I could have published scores of photos of Cesky Krumlov, but I thought I should choose somewhere else! We cycled 25 k up hill and down dale to this historical village listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It was deserted after the Second World War, which left its medieval plan and vernacular …
Monthly Archives: June 2017
Postcard #16 – Cesky Krumlov, Bohemia
Today was a hard drive – we left Slovakia at 8.30 am and got to Cesky Krumlov at 7 pm with only two short breaks, covering a mere 600 kilometers, but added over an hour due to roadworks on the Czech motorway. However, the beautiful little Bohemian town of Czesky Krumlov was worth every minute. …
Postcard #15 – Spissky Hrad, Slovakia
Spissky castle in eastern Slovakia, one of the largest fortified sites in central Europe, can be seen from afar. It was built in the 12th century. Before 1464 it belonged to the kings of Hungary and resisted Tatar attacks in the 13th century. A gothic basilica was added during the 13th century and a …
Postcard #14 – Wooden Churches, Maramures, Romania
Today we visited a large number of wooden churches in the Maramures region in the north of Romania, most of which were built in the 16th century entirely of wood, including the roof. They are often hidden among trees up above the village and surrounded by graves of various shapes and sizes. Inside are wall …
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Postcard #13 – Maramures, Romania
We are now in the very north of Romania, nearly at the Ukranian border. The scenery has changed. You can see the small plots of land separated by rows of fir trees. The roads are often very bad and today we covered only 180 kilometres in 5 hours, including a good 60 kilometres of roadworks. …
Postcard #12 – Haystacking – Mise en meule
We have seen a lot of people in the fields making haystacks these last couple of days. This old lady seemed to be doing just as well as the younger ones! Nous avons vu beaucoup de personnes dans les champs en train de faire des meules de foin depuis deux ou trois jours. Cette vieille …
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Postcard #11 – Voronet Manastiria
We arrived at Voronet Monastery in Bucovina at the end of the day which meant very few people and excellent light. Built in 1488 by Stefan cel Mare, the church is known as the Sistine Chapel of the East. It is one of the 11 monasteries in the area listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage …
Postcard #10 – Haystacks in Romania – Bottes de foin en Roumanie
We see so many interesting things in a day that it’s difficult to choose a single photo, but this was one that kept coming back – hand-made haystacks, wells with pointed roofs and wooden houses. We are now in Bucovina, in the north of Romania, known for its painted monasteries that we will start visiting …
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Postcard #9 – Biertan Fortified Church – L'église fortifiée de Biertan
Transylvania in Romania is known for its fortified churches. That of Biertan was buillt in the 12th century in the form of a hall-church in the late Gothic style. Between 1572 and 1857, it was the seat of Saxon episcopacy. The fortifications consist of 3 rows of exterior fortifications, 7 towers and 2 bastions. It …
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Postcard #8 – Sighisoara, sister city of Blois – Sighisoara, ville jumelle de Blois
We often see the name Sighisoara in Blois, as it is one of its sister cities in the European Twin Towns system. This is the baroque-style Shoemakers’ Tower on the northeastern part of the citadel, first mentioned in 1512, rebuilt in 1650 and modified in 1681. Today it houses the local radio station. Nous voyons …