The Loire Valley and especially Blois
The old town hall in Bamberg is no doubt its most well-known building. It was built in the 14th century and rebuilt by the people of Bamberg after it was destroyed by fire in 1440. The historical centre of Bamberg was declared a world heritage site in 1993 because of its beautifully preserved mediaeval centre. …
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Some of the vineyards on the Moselle near Bernkastel are nearly vertical and go right down to the edge of the water. Certains vignobles en Moselle près de Bernkastel sont presque verticaux et descendent jusqu’au bord de l’eau.
Very different from Renaissance architecture in the Loire Valley, so-called Weser Renaissance architecture developed in northern Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries along the Weser River. An excellent example is the town hall in Hann. Münden. Typical features are elaborate decorative façades with front gables adorned with pyramids, scrolls, spheres, obelisks, intricate carvings, friezes with inscriptions …
Now this has to be the most original sundial I’ve seen yet – in the middle of the vineyards overlooking the Moselle River near Bernkastel-Kues. They were built in the 19th century so that the workers knew when to knock off for lunch or go home for the day! Ce cadran solaire doit être le …
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I’ve been looking for connections between Blois and Germany since we arrived here three weeks ago on our cycling holiday. Imagine my delight when I discovered, quite by accident, that Blois’ very own Denis Papin, the inventor, built a steam-pump powered paddlewheel boat, probably pedal-driven in 1704, and as a demonstration, used his steam paddlewheeler …
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Another kind of windmill in Germany – wind turbines – which are present in large numbers and are often very close to the houses. Below is an early style of wind turbine that I have never seen in France. Un autre type de moulin à vent en Allemagne – l’aéolienne – qui est présent en …
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This is a typical so-called Dutch windmill found in the north of Germany. This one is in the little town of Norden in Friesland near the North Sea. Voici un moulin à vent dit hollandais typique du nord de l’Allemagne. Celui-ci se trouve dans la petite ville de Norden dans la Friese orientale près de la …
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I certainly did not expect to see an excellent example of Henri II furniture (dresser, table and chairs) in the building below designed by Hundertwasser in Magdeburg! Je ne pensais pas trouver cet excellent exemple de meubles de style Henri II (table, chaises et vaisselier) dans l’immeuble ci-dessous de l’architect Hundertwasser à Magdeburg !
I’ve never seen this road sign in France – but then, there are not a lot of small ferries the way there are in Germany. J’ai jamais vu ce panneau en France, mais il n’y a pas beaucoup de bacs pour traverser la rivière comme en Allemagne.
Wörlitz Castle is Germany’s first neoclassical style building built from 1769 to 1763 by the architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorf for Prince Frantz von Anhalt-Dessau. Le château de Wörlitz est le premier édifice allemand de style néoclassique construit de 1769 à 1773 par l’architecte Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorf pour le compte du Prince Frantz von Anhalt-Dessau.