second focusing on Islamic Cairo. The juxtaposition of the two was really fascinating. As with many locations in the Middle East, the area has historic references that are important to many different religions with a history that goes back thousands of years. We visited with two different Egyptologists during our time there, which was also interesting as they both provided a different perspective on the history and the culture of the area. These are some of our favorite memories of our time in Old Cairo.

Inside of the Mosque and Madrassa of the Sultan Hasan

Mosque and Madrassa of the Sultan Hasan – We wouldn’t recommend visiting without a guide unless you are familiar Sunni Islam, the history of Cairo , and the influences of the surrounding countries. Also, it is not currently a working mosque, so without someone to provide clarity on the features, it might not be as easily understood. We learned about the four wings of the Madrassa, which are Muslim schools, that were located on the site. We also visited the Mosque of Al_Rifai, which is located right next door and is equally as interesting as the Mosque and Madrassa of the Sultan Hasan.

Abu Serga Church – Also known as the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church as well as the Cavern Church, the Abu Serga Church is an important historical and religious landmark in Cairo, Egypt. The church is supposed to be built on the spot where Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. The reason it is known as the cave church is because the church is built around the cave where the Holy Family rested and you are able to descend down to see the cave when you tour the church. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus who were soldiers in the 4th century that were killed by the Roman Emperor Maximian and achieved martyrdom and sainthood. Two other sites that are located nearby are Ben Ezra, the oldest synagogue in Cairo as well as the Hanging Church, which should also be visited when touring the area.

The Babylon Fortress – There are many reasons to visit the section of Cairo known as Coptic Cairo and seeing the ancient Babylon Fortress is certainly one of them. The fortress originally sat on the banks of the Nile, long before the dams in Aswan were built to control the water levels of the river. At the time that it was constructed, some time around 500 BC, it served as the boundary between Lower and Middle Egypt and was the location where boats paid tolls to either ascend or descend the Nile.

Khan el-Khalili Bazaar – Visiting markets wherever you visit is certainly worthwhile, but there is something very special about the bazaars in the middle east. Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in the Old Town Center of Cairo, Egypt, also known as Old Cairo, is certainly one of them. They can be quite busy and you need to be aware of your circumstances to avoid pickpockets or those who might want to take advantage of you. In most bazaars it is usually customary to bargain over the prices and the vendors don’t take offense to it. In fact, to get the best price, you might even start to walk away before the vendor offers a lower price that seems reasonable to you. Haggling, though, does not mean offering a ridiculously low price that might be viewed as an insult.

Bayt Al-Suhaymi – If you are looking for something of a hidden gem while visiting Cairo, then we would suggest putting Bayt Al-Suhaymi on your list of places to visit. On our final day in Cairo, we made a last minute decision to book an “Islamic Cairo” tour through our hotel and we were certainly not disappointed. We saw several ancient mosques, but just as interesting was wandering the narrow streets of the Old City of Cairo. Just wandering the streets is quite exhilarating, but the highlight was taking a tour of an Ottoman era house that was built in 1648 and is in excellent condition as it was refurbished in 1997 as part of restoration project for the entire area.

Different Angle of the Dome of the Church in Cairo

Church of St. George – The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church that dates back to the 10th century, although the current church buildings were built in 1909 after being destroyed in a fire in 1904. Sitting on top of a hill with a steep set of stairs, the architecture of the church is definitely interesting and impressive. As you approach the church, there is no doubt as to who it is dedicated as there are several murals with images of St. George defeating the dragon, including the large relief on the front of the church itself. The church tower also has a wind-vane that features a dragon that hovers over the church. The church itself is a round building with a large dome over the center, which is quite stunning and dramatic.

If you have any questions about the places we visited above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Top Things to Do in Florence, Italy

On October 29, 2020November 30, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy, Travel Tips1 Comment

Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a rich history that includes architecture, art, and politics. There are so many wonderful sights to see when spending time in Florence, but if you have limited time in the city there are a few things that should certainly be on your itinerary. We would certainly recommend spending at least 3 days in Florence if at all possible as there so much to see and do. Depending on the time of year that you visit, you can expect plenty of crowds in Florence, so going during the off-season is advisable. Here are our top things to do in what we would consider to be the order of priority depending on the amount of time that you have to spend in Florence.

Looking Up at the Cathedral and Bell Tower

The Duomo – Officially the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo dominates the city skyline. There is the cathedral itself, with the largest brick dome in the world as well as the bell tower and the baptistry. Although you could consider each of these as separate places to see, we have grouped them together as a single highlight when visiting Florence.

Replica of David in the Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo – There are many reasons to make the effort to visit the square with the bronze replica of the Statue of David, but the main reason is the incredible views of the city. You will find many vendors selling food and trinkets and it is a wonderful spot to just sit and enjoy the beauty of Florence. There is also a restaurant located near the square, which was a great place to enjoy a wonderful glass of wine after the somewhat strenuous walk up to the top of the mount.

Galleria dell’Accademia – The Accademia Gallery is best known for having the Statue of David on display, but obviously there is a lot of other famous artwork on display. With seven different halls to wander and enjoy the incredible artwork, you should give yourself at least four hours when visiting the museum.

Piazza della Signoria – The plaza is an open-air museum that was built in the 1400’s and has a variety of statues on display. Two of the more famous statues are the Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna as well as Cellini’s Perseus. Considering it is free, it should definitely be one of the places that you make time to see.

Ponte Vecchio – This medieval bridge is certainly a highlight of any visit to Florence. Today it is filled with vendors selling a variety of local products, but it was originally the location of the butchers in the city. Like many other locations in Florence, expect plenty of crowds in the area and be careful of pickpockets taking advantage of tourists on the crowded streets.

Uffizi Gallery – With many great works of art from artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Machiavelli, it is certainly one of the most famous museums in the world. After all of the members of the Medici family had died out, a deal was made to donate all of the artwork to Florence and it is now housed in the Uffizi Gallery. Just like the Gallery Accademia, be prepared to spend at least several hours seeing all of the amazing works of art.

Local Restaurants – Obviously you need to eat and there are so many wonderful restaurants to choose from. There are probably few locations in the world that bring to mind the food of the region as much as Tuscany where Florence is located. We would certainly recommend eating at one of the restaurants that can be found along the Arno River as the scenery is quite beautiful, especially at night.

Needless to say, there are more sights to see than these, but we would recommend that you put all of these locations on your itinerary when visiting Florence. With so many beautiful sights, seemingly around every corner, just walking the streets of Florence is a magical experience. If you have enough time, taking a day trip to Lucca and to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is definitely a worthwhile experience.