The Tower of London, United Kingdom is a fortification in the center of the city. It contains a castle surrounded by two walls and it has been used over the centuries as a royal safe-harbour, prison, zoo, museum and armoury. It has been built in the 11th century CE for William the Conquerer and is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.
Continue reading “The Tower of London”Westminster Abbey
Concerning the royal family the most important church in London, United Kingdom is Westminster Abbey, located close to the Houses of Parliament. The kings and monarchs are crowned and buried here. The abbey was built from 1045 on and the current church was begun in the year 1240. The towers have been added by Sir Christopher Wren from the year 1722 on.
Continue reading “Westminster Abbey”Big Ben
A hugh bell in one of the towers of the Houses of Parliament in London, United Kingdom is called Big Ben – but people tend to use the name for the whole tower. The correct name since the crown jubilee in 2012 is Elizabeth tower. It is now named after Queen Elizabeth – and another tower of the parliament is named after her mother Victoria.
Continue reading “Big Ben”Suspension railway
If you speak about Wuppertal, Germany with a typical German he won’t have too much in mind concerning this city. Maybe he knows the strange joke called “Der Lottogewinner” by Loriot (also called Vicco von Bülow), ending with a confused pensioner thinking that his daughter will open up a mens fashion boutique together with the pope in Wuppertal. Most probably he will only know about the iconic suspension railway leading through the town.
Il Convento
Definitely my favorite restaurant in Kassel, Germany. The “Il Convento” is located close to the Königsplatz and is situated within the old Garnisonskirche (garrison church), which creates a unique atmosphere. The staff cooks traditional Italian food, they behave like Italians, curse in italiano and it might also happen that you have a waiter that doesn’t understand German.
Continue reading “Il Convento”Church, mountain, island
Le Mont-Saint-Michel is a town with 41 inhabitants and 3.5 million visitors a year close to Pontorson, France. It is the most visited tourist spot outside Paris and consists of a magically placed church on a small island at the Atlantic, surrounded by a small town and walls. In earlier days you could only get there at low tide, nowadays you can walk or take a shuttle bus the whole day. Continue reading “Church, mountain, island”
Grote Markt
The Grote Markt is the main market place of Bruges, Belgium and a good starting point for a visit of the town. Directly attached to it you’ll find the Belfort and many old houses. Within this wonderful place there are also shops for Belgian chocolate and you can get the best Belgian fries. Continue reading “Grote Markt”
The Belfort
At the Grote Markt of Bruges, Belgium you can find a big tower called the Belfort, integrated into other buildings. It is 83 meters high and was built during the 13th century CE. It is a symbol for the power of the citizens and still today no building is allowed to be higher then the Belfort. Continue reading “The Belfort”
Museum der Moderne
The Museum der Moderne is a museum of modern art in Salzburg, Austria. It is devided into two parts: the main museum is located in the Rupertinum in the city center and the second part is up on the Mönchsberg with wonderful view down on Salzburg. Continue reading “Museum der Moderne”
The Kunstmuseum
The Kunstmuseum Basel is an art museum in Basel, Switzerland located in the city center close to river Rhein. It contains 4.000 images, sculptures and installations belonging to visual arts. The building has been erected in neoclassicistic style between 1931 and 1936. Continue reading “The Kunstmuseum”