Photo Gallery

The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which Berlin was once entered. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which formerly led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. It was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia as a sign of peace and built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791. Having suffered considerable damage in World War II, the Brandenburg Gate was fully restored from 2000 to 2002 by the Stiftung Denkmalschutz Berlin (Berlin Monument Conservation Foundation).

This shot was taken when I left our hotel (the amazing Adalon Kempinski) to make a Beer run. At least in this part of the city, good brews at this time were hard to come by.

Liechtenstein Castle is a castle located near Maria Enzersdorf in Lower Austria bordering Vienna. It is located on the edge of the Wienerwald (Viennese Forest). The castle, originally built during the 12th century, was destroyed by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683, and remained in ruins until 1884, when it was rebuilt.
Liechtenstein (“bright stone”) Castle is the origin of the name of the Liechtenstein family, the ruling house of the country of the same name, which owned the castle from at least 1140 until the 13th century and again from 1807 onwards.
Today, the castle is mainly known for the Nestroy Theatre Festival held annually during the summer months.

This picture was actually taken out of the window of our bus as we returned to Vienna from a countryside tour. Not bad for a bus shot!

The Astronomical Clock, built in to one side of the Old Town Hall Tower, dates from the 15th century.
To fully appreciate the clock’s intricate construction, join the crowd in front of the tower to observe the procession of the Twelve Apostles: on the hour, every hour, a small trap door opens and Christ marches out ahead of his disciples, while the skeleton of death tolls the bell to a defiant statue of a Turk.

Below the Astronomical Clock are 12 medallions with the signs of the zodiac, added by Josef Manes in 1865.

The Old Town Hall Tower, built in 1338, is one of the most striking buildings in Prague. Inside is a staircase and an elevator. For a fee, visitors can climb or ride to the top to experience terrific views over the Old Town Square and the rest of the Old Town.

In 1364 the Old Town Hall Tower was joined to a private house adjoining it, which in turn was knocked into other houses beside that. This amalgamation of buildings became known as the Old Town Hall.

This shot was taken at night just outside our hotel whilst enjoying a Pilsner Urquell.

Deutsches Eck (“German Corner”) is the name of a headland in Koblenz where the Moselle joins the Rhine. In 1897, nine years after the death of the German Emperor William I, the former emperor was honoured with a giant equestrian statue bearing an inscription quoting a German poem: “Nimmer wird das Reich zerstöret, wenn ihr einig seid und treu” (Never will the Empire be destroyed, so long as you are united and loyal). Another inscription could be found at the statue dedicating it to “Wilhelm der Große” (William the Great).