Lake Zürich & Rapperswil

Lake Zürich from Grossmünster

I board the boat for Rapperswil with an expectation of a lake Zürich cruise and the vague promise of a Schloss (castle) at the end.  It’s not like me.  Usually I have my days planned to the ‘n’th degree but, apart from today being an unexpected bonus, I think I’m mellowing a little in my holiday expectations.… Read the rest

Fraumünster

Fraumünster

On the other side of the Limmat River from the Grossmünster cathedral, directly across Münsterbrücke (church bridge) is Kirche Fraumünster.  This church was founded as a convent in 853 and like Grossmünster the church was stripped of all decoration at the time of the Reformation. … Read the rest

Grossmünster

Grossmünster

Originally a monastery, Grossmünster (gross = large or great and münster = minster or cathedral) is arguably the heart of old town Zürich.  Construction began on this site in 1100 but there are two legends woven into the founding of this historic cathedral.… Read the rest

Wismar

Wismar’s Market Square with the Alte Schwede (1380)

Another Hanseatic gem. Wismar’s sky line is dominated by a trifecta of Gothic medieval architecture – St Maria’s, St Nikolai’s and St George’s. My heart beats faster at the thought of these divine churches although these are not the only splendid notable facades in Wismar.… Read the rest

Århus Cathedral

Aarhus Cathedral

Århus is a city on the Jutland peninsula, the second largest in Denmark. It is a cultural and economic hub of the region known as much for its music festivals as its port and status of trading hub.

One of the first buildings of interest as you walk along the canal, after the Cultural Centre, unmissable on the harbour front, is the Århus Cathedral.… Read the rest

Aarhus/Århus

Aarhus

Aarhus, or Århus as it has also been known, is a city in Denmark, the second largest in the country, situated less than 200km north of the capital on the Jutland peninsula. It is a cultural and economic hub of the region, known as much for its many music festivals as its port and status as a trading hub.… Read the rest

The Flåmsbana

The Flåmsbana

We have spent the morning in Flåm followed by a cruise of The Fjords and now, after lunch, we board the Flåmsbana train to journey some more through this incredible Norwegian landscape.

On the train

The Flåmsbana is a railway journey that travels 20km from Flåm at the Aurlandsfjord, a tributary of the Sognefjord that we have just explored, at least partly, this morning, and up along the line to Myrdal in the high mountains.… Read the rest