Zaanse Schans and it's Windmills

On the outskirts of Amsterdam is this very interesting village of Zaanse Schans. With some planning and research, I skipped taking a guided tour to this charming village and managed to bus down to this village of windmills.

The Windmills of Zaanse Schans

Dating to the 18^th and early 19^th century, Zaanse Schans has a collection of historic windmills and houses and is a major tourist attraction. These wooden windmills are built in the typically Dutch wooden architecture and have been relocated here in bits and pieces from all over Holland since 1961

Some of the windmills of Zaanse Schans are still functioning and for a fee one can take a tour of the windmill from inside and get an opportunity to climb to the upper level to get a great view of the surrounding landscape.

The beautiful village

Zaanse Schans is a very popular tourist destination and hordes of visitors descend on the village when the weather is good. One can easily spend 3 to 4 hours here admiring the windmills, the surrounding landscape and lake and shopping at the many souvenir shops. Nearly a million visitors come here in a year. The best time to visit the village is in the summer months when it is clear.

 

Whereas, entrance to the village is free of charge, a fee is charged to visit the museums and to go inside the windmills.

 

The mill in one of the windmills

To see my portfolio of photographs please do visit my website Pravine Chester Photography

Amsterdam - the city of Canals

Amsterdam, the city of canals is the largest city of Netherlands. It is truly a biker’s city, although pedaling along the labyrinthine streets can get a little chaotic. Stick to walking and you won’t be disappointed. The gentle canals make a perfect backdrop for exploring the Jordaan and Rembrandtplein Square. Pop into the Red Light District if you must—if only so you can say you’ve been there. It is also a city of museums most notable of them being the Rijksmuseum that boasts a sensational collection of works. The Anne Frank House is one of the most moving experiences a traveller can have, and the Van Gogh Museum is another must visit.

Some sights of Amsterdam -
The Royal Palace, Amsterdam
Built in 1665 during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17^th Century , the Royal Palace dominates the Dam Square in the center of the town. This was originally conceived as the Town Hall of Amsterdam and when built was the largest and most expensive town hall in entire Europe. It was only in 1808 when Napoleon’s brother crowned himself King of The Netherlands that the Palace transformed itself into a Royal Residence. Currently, the Royal Family of Netherlands uses the palace only for official ceremonies.

Prinsengracht
Amsterdam is a city with over 150 kms of canals and 1500 bridges over them Prinsengracht is one of the 3 main canals and is the most popular with a number of historical buildings on its banks most of which were built during the Dutch Golden Age. This 17^th century canal ring area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Waag
The Waag was one of the medieval gates of Amsterdam known as St Anthony’s Gate. This is a 15^th century building on Nieuwmarkt square in Amsterdam. The ground floor is now a café and restaurant.

Rijksmuseum
This is a museum with some outstanding works of art. Amongst others, there is a great collection of Rembrandt, Steen, Vermeer and Van Gogh. I took the the audio guide ( costs 5 Euros) which is a perfect way to understand the artists and the story behind the paintings .

Painting by Rembrandt at the Museum

The museum is large and spread out making it possible to enjoy the paintings without getting cramped . You can easily cover the museum at your own pace and if you get tired, there is ample seating where you can rest and listen to the detailed audio commentary. At least 3 to 4 hours are needed for a visit
An easy way to reach the museum is to take the tram (No 5) from the Centraal station or the Dam Square if that is closer which takes about 15 to 20 minutes and drops you just minutes away from the museum. Close by is the Van Gogh museum which is also certainly worth a visit.There is a nice café as well as a shop to pick up souvenirs as you exit from the museum.
Basilica of Saint Nicholas
This 125-year-old church is a major Roman Catholic Church in Amsterdam. The architecture is Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance

Nieuwe Kerk
This is a 15th-century church in Amsterdam, located on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace

Another interesting building is the Centraal Station in Amsterdam. This station handles over 2,50,000 people every day. The station was opened in 1889 and is a Gothic/renaisance buidling.

Centraal Station of Amsterdam

If you are a first time visitor to Amsterdam, it is a good idea to stay near the Centraal Station as this is convenient and easy for transportation. All tours take off from Damrak - the road in front of the station. We found the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel in front of the station to be comfortable and convenient.

Antwerp and its Beauty

We arrive in Antwerp at the beautiful Central Station , one of the world’s most impressive railway stations. Just in front of the station was our  hotel, the Radisson Blu – another interesting building. 

Antwerp, the second largest city of Belgium is one of Europe’s most important cities and home to the famous superstar artist Pieter Rubens.  Antwerp is a splendid city with numerous architectural highlights that date from the 16^th and 17^th century. It is also the diamond centre of the world. We spend the next few days monument-hopping, drinking Belgium beer and enjoying Rubens’ paintings in the impressive cathedral. 

ANTWERP CENTRALL STATION

One of the main landmarks of Antwerp is its railway station. Dubbed the ‘Railway Cathedral’ , it is one of the world’s most impressive railway stations. 

The station was completed in 1905 and replaced an earlier wooden one.

The main building has a huge dome over the main waiting hall and the platforms are covered by a huge iron and glass vaulted ceiling.

In 2009  the magazine Newsweek judged Antwerpen-Centraal the world's fourth greatest train station. In 2014 the British-American magazine Mashable awarded Antwerpen-Centraal the first place for the most beautiful railway stations of the world.

The rich interior of the station is lavishly decorated with more than twenty different kinds of marble and stone. The main hall and the railway cafeteria can match the interiors of many palaces. Not a single square meter either inside or outside the building is not decorated.

 

CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY  IN ANTWERP

This historic cathedral that dominates the city of Antwerp was built between 1352 and 1521 and is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

This is a masterpiece of Gothic Architecture and is the largest church in Benelux. The 123 mtrs tall spire is the tallest in the city. Forty seven bells hang in the tower

Antwerp Cathedral's interior is an impressive sight, with sweeping Gothic lines and soaring vaults, all in gleaming white. It has an amazing collection of wood carved items – largest of which are the monumental choir stalls.

 

A major attraction for visitors to the Antwerp Cathedral are the four masterpieces  by Rubens -  the ‘Descent from the Cross (1632) being the most notable .

 

ANTWERP CITY HALL

The city hall in Antwerp is one of the most important tourist destinations in Antwerp. Built in 1561, the facade is richly decorated with statues, ornaments and coat of arms. 
Throughout most of the year, the main façade of the city hall is decorated with 87 flags. The central flags on the bottom row represent Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium, Europe and the United Nations. The other flags represent countries that are member of the European Union and nations that have a consulate in Antwerp.

 

The Grote Market and Brabo Fountain

Antwerps main square is the Grote Markt . This compact square is pedestrianized and surrounded by beautiful Guild houses . The centerpiece of the square is a large fountain built in 1887. The statue represents the legend according to which , a giant Antigoon   demanded a high toll for each ship that wanted to enter the city. If the ship's crew did not want to pay the toll, their hands were cut off. The hero Brabo fought the giant, cut its hand and head and threw the hand in the river. 

The fountain's statue depicts Brabo throwing the giant's hand in the river Scheldt and symbolizes the free passage through the river. 

 

Het Steen

The oldest building in Antwerp is a medieval fortress made of stone. This 800 year old fortress was built  around the year 1200. It was named Steen ( the Dutch word Steen means stone) as this was the first large building constructed in stone. What remains today is just 1/6^th of the original castle along with the imposing entrance gate. An inclined ramp leads to a small inner courtyard.

At the entrance bridge to the castle is a statue of a giant and two humans. It depicts the giant Lange Wapper who used to terrorise the inhabitants of the city in medieval times.

To see my portfolio of photographs please do visit my website Pravine Chester Photography

If you are visiting Prague, you will definitely be take a tour of the Tyn Church, the real name of which is Church of Our Lady before Tyn. The two spires of this powerful looking Gothic church (with a Baroque interior) dominate the skyline of Prague and  can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

.The Tyn Church dominates the old city of Prague and has been the main church since the 14th century. If you look closely at the two spires, you will notice that they are asymmetrical, one being thicker than the other - something which is characteristic of the Gothic architecture of its time and is a representation of both the masculine and feminine sides of the world.

Some Highlights of the Tyn Church ( Source Wikipedia) : 

• The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church.
• The early baroque altarpiece has paintings by Karel Škréta from around 1649.
• The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in Europe.
• The great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who worked for Emperor Rudolph II, was buried in the church in 1601. His beautiful marble tomb slab is located inside.
• The church appears in the start of the Revolution Films movie xXx

KARLSKIRCHE (ST.CHARLES CHURCH) IN VIENNA

Situated at one of the most popular and central node in Vienna,  the 'Karlsplatz' is one of Vienna's  important tourist destinations -  the Karlskirche. Dating back to 1715, the Karlskirche or St Charles Church in Vienna is unique and one of the most visually stunning churches in Vienna. The Karlskirche combines different architectural styles ranging from Roman, Greek and Oriental. The church was built by Emperor Charles VI to ward of plagues and is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo. The great columns of the building which are an imitation of Roman architecture with the baroque dome on the top make this a most interesting church that has not been replicated anywhere.

The church has a park like setting facing a pool of water which is also a favourite place for people to relax.

This grand church is close to the Karlsplatz Metro station and is surrounded by gardens. Visitors can take a tour of the interiors of the church for a fee .  Be sure to take the escalator to go up to the roof.
Vienna
August 2010

GALLERY OF STATUES AT CHARLES BRIDGE

Certainly, the view of the Charles Bridge from one end with an array of statues lining both sides of the bridge leaves an indelible image in the minds of any visitor. There are 30 baroque statues on this historic Gothic bridge dating back to period between 1683 and 1714.

View of the old town bridge tower with it's numerous sculptures.

Statue of Saints Norbert of Xanten, Wenceslas and Sigismund 

 

St. Cyril and St. Methodius

Statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary

 

The statue of John of Nepomuk.

 Amongst the most notable of all sculptures is the statue of St John of Nepomuk. Legend has it that if you make a wish and touch the statue, your wish will come true.

Make your wish come true !

It is believed that St John was murdered and his body thrown into the river.7 Stars appeared over the spot where his body was thrown . These are depicted as a halo on his statues.

CHARLES BRIDGE IN PRAGUE

One of the most popular tourist spots in Prague is the Charles Bridge over the river Vtlava river. This 14th century Gothic stone bridge was started in 1357 and was finished in 1402.

A must-see on all tourist's iternery, a visit to Prague would be incomplete without a visit to this all pedestrian bridge. Both sides of the bridge are lined with vendors selling soveniours, musicians and painters with thier paintings of Prague. You could also get your portrait sketched by one of the many painters present.

There is a tower standing on both ends of the bridge giving it a very interesting look.

A great time to visit the Charles bridge is at Dusk when the Prague Castle gets lit up and a breathtaking view of the castle awaits you. Another great time to visit the bridge is early morning when you can have the bridge all to yourself and enjoy the fresh air blowing in  from the river.

The bridge is 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide and rests on 16 arches and is protected by three bridge towers. It is believed that egg yolk was used to strengthen  the mortar during construction to bind the stones blocks together.

Walk down to the Charles Bridge from the Prague Castle when you visit the castle. It is a short interesting walk.

Prague. August 2010

SCHONBRUNN PALACE IN VIENNA

Holidaying in Vienna means a definite visit to the Schonbrunn Palace, one of the finest and most beautiful baroque palace in Europe.The 1441 room palace was built between 1692 and 1712 and has today become the most important cultural and tourist attraction in Vienna.

The Main Entrance of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. 
The palace in 1996 was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Golden Eagle atop each Main Gate of the Palace

The Fountain with the sculptures in the front Yard

Front View of the Schonbrunn Palace

 The Palace overlooks and is surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens. Towards the end of this sculptured garden is the Neptune Fountain. This space between the Palace and the Neptune Fountain is known as the  Great Parterre. The garden points to a 60 mt high hill which has a building called the Gloriette.


The Palace timings are from 8.30 AM to 5.00PM. Be sure to take a tour of the rooms of the palace. If you don't want to stand in long queues , book online  and keep a full day for the tour of the palace and the gardens and parks.