Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Elevador de Santa Justa or Elevador de do Campo is an elevator transporting people between the city quarters Baixa (downtown) and Chiado (uptown) in Lisboa, Portugal. It was built until the year 1901 after plans of engineer Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard. Continue reading “Elevador de Santa Justa”
The river Tejo (Portuguese) or Tajo (Spanish) gathers his waters in Spain and runs from somewhere around Madrid to Portugal and into the Atlantic ocean close to Lisboa. It is the longest river on the Iberian peninsula. Continue reading “Rio Tejo”
The Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara is a nice viewpoint high above the old city of Lisboa, Portugal. It can be best accessed with the Ascensor da Glória. From there you have nice views on the city, even though some parts are currently closed due to deterioration. Continue reading “Best views and Christmas market”
The Convento do Carmo is a cloister with a Gothic-style church in the old uptown (Chiado) of Lisboa, Portugal. It belonged to the Carmelites named after mount Carmel in Israel. The cloister was built between 1389 and 1423. Continue reading “Church in ruins”
The Igreja de Santa Maria Maior or Catedral Sé Patriarcal is the oldest and most important church in Lisboa, Portugal. It was built from 1147 on and was hit by the two earthquakes in 1344 and 1755. It contains elements of different classic styles (Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque) and has a wonderful rose window in its front portal. Continue reading “Catedral Sé Patriarcal”
Alfama is maybe the most beautiful city quarter of Lisboa, Portugal. During Arab times it was the city center and germ cell that extended slowly in the direction of the current center in Baixa (downtown). Alfama is located at an inclining hill and is especially beautiful because of its narrow streets, small houses, viewpoints and important sights. Continue reading “Alfama”
Hann. Münden, Germany has a lot of bridges in different styles. If you’re walking from the city centre to the Tillyschanze you will first pass a roofed bridge leading you to the Tanzwerder – an island within the river Fulda and containing the famous Weserstein. Continue reading “Don‘t jump”
The Externsteine near Horn-Bad Meinberg, Germany are outstanding sandstone rocks near a lake and surrounded by forest. They were once one rock but over the centuries water has washed out the weaker materials. In all times this rock formation has attracted the people and many myths exist. Continue reading “Externsteine”
Between Göttingen and Hann. Münden on the grounds of the small city Dransfeld, Germany you can find the mountain Hoher Hagen. It is one of the most northern former volcanoes in Germany. In the past people came here for a coffee or a lunch in the restaurant at the now closed Gaußturm. But it is still worth a trip: you can walk through an old basalt quarry, enjoy good views or ride your sledge in winter times. Continue reading “Hoher Hagen”
If you get close to the mountain Hoher Hagen near Dransfeld, Germany you will see a tower named after the famous mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauß. For Gauß this mountain was important as he used it to measure the kingdom of Hannover by creating a triangle with the Brocken (in the Harz mountains) and the Großer Inselsberg (near Gotha, Germany).
Continue reading “Lost Gaußturm”