Already from quite a distance Marienburg Castle is clearly visible on the Marienberg Hill, about 20 kilometers south of Hannover. It is probably one of the most impressive buildings in Germany. It looks like an old medieval castle, but surprisingly it isn’t. The story behind it is romantic, but at the same time quite a […]
A Castle Tour in Twente
Tomorrow, Monday 5 June 2017, it is the “Dag van het Kasteel” (Day of the Castle) in the Netherlands. 120 Castles all over the country are participating, organize extra events or exceptionally open their doors. Unfortunately in the Province of Groningen only six castles are open. Nice extra events are being held, but they’re open […]
Lost Glory in Dresden
In World War II the city of Dresden in Germany was heavily bombed, the most known one in February 1945. More than 6,5km2 of the city centre was destroyed, thousands of people killed. After the war the city was rebuild, parts of the historic inner city reconstructed. Some buildings were only restored in recent years, […]
The Renovation of Museum Palace Het Loo
Regular visitors of Museum Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, and people who would have loved to visit the palace in the coming years will just have to wait or enjoy the outside and the gardens and park, as the palace itself will undergo a major renovation and expansion. The plans by KAAN Architects […]
Zuylen Castle and the novelist Isabelle de Charrière
Just outside the city of Utrecht, in the middle of the Netherlands, you will find the cute pittoresque village of Oud-Zuilen along the riverside of the Vecht. Before the 13th century only some farmers and fishermen lived on the riverbanks. But the nobility had the marshland cultivated and built stronghouses. The stronghouses later became castles, […]
The Peace Palace
There has always been war somewhere in the world. It seems to be difficult to live peacefully together. In the course of the 19th and early 20th century the ideal of peace in the world was heard more and more often. Political and religious tensions around the turn of the century made the peace movement […]
The Palace at the Lange Voorhout
Some people visit this place only because since 2002 it houses the permanent M.C. Escher exhibition of the Gemeentemuseum The Hague (Netherlands). However not so long ago this was a royal palace. I must admit I had never been here before and always forgot to visit. But on Saturday I had just over an hour […]
Once a Royal Castle – Beverweerd
Who sees this tiny castle now wouldn’t think it actually was once a real royal castle. Beverweerd Castle (also Beverweert) on the edge of the village of Werkhoven, Province of Utrecht, The Netherlands, does however have a long history. In the two pictures above on the left you see the castle, on the two pictures […]
Edinburgh Castle
Scotland and London in July 2006 was probably the first vacation I took my digital camera with me, and looking at the rather low amount pictures it is clear that I at the time wasn’t exactly sure how many of them would fit on one memory card. I remember it wasn’t the best day of […]
Castles in the Winter
Nothing is more beautiful than a castle or palace in the snow. Unfortunately here in the Netherlands there isn’t snow very often and when there is, the public transport can be pretty difficult (and no I don’t have a driving licence). And of course snow is cold, makes walking more difficult … I am a […]