Over 7,000 miles later I am now on the California leg of my road trip. The last week has been extremely busy. My days have consisted of long distance driving, meeting people and seeing things. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but I haven’t left a lot of time for writing blog posts. I have …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta: The Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta – Hotel Tassel (1893), Hotel Solvay (1894), Hotel van Eetvelde (1895) and the House and Workshop of Victor Horta – located in Brussels, are outstanding examples of Art Nouveau. These four …
La Grand Place is the focal point of Brussels. It’s within walking distance of most major attractions in the old town, including the Manneken Pis, and it’s a place all visitors will delight in exploring. Here’s everything you should know about the history and significance of La Grand Place in Brussels. Overview La Grand-Place in …
From the World Heritage inscription for the City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications: The Old City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers, on a very steep rocky outcrop which is somewhat of a natural fortification that only needed to be completed …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Palace and Park of Versailles: The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators, and landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence …
From the World Heritage inscription for Paris, Banks of the Seine: From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy: When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a vast series of building projects (continued by his successors) to demonstrate the power of the ruling house. This outstanding complex of buildings, designed and embellished by …
From the World Heritage inscription for the Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua: The world’s first university botanical garden was created in Padua in 1545, which makes the Botanical Garden of Padua the oldest surviving example of this type of cultural property. Botanical gardens have played a vital role throughout history in the communication and exchange …
From the World Heritage inscription for Venice and its Lagoon: The UNESCO World Heritage property comprises the city of Venice and its lagoon situated in the Veneto Region of Northeast Italy. Founded in the 5th century AD and spread over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The whole …