An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
I didn’t expect much from this harbour city, to be honest. I knew they have a great beer – Messina cristali di sale: a great Sicilian beer brewed since 1923 and one of the most loved Italian beers. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy.…
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter…
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site…
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
Again one of those hop on – hop off excursions or daily trips from Brussels. The city is situated on the banks of the river Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, […]
Again one of those hop on – hop off excursions or daily trips from Brussels.
The city is situated on the banks of the river Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and as such is one of the oldest cities in Germany. First traces of human settlement are dating back as far as 50,000 years until the Romans came.
As the region is situated in the Rhine-Ruhr region, it became rich by its mines, especially the coal.
During the Middle Ages, Bonn developed into a spiritual and trading centre: the current Bonn market was already a market settlement more than 1,000 years ago!
Rests of the Roman ‘s presence
The Roman army appears to have stationed a small unit in what is presently the historical centre of the city. Even earlier, the army had resettled members of a Germanic tribal group allied with Rome, the Ubii, in Bonn.
The Latin name for that settlement, “Bonna“, may stem from the original population of this and many other settlements in the area, like the Eburoni.
During the time of the Western Roman Empire, possibly in the mid-5th century the fort was built in order to defend the city. The main gate are called Sterntor.
Mediaval city wall
The structures themselves remained standing well into the Middle Ages, when they were called the Bonnburg. They were used by Frankish kings until they fell into disuse. Eventually, much of the building materials seem to have been re-used in the construction of Bonn’s 13th-century city wall.
To date, Bonn’s Roman fort remains the largest fort of its type known from the ancient world. Between its walls it contained a dense grid of streets and a multitude of buildings, ranging from spacious headquarters and large officers’ quarters to barracks, stables and a military jail.
Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the Romanesque style Bonn Minster was built… to me the most beautiful houses I have seen in Bonn, are dating from this time:
Porch of a romanesque house, 14th century ❤
Then the magnificent palaces and buildings that are still bringing Baroque splendour to the city today:
Poppelsdorf Palace
For example is the Poppelsdorfer Schloss which is now part of the University of Bonn.
Gardens of the Poppelsdorf Palace
As mentioned before, under the Prussian rule, in 1818, the Palace became part of the University of Bonn. In the same year the Park was converted to the Botanical Garden of Bonn.
Botanical Garden of Bonn
From these times was the Ludwig van Beethoven – famous compser, born in Bonn in 1770 at Bonngasse 515, which is now house number 20.
Beethoven house
There is a Beethovenhalle – a concert hall in Bonn, dedicated to this famous citizen.
Bethovenhalle on the shores of Rhine
By that time, we were hungry of walking around so we decided to have fair lunch at the popular Münsterplatz which has the view on the Bonn Minster cathedral and Beethoven’s statue.
Münsterplatz with cathedral and Beethoven’s statue
We didn’t eat that much local, but we drank as the Bonner’s. 🙂
The Bonn Minster is a Roman Catholic church in Bonn. It is one of Germany’s oldest churches, having been built between the 11th and 13th centuries. However, the Minster is now a minor basilica.
Bonner Münster
Originally the Minster was the collegiate church of Saints Cassius and Florentius, who were Roman legionaries of the legendary all-Christian Theban Legion. The legion’s garrison, according to legend, was in the Egyptian town of Thebes. Roman Emperor Maximianus Herculius ordered the legion to march to Gaul and assist in subduing rebels from Burgundy (nowadays central France). Somehow they refused to do so and were martyred and beheaded.
Beheaded legionars in front of the cathedral
Here are some photos from the city center walk:
During the period of German separation following the Second World War, Bonn was made provisional capital city from 1949 to 1990 and the seat of the German federal government up until 1999. With Bonn as the capital, the brand new German republic experienced a matchless economic, social, and political upturn.
Thereby, together with the capital Berlin, the city has remained the de facto joint seat of government of Germany. The Ministry of defence of Germany is sitting there.
Old villas that were serving as diplomatic houses are whitnessing the times of aristocracy and ater politicaly important ages of the city. Please, take a walk with me through the Villa District!
Bonn is also the headquarters of Deutsche Post DHL and Deutsche Telekom, it is the home to the total of 19 United Nations institutions and the HARIBO factory (the gummy bears). The abbreviation comes from the first two letters of name and surname of the founder HAns RIegel and his city if orgin; BOnn. 🙂
I’ve not been to Bonn before – in fact I’ve only just been to Berlin, which was my first visit to Germany. But I like the look of the city – especially the Botanical Garden x
What a cool little trip! I’ve only visited Franc many many years ago as a teenager, and would love to browse around Europe some more! Love the pictures!
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Bonn is certainly enchanting and inviting.. Great clicks you have
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I’ve not been to Bonn before – in fact I’ve only just been to Berlin, which was my first visit to Germany. But I like the look of the city – especially the Botanical Garden x
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What a cool little trip! I’ve only visited Franc many many years ago as a teenager, and would love to browse around Europe some more! Love the pictures!
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Hi! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog. Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any points or suggestions? Many thanks
LikeLike
Excellent blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid
option? There are so many choices out there
that I’m completely confused .. Any recommendations? Kudos!
LikeLike
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