This is one of my favorite pictures from the simpler times when I traveled with a pocket-size point-and-shoot camera. The setting is the banks of the river Limmat near the mouth of Lake Zurich, with the twin towers of Grossmünster providing a recognizable point of reference. Zurich is a nice enough…
I focused on Vienna and its Christmas markets on my recent trip to Austria, but also took day-trips to explore Graz and Semmering Railway. I also spent a day in Linz, which was probably a bit of an overkill for the overall trip. Don’t get me wrong – Linz is…
I ended my favorite sights vignette of Vienna several years ago with a promise to take hundreds of pictures on my next trip to the city. Such a trip came about recently – and I fulfilled that promise to a certain degree. I now have a reasonable amount of good…
Graz’s recognition on the World Heritage list is primarily due to the treasure trove of its architecture in the historic center. It is literally one of those towns whose streets you want to explore over and over again. I started my acquaintance with the town at Schloss Eggenberg, located some…
Recognized as a masterpiece of civil engineering, Semmering Railway is a 41-km-long stretch of tracks across Alpine landscape. I ended up traversing it twice in both directions on my recent trip to Austria. The way from Vienna to Graz lies over the same tracks, with the speedy train only slowing…
Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens, on the World Heritage list as an outstanding example of Baroque architecture and design, should have been #40 on my chronological tracker of visited sites. On the first visit to Vienna, in 2005, it was initially part of the itinerary. But after spending a day exploring…
What is so special about Christmas markets, one would reasonably ask, that an otherwise rational man would travel across six time zones and brave freezing weather for a whole week just to see them. Don’t they mean crowds and trinkets, for which aforementioned rational man has no particular affection? Don’t…
I like climbing elevated viewpoints for a bird’s-eye look over town. It is not even entirely about photography, although I take my share of pictures from above. I just love the views. The brilliant expanse of rooftops does not always translate into an eye-catching wide-angle shot, but when it does,…
Brugge is one of my favorite places in Europe, a picture-perfect place that you cannot help but want to linger around. On our first visit to Brugge, we explored it on foot, in a horse-drawn carriage, and in a canal cruise boat. The latter passes through some fairly central areas…
Swiss capital is recognized by UNESCO for coherency of its planning concepts through the centuries. If that sentence above does not make obvious sense, it is meant to augment the slightly underwhelming impression the city left on me. Do not get me wrong – Bern is a lovely city, very…
The 65km-long stretch of River Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz is recognized on UNESCO World Heritage list for its importance as a major historic transport route as well as for the majestic cultural landscape formed on the both banks of the river. Those who have seen it will no doubt…
At the conclusion of my recent day-trip to Brussels I had about 15 minutes to expand my portfolio of pictures taken on the magnificent Grand-Place. Here is a selection:
If you recall from this post, I took a day-trip to Brussels from Amsterdam on my recent Dutch journey. That allowed me not only to spend time with my eldest child who was studying in Brussels at the time, but also to take a look at UNESCO World Heritage sites…
A few more impressions from my recent trip around Netherlands. Houses in the village of Het Kalf. Country landscape between Zaanse Schans and Het Twiske park. In the village of Muiden. Looking over Afsluitdijk.
Some might argue that the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Holland is not windmills but tulips. Definitely in the top two for me. So, during the car-enabled portion of my journey around the country, I stopped here and there to snap some tulip fields pictures. Turns…
This is not a World Heritage site. It can be quite touristy at some points and even feel artificially prettied-up. And still, this windmills-centric attraction is awfully picturesque and cozy, and I count it among my favorite destinations in Holland. Here is a sampler.
Van Nelle Factory is the newest Dutch addition to the UNESCO list, having been inscribed just last year. Its recognition stems from its pioneering place in industrial architecture. The couple of interior pictures at the official link above suggest elements of interest but I doubt I would come here at…
Windmills. I suspect this is the likeliest image to form in anyone’s head after hearing the word “Holland”. Not surprisingly, there is a World Heritage site in Netherlands which is mainly about windmills. Kinderdijk is recognized by UNESCO as yet another example of Dutch ingenuity in the art of water…
Rietveld Schröder House is a small family house, built in 1924, that is recognized as one of the icons of the Modern Movement in architecture. It is one of the smallest – if not the smallest – UNESCO World Heritage sites you can see, but it definitely leaves an impression.…
Through quirks of planned and unplanned travel, Utrecht holds the distinction of the most frequent destination for me in Netherlands – I seem to always stop by for a few hours whenever I am in the vicinity. On the most recent trip I had a specific target in mind (more…