The next day in Budapest is dedicated to two highlights: the Castle District in Buda and the Parliament District in Pest. The subway and bus take us quickly past the cathedral to the other side of the Danube and to the valley station of the funicular that takes us up the hill. Construction of the […]
Guimarães – birthplace of Portugal.
We reach Guimarães by bus, the city is the birthplace of Portugal. On the journey from Bom Jesus do Monte to Braga, a friendly, helpful bus driver shows us where to get off and where to find the bus terminal. In Guimarães, the journey ends at a large bus terminal a little west of the […]
Gravensteen Castle in Ghent
The mighty Gravensteen Castle in the center of Ghent is one of the largest moated castles in Europe. The origin goes back to a wooden building that was probably built by the Vikings on the remains of a Roman settlement. Philip of Alsace built today’s castle from 1180 to 1200. It was the residence of […]
Visiting the Hradcany
After our first tour in the old town, we visit the Hradčany the next morning. Correctly speaking, we visit the Prague Castle with the St. Vitus Cathedral. Hradčany is the name of the castle hill. But today it is a synonym for hill including the castle. We enter the Prague Castle through an entrance gate […]
Royal Castle in Warsaw
The Royal Castle in Warsaw lies in the center of the city. Until the 18th century, it was the seat of the Polish kings. However, the castle hill has been inhabited already for 8000 years. The oldest preserved parts of the castle date back to the 15th century. The castle garden dates from that time. […]
Stockholm Palace – the Royal Palace in the city
The Stockholm Palace is in the center of Stockholm, not far from the Old Town Gamla Stan on the island of Stadsholmen. The Palace, also called the Royal Palace, was built on the foundation walls of the Tre Kronor Palace, which burnt down in 1697. It is one of the largest castles in Europe and […]