14 years of travels in Europe, and a few non-European countries, and still going. Random photos taken over the years with some commentary and background info. Thanks Rick Steves!
Untersberg mountain.
The Untersberg is a mountain massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps, between Berchtesgaden, Germany and Salzburg, Austria. It straddles the border.
The mountain is popular with tourists due to its proximity to the city of Salzburg: less than 16 km (10 mi) to the north and within easy reach by bus. Trails lead to the top, but most people use the cable car that lifts passengers over 1300m to the Geiereck peak. – wikipedia
Fernsehturm.The Fernsehturm (German for "television tower") is a television tower in the city centre of Berlin, Germany. Close to Alexanderplatz and part of the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT), the tower was constructed between 1965 and 1969 by the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) administration who intended it as a symbol of Berlin, which it remains today, as it is easily visible throughout the central and some suburban districts of Berlin. – wikipedia
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Neue Wache.
The Neue Wache (New Guard House) is a building in central Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is located on the north side of the Unter den Linden, a major east-west thoroughfare in the centre of the city. Dating from 1816, the Neue Wache was designed by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is a leading example of German neoclassicism. Originally built as a guardhouse for the troops of the Crown Prince of Prussia, the building has been used as a war memorial since 1931.Inside the building is Käthe Kollwitz's sculpture Mother with her Dead Son. This sculpture is directly under the oculus, and so is exposed to the rain, snow, and cold of the Berlin climate, symbolising the suffering of civilians during World War II. – wikipedia
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La Torre dell'Orologio.
St Mark's Clock (La Torre dell'Orologio) is the clock housed in the St. Mark's Clocktower, on St. Mark's Square in Venice, adjoining the Procuratie Vecchie. The first clock housed in the tower was built and installed by Gian Paulo and Gian Carlo Rainieri, father and son, between 1496 and 1499, and was one of a number of large public astronomical clocks erected throughout Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries. The clock has had an eventful horological history, and been the subject of many restorations, some controversial.
After restorations in 1551 by Giuseppe Mazzoleni, and in 1615, by Giovanni Battista Santi, the clock mechanism was almost completely replaced in the 1750s, by Bartolomeo Ferracina. In 1858 the clock was restored by Luigi De Lucia. In 1996, a major restoration, undertaken by Giuseppe Brusa and Alberto Gorla, was the subject of controversy, amid claims of unsympathetic restoration and poor workmanship. – wikipedia
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Alcazar gardens.
The Alcázar of Seville (Spanish "Alcázares Reales de Sevilla" or "Royal Alcazars of Seville") is a royal palace in Seville, Spain. The palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Subsequent monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. – Wikipedia
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Calle Calderería Nueva.
Calle Calderería Nueva is a stepped street in the Albayzin neighborhood of Granada consisting of Moroccan eateries and pastry shops, vendors of imported North African goods, halal butchers, and teterias (Moorish tea rooms). – ricksteves
El Albayzín (also Albaicín or El Albaicín) is a district of present day Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, that retains the narrow winding streets of its Medieval Moorish past. It was declared a world heritage site in 1984, along with the more famous Alhambra. It rises on a hill facing the Alhambra and many tourists journey into the Albayzin primarily for the spectactular views of the Alhambra from the viewing point by the church of San Nicolas. Highlights within the area include the remains of an Arab bath complex, Granada's archeological museum, and the church of San Salvador, built on the remains of a Moorish mosque. The Albayzin also contains some original Moorish houses and a wide-range of restaurants, including several streets whose eateries are inspired by North Africa. – Wikipedia
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Church of the Most Holy Trinity.
The Church of the Most Holy Trinity is a Roman Catholic church in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal. Ranked as the fourth largest Christian church in the world, the church was constructed between 2004 and 2007 at a cost of 80 million euros.
The first stone was laid on June 6, 2004, by the now retired Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fátima, Bishop Serafim Ferreira e Silva, Pope John Paul II blessed and donated the first stone, on March 9 2004. It is a piece of marble taken from the tomb of Apostle Peter, over which St Peter's Basilica in Rome was built. This was only a symbolic act, as the stone was later put inside the finished church for the pilgrims to see. – Wikipedia
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Plaza de España.
The Plaza de España is one of Seville's most easily recognized buildings and the epitome of the Moorish Revival in Spanish architecture. In 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition in Maria Luisa Park, among them the Plaza designed by Aníbal González. On the Park's edge was built the current Plaza de España to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits.
The Plaza is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous beautiful bridges. In the center is a large fountain. Today the plaza mainly consists of government buildings, including El Ayuntamiento, but the beauty remains. A popular way to view the exhibition is by renting out a rowing boat and drifting around the moat. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. Tourists can have their photo taken by their own home province. – Wikipedia
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Convento de Santa Teresa.
The Convento de Santa Teresa (Convent of St. Teresa) is the primary shrine of St. Teresa in Ávila. Located on the Plaza de la Santa, it stands over the site of Teresa's birth.
It is an active convent and much of it remains closed to visitors, but pilgrims can visit the site of Teresa's birthplace, now an elaborate chapel within the Baroque church. The chapel is decorated with scenes of the saint demonstrating her powers of levitation. – sacred-destinations.com
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Old Town Square.
Old Town Square (Czech: Staroměstské náměstí) is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague in the Czech Republic. Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town. – Wikipedia
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