Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Knežev dvor was once the seat of the republic of Regusa, the predecessor of Dubrovnik. When standing in front of the building and looking at the giant columns shaping the facade you can still today imagine how this was the center of power. It was first built in 1435 but had to be rebuilt several times due to wars and earthquakes.
Continue reading “Rector’s palace”
Street life in Dubrovnik can be very hectic with lots of hustle and bustle created by the high amount of tourists moving through the city. If you need a break and a little bit of silence there are two beautiful cloisters in the city center: the cloister of the Dominican Order (close to the Ploče gate) and the one of the Franciscans (close to the Pile gate). Get a ticket and enjoy a moment of relaxation.
Continue reading “Silence”
The Minčeta tower is part of the city walls of Dubrovnik and one of the four fortresses protecting the city. It is the highest point of the city walls and offers amazing views on the ancient town. The impressive tower was built from 1319 on and was finished in 1464. The walls are six meters thick and unbeatable during the time when the tower was created and used. Using a staircase inside you can get to the top – for the best picture of the old town.
Continue reading “Kula Minčeta”
The highlight #1 of every visit to Dubrovnik is a walk on the ancient city walls. It was built from the 8th century on and was very helpful during the many times the city was besieged – may it be by the Saracen, the Republic of Venice, the Mongols or the Crusaders. The city walls are around two kilometers long and offer amazing views from all sides on the UNESCO world heritage site.
Continue reading “Walking on walls”
The hotel Petka at Dubrovnik is a special case: it is recommended in modern tourist guides, but looks rather old-fashioned. It is in the non-touristy harbor area but good for tourists, because it is close to the cruise boat harbor and the bus terminal. You can enjoy more normal Croatian life but you’ll always need to take a bus to get to the ancient city center.
Continue reading “Hotel Petka”
The airport of Dubrovnik (DBV) is located in Čilipi, a small town 20 kilometers southeast of the ancient city. A taxi ride might cost you around 40 Euros, by bus it is only 11 Euros for a return ticket. The bus starts 30 minutes after flights arrive directly in front of the terminal. If you’re too slow you might miss it. It brings you to one of the old city gates or to the bus terminal in the harbor.
Continue reading “Zračna luka”
The COVID-19 pandemic created a special situation: for more than two and a half years concerts were shifted continuously into the future. We were always believing that next year everything will be fine and in addition to the concert tickets I had already bought I acquired new ones. In 2022 when everyone had the chance to get vaccinated and many people had already infected with variants of the virus that were at least less harmful, large concerts were possible again. And my calendar was full with concerts; starting with a performance of Madsen at the Stadionsporthalle of Hannover.
Continue reading “Wo es beginnt”
The Festung Ehrenbreitstein is a fortress high above river Rhein at Koblenz. Located on a 180 meters high rock the history of this place dates back to the 16th century, first settlements found can be dated back even to the year 4,000 BCE. The fortress was used by German and French forces and served to protect the region underneath. Over time it was used as a jail, a center for displaced persons, an archive and a storage for atomic waste.
Continue reading “Festung Ehrenbreitstein”
The Festung Ehrenbreitstein is located on the opposite side of the river Rhein when standing at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz. You could access the fortress with its roots in the 16th century on foot, by car or via a funicular in the south. But there is also another way to get up with marvelous views: the cable car starting close to the Deutsches Eck.
Continue reading “Up and away”
Every year a lot of tourists visits a land tongue at the confluence over the rivers Mosel and Rhein: the Deutsches Eck at Koblenz. On it you can find the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal, a problematic memorial when looking at the design and the inscriptions. It features the monarchy and nationalism, it includes the former eastern parts of Germany (east prussia, silesia and pomerania) in the list of German federal states.
Continue reading “Deutsches Eck”