Germany Highlights Creative Culture in 2010
Leipzig is Top 10 Place to Go in 2010
The city of Leipzig in Germany’s eastern state of Saxony has been ranked number 10 of 31 Top Places to visit in 2010 by The New York Times.
The city is known for its music, being home to composers Bach, Schumann and Mendelssohn, but also as an up and coming place for young artists and designers featuring the world-renown Leipzig School with artists such as Neo Rauch whose work has been featured around the world, including in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Galleries and art spaces like the former cotton mill “Spinnerei” make Leipzig one of the hottest places in “Creative Germany.” www.nytimes.com
GNTO Sports New Web Address: www.germany.travel
The German National Tourist Office changed its web address to www.germany.travel – here you find now new and extended content on various topics, trends, tips and special offers.
To make travel to Germany more accessible for everyone, the GNTO introduced its “Accessible Travel”-section offering helpful resources and advice on accessible transportation, accommodation and tourist sights. You can also find a list of tour operators specialized in this segment. www.germany.travel
We also updated our special sections for “Religious Travelers” and “Honeymooners.” Come and discover the possibilities for romantic getaways on your honeymoon from historic castle hotels to upscale spa-resorts in stunning natural surroundings. www.germany.travel
In the section for religious travelers, you can find information about Jewish sights in Germany such as the newly rebuilt synagogue in Erfurt to special overnight stays in old monasteries. www.germany.travel
Tripadvisor made its debut on www.germany.travel featuring a discussion forum as well as user driven content from travel stories to insider tips on accommodations and destinations. In the download section you can also find fascinating videos about Germany’s destinations. www.tripadvisor.com
Germany Highlights Creative Culture in 2010 Tourism Campaign
Contemporary art, architecture, fashion and design are at the forefront of Germany’s tourism campaign this year as we introduce our “Creative Germany” campaign. The campaign is oriented toward a younger, 15-34 age group, and highlights the country’s incredible developments and contributions to contemporary culture. Germany is already number two for Europeans in terms of cultural travel and now young Americans are flocking to cultural centers such as Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.
The creative economy is certainly a boon for Germany financially. Already over one million people work in the various sectors, including music, publishing art, film, radio art and design, architecture, journalism, advertising and software, contributing 3.3 percent or 61 billion Euros to the country’s total economic output.
Capitals of Germany’s creative campaign are Berlin, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig and Stuttgart where art, architecture, advertising, fashion, design and engineering are important foci of the individual cities. In Berlin, there are hundreds of creative events among them the famous Berlinale Film festival with many international film stars, the DMY Design Festival and hundreds of galleries and museums. Duesseldorf is Germany’s center for advertising and also fashion fairs; the fine arts festival, the Quadriennale, as well as the Insel Hombroich and the Kunst im Tunnel, bespeak of the city’s dedication to contemporary art and installations. Frankfurt is home to the international music festival as well as an ambitioned and creative new city building project and club scene.
The soon completion of Hamburg’s newest futuristic landmarks, the Elb Philharmonic and the docklands with the “Hafen City,” are captivating architecture and art lovers worldwide. So does Munich, one of Germany’s architectural hot spots and location of creative buildings such as the Allianz Arena, BMW World and the Ohel Jacob Synagogue. Leipzig offers a variety of leading museums and galleries including the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Fine Art and is devoted to hosting diverse events under the motto of fashion and design. Entering a new era of creativity is also displayed by the city of Stuttgart. Creative minds are not only attracted by the popular fashion sites Gerberviertel, Design Centre and Koenigsbau Passage, but also by extraordinary architecture of the Mercedes Benz Museum, Porsche Museum and Bosch Areal.
The fact that Germany is already the second favorite destination for Europeans reveals the potential for culture travel. Under the umbrella of “Creative Germany” some of Germany’s most attractive cities have geared up themselves for a young and fashionable target group and have established a multi-faceted program.
Feature: Essen and the Ruhr Area as European Capital of Culture 2010
The Ruhr is ROOOOAring – For this year 2010 Essen and the Ruhr region are European Capital of Culture, presenting one of the most exiting metropolitan areas in the heart of Europe. Fifty-three towns and cities in Germany’s west with more than five million citizens take the stage to display a fascinating transformation from an industrial power house to a postindustrial cultural center with 200 events and 30 projects in 53 cities. The Theaters, opera houses and concert halls, festivals, the museums, creative businesses, universities and academies all together make up this dynamic metropolitan core attracting millions of visitors from all over the world. www.ruhr2010.de
For 2010 the region is presenting itself in a brand new light, with many fantastic projects finished right in time for the opening on January 9. With a two day festival at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein the Ruhr and its citizens celebrate the official start into a fascinating year. The Zeche Zollverein, a former Bauhaus colliery, was redesigned by acclaimed architect Rem Koolhaas and today hosts the world renowned Red Dot Design Museum and the Ruhr Museum with a newly developed special exhibition opening on January 10. Also the renovation of the Old Synagogue in Essen will be finished in summer 2010. The synagogue, the largest free standing synagogue north of the Alps, will then be a center for Jewish culture hosting special exhibitions and important events. www.essen-fuer-das-ruhrgebiet.ruhr2010.de
Known as the world’s most beautiful museum before 1933, the new Folkwang Museum in Essen opens its doors to prove its legacy. Designed by US-star David Chipperfield it is a structural masterpiece and will open its doors on January 30 featuring a magnificent collection of art from artists like van Gogh, Cezanne, Gaugin and Matisse. www.essen-fuer-das-ruhrgebiet.ruhr2010.de
The Kueppersmuehle Museum in Duisburg was designed by Swiss architect Herzog&de Meuron and is situated in a old corn silo. It hosts a great Modern Art collection with works from famous artists such as Beuys and Immendorf. Currently a new cubic extension on top is being built, also designed by Herzog&de Meuron and will be opened in fall 2010. It will be towering over Duisburg’s inner harbour, the city’s leading symbol, and one of the meeting points for the in-crowd of the Ruhr Metropolis. The renowned London architect, Norman Foster, has produced a master plan to redesign and realise the vision of a new harbour, suitable for residents, leisure and work alike. Duisburg will also host the world-famous Loveparade with more than a million visitors. The Techno-festival will take place in July 2010. www.ruhr2010.de
To make all attractions available for tourists, the region offers already a special tourist card with admission to more than 80 museums, industrial heritage objects, leisure attractions, pleasure boat trips and the Ruhr Valley Railway. It’s called the “RuhrTOPCard” and is valid throughout the entire year. In addition there will be a tourist card which allows visitors to enjoy the facilities of the Ruhr Metropolis to the fullest. This includes free travel on the public transport system, coupled with a rebate system allowing visitors to have easy access to the region‘s attractions, especially its top cultural highlights. www.ruhr2010.de/en/ruhr-metropolis/visiting-the-ruhr-metropolis/tourist-card.html
January 11, 2010
Posted in: Germany