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Huê - Vietnam
All rights reserved - Copyright © Joerg Reichel
All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Alexandria Park
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don’t miss out on one of the smaller buildings at Peterhof – the Cottage Palace. This well preserved 19th century cottage was once the private home of the Emperor Nicholas I who ruled Russia between 1825 and 1855. It was built by Adam Menelaws between 1826 and 1829 and is located in a remote corner of the estate. Strangely small against the backdrop of Peterhof, it is clear that this homely little building was to serve as a private residence instead of a formal state residence. www.russia.com/palaces/cottage/
DSCN8620
Halong Bay - Vietnam
All rights reserved - Copyright © Joerg Reichel
All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Seit 1986 ist die Liebfrauenkirche Teil des UNESCO-Welterbes Römische Baudenkmäler, Dom und Liebfrauenkirche in Trier.
Die Geschichte der Liebfrauen-Basilika führt in das Jahr 326 n. Chr. Zum 20-jährigen Regierungsjubiläum machte Kaiser Konstantin große Stiftungen. Unter anderem ließ er an den bedeutendsten Orten der Christenheit Kirchen bauen: die Geburtskirche in Bethlehem, die Grabeskirche in Jerusalem, die 1. Sophienkirche in Konstantinopel, die Peterskirche und die Laterankirche in Rom und eben die Doppelkirchenanlage in Trier, aus der die Hohe Domkirche und die Liebfrauenkirche hervorgegangen sind.
Nach den Wechselfällen der Geschichte stand der Erzbischof Theoderich von Wied (1212 - 1242) im Blick auf die Südkirche, die den Titel einer Aula beatae Mariae Virginis trug, vor einem Neuanfang. Die Baufälligkeit der Kirche ließ ihn französischen Baumeistern Gehör schenken, die aus der Champagne kamen, in der gerade die Gotik erfunden worden war. Was sie dem Erzbischof anboten, war eine Kirche im allerfeinsten hochgotischen Stil. Auf der Basis einer zwölfblättrigen Rose (Rosa Mystica) wollten sie eine Kirche bauen, die - vom Kreuz durchwebt - wie ein Juwel in der Sonne funkeln sollte, mit großen, die Heilsgeschichte erzählenden Fenstern, licht und weit und himmelhoch. Zwölf schlanke Säulen sollten das Gewölbe tragen, das, übersät mit leuchtenden Lilien, den Garten des Paradieses vorstellen sollte, in dem Maria und Jesus dargestellt sind. Eine Aula Dei als Liebeserklärung an die Gottesmutter. Der Kurfürst war begeistert. 1227 begannen die unbekannten gotischen Baumeister ihre Arbeit, die sie 33 Jahre an Trier binden sollte. Es entstand im reinsten Stil der Hochgotik der Champagne, als eines der Wunder der Gotik eine der ganz seltenen gotischen Zentralkirchen von außerordentlicher Schönheit und Harmonie.
1803 wurde Liebfrauen vom Dom getrennt und trat in eine neue Phase ihrer Geschichte: Sie wurde Pfarrkirche und nahm die Laurentiuspfarrei auf. Als Trier 1944 schwer bombardiert wurde, traf es mit aller Härte auch die Liebfrauenkirche; unter größter Anstrengung wurde sie nach dem Krieg gerettet und wiederhergestellt.
Quelle: www.liebfrauen-trier.de/pfarrkirche%20liebfrauen.htm
Prayer hall inside the Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba (Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba), full name Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption), Córdoba, Province of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain.
The Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba shows the many religious changes Córdoba has seen over the centuries. The site on which the Mezquita stands has long been a sacred space – it was host to a Roman temple and a Visigothic cathedral before the mosque was constructed in the 8th century. Finally, a cathedral was added inside the mosque by the Christian conquerors in the early 13th century.
Today the mosque/cathedral is 179 m long and 134 m wide. It has a base of 23000 m² and is one of the largest sacred buildings in the world.
The most important room of the mosque is the large prayer hall which takes 2/3 of the whole area and is decorated with double horse-shoe arches carried by 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. The mosque also has richly gilded prayer niches. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants.
After the conquest of Córdoba by the Catholic Kings in the 13th century, a Renaissance cathedral nave was built right in the middle of the expansive structure of the mosque.
The Historic Centre of Córdoba is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
-------quotation from whc.unesco.org:-------
Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.
-------end of quotation-------
Andalusia holiday April 2012
Tree full of lichen alongside Levada do Norte, island of Madeira, Portugal.
Hiking tour "Two levadas near Encumeada pass": Levada das Rabaças and Levada do Norte.
This region of Madeira is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva of Madeira.
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic ocean, approximately 1000 km (620 mi) southwest of Lisbon and 700 km (435 mi) west of the Moroccan coast. Situated in a hot spot area, Madeira is of volcanic origin, formed during several eruptive phases, the last of which ended around 6500 years ago. Madeira is a very mountainous island. With an extent of only 57 km (35 mi) from west to east and 22 km (14 mi) from north to south, and with the highest mountain having an elevation of 1862 m (6109 ft), the terrain of the island is mostly very rocky and steep, except for the high plateau Paul da Serra.
Madeira is also known as the "island of flowers", although most of the popular "typical" Madeiran flowers (like the bird of paradise flower, the hydrangea, the agapanthus and others) are neither endemic nor native. Some of the genuine Madeiran plants are the "Pride of Madeira" (Echium candicans), Canary Islands Juniper (Juniperus cedrus) and the laurel forests of Madeira (the latter one being listed as UNESCO World Heritage).
Madeira is permeated by artificially built water channels called levadas, which distribute the water from the wetter northern half of the island to the agricultural regions of the south. The levadas, mostly built by prisoners or slaves, were cut into the side of the mountains, partly running through tunnels, and enabled for example the cultivation of sugar cane which was the source of the Madeiran wealth during the 15th to 17th century.
Today most of the levadas are still in use, not only for irrigation but also for hydroelectricity. Running across the whole island, they provide a wide network of walking paths, making even extremely remote regions of the island accessible to pedestrians, which is one of the reasons for Madeira's popularity as a hiking paradise.
Madeira hiking holiday July 2013.
Halong Bay - Vietnam
All rights reserved - Copyright © Joerg Reichel
All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Hot air balloons over Hanseatic City Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
In the front you see two of Lübeck's famous churches: Dom (cathedral) and St. Aegidienkirche (St. Giles).
The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311
text from whc.unesco.org/en/list/272:
"Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered."
Hot air balloon flight on 11 August 2008. For all photos see my Ballonfahrt Lübeck 11.8.08 set.
Lion on Palácio Nacional da Pena (Pena National Palace), Sintra, Portugal.
Pena National Palace is a "romantic fairy tale castle" surrounded by a large Park, the Pena Park. It was built from 1842–1854 by order of Fernando II of Portugal on the site of a former monastery that had been destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It's an intentional mixture of several architectural styles including Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance.
The reception of this eclectic building is quite ambivalent: while many people love it, critics decry it as an "early Disneyland".
Pena Palace belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cultural Lanscape of Sintra.
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Sintra:----
Sintra [...] is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion (Lisbon Region) of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.
In addition to the Sintra Mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, the parishes of the town of Sintra are dotted by royal retreats, estates, castles and buildings from the 8th-9th century, in addition to many buildings completed between the 15th and 19th century, including the Castelo dos Mouros, the Pena National Palace and the Sintra National Palace, resulting in its classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.
----end of quotation----
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Venedig Venice Venezia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice
Italia 3 Album
www.flickr.com/photos/arjuna/sets/72157627437241642/
Venedig ( italienisch : Venezia [venɛttsja] ( hören ) , [ 1 ] Venetian : Venexia [venɛsja] ; ( Latein : Venetia )) ist eine Stadt im Nordosten von Italien gelegen an einer Gruppe von 118 kleinen Inseln, die durch Kanäle getrennt und verbunden durch Brücken. [ 2 ] Es wird in der sumpfigen befindet Lagune von Venedig , die sich entlang der Küste zwischen den Mündungen der streckt Po und Piave Rivers. Venedig ist für die Schönheit seiner Umgebung, seiner Architektur und seinen Kunstwerken bekannt. [ 2 ] Die Stadt ist in ihrer Gesamtheit als börsennotiertes Weltkulturerbe , zusammen mit seiner Lagune. [ 2 ]
Mitten im Trierer Stadtzentrum gelegen, steht der Trierer Dom - die ältestes Bischofskirche Deutschlands - heute über einer ehemaligen konstantinischen Palastanlage, die im frühen 4. Jahrhundert durch die größte christliche Kirchenanlage der Antike überbaut wurde. Sie bestand aus vier Basiliken, die durch ein großes Taufbecken miteinander verbunden waren, und bedeckte eine Fläche, die an ihren Grenzen bis zum heutigen Hauptmarkt reichte. Unter dem Gebäude der Dom-Information können noch die Reste der ersten frühchristlichen Versammlungsstätte nördlich der Alpen aus dem späten 3. Jahrhundert und die Reste der ersten Basilika bei einer Führung besichtigt werden.
Der heutige Dom enthält noch den römischen Kernbau, den sogenannten „Quadratbau“ mit Originalmauern bis zu einer Höhe von 25,88 m. Auch das riesige Fragment einer Granitsäule neben dem Eingang zum Dom deutet auf den römischen Ursprung dieses Gotteshauses hin: Der Domstein war ursprünglich eine der tragenden Säulen des Quadratbaus; er wurde im Zuge des Einbaus eines Seitenaltars im 17. Jahrhundert vor dem Dom abgelegt und bildet dort wohl die älteste Rutschbahn Deutschlands und ein heute noch begehrtes Fotomotiv für Gruppen. Der Legende nach soll der Teufel die Säule vor den Dom geworfen haben, als er hörte, man baue nicht die größte Kneipe, sondern ein Gotteshaus.
Nach Teil-Zerstörungen im 5. und 9. Jahrhundert wurde der intakt gebliebene antike Kernbau durch romanische Anbauten erweitert, im 13. Jahrhundert wurde auf den Resten der niedergelegten antiken Südbasilika die Liebfrauenkirche unmittelbar neben dem Dom errichtet – als erste Kirche auf deutschem Boden im spätgotischen Stil. Später wurde ein Westturm des Doms aufgestockt, und im 17. Jahrhundert folgte eine weitere Umgestaltung im barocken Stil: Die Decke der Westapsis wurde reich mit Stuck verziert, und am Scheitel des Ostchors wurde die Heilig-Rock-Kapelle angebaut. Sie birgt die kostbarste Reliquie des Doms, die Tunika Christi, den Heiligen Rock, den der Legende nach die Mutter Konstantins, die Hl. Helena, von einer Pilgerreise mit nach Trier gebracht haben soll. 1512 wurde der Hl. Rock zum ersten Mal öffentlich gezeigt, was den Dom im Laufe der Jahrhunderte zu einer Stätte großer Pilgerströme machte.
Im 20. Jahrhundert wurde der Dom restauriert und der Altarraum umgestaltet. So zeigt die älteste deutsche Bischofskirche mit ihren drei Krypten, dem Kreuzgang und der Domschatzkammer Kunst und Architektur aus einer Zeitspanne von über 1750 Jahren.
Quelle: www.trier-info.de/dom-info
The modest house at Raekoja Plats 12 was one of the only artisan houses on the main square. It was first mentioned in 1338 and was owned by goldsmiths, book binders, and other artisans.
Summer Palace ◊ 颐和园
Beijing
Over 60 stores extend from North Palace Gate entrance into a street about 300 meters (328.1 yards) in length. Along the Back Lake, the street design imitates the ancient style of shops on the banks of rivers in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, that is, taking the running water of Back Lake as the street and its banks as a market. The area served as an entertainment place where Emperors and concubines could feel as if they were strolling on a commercial street. When the royals went there, eunuchs and maids of honor would playact as peddlers, customers and shop assistants to mimic market activities.
Built during the reign of Qianlong (1711-1799), it was burned down by Anglo-French allied force in 1860. In 1986, it was rebuilt and in 1990 it was opened to the public. Today's market includes stores such as dyers, souvenir shops, drugstores, banks, shoe stores, teashops, and hockshops, with clerks dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes. www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summer/suzhou...
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Hiking tour from Queimadas to Caldeirão Verde ("Green cauldron") and (somewhere near) Caldeirão do Inferno ("Cauldron of hell"), island of Madeira, Portugal.
This region of Madeira is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva of Madeira.
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic ocean, approximately 1000 km (620 mi) southwest of Lisbon and 700 km (435 mi) west of the Moroccan coast. Situated in a hot spot area, Madeira is of volcanic origin, formed during several eruptive phases, the last of which ended around 6500 years ago. Madeira is a very mountainous island. With an extent of only 57 km (35 mi) from west to east and 22 km (14 mi) from north to south, and with the highest mountain having an elevation of 1862 m (6109 ft), the terrain of the island is mostly very rocky and steep, except for the high plateau Paul da Serra.
Madeira is also known as the "island of flowers", although most of the popular "typical" Madeiran flowers (like the bird of paradise flower, the hydrangea, the agapanthus and others) are neither endemic nor native. Some of the genuine Madeiran plants are the "Pride of Madeira" (Echium candicans), Canary Islands Juniper (Juniperus cedrus) and the laurel forests of Madeira (the latter one being listed as UNESCO World Heritage).
Madeira is permeated by artificially built water channels called levadas, which distribute the water from the wetter northern half of the island to the agricultural regions of the south. The levadas, mostly built by prisoners or slaves, were cut into the side of the mountains, partly running through tunnels, and enabled for example the cultivation of sugar cane which was the source of the Madeiran wealth during the 15th to 17th century.
Today most of the levadas are still in use, not only for irrigation but also for hydroelectricity. Running across the whole island, they provide a wide network of walking paths, making even extremely remote regions of the island accessible to pedestrians, which is one of the reasons for Madeira's popularity as a hiking paradise.
Madeira hiking holiday July 2013.
This Jugendstil (Art Nouveu) building in Riga was designed by the German-Baltic architect Mihails Eizenšteins (Mikhail Eisenstein; 1867—1921) and built in 1903. Eizenšteins was the father of the Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein.
www.jugendstils.riga.lv/lat/JugendstilsRiga/eizensteins/a...
The city hall was originally built in 1767 in a late Baroque and classicist style. It was destroyed during WW II. It was reconstructed in 2003 to give it the old exterior appearance to fit into this historic square, but the interior of the building and the extension in the back are completely contemporary--as can be seen in this view from the tower of St. Peter's Church (Svētā Pētera baznīca).
Der 1614 von Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann geschaffene Allerheiligenaltar mit seiner ungeheuren Fülle von Bildthemen und plastischen Details ist gleichzeitig Grabdenkmal des Lothar von Metternich, der von 1599 - 1623 Kurfürst und Erzbischof von Trier war. Lothar von Metternich wurde 1551 auf Schloss Vettelhoven geboren und starb 1623 in Koblenz. Seine Eltern waren Johann von Metternich und Katharina von der Leyen.
Der Bildhauer- und Steinmetzmeister Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann wurde um 1545 vermutlich in Worms geboren, erhielt seine Ausbildung in Mainz und starb 1616 in Trier. Den Allerheiligenaltar signierte er auf der dunklen Sockelleiste mit "Joes Rupert Hoffman, 1614". Zu seinen Werken in Trier gehören auch die Kanzel im Dom und der Petrusbrunnen auf dem Hauptmarkt.
Suzhou Market Street (Suzhoujie) (苏州街)
Summer Palace ◊ 颐和园
Beijing
Over 60 stores extend from North Palace Gate entrance into a street about 300 meters (328.1 yards) in length. Along the Back Lake, the street design imitates the ancient style of shops on the banks of rivers in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, that is, taking the running water of Back Lake as the street and its banks as a market. The area served as an entertainment place where Emperors and concubines could feel as if they were strolling on a commercial street. When the royals went there, eunuchs and maids of honor would playact as peddlers, customers and shop assistants to mimic market activities.
Built during the reign of Qianlong (1711-1799), it was burned down by Anglo-French allied force in 1860. In 1986, it was rebuilt and in 1990 it was opened to the public. Today's market includes stores such as dyers, souvenir shops, drugstores, banks, shoe stores, teashops, and hockshops, with clerks dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes. www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summer/suzhou...
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Folklore show on Praça 8 de Maio (Square of May 8th) in front of Igreja de Santa Cruz (Church of the Holy Cross), Coimbra, Portugal.
Coimbra is a city at the Rio Mondego in Mid-Portugal with now over 100.000 inhabitants. The first settlement on the site probably was Celtic, later it was Roman, Visigothic and Moorish. In 1064 Coimbra was conquered by the Spanish King Fernando I of Castile. The first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, was born here and integrated the city into the Portuguese territory in 1131.
Coimbra was the setting of the forbidden love of Dom Pedro I (Peter I of Portugal, 1357-67) and Dona Inês, a lady at court. The legend of their tragic love is omnipresent and still alive everywhere in Coimbra.
Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, Coimbra is better-known for its university, the Universidade de Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world.
The area around Coimbra University was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list as University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia in 2013.
Coimbra also is a city of the typical Portuguese music genre Fado. There are two main styles of Fado in Portugal, one is Lisbon Fado and one is Coimbra Fado, also known as Student Fado (Fado de Estudante).
Fado, Urban Popular Song of Portugal was declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Summer Palace ◊ 颐和园
Beijing
Over 60 stores extend from North Palace Gate entrance into a street about 300 meters (328.1 yards) in length. Along the Back Lake, the street design imitates the ancient style of shops on the banks of rivers in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, that is, taking the running water of Back Lake as the street and its banks as a market. The area served as an entertainment place where Emperors and concubines could feel as if they were strolling on a commercial street. When the royals went there, eunuchs and maids of honor would playact as peddlers, customers and shop assistants to mimic market activities.
Built during the reign of Qianlong (1711-1799), it was burned down by Anglo-French allied force in 1860. In 1986, it was rebuilt and in 1990 it was opened to the public. Today's market includes stores such as dyers, souvenir shops, drugstores, banks, shoe stores, teashops, and hockshops, with clerks dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes. www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summer/suzhou...
03.31 1101
A visit to Cologne and its outstanding architectural points of interest.
background:
Cologne Cathedral ("Kölner Dom" or simply "Dom") is one of the largest churches on the planet. Construction started in 1248 on top of the remains of the former cathedral and several other buildings. The place had been occupied by Christian churches from the 4th century onwards. It took until 1880 to finish it completely. However, continuous repairs and replacements of fragile parts are necessary to keep it intact.
It stands 157.22m (515.81ft) tall
Cologne Cathedral was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 (ref. 0292).
foreground:
Gross St. Martin was built on top of remains of Roman buildings which date back to the first century. A first church - part of a Benedictinian monastery - was existing in the 10th century, some records make an earlier church possible but there's no definite proof. After a devastating fire in 1150, the existing church was built and consecrated in 1172. Gross St. Martin is one of the twelve large romanic churches ("Colonia Romanica").
Town wall, Rio Douro, Ponte do Infante (Prince's bridge) and Ponte Maria Pia (Maria Pia bridge), seen from the upper floor of the cloister of Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral), Porto, Portugal.
Ponte Maria Pia is a railway bridge built by Gustave Eiffel in 1877.
The historic centre of Porto is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (whc.unesco.org).
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Romanesque Kaiserpfalz (Imperial Palace), Goslar, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany, at night.
---quotation from en.wikipedia.org:---
The Imperial Palace of Goslar (...) is the greatest, oldest and best-preserved secular building of the 11th century in Germany. It was a favourite imperial residence, especially for the Salian emperors.
---end of quotation---
Goslar is a historic town at the foot of the Harz mountain range. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System".
---quotation from whc.unesco.org:---
Rammelsberg-Goslar is the largest and longest-lived mining and metallurgical complex in the central European metal-producing region whose role was paramount in the economy of Europe for many centuries. It is a very characteristic form of urban-industrial ensemble which has its most complete and best preserved expression in Europe at Rammelsberg-Goslar.
Rammelsberg lies 1 km south-east of Goslar, in the Harz Mountains. It has been the site of mining for metalliferous ores and metal production (silver, copper, lead, zinc and gold) since as early as the 3rd century BC. The first documentary mention of Rammelsberg is from the beginning of the 11th century. The rich deposits of silver ore there were one of the main reasons for siting an imperial residence at the foot of the Rammelsberg mountain by Emperor Henry II; he held his first Imperial Assembly there in 1009. The town of Goslar grew up around the imperial residence. The town was to play an important role in the economic operations of the Hanseatic League and achieved great prosperity, which reached a peak around 1450. The revenues from mining, metal production, and trade financed the creation of the late medieval townscape of fortifications, churches, public buildings, and richly decorated mine-owners' residences which distinguish the present-day town.
(...)
The town was not significantly damaged in the Second World War and so the historic centre has survived intact, with its original medieval layout and many Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings of high quality.
---end of quotation---
Harz weekend August 2013
Toompea Castle is a castle and palace overlooking the center of Tallinn. Since the Middle Ages, it has served as a military and administrative center for all the foreign powers that dominated Estonia over the centuries: Denmark, the Teutonic Order, Sweden, and Russia. Under Tsarist Russia, the Baroque east wing was added as an administrative center; it was completed in 1773. After independence from Russia, the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament building, was erected in the courtyard of the palace (which is not accessible to the public).
Scan of an analog photo taken in May 2005.
Unfortunately ub 2005 it was quite impossible to take any good photos with an analog camera within this dimly lit but nevertheless very stunning villa which once belonged to Poppea, the wife of Emperor Nero. A good photo docmentation is available on the Spanish Wikipedia entry of Villa Poppea.
The St. Mary's Cathedral (Toomkirik) is located on the Toompea Hill that overlooks the city of Tallinn. A first wooden church was already present when the Danes invaded in 1219. A Gothic single-aisled stone church was built 1223-1240. It was expanded into the current three-aisled structure in the 14th century. When the Reformation in Estonia was completed in 1561, the cathedral became the main Lutheran church in Estonia.
The interior decor was replaced in a Baroque style after a fire in 1684. The new pulpit with figures of the apostles (1686) and the altarpiece (1696) were made by the Estonian sculptor and carver Christian Ackermann. In 1778-79 a new baroque spire was added.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the Russian orthodox cathedral in Tallinn. It was designed by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian revival style and built 1894-1900. It is located on Toompea Hill in a highly visible and symbolic place in front of the historic castle that now houses the Estonian parliament. It was was part of a Tsarist effort to russificate Estonia in the late 19th century. Its name is highly symbolic as well: Alexander Nevsky, the 13-the century Prince of Novgorod and saint of the Russian orthodox church, is considered one of the greatest heroes of Russian history. The cathedral was such a disliked symbol of Russian occupation that a demolition was considered in 1924, after Estonia had achieved national independence in 1920.
Archway to Palácio Nacional da Pena (Pena National Palace), Sintra, Portugal.
Pena National Palace is a "romantic fairy tale castle" surrounded by a large Park, the Pena Park. It was built from 1842–1854 by order of Fernando II of Portugal on the site of a former monastery that had been destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It's an intentional mixture of several architectural styles including Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance.
The reception of this eclectic building is quite ambivalent: while many people love it, critics decry it as an "early Disneyland".
Pena Palace belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cultural Lanscape of Sintra.
----quotation from en.wikipedia.org about Sintra:----
Sintra [...] is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion (Lisbon Region) of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.
In addition to the Sintra Mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, the parishes of the town of Sintra are dotted by royal retreats, estates, castles and buildings from the 8th-9th century, in addition to many buildings completed between the 15th and 19th century, including the Castelo dos Mouros, the Pena National Palace and the Sintra National Palace, resulting in its classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.
----end of quotation----
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Igreja do Carmo (Carmo Church), Porto, Portugal.
Carmo church was built in the second half of the 18th century. It is built in Rococo style after drafts of José Figueiredo Seixas. Inside the church is a notable altar piece with golden carvings. In 1912, the side facade was covered by a magnificent azulejo panel designed by Silvestro Silvestri. Azulejos are typical Portuguese ceramic tileworks.
The historic centre of Porto is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (whc.unesco.org).
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Rays of light coming through the windows of Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória (Monastery of Saint Mary of Victory), better known as Mosteiro da Batalha (Monastery of Batalha, literally Monastery of the Battle), Batalha, Portugal.
Batalha monastery is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
---citation from whc.unesco.org---
The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.
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-----citation from en.wikipedia.org-----
Nave and choir
The church is vast and narrow (22m) in proportion to its height (32.4 m). The nave was raised to its present height by the second architect Huguet, altering the proportions of the church and giving it its present aspect. Its interior gives a sober and bare impression by its complete lack of ornaments and statues in the nave. The ribbed vaults, supported by compound piers, are closed by ornamented keystones. Light enters the church through ten stained-glass windows of the clerestory and the tall, traceried windows in the side walls and the transept and through the two rows of lanciform windows in the choir. The choir extends into two-bay transepts and consists of five apsidal chapels, with the central one projecting.
Batalha probably had the first workshop for stained-glass windows in Portugal. The art was introduced in Portugal by German artists from the regions of Franconia and Nuremberg. The oldest windows date back to the end of the 1430s. But the Manueline, ogival stained-glass windows in the choir date from the 1520s and 1530s and were produced by Portuguese masters, among them Francisco Henriques. They represent scenes from the lives of Christ and Mary: the Visitation, the Epiphany, the Flight to Egypt and the Resurrection of Christ.
The architect Mateus Fernandes and his wife are buried under a marble tomb-slab close to the portal. The tomb of the knight Martim Gonçalves de Maçada, who saved the king's life during the battle at Aljubarrota, can be found close to the Capela do Fundador.
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Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
Johann Hugo von Orsbeck (1634 - 1711) war von 1675 - 1711 Bischof von Speyer und von 1531 - 1540 als Johann VIII. Erzbischof und Kurfürst von Trier. Während seiner Amtszeit erfolgte die Neugestaltung des Ostchors und der Bau der Heiltumskammer für den Heiligen Rock. Seinen Tod an einem Dreikönigstag hatte er in einer Vision vorausgesehen, weshalb er im Trierer Dom den Dreikönigsaltar stiftete unter dem er auch beigesetzt wurde. Sein Herz ließ er in den Dom zu Speyer überführen.
Construction on the Riga Castle began around 1330 as fortress for the ruling German Order. It also served later political rulers as power base. It was remodeled extensively during the 18th and 19th centuries. Since Latvian independence the castle has served as official residence of the Latvian President. It was seriously damaged during a fire in 2013 and currently is closed for restoration.
The Püha Nikolai Imetegija kirik (Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church) is an Orthodox church designed by the Architect Luigi Rusca (1762-1822) and built 1822-27.
Hot air balloon over Hanseatic City Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The balloon is passing St. Marienkirche (St. Mary, with two towers) and St. Jakobikirche (St. James).
In front of St. Marien a bit to the right is St. Katharinenkirche (St. Catherine, without tower, just with ridge turret)
The old city center of Lübeck is in great parts inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. A plan of the inscribed zones can be found here: whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=102311
text from whc.unesco.org/en/list/272:
"Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as the major trading centre for northern Europe. It has remained a centre for maritime commerce to this day, particularly with the Nordic countries. Despite the damage it suffered during the Second World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments (the famous Holstentor brick gate), churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered."
Hot air balloon flight on 11 August 2008. For all photos see my Ballonfahrt Lübeck 11.8.08 set.
Huê - Vietnam
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Tree full of lichen alongside Levada do Norte, island of Madeira, Portugal.
Does anybody know what kind of tree this is? Maybe some kind of laurel or lauroid? I have no idea!
Hiking tour "Two levadas near Encumeada pass": Levada das Rabaças and Levada do Norte.
This region of Madeira is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva of Madeira.
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic ocean, approximately 1000 km (620 mi) southwest of Lisbon and 700 km (435 mi) west of the Moroccan coast. Situated in a hot spot area, Madeira is of volcanic origin, formed during several eruptive phases, the last of which ended around 6500 years ago. Madeira is a very mountainous island. With an extent of only 57 km (35 mi) from west to east and 22 km (14 mi) from north to south, and with the highest mountain having an elevation of 1862 m (6109 ft), the terrain of the island is mostly very rocky and steep, except for the high plateau Paul da Serra.
Madeira is also known as the "island of flowers", although most of the popular "typical" Madeiran flowers (like the bird of paradise flower, the hydrangea, the agapanthus and others) are neither endemic nor native. Some of the genuine Madeiran plants are the "Pride of Madeira" (Echium candicans), Canary Islands Juniper (Juniperus cedrus) and the laurel forests of Madeira (the latter one being listed as UNESCO World Heritage).
Madeira is permeated by artificially built water channels called levadas, which distribute the water from the wetter northern half of the island to the agricultural regions of the south. The levadas, mostly built by prisoners or slaves, were cut into the side of the mountains, partly running through tunnels, and enabled for example the cultivation of sugar cane which was the source of the Madeiran wealth during the 15th to 17th century.
Today most of the levadas are still in use, not only for irrigation but also for hydroelectricity. Running across the whole island, they provide a wide network of walking paths, making even extremely remote regions of the island accessible to pedestrians, which is one of the reasons for Madeira's popularity as a hiking paradise.
Madeira hiking holiday July 2013.
Tallinn has an unusually well preserved medieval city wall. Of the original 2.35 km a total of 1.85 km and 26 out of 46 towers still are preserved.
Venedig Venice Venezia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice
Italia 3 Album
www.flickr.com/photos/arjuna/sets/72157627437241642/
Venedig ( italienisch : Venezia [venɛttsja] ( hören ) , [ 1 ] Venetian : Venexia [venɛsja] ; ( Latein : Venetia )) ist eine Stadt im Nordosten von Italien gelegen an einer Gruppe von 118 kleinen Inseln, die durch Kanäle getrennt und verbunden durch Brücken. [ 2 ] Es wird in der sumpfigen befindet Lagune von Venedig , die sich entlang der Küste zwischen den Mündungen der streckt Po und Piave Rivers. Venedig ist für die Schönheit seiner Umgebung, seiner Architektur und seinen Kunstwerken bekannt. [ 2 ] Die Stadt ist in ihrer Gesamtheit als börsennotiertes Weltkulturerbe , zusammen mit seiner Lagune. [ 2 ]
Summer Palace ◊ 颐和园
Beijing
Over 60 stores extend from North Palace Gate entrance into a street about 300 meters (328.1 yards) in length. Along the Back Lake, the street design imitates the ancient style of shops on the banks of rivers in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, that is, taking the running water of Back Lake as the street and its banks as a market. The area served as an entertainment place where Emperors and concubines could feel as if they were strolling on a commercial street. When the royals went there, eunuchs and maids of honor would playact as peddlers, customers and shop assistants to mimic market activities.
Built during the reign of Qianlong (1711-1799), it was burned down by Anglo-French allied force in 1860. In 1986, it was rebuilt and in 1990 it was opened to the public. Today's market includes stores such as dyers, souvenir shops, drugstores, banks, shoe stores, teashops, and hockshops, with clerks dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes. www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summer/suzhou...
03.31 1113
Stained glass window from 1514 in the Sala do Capítulo (Chapter House) of Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória (Monastery of Saint Mary of Victory), better known as Mosteiro da Batalha (Monastery of Batalha, literally Monastery of the Battle), Batalha, Portugal.
Batalha monastery is inscribed in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
---citation from whc.unesco.org---
The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.
---end of citation---
-----citation from en.wikipedia.org-----
Chapter House (Sala do Capitulo)
The Chapter House reminds the visitors of the military reason for its foundation: two sentinels guard the tombs of two unknown soldiers killed in World War I.
This square room is especially notable for its star vault lacking a central support and spanning a space of 19 square meters. This was such a daring concept at the time that condemned prisoners were used to perform the task. It was completed after two failed attempts. When the last scaffolds were removed, it is said that Huguet spent the night under the vault in order to silence his critics.
The stained-glass Renaissance window in the east wall dates from 1508. It depicts scenes of the Passion and is attributed to the Portuguese painters Master João and Francisco Henriques.
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(Wikipedia says the window is from 1508, but a sign in the Chapter House said 1514)
Natur und Kultur in Mittelportugal (Nature and Culture in Mid-Portugal), Wikinger-Reisen, September 2011
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the Russian orthodox cathedral in Tallinn. It was designed by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian revival style and built 1894-1900. It is located on the cathedral hill in a highly visible and symbolic place in front of the historic castle that now houses the Estonian parliament.
It was was part of a Tsarist effort to russificate Estonia in the late 19th century. Its name is highly symbolic as well: Alexander Nevsky, the 13-the century Prince of Novgorod and saint of the Russian orthodox church, is considered one of the greatest heroes of Russian history. The cathedral was such a disliked symbol of Russian occupation that a demolition was considered in 1924, after Estonia had achieved national independence in 1920.