Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Buenos Aires’ oldest public square and Argentina’s most important civic and political meeting place. Its name commemorates the May revolution of 1810, which began the process leading to independence from Spanish rule. Since then, the square has witnessed celebrations, demonstrations, political speeches and moments of national crisis, making it a place where Argentina’s history remains unusually visible in everyday city life.
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Montevideo’s Palacio Legislativo is Uruguay’s parliamentary seat: the building in which the General Assembly meets, comprising the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. Standing prominently in the Aguada district on Avenida de las Leyes, it is far more than an administrative building; it is a national monument and one of the city’s clearest expressions of civic confidence and republican identity.
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Montevideo’s principal civic square: a broad urban space that forms the threshold between the colonial streets of Ciudad Vieja and the more modern city centre. It is important because much of Uruguay’s national story is concentrated here, in a setting where government, culture, memory and everyday city life meet. The square occupies the site of the former Spanish citadel, whose fortifications once defended the colonial settlement; after independence, the walls were removed and the area was reshaped to connect the old town with the expanding capital.
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The Kronsberg is Hannover’s highest natural elevation: a long ridge rather than a conventional mountain. It lies on the south-eastern edge of the city, roughly nine kilometres from the centre, between the Hannover exhibition grounds and the Bockmerholz woodland. The ridge is formed mainly of limestone marl and reaches about 106 metres above sea level in its natural state; an artificial summit mound raises the highest viewpoint to roughly 118 metres.
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The Steinhuder Meer is a shallow lake in Niedersachsen, north-west of Hannover, and the largest inland lake in the region. Covering roughly 30–32 square kilometres, it forms the centrepiece of the Naturpark Steinhuder Meer, a landscape of reed beds, marshes, moorland, meadows and woodland. Despite its name, Meer means ‚sea‘ here, reflecting its broad open horizon and long-standing maritime character rather than salt water.
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The Tetraeder at Bottrop is a striking steel sculpture and viewing platform that has become the town’s most recognisable landmark. Officially called the ‘Haldenereignis Emscherblick‘, it takes the form of a giant tetrahedron: a three‑sided pyramid made from steel tubes and cast nodes, resting on four concrete pillars. Its geometric silhouette seems to float above the summit of an artificial hill, giving the structure an almost weightless appearance despite its industrial materials.
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Zeche Zollverein in Essen was once one of the world’s largest and most advanced hard-coal mines. Together with its enormous coking plant, it formed a highly efficient industrial complex where coal was extracted, processed and converted into coke for the steel industry. Its striking winding tower, steel framework and red-brick buildings make it an outstanding example of modern industrial architecture.
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The Universitätsreitstall, also known as the Akademisches Reithaus, was a remarkable Baroque complex built between 1734 and 1736 for the newly founded University of Göttingen. It included a covered riding school, stables, an outdoor riding arena and accommodation for the university’s riding master. This was not merely a practical facility: equestrian training formed part of the education of young aristocrats, while riding demonstrations could also serve as prestigious public events.
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The Hamburger Michel is the affectionate name for Hamburg’s principal church, St. Michaelis, a magnificent Baroque building near the harbour. Its striking copper-covered tower rises 132 metres above the Neustadt district, making the church one of the first landmarks visitors notice when approaching the city centre. With its bright white interior, spacious nave and imposing clock, the Michel is among the most recognisable buildings in northern Germany.
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Krebeck, in the Samtgemeinde Gieboldehausen in the Göttingen district of Niedersachsen, is marked as the geodetic centre of Germany. In the village, a prominent stone with an information plaque commemorates the site, although the calculated point itself lies in the Struth woodland, roughly one kilometre north-west of the village centre, at 51°35′26″N, 10°06′22″E. The memorial was installed after German reunification and was inaugurated in 1991, with Bundestagspräsidentin Rita Süssmuth reported to have attended.
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