Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Fürstenzug in Dresden, Germany is a huge mural display attached to the castle within the city center. It has been painted from 1871 to 1876 and should celebrate the former sovereigns of Saxonia on the 800th anniversary of the Wettin family. It is 102 meters long and depicts 35 noblemen mounted on their horses.
I still remember the moment when I was standing in front of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, Germany the first time in my life. It was a ruin. Big blocks of stone were lying around. The government of the GDR had no interest in repairing a house of prayer and left it standing in ruins – as a memorial of war.
Continue reading “Finally restored”
Kraków, Poland is a wonderful medieval city that survived the centuries without being destroyed or harmed. That is why it has a very unique atmosphere and style. It was until 1596 the capital of the kingdom of Poland and most Polish kings are buried within the cathedral of Kraków. Here you’ll also find the second-oldest university in northern Europe directly after Praha, Czech Republic.
An emotionally stunning and disturbing place that one has to see once in a lifetime. When Nazi Germany occupied Poland they started to use an old army site close to the town of Oświęcim, Poland as a concentration camp and work camp – at first for Polish opposition members. Forced labour especially for the German company I.G. Farben was one of the main goals, even when the first Jews arrived.
Continue reading “Industrialized mass murder”
I decided to stay overnight at Brno, Czech Republic instead of Praha – because I wanted to get away from the massive tourist streams in this city. And yes, because it was well positioned on my travel route. This was a good decision, because Brno feels like the real Česko. A young and very vivid city with a surprisingly good nightlife.
Things went too fast in Praha, Czech Republic when the Iron Curtain fell. Located one and a half hours by car away from the German border this city was immediately flooded by tourists and the city council had to take many fast decisions. Multi-storey car parks arose everywhere in the town, hip-on-hop-off busses appeared and the city lost a bit of its bohemian atmosphere.
Some cities in Germany have their own events and special times of the year: like Karneval in Cologne, Oktoberfest in Munich or the Canstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. In Bremen it is time for the Freimarkt in the last two weeks of October; always beginning on a Friday. It’s a tradition reaching back to the year 1035 and as the typical limitations and monopolies of markets in the city where revoked within this time frame, the name free market was established.
When visiting Málaga, Spain you’ll directly see a fortification on the hill above. The Alcazaba (Arab for “citadel”) has been built by the Moors in the 11th century CE. It is beautifully repaired for touristic reasons (which includes, that the reparation works are not always historically correct) and you can tour the houses and courtyards of this castle – which is especially nice because of the water flows realized throughout the area.
One of the most beautiful stops during my road trip throughout Andalucía was Ronda. No big motorway leads there. It is necessary to take streets winding through the huge mountains. But the time to travel there is invested very well: Ronda lies on the back of two lofty plains and you can stand directly at the chasm and enjoy views on the landscape surrounding the city.
Cádiz, Spain is a city in the eastern end of Andalucía. It is famous for its harbour which is very important for touristic sea cruises and the Spanish military fleet. The natural conditions show why: the city is located on a land tongue that reaches into the bay of Cádiz. It is maybe the perfect harbour.