Rising above the old town center of Ulm is the Oath House which stood on what could have been the old King’s Palace. It is one of the most important buildings in Ulm and has an interesting tradition of “Oath Monday” every first Monday of July where the Lord’s Mayor gives his account of the previous year’s events. This year, Oath Monday falls on the 20^th of July, 2015. The day will also be marked with special celebrations. Nearby attractions include Christopher Fountain and history museum. Address: Schworhaus, Weinhof 12, 89073 Ulm. Admission fee: Free

7. Escape to nature and visit Botanical Garden and Arboretum

Maintained by the University of Ulm, this botanical garden spreads on 28 hectares of land, it has green houses, beautiful gardens, pond, cottage garden and meadows.  It is located in Hans-Krebs-Weg, Ulm and open to public on weekdays. Admission is free

ESSENTIAL GUIDE:

How to Get to Ulm?

1. By Train

The railway station is located within the town center near Ulm Minster. Ulm is closer to Baden-Wurttemberg’s capital, Stuttgart, just an hour ride, than to Munich, which is almost 2 hours travel according to online sources. Special train tickets called Lander-Tickets can be bought when you are traveling around Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. Rates: €22 for one person and €38 for five persons.

2. By Plane

Take ICE or IC train to get to Ulm if you are coming from any of the following airports:

a. Stuttgart Airport – Only 90 km from Ulm and about one hour travel by train.

b. Munich International Airport – 150 km from Ulm or about two to three hours by train. The airport has an S-Bahn station that connects to other Munich train stations.

c. Friedrichshafen Airport – also known as Bodensee Airport, about two hours ride by train.

3. By Car

Ulm is near the intersection of the A7 and A8 autobahns.

Getting Around in Ulm

There are buses around Ulm and sightseeing boats on the River Danube. The town center and the historic Old Quarter can be best explored by foot.

Where to Stay?

I've never been to Beijing but I'm wishing someday I could visit this amazing ancient capital and take a day trip to the Forbidden City and to the breathtaking, Great Wall, one of the wonders of the world.

One of Asia's great ancient cities that hold a special place on everyone's imagination due to its historic imperial past is Beijing. 

Impressive. Timeless. Extraordinary. The People's Republic of China's capital highlights the cultural history of the oriental region, its thriving customs, great influence in alternative medicine, healthy lifestyle and endearing Asian traits. 

Beijing exemplifies China's interesting cultural heritage with modern touches and offers fascinating discoveries on the remnants of its glorious imperial past through old structures and beautiful attractions. Great Wall is one, which makes Beijing a must-visit Asian city among travelers.

Great Wall of China is one of the greatest Wonders of the World, entered in 1987 as UNESCO's World Heritage Site, its vivid history had been widely studied in all Academic institutions for generations. It is China's ultimate national symbol which continues to stun people across the globe due to its awe-inspiring defensive architecture. It stood imposing above the rugged cliff, and according to online sources, stretches from Shanhaiguan district to Lop Lake and the Southern edge of inner Mongolia.

With its breathtaking location on top of the mountain, detailing China's natural scenery and overlooking slopes and green environment with horizon seems just within reach, Great Wall, no doubt, is on everyone's bucket list of must-see places around the world.

If you're planning to visit this amazing Asian attraction, you should never waste time by just wandering around the area with no idea where to take your first step. Tour guides are available to help you make the most of your time and enjoy the adventure.

One of the most trusted tour guides of Great Wall who has been receiving excellent feedback from travelers is Mr. Ping, you may contact him direct to the link given and check the arrangement of the tour and corresponding payment. Read traveler's feedback at Tripadvisor HERE.

For more details and info, you may visit the official Facebook page HERE

Got these travel destination ideas from other "stumblers" while adding my sites in Stumble Upon. I love nature and I adored Europe so these suggested European holiday getaways are simply perfect!

What made these destinations very interesting is its terrific location in the countryside, calm, quiet, and romantic with a vibrant scenery of greenlands, streams and valleys, a perfect diversion from the redundant beach resorts and luxurious amusement parks we regularly read in travel magazines and websites.

So let's get to know more about these spectacular villages in Europe which are perfect holiday escapes but rarely mentioned in travel surveys and articles. 

BIBURY, ENGLAND

I love everything about Britain, from the afternoon tea tradition, beautiful countryside to castles and royalty, it's cool to explore the archipelago even just in my thoughts. 

I've been researching for quite sometime now how to travel to Britain (Great Britain is composed of three countries which are ancient in existence: England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is not part of the geography of Britain but it constitutes the whole part of the United Kingdom, the official name of Great Britain) and read everything about its beautiful countryside, Northumbria, Grasmere, Cornwall, Gloucestershire and the Scottish Loch ness for instance, but I didn't know anything about Bibury! I read stuff about Cotswold, which is known as the area of outstanding natural beauty, and its breathtaking sea side but haven't heard anything about its villages.

Okay, so here. According to the source, Bibury is a beautiful English village at the Cotswold region in Southern England. So lovely that by looking at the village's cobbled houses and pathways through photos you will be instantly entranced with its extraordinary beauty of nature!

According to the image source, Bibury has relaxing lush meadows that serve as a natural backdrop to the ancient stone cottages with steep pitched roofs in the village. The most scenic area is the Arlington Row, a lane of sepia-hued cottages believed to be built around the 17th century and has been preserved up to the modern times.

Oh I love Cotswold! This Southern England region is really fantastic and dreamy. The countryside and the beaches are captivating and I believed the Isle of Mull (correct me if I'm wrong) is part of this region.

CONG, IRELAND

Before going elsewhere in the continent, let's have another taste of wonder at England's nearest neighbour, Ireland. This might sounds strange as some globe-trotters never included this country in their list of favourite travel destinations, but did you know that Ireland, known as the emerald isle, is equally interesting as England? Or so I thought (I just read it in the book).

I'm not quite familiar with Ireland, aside from its capital, Dublin, and the Giant Causeway, the only Irish village I know (through books) is Limerick. But Oh, there's one, Cong! What a name!! Never heard about it.

Cong is a lovely village whose topography straddles between the County of Mayo and Galway dominated by vibrant meadows, lakes and lush plants, it has medieval cottages that survived up to the modern times. The most fascinating thing about this village is that it is home to Ashford Castle, a grand Victorian estate that has been converted to a luxurious hotel.

Cong, Ireland might not be your ideal travel escape but with its amazing gift of nature and interesting culture, it's not bad to include this place when travelling to Ireland.

REINE, NORWAY

Known to the world as the Land of Midnight Sun, Norway is equally interesting as the rest of the countries in the Scandinavian peninsula. Its countryside is covered with fjords, streams, lakes, rugged terrain, rolling hills and beautiful blooms.

Everyone knows Norway's capital is Oslo, but only few travellers are aware that the country has an extraordinary and lovely lakeside. Here, let's find out more about this lakeside sort of thing and discover Reine, one of Norway's wonderful villages which has a direct access to the Arctic circle.

According to the source, Reine is located in the North of the Arctic circle, so expect to experience a terrible blizzard of ice during winter when visiting this place. Basically, Reine is a fishing village in the Lofoten archipelago which is shrouded by the breathtaking wilderness of Nordic!

This village offers visitors an extraordinary experience of breathing the cool fresh air from the Norwegian sea and the amazing view of the summer midnight sun through its cottages and cabins which are directly facing the sea side.

BLED, SLOVENIA

Oh! Another unpopular European destination, you might thought. But no, Slovenia is as lovely as Austria and Germany.

To make things easier for everyone to know Slovenia, here's a little background:

This country is once part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, when this Kingdom was partitioned and thoroughly erased in the map of Europe, Slovenia for a time was annexed to Serbia until 1991 when it became an independent country. Now, this small nation is one of the most interesting places to visit in Central Europe. The country's capital is Lijublijana.

It borders Italy, Austria and Croatia and what's interesting about the landscape of Slovenia is its ideal location near the Alps! So just imagine how romantic it is to visit Slovenia during winter or even Autumn.

One of its amazing villages is Bled. The atmosphere is so relaxing because this small Alpine town is cradled by mountain hilltops, meadows and a lake whose glacial blue waters encircled the tiny island with a baroque church smack in the middle.

While we never gone yet to Bled, Slovenia, we can easily picture out how everything runs when we travel to this place someday. After visiting the church and marvelling at its placid blue water, a quick mountain trekking is somewhat ideal and experience the soothing breeze while throwing glances to the panoramic view of the Alps. Picture-perfect isn't it?

There you go, the amazing European villages we almost never know as these are rarely featured in the travel magazines and articles. Countryside travel is ideal especially if you want to discover the natural beauty of the country you are visiting and experience the stillness of the mother earth.

I am very fascinated with Cherry Blossoms!

I lived in a tropical country, so Cherry Blossom trees are not part of our landscape but it's been one of my greatest dreams to visit a country where I could see the spectacular foliage of Cherry Blossoms so a dream trip to Japan or South Korea is part of my bucket list.

New York City and Washington, D.C in the United States have Cherry Blossoms that perfectly spread romantic white blooms at Springtime but of course an American travel sounds like taking a trip to the moon at the moment so why not just throw my focus to see Cherry Blossoms in Asia?

There are three Asian countries where abundant trees of Cherry Blossoms can be found: Japan, South Korea and China. Japan is home to wide varieties of Cherry Blossoms where every landscape of the country is shrouded with these beautiful spring flowers. According to online sources, Japanese traditionally called a Cherry Blossom tree as Sakura and there's a century-old practice in Japan called "Hanami" which is organizing a dry picnic under the mighty Sakura tree. The most popular variety of Cherry Blossoms in Japan is the Somei Yoshino which has a soft icy pink blooms. Cherry Blossoms and its leaves are edible and often used as food ingredients in Japan.

However, South Korea is my top favorite to visit because the country has so much to offer to tourists and the cost of living is a lot cheaper than Japan. South Korea has been known with organic skincare products and I want to see how things are made there. I had a chance to study and made research about the South Korean market when I created a business plan for export back in my MBA days, so I am a bit familiar where to go, what to do. The country is just so fascinating and I want to witness every bit of it in Seoul or in Jeju Island of even in Busan.

Cherry Blossoms can also be found everywhere in South Korea and the gorgeous JEJU-DO ISLAND has some of the most elegant varieties. This flower was introduced in South Korea during the Japanese occupation and the festival continued even after the surrender of Japan in World War II. 

China has its own version of Cherry Blossoms, in fact, there are two Cherry Blossoms park in the suburban areas: one in Dalian, Liaoning and the other in Donghu district. During spring season, the blooms of these trees provide the Chinese suburban areas with a unique glamour and beauty, a great attraction to tourists.

Other countries with Cherry Blossoms are the United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Brazil and Australia. In Great Britain, abundant Cherry Blossoms can be found in Gloucestershire in Batsford Arboretum, a botanical garden with more than 2,000 trees, it has a large collection of Japanese maples, magnolias and pine.

In South Korea, Cherry Blossoms appear only in few weeks during Spring time particularly during the month of April. Two places in South Korea where tourists can see the wonders of this flower are at the Hangang riverside park and Jeju-do island. Towards the last week of March, the blossoming began at Jeju-do island and work its way up until the second or third week of April. There are festivals related to Cherry Blossoms in Korea: Jinhae Gungangje Festival at the end of March and Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival on the first week of April.

Let's concentrate in South Korea which is really a possible destination for Filipinos during Spring season to get cozy under the Cherry Blossom trees. The cost of travel is not as expensive as going to Japan or anywhere in the world.

According to Korea Meteorological Association, the following dates are the blooming period of Cherry Blossoms in respected South Korean places:

March 24 - Seogwipo

March 29 - Jinhae Yeojwacheon Stream

March 30 - Busan

March 31 - Daegu

April 1 - Tongyeong and Hadong Ssanggyesa Temple

April 2 - Cheongju

April 3 - Gwangju

April 4- Daejeon and Yeosu

April 7 - Jeonju

April 8 - Gangneung

April 10 - Seoul

April 13 - Incehon

I dreamed to take a quick tour to South Korea at Springtime to see Cherry Blossoms and take million of pictures, April is always a wonderful time to do this, maybe next April on my birthday everything will come true finally!Well, in God's time.

Source: Korea Tourism Organization

Taking a world travel is one of my wishes, and it seems my life will not be complete without realizing this dream, but since it requires tons of money and preparation, my dream, as of now, well, remains a dream. While relishing some hopes of realizing this life's greatest wish someday, I will have to list down the places I want to be in before going to the house of the Lord.

I first saw this incredibly breathtaking gift of nature in the film "THE MISSION" , a story about the daring act of Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century to christianize the Guarani tribes in South America along the Paraguay border. 

Its wide range location is shared by three South American countries: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Iguazu, in my eyes, depicts perfection when it comes to a picturesque mountain and waterfalls. It has a rugged cliff and the water and the surroundings are simply extraordinary! 

Iguazu is often dubbed as the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, wonderful than Niagara falls that former US First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, was heard blurting "poor Niagara".

Due to its dangerous elevation, far-away location and treachery cliff, trekking Iguazu is very difficult to realize. But my dream is just to view the area in the background and I don't want to do mountain climbing anyway.

WINDSOR CASTLE (England)

One of the most frequently visited landmarks in England, Windsor Castle simply amazes travellers with its unique history and glorious past.

Dubbed by 19th century diarist, Samuel Pepys, as the most romantic castle in the world, Windsor Castle echoes mystic and charm. The castle has a beautiful avenue called "The Long Walk" constructed during the reign of King Charles II and patterned after the manicured garden in the Palace of Versailles in France. The Long Walk has a well-maintained garden, park benches, bed of flowers, plants and other natural wonders.

Windsor Castle is the weekend residence of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and the official seat of court during Easter Sunday, New Year and Royal Ascot. It has two working farms, several state apartments, beautifully-trimmed garden, gift shop, chapel and orange orchard. A guided tour to Windsor can be organized on several schedules and I am looking forward to the day I can finally visit this wonderful royal fortress.

PALACE OF VERSAILLES (France)

I heard this many times "Paris is one of the most exciting and lively cities to visit" and ever since the day I heard it, I did not stop dreaming that one day I could visit this city of romance! While browsing a tour guide for France, I was stunned with the extraordinary beauty of the garden of the Palace of Versailles!Such a terrific site to behold!

The Palace is located just outside Paris and its 250-acre manicured garden allured visitors due to its breathtaking design and style. History has it that the spectacular garden influenced King Charles II of England in the 17th century to design Windsor Castle's Long Walk avenue.

It is the former home of the French monarchs and the palace's structural design can be attributed to various royal occupants. And taking a trip there is like a grand treat of a lifetime. With its fantastic garden, relaxing environment and colorful history, Palace of Versailles is more than just an exciting place to visit.

ALNWICK GARDENS (England)

Back to England! And to the most terrific and incredible garden in the world!

Alnwick Gardens is located in Northumbria near the border of Scotland. Though not privately owned by the Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy (who owns Alnwick Castle, made famous by Harry Potter films as Hogwarts), the Garden creation was primarily supervised by his wife, the Duchess of Northumberland.

According to its official website "its masses of pink Tulips are sweeping over the hills of the Cherry orchard, a truly spectacular site", oh well that's why I am so obsessed with this place to visit someday because I love Tulips!

It has a magical landscape, like a fairyland and its surrounding is perfectly covered with magnificent architecture, lots of trimmed plants, waterfalls, beautiful spring flowers and other amazing ornaments. This is one of  the most beautiful places I want to visit when someday I could take a grand European tour, well in God's time.

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE (Bavaria, Germany)

When it comes to Castle, apart from Windsor Castle in England, nothing beats the grandeur and fantasy of Neuschwanstein Castle.

Perching above the rugged hills of Hohenschwangau village near Fussen in Bavaria, Southwest Germany, this fairytale castle is one of Europe's most popular tourist landmarks with a record of more than one million people visiting this ancient royal fortress annually.

This castle is a former home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the mad King whose eccentricities in life prompted his ministers to declare him lunatic and unfit to rule a Kingdom. Originally, he intended to make this castle his private home and a personal refuge away from the irritation and annoyance that came with being a King. He also made this as a homage to his favourite artist, Richard Wagner, but the Bavarian government incurred heavy debt for financing this castle that after the King's death (in a mysterious circumstance where many believed the King was murdered), the government decided to open the castle to public to generate income.

today, this wonderful castle is very famous among travellers and honeymooners. It is also prominently featured in many fairytale movies and became the basis of the design of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Black Forest in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany is also one of my dreamed destinations. Oh I hope I could visit Germany someday!

ISLE OF SKYE (Scotland)

From Germany to England and Scotland. Another lifelong wish is to see and visit Isle of Skye, a picturesque British isle located off the West coast of mainland Scotland, it is known for its natural beauty, wildlife and tranquil surroundings. I want to see the Ornsay isle, Knock castle, the serene countryside, the beautiful sunset at one of its bay areas.

I am always enthralled with the natural, fresh beauty of the surroundings, modern buildings never fascinate me, so taking a trip to hinterlands, farm, beaches or countryside is more exciting than roaming at posh city malls. Isle of Skye is simply fantastic, its calm and poetic environment is a perfect place to spend a quiet day planning and writing manuscripts.

BORA BORA (French Polynesia)

Who does not want to visit this captivating paradise in the South Pacific?

When it comes to natural and spectacular beauty of the sea nothing compares Bora Bora!With its legendary charm and unbelievably alluring seaside, Bora Bora is often called the most beautiful island in the planet and it seems to be everybody's idea of a perfect holiday getaway.

Often referred as the Paradise in the South Pacific, Bora Bora is located along the Tahitian Island of French Polynesia, a French overseas collectivity. Its blue lagoon, ivory sand, sparkling blue water and lush tropical environment are what makes Bora Bora an incredible holiday escape. It is one of my dreamed places to visit too even once in a lifetime. But with almost $2,500 rate per night accommodation, Bora Bora might be just a dream :-D

MUSTIQUE ISLAND (St. Vincent and the Grenadines, North America)

I've come to know this mysterious (because it is somewhat unheard!) name while reading the book, "The Royals" by Kitty Kelly when she mentioned that Princess Margaret (younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II) often holidayed at Mustique during her youth and in fact the Princess built a beautiful villa there called Les Jolies Eaux in a 10 acre plot given to her by the island's owner as a wedding gift. So I made a research about this island and, yes, I was stunned with its breathtaking location and surroundings through photos!

Mustique Island is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in North America near Barbados and St. Lucia--all constitutes the Commonwealth Realms of the British Queen. There are direct flights, according to the Mustique official website, from Britain, Canada and the United States and in order to get there, visitors may take a direct flight from either of the places mentioned above to Barbados or St. Lucia, Mustique is just few minutes away from these locations.

Mustique is a private island spread in 1,400 acres owned by Lord Glenconner and has 70 luxury villas for rent with a whopping $4, 250 to $150,000 each villa per week!Argggh..The island continues to attract famous and rich people, well with its price tag, naturally only their "class and kind" can afford. Famous people who regularly holidayed in Mustique are Prince William, his grandmother's cousin, Lord Liechfield, Sir Richard Branson, Mick Jagger and fashion icon, Tommy Hilfiger. The villa owned by Princess Margaret was sold by her son, Viscount Linley, and is now available for rent.

THE GREAT PYRAMID (Egypt)

This is one of my childhood fascinations. Back then, I thought Pyramids are not real and just part of the world's ancient legend but when I grew up I learned pyramids are real and one of the wonders of the ancient world that survived in the present days!

The site is simply captivating, with its famous architectural relics of the early generation and amazing design, not to mention its historical existence, this part of the ancient world is so magical that dreaming a leisure trip there is always a fulfilling idea.

Though Egypt lately became the centre of intrigue and controversies, it did not stop me from wishing someday I can make a trip down there to see the pyramids and other historical, ancient architectural landmarks all over Egypt.

TUSCANY and VENICE (Italy)

Tuscany, a beautiful and romantic region in Italy, is one of the places I am dying to visit if given a chance to travel to Europe, it's simply wonderful! The breezy environment, the seaside, the vineyard and the authentic Italian cuisine, so fabulous!

Aside from the spectacular Tuscany, I also want to take a trip to Venice to ride the famous Gondola!

Super romantic and relaxing, Gondola is a boat-hire  passing through a wide canal in Venice, it is perfect for honeymooners and people who enjoy the pleasure of taking a boat ride.

Traveling seems to be the most fascinating thing in life to recharge and relieve tension. Though it requires huge budget to hop in to our favorite travel destinations, this financial burden can be lessen by watching occasional promotions from travel agencies and airlines. Because European of North American tours are expensive, why not take Asian holiday getaway instead?

HONGKONG AND MACAU 

Planning to spend summer at the exciting Disneyland Hongkong and embark a fabulous escapade at the nearby Macau? Oriental Travel Tour offers seasonal promo tours for Hongkong and Macau adventures. These two special administrative regions of China offer a spectacular experience of traveling. Macau a former Portuguese colony, has magnificent landmarks to marvel, Mediterranean Churches, ancient temples, resorts and casinos are some of Macau's best attractions. Aside from Disneyland, Hongkong has stunning heritage sites, cityscapes and landmarks, The Peak, Victoria Harbour and Giant Budhha are some of its famous attractions.

SINGAPORE

Singapore is one of the most frequently visited states in Asia because of its modern landmarks, shopping centers, architecture and tourist attractions. It is the home of several world-class hotels which offer comfort and relaxation. Sentosa is as amazing as Florence and Lucerne in Europe, Night Safari, Songs of the Sea and Ocean Park are some of the most exciting landmarks to visit in Singapore.

THAILAND

Formerly known as Siam, Thailand is the world's 50th largest city. It offers many wonderful tourist destinations with structures influenced by modern and ancient civilizations. Most of its fantastic landmarks are shaped by cultures and religion. Its famous landmarks include the Khmer ruins, Wat Chaiwatthanaram at Ayutthaya, the Grand Palace in Bangkok among others. Thailand has many romantic beaches too; Phuket and Phang Nga, touted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, offers a thrilling seaside adventure. Plan your itineraries in advance so as not to miss anything.