Europa - Europe

Gram Castle is one of the most monumental buildings in southern Jutland. The stately building with three wings opens its courtyard to the main road and bids a warm welcome to local residents as well as tourists. Gram Castle was first mentioned in 1231, when it was a mansion with 3-4 farms owned by King Valdemar. The castle consists of three wings, starting in 1470 and built over three centuries: 15th, 16th and the 17th. This means it has architectonic features from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque !! In the Middle Ages Gram Castle was an important castle, due to the fact that the main road between Haderslev and Ribe crossed over Gram Å (the stream), so it was possible to collect tolls from all the travellers and merchants passing through with their goods. It is the largest Middle Age building in Denmark outside Copenhagen

The Cliffs of Møn (Møns Klint) are a 6 km stretch of chalk cliffs along the eastern coast of the Danish island of Møn in the Baltic Sea. Some of the cliffs fall a sheer 120 m to the sea.

The beautiful and majestic Vallø Slot(Vallø Castle) traces its history back to the 14th century. The building of the castle was finished in 1586 by Mette Rosenkrantz - one of the richest women of Denmark - with the addition of a west and south wing and the two characteristic towers. The other wings were built in the 17th and 18th century. The castle was devastated by fire in 1893 but restored largely to its old design between 1893 and 1904. The estate was owned by well known noble families until 1708. In that year it was bought by King Frederik IV, who gave it to his mistress, later Queen Anne Sophie Reventlow. After his death the new King Christian VI gave Vallø Estate to his wife Sophie Magdalene. On her birthday in 1737 she established a foundation (‘Noble Vallø Foundation for Unmarried Daughters’), which turned the castle into a home for ‘spinsters of noble birth’. Unmarried daughters of Danish royalty, unable to live in their own castles, were allowed to live at Vallø, supported by the foundation and government social programs. The castle still provides housing for women of the Danish nobility but since 1976 admission to the residences is not restricted to unmarried women but now also cover widows and divorced women.

Petite France (also called Gerberviertel = “tanners district”) is the most charming, beautiful and best preserved parts of the historical centre of Strasbourg with its bridges, black and white timber-framed buildings and winding streets. It is considered being one of the most picturesque places in France. In the early 12th century, Strasbourg began to expand southwards, extending the mediaeval ramparts right up to the delta formed by the river Ill. Petite France grew up around the four arms of the river. With houses built along narrow twisting streets the neighbourhood was markedly different to the much more bourgeois sector around the cathedral. The magnificent half-timbered houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Their sloping roofs open out onto lofts where hides were once dried. The canals built in the Middle Ages brought in fishermen and small industries, including tanneries (the smell of which had to be kept away from the more patrician residences of the city), three flour mills and a lots of other trades. The name Petite-France ("Little France") was not given for patriotic or architectural reasons. It comes from the Hospice des Vérolés, which was built in the late 15th century in the area, to cure persons with syphilis, then called Franzosenkrankheit ("French disease") in German. Petite France is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Grande Île, designated in 1988.

Mother and child barbary macaque looking down to the city of Gibraltar.

Castelo de São Jorge (Saint George Castle) is located on a hill top - the most privileged area - of the old medieval citadel above the city of Lisbon. It consists of the castle, the ruins of the former royal palace, as well as a residential neighbourhood, which was home of the elite. The moated fortification with its towers and ramparts was built in the mid-11th century during the Moorish period. It is situated on the most inaccessible area on the top of a hill. Where most European castles intend to perform a residential role, the purpose of Castelo de São Jorge was to house military troops and - in case of a siege - the elite who lived in the citadel. After Dom Afonso Henriques conquered Lisbon in 1147, the castle began its golden age as a home for the royalty. The original buildings were modified and enlarged to accommodate the king, his court and the bishop. When Portugal became part of Spain in 1580, Castelo de São Jorge became an important military role, which continued until the early 20th century. After the devastating earthquake in 1755 the most substantial renovation work took place on the old citadel, with new buildings gradually covering over the older ruins. The castle and ruins of the former royal palace were rediscovered after major restorations between 1938 and 1940. Castelo de São Jorge regained its former magnificence and was opened to the public. Nowadays it is a National Monument and one of the most important touristic sights of Lisbon. (The main picture is taken from the observation deck of the Santa Justa Lift.)

The Sé de Lisboa (officially Igreja de Santa Maria Maior is Lisbon’s cathedral and the oldest church in the city. The Sé was built in the year of 1147, after Dom Afonso Henriques - the first king of Portugal - reconquered Lisbon from the Moors. It was located on the main mosque of Lisbon. This first building was completed between 1147 and the first decades of the 13th century in Late Romanesque style. Earthquakes have always been a problem for Lisbon and its cathedral. During the 14th and 16th centuries there were several of them, but the worst of all was the 1755 earthquake, which destroyed the Gothic main chapel along with the royal pantheon. The cloisters and many chapels were also ruined and the fire that followed. The cathedral was partially rebuilt and - in the beginning of the 20th century - was given the appearance that it has today after a profound renovation. The neoclassical decoration from outside and inside of the cathedral was removed to give the cathedral a more "mediaeval" appearance. The name Sé derives from Sedes Episcopalis , which simply means “bishop’s seat”. Nowadays this impressive and iconic religious building with its massive solid walls and two imposing clock towers is one of the most significant touristy sights of Lisbon. During our visit there were renovations of the ancient cloisters, so we couldn’t visit. PiP4 was taken from our apartment, which was located just next to the Sé .

The monastery of São Vicente de Fora (meaning: Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls) was founded in 1147 by the first Portuguese king Dom Afonso Henriques for the Augustinian Order, as the result of a vow made to the martyr Saint Vincent in thanksgiving for the recovery of Lisbon from the Moor. He had built a simple temple and although many improvements were made during the first half of the 16th century, the building was very much decayed and in risk of ruin. King Filipe II of Spain, who had also become king of Portugal in 1580, decided that the church and monastery of São Vicente de Fora should be completely rebuilt. The works started in 1582 and the new church was consecrated in 1629. However the rest of the works went on until the 18th century. During the 1755 earthquake the buildings were severely damaged. It took almost a century before the monastery and the church were restored to their present state. The buildings are designed in an austere style, which is typical for the Portuguese architecture of the 16th century. The monastery with its two cloisters is beautifully decorated with hand-painted blue and white azulejos (tiles), showing panels based on the fables of La Fontaine.

The Igreja de Santo António (Saint Anthony Church) is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Lisbon, also known as Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal. The significance of this church originates from it being the location of the birthplace of Lisbon’s beloved Saint Anthony. A small underground chapel marks the location where Saint Anthony was born in 1195. Saint Anthony (or Fernando de Bulhões, as his real name was) was born in Lisbon in 1195. He was the son of a wealthy family. The site of the family house where Fernando was born, located very close to Lisbon Cathedral, was turned into a small chapel in the 15th century. This building, from which nothing remains, was rebuilt in the early 16th century, during the reign of King Manuel I. In 1730, under king João V, the church was rebuilt and redecorated. In the 1755 Lisbon earthquake the Santo António church was almost completely destroyed. It was fully rebuilt after 1767 in a Baroque-Rococo style, as it can be visited today. Igreja Santo António has a light and welcoming interior, which is adorned with statues and images of Saint Anthony’s life. The entire atmosphere is the complete contrast - and much more inviting - to the more or less sombre Sé, Lisbon’s cathedral ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49372046 ), in which the Igreja de Santo António stands in the shadow of.