I think this is from some Norwegian TV show. Its good anyway.
Browsing Posts in culture
The German city of Frankfurt has many stunning and unique landmarks. Here are a few that you would want to check out if ever you got the chance.
Ask any Frankfurter what building they are most proud of having in their city is and they will tell you that it is the Saint Bartholomew Cathedral. Construction began in the fourteenth century and continued throughout the fifteenth. This text-book example of Gothic cathedral architecture was constructed on the site which had held churches from the earliest times of Christianity in Europe. This was the site where it was traditional for kings of the Holy Roman Empire to be elected, and for a time this is where German emperors were crowned. In fact St. Bartholomew’s has never been the seat of a bishop, meaning that even though it is known colloquially as such, it is not technically a cathedral at all. When you visit make sure you go to the public viewing area in the tower, as the views are really something special.
Another church that is redolent with historical importance is Paulskirch(Saint Paul’s Church). This building is notable because of the place that it has in German history. The first democratically elected national parliament met here in 1848, for its short lifetime. Reconstructed after the war the church looks little like it did before, and no longer serves a religious function.
Another building that was reconstructed after the war was the Alte Oper. This was a ruin until the late seventies. It had been one of Germany’s leading opera houses. In 1981 it was back to its former glory and its doors once again opened to the public as a concert hall.
Opera lovers visiting Frankfurt should see if they can get themselves tickets for a performance at the Oper Frankfurt. This opera house is built in a modernist style and is famous for having exceptional acoustics. Anticipation is already building for a new production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which is due to open in 2013.
There are a number of very tall buildings which grace the Frankfurt skyline. Almost all of Germany’s skyscrapers are to be found in the city. The tallest of the buildings in Frankfurt is the Commerzbank Tower. Until 2003 this was the highest building in Europe. It is the headquarters of Commerzbank. The second tallest tower is the Messeturm which houses the German division of Goldman Sachs.
In total there are twelve skyscrapers in Frankfurt. It is possible to visit an observation level on most of them. For two days every year however the city’s skyscraper festival gives much greater access. Millions flock to this event, which includes tours of areas of the towers that you normally would not see unless you worked in them. There are also other attractions such as fireworks and laser shows. There are also displays of ‘base jumping’ – which is the extreme sport where participants launch themselves off tall buildings with parachutes.
It is possible to fly directly to Frankfurt, with this being a viable option as far as flights to Germany go. There is a plan for a high speed train from London, but although testing has begun it is not thought that this will be ready until 2018 at the earliest.
This is the first peek at what is surely one of the most anticipated video games in history. Both the predecessors to GTA V proved to be major events on the cultural landscape, and it looks like the latest installant will be no exception.
