Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
As a part of the fortification system of Lëtzebuerg caves and tunnels were created inside the mountains in which the city is located. The first of these Kasematten have been built from the 17th century on. The length of this tunnel system reached around 23 kilometers and within 1,200 soldiers once had been placed.
Continue reading “Casemates”
People call the Chemin de la Corniche the most beautiful balcony of Europe. In the 17th century French and Spanish forces created protective walls on the mountains above the Alzette valley. Today you’ll find a nice path on top of these former walls which gives you marvelous views on the river valley underneath and the city quarter Grund.
Continue reading “Chemin de la Corniche”
It’s maybe the most representative building of Lëtzebuerg: the Palais Grand-Ducal (or Groussherzogleche Palais). Today you will mostly just pass by and admire the building, unless you’re a fan of monarchy. The palace is the official residence of the grand duke of Luxembourg and the place where official state guests are welcomed.
Continue reading “Groussherzogleche Palais”
The most important church of Lëtzebuerg is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg directly next to the Hôtel de Ville in the city center. It dates back to the year 1613 and was built in late Gothic style. The crypt contains different European monarchs connected to Luxembourg.
Continue reading “Notre Dame”
On a terrace facing the valley of river Pétrusse, next to the city center of Lëtzebuerg, you’ll find a monument with a golden woman on top: the Gëlle Fra. It is a monument erected in 1923 to commemorate the people of Luxembourg who joined the Belgian and French armies during World War I. But it is much more. It symbolizes the independence of the small state of Luxembourg and has a high emotional value to the inhabitants.
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The highlight of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel are the historic water features or water games. To show their power the landgraves were even taming the elements and in this case controlling water: behind the Herkules monument, water is collected in large basins. At dedicated points in time it is floating down the hill without any electricity, creating sounds and fountains. Twice a year this event is started at dawn and the places in the Bergpark are beautifully enlightened – this is called the ‘Beleuchtete Wasserspiele‘.
Continue reading “Water & light”
Travelling to Bulgaria for most people means to go to beaches at the Black Sea in the East. The beaches there are at least in Germany marketed with special names like Goldstrand (golden beach, Варна) or Sonnenstrand (sun beach, Несебър). As the prices are significantly lower than in Western Europe, many people book cheap travel packages. But in those beach areas you won’t find out much about the country, its past and its culture. Even though the capital city София is not a typical tourist destination it was worth very much to be explored.
Continue reading “Converging city”
The zoological garden of София is located near the city center and shall obviously be accessible without barriers. They charge you the small amount of four Leva which is wonderful on the one hand, but on the other hand they should really gather funds for a serious makeover. Ferdinand I of Bulgaria was interested in natural history and supported science. As part of his work the zoo was opened in 1888.
Continue reading “Зоологическа градина”
When you arrive at София you can’t overlook the mountains next to the city, the Vitosha. It is surprisingly steep and the highest mountain is the Tscherni Wrach (black peak) with around 2,290 meters in height. The mountains dominate the skyline of the city and are an important recreation zone – for hiking, but also for skiing as the snow stays for a long time even after the winter.
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When you walk through the city quarter Boyana of София you will probably come across a vast park protected by a strong metal fence. It is easy to guess whom this place was created for: Todor Zhivkov, the last Communist dictator of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. Within you’ll find his residence, a giant palace with fantastic views on the capital city on one side of the building and a terrace facing the beautiful Vitosha mountains on the other side.
Continue reading “Presidential residence”