In the city of Cologne (Köln), you still see remains of a former Roman fort. During ancient times, the castrum Divitia guarded a bridge crossing the Rhine. Today, the ruins are part of the World Heritage Site “The Lower German Limes”.
Sator square in Golling/Salzach
You find this sator square on a facade in Golling an der Salzach. The sator square, aka rotas square, is a palindrome that one can read horizontally and vertically, forward and backwards. The oldest representation of a sator square was found in Pompeii. [German]
Trieste Railway Museum
You find the Trieste Railway Museum in the entrance building of the former Transalpina terminus. The Transalpina connected the port city of Trieste with the western parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. [German]
Favorite Mansion in Ludwigsburg
Favorite Mansion (Schloss Favorite) is a Baroque maison de plaisance and hunting lodge near the much bigger Ludwigburg Residential Palace (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg). The former animal park is a landscape garden now. [German]
A pair of griffins in Vienna
Though I don’t believe in fabulous creatures, I always love to see depictions of them. I found this pair of griffins guarding a bollard in front of a building on the historicizing Wiener Ringstraße (Vienna Ring Road).
Villa Manin in Codroipo
On 17 October 1797, France and Austria signed the Treaty of Campo Formio in this villa. This event ended the War of the First Coalition. Today, the estate houses a collection of antique carriages and an armoury. In addition, the villa is a popular venue. [German]
Trompe l’oeil in Füssen
I did know Füssen is known for intriguing Trompe-l’œils on the walls of the High Castle (Hohes Schloss). Though, I was surprised to see in the streets of Füssen such an impressive Trompe-l’œil featuring a book.
Mozartsteg in Salzburg
The Mozartsteg in Salzburg is a footbridge named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Art Nouveau-style bridge saw its completion in 1903. At that time, pedestrians had to pay a toll for using this privately owned construction. [German]
Painted Apiary in Olimje
In the areas of Slovenian Styria (Slovenska Štajerska), Carniola (Kranjska)and the Austrian state of Carinthia (Kärnten), hikers find these traditionally painted bee boards (Panjske končnice). With the help of these paintings, beekeepers identify a particular hive.
Steel House (1927) in Dessau
The Bauhaus movement not only experimented with light and colours; it also tested new materials. Could we build a house from steel? Georg Muche and Richard Paulick turned this vision into reality in Dessau-Roßlau. [German]
Cellar cat in Poysdorf
In the Austrian region of Weinviertel, you often see the model of a cat. This symbol is known as a cellar cat (Kellerkatze). Local people believe a cat living in a wine vault will always rest on the barrel with the best wine.
“Beware of the squirrel” in Bük
This sign stands near a wood with a high squirrel population in Bük. It happens to be that the depiction of a squirrel turns into the mascot for children at the nearby Bükfürdő spa. The name of this very special squirrel is Otto.