A longshot of the Marienbrücke taken from a balcony of Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein). From there one has an excellent view over the whole castle. The bridge can be reached by bus starting near the ticket office in Hohenschwangau.
Tag: Germany
Coats of arms of the kingdom of Bavaria (1835)
This coat of arms, seen at an old building in Schwangau, displays the coat of arms of the kingdom of Bavaria introduced in 1835. The date above the crown has to be read as 1844. In former times, the 4 had been written as half 8.
Salt from a 19th-century saline in Halle (Saale)
Halle’s early history relates to the harvesting of salt. The names of the city Halle and the river Saale originate from old expressions related to salt. An appropriate souvenir from Halle (Saale) could be a portion of salt produced with technologies of the 19th century in the Hallors and Saline Museum (Halloren- und Salinenmuseum).
MS Händel II in Halle (Saale)
With the MS Händel II, a ship named after composer Georg Frederik Handel (Georg Friedrich Händel), one can take relaxing tours on the river Saale around Halle. A highlight of these trips is passing Giebichenstein Castle. If you are interested in the works of the composer, the Handel House is worth a visit.
Talent 2 at railway station Halle (Saale)
The Talent 2 is a multiple-unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. The first trains were produced in 2008. The design of the cab ends made Germans call this type of train Hamsterbacke (hamster cheek). The depicted train is run by the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland.
Marienbibliothek in Halle (Saale)
The Marienbibliothek, a library named after the nearby church Marienkirche was founded by Sebastian Boetius in 1552. In the beginning, the books were stored in a tower of the Marienkirche. Today the library is housed in a typical magazine of the late 19th century with iron stairs and iron-cast pillars.
Cabinet of curiosities at the Francke Foundations
The Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities (Kunst- und Naturalienkammer) was established by August Hermann Francke in 1698. Today this collection is regarded as the only wholly preserved cabinet of curiosities dating from the Baroque age. [German]
Cathedral of Halle (Saale)
In the beginning, the later cathedral of Halle was a church built by the Dominican. Traditionally churches of a mendicant order don’t have a tower. The lovely gables were added by Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg. Today it is just a church again but people of Halle still call the edifice a Dom (cathedral).
Federal Cultural Foundation
Right next to the site of the Francke Foundations in Halle (Saale), I came across this fascinating piece of architecture. It’s the headquarters of the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes).
Leipzig Tower in Halle (Saale)
The Leipzig Tower (Leipziger Turm) was built in the 15th century. Canopy, roof lantern and the clock were added at the end of 16th century. The 44-metre-high edifice was used as a fire lookout tower. Today it is a prominent point on the Leipziger Straße, one of the main shopping streets in Halle.
Manhole cover in Halle (Saale)
This manhole cover in Halle (Saale) displays the coat of arms of the city. The city arms of Halle consist of a moon between two stars of different size. The colour of these symbols is red; the ground is silver.
Seeburg Castle in Seegebiet Mansfelder Land
Seeburg Castle (Schloss Seeburg) is located on the shores of a lake called Süßer See (Sweet Lake). Contrary to its name the lake is salty. It was created by the natural leaching of rock salt in the subsoil. The name of the municipality Seegebiet Mansfelder Land refers to the fact there are several such lakes in this region.