About 70 kilometres southeast from Vienna is the beachside town of Podersdorf am See, located on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedler See). Many have come for sun on the beach and a cool dip in the lake. Not only do towns surrounding the lake have important cultural and historical value stretched over millennia, but its unique geography squeezed between the east corner of the Alps and the Pannonian plains is home to a diverse set of flora and fauna. The significance of national parks in both Austria and Hungary paved the way for a transnational inscription of Lake Neusiedl as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
The red and white Leuchtturm (lighthouse) is a landmark for Podersdorf am See.
Route 1: an 1-hour excursion on the lake towards one of the protected nature areas.
A boat in the “Podersdorfer Schifffahrt Knoll” fleet.
In Bavaria’s Upper Franconia, the city of Bamberg is described as “a central European town with a medieval plan and with a number of surviving secular and ecclesiastical buildings from the medieval and baroque periods.” For its architectural, cultural, and historical character, UNESCO inscribed the city’s Old Town as World Heritage Site in 1993.
This is my 2nd time in Bamberg, after my 1st visit 14 years ago on this very same month.
From Geyerswörthbrücke: Old Town Hall, perched on top of the Regnitz.
World Heritage Centre: modest visitor centre with displays about the city’s heritage landmarks and the road to inscription.
Bamberger Dom (Bamberg Cathedral).
Bamberger Reiter (Bamberg Rider).
Dionysius, and beheaded.
Neuer Residenz (New Residence).
Rose garden inside New Residence; the 2 steeples from St. Michael’s appear at left.
“Gruß aus Bayern” (Greetings from Bavaria).
Michelsberg, Kloster Michelsberg.
View from Michelsberg towards the New Residence and the Cathedral.
Outdoors terrace café at Michelsberg, with a cold Rauchbier (smoked beer) on tap.
Back to the “beginning”: the old town hall, with late-afternoon illumination on the west side.
This west side of Old Town Hall is lit up in the afternoon.
Stadtwappen (city’s coat of arms), between clockface and balcony.
Maximiliansplatz.
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 10 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
The Margravial Opera House in Bavaria’s Bayreuth is a fine surviving example of Baroque theatre architecture. Completed in 1748, the building was initiated by Margravine Wilhelmine and her husband Margrave Friedrich III of Brandenburg-Bayreuth for their daughter’s wedding. For its unique architectural, cultural, and historical character, UNESCO inscribed the building as World Heritage Site in 2012.
Not bad at all from the outside (0.8x) …
… but inside, the auditorium is much better.
Left side tiers of loges, facing the stage.
Right side tiers of loges, facing the stage.
Front, and up (0.5x).
Back of the venue; court loge.
“Pro Frederico et Sophia – Josephus Gallus Bibiena fecit – Anno Domini MDCCXLVIII.” (Built for Friedrich & Wilhelmine-Sophie, by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, in 1748 A.D.)
Back of the auditorium, and up to the ceiling with god Apollo surrounded by arts and muses (0.5x).
From the right side loge-seats.
On the stage proper (guided tour), facing out to the back.
Markgräfin (Margravine) Wilhelmine of Bayreuth: portrait by Antoine Pesne, in 1738-1740. Multilingual and trained in both arts and literature, Wilhelmine was daughter of Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I, and sister to Friedrich the Great.
Wilhelmine memorial bust, on Schlossberglein, opposite the opera house.
Afternoon illumination, from Schlossberglein and above the Wittelsbacher fountain. The opera house is at centre.
The Margravial Opera House, in Bayreuth.
This visit to Bayreuth completes my 8th new German UNESCO WHS over the last 33 days. My total tally is now up to 42 (of 52).
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 9 Jun 2024. I received neither sponsor nor support from any organization. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
My visit to Rügen island is set mostly on the chalk cliffs as visual inspiration for building art and the ancient beech-tree forest as natural cathedrals for building community.
Königsstuhl (King’s Chair)
The name of one of the most well-known chalk cliffs is the starting point for the visitor centre, the Nationalpark Zentrum Königsstuhl, which provides descriptions of the geography, geology, and biology of this protected area.
Kreidefelsen (chalk cliffs)
A classic case for erosion by water and wind, the tall chalk cliffs have provided inspiration to many, including the 19th-century German Romanticism art movement made famous by local artist Caspar David Friedrich. Perhaps, it’s as simple as recognizing the colour context of the blue sea waters, white chalk cliffs, and the green canopy of beech trees.
Buchenwald (beech forest)
Nationalpark Jasmund: established 1990, Germany’s smallest national park at about 3100 hectares (7600 acres). In about one-sixth of the area (about 500 ha), there are untouched beech trees, which is why Jasmund is included in the pan-European inscription for “old beech forests” as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.
Welcome sign.
View next to Königsstuhl visitor centre.
Königsstuhl (King’s Chair) national park centre, in a world heritage site.
View near Viktoria-Sicht.
View south near Kolliker Ufer.
View south near Wissower Ufer.
View north near Wissower Ufer. The chalk cliffs themselves are not part of the world heritage inscription …
… But the forest through which a shoreline path can be hiked. The symbol for the Hochuferweg path appears regularly on beech trees; note the relatively smooth tree bark.
Beech trees as “heilige Hallen” or “hallowed halls” (0.5x). Medieval cathedral design in what became the German nation has a lot to do with these trees.
Welterbeforum (World Heritage Forum) with a small display of the world heritage inscription, and a café for visitors and hikers.
Hugging the eastern coast of Rügen island, the high-cliff hiking path, Hochuferweg, weaves its way among beech trees in Jasmund National Park. Locations for the Königsstuhl centre and Welterbeforum are marked in orange.
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 3 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
The Old Towns in Wismar and Stralsund have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. I highlight Stralsund’s 3 main churches and some of the town’s characteristic architecture.
St. Mary’s ChurchThat is some altar, with abundant vertical space above.
St. Nicholas Church.
The high altar, in St. Nick’s
Wall painting, crucifixionscene with Peter, Mary, John, Paul, Nicholas.
Alter Markt: “Backgothic” style.
Badenstraße.
St. Jakob (St. James)
Spare or austere decoration by comparison; use of its big spaces gives the name “Kulturkirche.”
On exhibition inside St. James’ is a partial retrospective on German-American photographer Leni Sinclair (b. 1940 in Königsberg).
Welterbe-Ausstellung, near Alter Markt. The larger than usual panel at right-centre is the World Heritage Site listing for the Hanseatic cities of Wismar and Stralsund.
On travel day 25, I’ve now visited in Germany 6 (new to me) UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bringing my total to 40 from 52.
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 1 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
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