Early May I spent some days in London, Great Britain. I met with one of my royalty friends on one of these days for a visit to Hever Castle and Penshurst Place. Unfortunately we had really British weather. In between the rain showers however we even managed to see the gardens. Hever Castle in Hever, […]
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In Germany, just about three kilometres across the Dutch border the Fürsten zu Salm-Salm have their main residence: Wasserburg Anholt (moated castle). For years this castle has been on my list of castles I once wanted to visit. Some weeks ago I had another look how to get there. Well, you either go by train […]
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If you ever visit Hannover you shouldn’t miss the Herrenhäuser Gärten, especially not in the Spring and Summer. The place where Prince Ernst August von Hannover Jr and Ekaterina Malysheva today will hold a reception after their wedding in the Marktkirche in Hannover is a beautiful place. I have no idea where in the gardens […]
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There are places that can be hard to visit. Somehow every time I was in London, had time and thought of it, the Banqueting House was closed. This year before visiting London I made a list of places I had never been to. The Banqueting House was high on my list. The place is supposed […]
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Already from quite a distance Marienburg Castle is clearly visible on the Marienberg Hill, about 20 kilometers south of Hannover. It is probably one of the most impressive buildings in Germany. It looks like an old medieval castle, but surprisingly it isn’t. The story behind it is romantic, but at the same time quite a […]
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Tomorrow, Monday 5 June 2017, it is the “Dag van het Kasteel” (Day of the Castle) in the Netherlands. 120 Castles all over the country are participating, organize extra events or exceptionally open their doors. Unfortunately in the Province of Groningen only six castles are open. Nice extra events are being held, but they’re open […]
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In World War II the city of Dresden in Germany was heavily bombed, the most known one in February 1945. More than 6,5km2 of the city centre was destroyed, thousands of people killed. After the war the city was rebuild, parts of the historic inner city reconstructed. Some buildings were only restored in recent years, […]
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Regular visitors of Museum Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, and people who would have loved to visit the palace in the coming years will just have to wait or enjoy the outside and the gardens and park, as the palace itself will undergo a major renovation and expansion. The plans by KAAN Architects […]
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Just outside the city of Utrecht, in the middle of the Netherlands, you will find the cute pittoresque village of Oud-Zuilen along the riverside of the Vecht. Before the 13th century only some farmers and fishermen lived on the riverbanks. But the nobility had the marshland cultivated and built stronghouses. The stronghouses later became castles, […]
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There has always been war somewhere in the world. It seems to be difficult to live peacefully together. In the course of the 19th and early 20th century the ideal of peace in the world was heard more and more often. Political and religious tensions around the turn of the century made the peace movement […]
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Some people visit this place only because since 2002 it houses the permanent M.C. Escher exhibition of the Gemeentemuseum The Hague (Netherlands). However not so long ago this was a royal palace. I must admit I had never been here before and always forgot to visit. But on Saturday I had just over an hour […]
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Who sees this tiny castle now wouldn’t think it actually was once a real royal castle. Beverweerd Castle (also Beverweert) on the edge of the village of Werkhoven, Province of Utrecht, The Netherlands, does however have a long history. In the two pictures above on the left you see the castle, on the two pictures […]
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Scotland and London in July 2006 was probably the first vacation I took my digital camera with me, and looking at the rather low amount pictures it is clear that I at the time wasn’t exactly sure how many of them would fit on one memory card. I remember it wasn’t the best day of […]
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Nothing is more beautiful than a castle or palace in the snow. Unfortunately here in the Netherlands there isn’t snow very often and when there is, the public transport can be pretty difficult (and no I don’t have a driving licence). And of course snow is cold, makes walking more difficult … I am a […]
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Remember I was in East Frisia this Summer? I was in Leer, Germany, today, just across the border and finally managed to find one of the four East Frisian castles there: the Haneburg. One of the other castles in Leer looks grander and probably I should give it that one a go in 2017. There […]
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