Externsteine ​​rocks in Germany

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These strange rock formations attracted the attention of neo-pagans and neo-Nazis. The Externsteine ​​rocks have a strange cult and a very strange history. Externsteine ​​is translated in different ways — as «Egge stones», or «Star stones». This place is a series of pillar-shaped rock formations in the middle of the Teutoburg Forest.

Externsteine ​​rocks

Entry related to location: Germany

But it’s not just a geological curiosity — Externstein is also believed to be an ancient and sacred Paleolithic place of worship, an astronomical calendar, and the location of a sacred pagan pillar known as the «Irminsul». Externstein is the current Mecca for neo-pagans.

In fact, the prehistory of these breeds is largely unknown, and archaeological digs have proven little. It is still difficult to assume that they had any great significance for the Paleolithic peoples. The strange rock formations were probably used as an occasional hiding place until the late 700s, when Christian monks settled on the Externsteine, carving stairs and reliefs into the huge rocks. Externsteine ​​will continue to change its purpose, serving as a fortress, pleasure palace, and prison, before becoming something even stranger: a place celebrated for its history and spiritual significance, despite the «history» being largely fiction. created by Nazi occultists.


The lack of evidence for the ancient significance of the Externstein rocks did not stop Heinrich Himmler from claiming otherwise. Himmler was head of the Nazi occult division Ahnenerbe, a Nazi think tank that billed itself as a «study society for intellectual ancient history.» In fact, it was a pseudo-scientific organization engaged in the search for or fabrication of the glorious German past. One of the sites identified by the society as important evidence of ancient Teutonic activity was Externstein. Thus, the «Externstein Foundation» was created for further «investigation».

A story was born where Nazism and the occult intersected, and the real history of Externstein was overshadowed by a completely imaginary ancient Teutonic history. Even the carvings of the monks were fabricated by the Nazi pseudo-historian Himmler. One of them is said to have depicted Christianity crushing the Teutonic pagan God prop known as «Irminsul». Nazi Germany was built on this pseudo-history. Nazi youth gathered in Externstein to sing pagan hymns during the solstice and on Hitler’s birthday.


Today, the site remains in the same historical chaos, with adherents of both neo-paganism and neo-Nazism making pilgrimages here. Of course, ordinary tourists also visit Externsteine, because this place is fascinating, even if it is not credited with a fictional history and cultural significance. The tallest of the 5 limestone pillars is 30 meters high. The site does contain many astronomical features (the timing of their creation is still unclear), including a 20-inch window that aligns with the sun at the summer solstice. In addition, the staircase and monk-created relief carvings add a real sense of meaning and awe that has nothing to do with the wild dreams of the Nazi occultists. Every year around the summer solstice, Externstein hosts a Woodstock-style festival.

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Liquidrom — a futuristic spa in Berlin

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This futuristic German spa allows visitors to swim in a salt water pool as well as dive into underwater techno. Piercing the Berlin sky like a surreal crown, the Liquiddrome spa’s exterior looks like something out of a science fiction novel, evoking admiration in the high-tech realm.

liquiddrome

Entry related to location: Berlin

The complex is built to look like an abstract tent structure. This design choice honors its former life as a huge railroad station during World War II, where buskers performed wherever they felt comfortable. Inside the ultra-modern structure, all remnants of those days with locomotives are gone, however, they have been replaced by top-class spas with the most advanced spa services.


The liquiddrome is equipped with various saunas and baths, as well as clean new changing rooms. However, all of these standard leisure options pale in comparison to the spa’s crown jewel, the large salt-water swimming pool. Surrounded by large arches, the dimly lit pool is enlivened by colorful lights and music that should be played underwater. From classical to techno, music and lights run different programs that can be checked on the site.


While the purpose of a salt pool is to promote relaxation, the overall effect is just the opposite, like an act out of a fantasy sci-fi classic. It is possible that this is how the future will relax.

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Museum of Natural History in Berlin

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The Natural History Museum in Berlin houses the world’s largest dinosaur and the polar bear Knut. The Museum of Natural History holds 30 million copies.

natural history museum in berlin

Entry related to location: Berlin

The Natural History Museum was founded in 1810 and is Germany’s largest natural history museum with impressive collections of minerals, zoology and paleontology. Highlights of its outstanding collections include the example of Archeopteryx (the oldest bird known to date), the world’s largest piece of amber, numerous extinct animals such as the quaga and the Tasmanian tiger, and deceased local animal celebrities, including a stuffed gorilla named Bobby and polar bear Knut. The world’s tallest dinosaur is the Giraffatitan (although several different dinosaur species were mixed in its design).


The absolute gem of this collection is the so-called «wet collection», which contains hundreds of thousands of fish and sea creatures in glass jars. Some are over 100 years old. There are so many of them that it fills an entire specially designed museum room, with shelves that stretch upwards and stop only under the roof. This room is lit in a certain way so that the whole space shines like amber. Although the collection is somewhat hidden in the back of the museum, it is a must see.


To get to the Natural History Museum, take the U6 metro or M6 tram to the Naturkundemuseum station.

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Zeil — Frankfurt’s Golden Mile

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Zeil, one of the best shopping areas in Germany, offers a variety of shopping opportunities — from huge department stores to chic boutiques. For more than half a century, the Zeil, Frankfurt’s main shopping street, has attracted locals and visitors who enjoy first-class shopping. The Zeil is often referred to as the «Golden Mile» or «Germany’s Fifth Avenue», where there is something for everyone.

zeil in frankfurt

Entry related to location: Germany

The Zeil Gallery is as famous for its architecture as it is for its shops. Opened in 1992, this ten-story mall features a unique spiral interior. Architects Kramm and Streygal decided to make the interior floors slope so that the visitor could walk to the top of the building without stairs or escalators. Instead, shoppers can access this modern glass and steel structure from top to bottom via centrally located escalators, or a ramp, making it very accessible to the disabled.

shopping in frankfurt

This mall includes a number of shops selling electronics, musical instruments and clothing and is home to several restaurants. The fascinating rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of the city.

Completed in 2010, Palais Quartier is located right on the Zeile. The project includes the existing baroque city palace (restored Palais Thurn y Taxis, built in the early eighteenth century but mostly destroyed during the Second World War) with modern architecture and amenities.

The futuristic Turm am Thurn und Taxis office tower, 135 meters high, and the hotel tower of the Hotelturm are complemented by a large shopping complex. Approximately 48,000 square meters have been dedicated to retail space in the six-story MyZeil shopping complex, formerly known as Zeilforum. MyZeil has a stunning glass façade along a swirl-shaped shopping street. The interior is even more impressive, with irregular ramps and glass columns.

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Senckenberg Museum of Natural History

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The Senckenberg Museum is one of the largest natural history museums in Europe. With displays ranging from dinosaurs to modern animals, the museum showcases the evolution of living organisms on earth. The Senckenberg Museum is one of Frankfurt’s most popular attractions, and its large collection of dinosaur skeletons, as well as numerous equestrian specimens, including the boar-swallowing anaconda, are especially popular with young people.

seckenberg museum

Entry related to location: Germany

The idea of ​​a natural history museum was first proposed by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany’s most famous poet, who also happens to be a naturalist. Local physician Johann Christian Senckenberg made this idea possible by setting up a research fund that led to the launch of the collection in 1822. The modern building of the museum, which also houses the world-famous research institute, was built in 1907.

Seckenberg Museum
The ground floor houses several exhibits of extinct animals, with the main gallery dedicated to dinosaur skeletons, including the most famous Tyrannosaurus Rex exhibit. There are also a large number of well-preserved fossils, many of which come from the Messila Pit, a 49-million-year-old fossil added to the World Heritage List in 1995.


Other galleries showcase collections of minerals and rocks, and even have a room dedicated to Egyptian mummies where you’ll find mummified cats. Another gallery on the ground floor is dedicated to the world’s largest living mammals: whales and elephants. The evolution of these large mammals is shown with pictures of the skeletons of their ancestors. Other animals are displayed on the upper floors.


There are hundreds of mammals and birds, from a small mouse to a giant elk, from a hummingbird to an ostrich. Fish, amphibians, crustaceans (including a meter-long giant crab) and insects are displayed on the top floor, where you will also find an exhibition on the evolution of life.

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Höchst old town, Germany

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A ten-minute S-Bahn ride from Frankfurt Central Station takes you to the western suburb of Höchst, a charming town full of half-timbered houses and a late medieval castle.

city ​​of höchst

Entry related to location: Germany

Höchst was the site of an early Roman settlement. The current history begins around the eighth century, and soon a small town built around the Justinuskirche, built in 830, soon arose. The Prince Electorate of Mainz, who controlled the area, built the Höchster Schloss (Höchst Castle) between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. In 1928 the city’s independence came to an end when it became part of the city of Frankfurt.


Alt Höchst, the old town of Höchst, has some of the most picturesque streets and houses in all of Frankfurt. Narrow pedestrian streets with half-timbered houses lead to the Schlossplatz (Castle Square). Here you can enjoy a pint of beer and a hearty meal while admiring the magnificent castle. The historic Justinuskirche is just around the corner from the hotel.


The white-painted watchtower Höchster Schloss dominates the old town. Originally built in the fourteenth century, the castle has been constantly improved. Work on the castle continued over the following centuries, and at the end of the sixteenth century it was expanded with a new Renaissance structure, the New Castle. In 1908, the dilapidated complex was purchased by local industrial magnate Adolf von Brüning, who opened the castle park to the public. Since 2002, the complex has been owned by the German Monument Protection Fund.

The Justinkirche, or St. Justin’s Church, is the oldest building in Frankfurt. The church dates back to the Carolingian era and was first consecrated in 850. The three-aisled church was modified during the fifteenth century, although it still retains much of its original design. The choir was completely rebuilt in the late Gothic style. The funerary altar was created in the eighteenth century in the then popular Baroque style.


One of Höchst’s most interesting sights is the Bolongaro Palace, a magnificent baroque palace built between 1772 and 1774 by the Bolongaro brothers, merchants from northern Italy. In 1813 Napoleon lived here during the conquest of Europe. The terraced garden in front of the palace was laid out in the Baroque style around the central fountain of Neptune. The balustrades along the terraced garden are decorated with sandstone figures depicting Turkish musicians.

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Padar Island — home of the Komodo Dragons

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Once inhabited by the Komodo dragons, this island landscape has a rare combination of white, pink and black sand beaches. The Indonesian island of Padar is located about 30 km from Labuan Bajo, a fishing town in the westernmost part of Flores. Padar is small but is the third largest island in the Komodo National Park, and was once home to the huge dragons that gave the reserve its name.

Padar Island

Entry related to location: Asia

Padar is mostly covered with savannas. Here you will find a surreal landscape, bordered by bright green mountains of fabulous shapes. All this is surrounded by three turquoise bays, and, curiously, on each of the beaches of the bay, the sand is of a different color: one is pearl white, the other is jet black, and the third is a very rare pale pink. Such a rare combination is the quirk of this unique island.


The black sand beach of volcanic origin consists of various dark minerals. Pink, one of the few in the world, has crushed red coral mixed with white sand. And white, as in most other places, plays the third violin in this ensemble.

Padar is home to wonderful wildlife due to its size. There are six types of sharks, two types of manta rays and many different reptiles. Once upon a time there were three types of Komodo dragons. They are now gone, but they are still found on Komodo, Rinca, Gili Monthang, Gili Dasami and Flores. There are dolphins, occasional whales, falcons, kites, geckos and green turtles. There are some good old little mammals to feed the predators next to them.

Visitors can take a 30-minute hike to the top of Padar for a panoramic view of the island, a hike that takes about an hour. You can also go snorkeling or just visit the pristine tricolor beaches. Labuan Bajo is the closest city and there are tours departing daily for one, two or three days. The best time is April to June and September to November. Be sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, good hiking shoes, a hat, plenty of water, and get ready for some serious uphill climbs.

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Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo

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This ancient altar emerges from the dense forests to reveal the mysteries of the sacrificial rituals of the Etruscans. In 2008, a local resident named Salvatore Foschi rediscovered a monumental pyramid-shaped Etruscan altar, near the famous Parque dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters) in Bomarzo.

Etruscan pyramid of bormazzo

Entry related to place: Italy

The huge Etruscan pyramid was hidden by vegetation on the slopes of a deep canyon and was only discovered for the first time in the 1990s by two local archaeologists. The pyramid is believed to be an altar and dates from the 7th to 6th centuries BC. This altar was used by Etruscan soothsayers. They practiced divination by examining the insides of sacrificial animals. This art of divination was a key element of the «Etruscan Discipline» (Etruscan religious writings), which had a significant impact on Roman culture.


The altar is located to the northwest, facing the direction of the Etruscan gods of the underworld. During the heyday of the Etruscan civilization, it must have been a very important sacred site, although very little is known about it. Steps and troughs to facilitate the flow of blood from sacrificial animals were carved into the altar, also known as the Sasso del Predicatore (Preacher’s Stone). The steps are steep, and the openings on either side of the steps and at intermediate levels may have once supported wooden posts and buttresses.


Surrounding the pyramid is a treasure trove of Etruscan inscriptions, tombs, medieval ruins and a mysterious tower linked to Italian writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Hiking trails connect all locations over a four-hour hike. Unmarked hiking trails lead to the pyramid. Detailed instructions can be found online (on YouTube) and by downloading the .gpx tracks. Most of the pistes start from the sports grounds of Bomarzo.

See also — Alternative pyramids. top 10

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Yik Laom Volcanic Lake

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The shores of Lake Yik Laom form an almost perfect circle, although the lake has a small circumference and reaches only 48 meters in depth. Its shape and depth are due to volcanic origin. This lake is considered sacred, and even arguing in this idyllic crater is forbidden.

lake yik laom

Entry related to location: Asia

It is believed that 4,000 years ago a volcanic eruption created a crater that eventually filled with water. Once the lake was surrounded by dense forest on all sides, but today only a thin layer remains, most of the land has been cultivated. The waters of Yik Laom are crystal clear, in stark contrast to the bright green forests in the background, especially if you visit the lake during or shortly after the rainy season. Exotic birds and butterflies are permanent residents, and wild pigs call this place their home.


Although the lake is considered sacred by the locals, swimming or playing in the water is popular with locals and tourists alike. Wooden docks with steps were built for ease of access. In 2018, bureaucratic procedures were initiated to register Yik Laom and the lands around it as state land in order to better protect the environment. Other lake protection measures prohibit people from using detergents, gambling, or arguing in the lake.

Read also about the most beautiful lakes in the world on the pages of LifeGlobe.


Five villages are located around the lake. The combination of trails and wooden planks spans 2.5 kilometers of the lake’s shores. Along the way, you will meet a small tourist center with information about the lake and the crafts of the locals. Yik Laom is located about five kilometers from the provincial capital of Ratanakiri Banlung, which is ideal for cycling. This place can be easily reached by taxi or motorbike. Ratanakiri was heavily bombed during the Second Indochina War and unexploded ordnance is occasionally found in the region. Deviation from the beaten path can end very badly here.

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Koyashskoe salt lake in Crimea

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The most saline lake in all Crimea is also the pinkest of pinks and teeming with life. Lake Koyashskoye is an anomaly in the sense that the drier it is, the more beautiful it becomes.

koyash lake in crimea

The entry is related to the place: Crimea

This is because as the water evaporates and the salt content rises, the microscopic algae and brine shrimp that give this lake its perpetually dark pink hue thrive and concentrate. The water level drops, and salt crystals sparkling like diamonds cover the rocks that emerge from the water. Lake Koyashskoye, with a volume of about 350 g of salt per liter, is the most salty reservoir in the Crimea.


Located in the Opuksky Reserve, the lake creates a Martian landscape on the Kerch Peninsula and is separated from the Black Sea by only a small strip of land. Against the backdrop of the turquoise waters of the sea and the white shores, the pink-coral color really contrasts.


Not as treacherous as the hot Lake Natron or as deep as the salt-rich Lake Retba, Koyash is too small for the status of a majestically pink salt lake. Reaching about a meter in depth, the water occupies a silt bed about 7 kilometers long and just over a kilometer wide. The silt under the lake is said to have some healing properties, and the locals have been collecting it for a long time, as well as growing salt at the water’s edge. Like its salty counterparts, Koyash is unsuitable for most plants and creatures, with the exception of brine and seaweed, which give the water its rose-red sheen.

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