Half-timbered on Wartburg Castle
The half-timbered house is a skeleton construction made of wood, in which the horizontal bracing is done by means of diagonally installed struts and the spaces in between are filled with a wooden mesh plastered with clay. The timber used was mostly round logs hewn into beams with a square
Hebetempel in the Palace Park
The Hebetempel is located in the baroque part of Neustrelitz Palace Park and is a classicist building. It was erected in the middle of the 19th century as a point de vue at the intersection of the Baroque visual axis and Tempelallee in place of an earlier structure. A circle
Ladies’ sauna in Moorish style
The centrepiece of Leipzig’s historic city baths was the ladies’ sauna in Moorish style, which is now a listed building. Magnificent columns and arches, filigree patterns with gold ornaments and decorative wall mosaics exuded an oriental flair from the Arabian Nights. The fountain with ornamental tiles in the centre of
L’Arbre blanc de Montpellier
In 2013, Montpellier’s urban planning was given the motto “Folies du XXIe siècle”. The most impressive result is undoubtedly the “Arbre Blanc” on the banks of the river Lez, opposite the Antigone quarter. Around the tower-like residential skyscraper, wildly wide white balconies shoot up like bark mushrooms. Held in place
Carcassonne, the fortress city
The Cité de Carcassonne on the right bank of the Aude is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The medieval fortification is unique in Europe in terms of its size and state of preservation. The Cité is enclosed by a double ring of walls. Inside, the count’s castle (château comtal) was
Canal du Midi and Languedoc
The Languedoc in the Occitanie region is France’s largest wine-growing area with a vineyard area of about 250,000 hectares. We cycled along vineyards for hours. As some of them had just been harvested, we could see the huge machines used to do this. One of the farmers was kind enough
La Poste, from old to new.
In 2010, La Poste unveiled its new logo. It should better reflect its ambitions within the society. The new logo was meant to convey a “more dynamic and contemporary face” and the idea of a stronger company. They were not quite sure about this everywhere and preferred to leave the
Narrow lanes in Montpellier
In Montpellier’s historic city centre, called Écusson because of its shape, it is easy to get lost in the maze of old passages and narrow streets. The old town is traffic-calmed, so you can stroll past the elegant town houses, trendy shops and restaurants at your leisure. Unlike many other
Renaissance Town Torgau
Torgau in Saxony is a beautiful little Renaissance town and former royal seat on the Elbe. It is over a thousand years old. I have a personal history with it, as Hartenfels Castle was used as a prison by the Nazis, who imprisoned my grandfather here. Information about taking this
Kuckuckstein Castle
Kuckuckstein Castle in Saxony is situated on a rocky outcrop above the Seidewitz river valley at a very favourable location for controlling a medieval trade route. To this day, the metre-thick walls of the more than 1000-year-old masonry are full of secrets. The current form of Kuckuckstein Castle is considered