Sights Archives ⋆ Page 24 of 153 ⋆ The Passenger

October 1, 2023October 29, 2023

Sameba

The Sameba cathedral at თბილისი (also called Holy Trinity Cathedral) is a vast modern church in the city quarter Avlabari, located on Elias hill. It was built until 2004 and is the largest church building in Transcaucasia. The church itself is vast, but it is already special by its surroundings: the nine hectares large park around it, the stairs leading from the main gate to the church accompanied by columns showing Christian history. It consists of a campanile and nine chapels dedicated to saints, apostles and archangels. Most beautiful is the impressive mosaic behind the altar.

October 1, 2023October 29, 2023

Metechi

The historic center of თბილისი is a rock next to river Mtkwari and todays Europe square. On top you will find the Metechi church, an orthodox church from the 13th century surrounded by a nice garden with many pomegranate trees. While it is today standing alone on top of the rock it was formerly surrounded by the royal palace of თბილისი. The Russians converted the palace into a jail that was also used to incarcerate dictator Joseph Stalin (born at Gori close to Tbilisi). In 1937 the buildings were demolished leaving only the church in this location.

October 1, 2023October 24, 2023

Presidential palace

In 2003 the Revolution of Roses occurred at Georgia, removing president Eduard Shevardnadze and replacing him by the leader of the opposition, Mikheil Saakashvili. In the upcoming years Saakashvili successfully fought corruption and developed the country. He brought western architects to თბილისი and built modern elements like the Bridge of Peace, the Rike Concert Hall or the new presidential palace at Avlabari, high above river Mtkwari.

September 10, 2023September 17, 2023

Wasserdorn

When you’re leaving the main railway station of Mannheim, Germany, to the northeast you’ll reach a nice park with fountains and flowers next to the city center. Main feature of this place is the Wasserturm (or Wasserdorn), an icon of the city. It was the first tower created to assure the water supply of the city and it was built from 1886 on. The tower is 60 meters high and was used until the year 2000 (at least as a reserve).

September 10, 2023September 24, 2023

Völklinger Hütte

If you’re interested in industrial heritage you need to visit the Saarland, close to France and Luxembourg. At Völklingen, west of the capital city Saarbrücken, you can discover the historic iron works Völklinger Hütte – an impressive UNESCO world heritage site. It was founded in 1873 and produced iron using continuously improved techniques until 1986. Many parts like the Eisenschrägaufzug (transporting the iron 27 meters up into the melting ovens) date back to the 1910s. And already when you’re standing at the railway station of Völklingen you’re overwhelmed by the vast size of this former factory.

September 9, 2023September 13, 2023

Deutsch-Französischer Garten

The Saarland is a border region in Germany that is very close to France and Luxembourg. From the city center of Saarbrücken it is a distance of less than five kilometers to our French friends. Half way you can find a nice park, the Deutsch-Französischer Garten (DFG) or Jardin Franco-Allemand. It was opened in 1960 by chancellor Konrad Adenauer and prime minister Michel Debré. It is a park used by French and German visitors to relax.

September 9, 2023September 13, 2023

Ludwigskirche

What is the most iconic building of Saarbrücken, Germany? In former times it might have been the castle with its towers and thick walls – but these structures are only barely visible these days. It came even worse in 1939 when the Wehrmacht destroyed multiple memorial towers (including the iconic Winterbergdenkmal) and church towers to irritate allied pilots during air raids. The most famous landmarks of the city are lost forever.

August 23, 2023September 8, 2023

Ekebergparken

The Ekebergparken is a mountain park in the southeast of Oslo on the Ekeberg mountain. Within the mountain park you will find more than 40 sculptures and artworks; some contemporary, some from old masters (like Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dalí and Gustav Vigeland). It was opened in 2013 and shall be extended to up to 80 sculptures. The park is owned by the city of Oslo but financed by art collector Christian Rignes. You can come here for a nice walk to enjoy the beautiful nature and the amazing views on the city – but the contemporary artworks are also a great attraction.

August 22, 2023September 8, 2023

Holmenkollen

Whether you know ski-jumping well or not, you will typically have heard about the Holmenkollen mountain at Oslo, Norway. On top of it there is the famous Holmenkollbakken ski-jumping facility, an impressive building worth visiting even if there is now snow and nobody is flying on ski down the mountain. Since 1892 ski-jumping is practiced there and a lot of championships where decided on this mountain – including the Winter Olympics of 1952. The facility was renovated 19 times and after the renovation works in 2010 it now houses 70,000 spectators.

August 21, 2023September 8, 2023

Vigelandsparken

Gustav Vigeland was the most important sculptor of Norway. He was born in 1869 and died at Oslo in 1943; his connection to the capital city was strong: he gave the rights on his sculptures to the city administration and the city administration assured his means of subsistence. Vigeland was highly influenced by French sculptor August Rodin and his work focusses on the relationship between man and woman; maybe that’s why many people can relate to his work and enjoy seeing his sculptures.