The scent of stone aged by centuries hits you first as you step onto Edinburgh Castle Rock, a volcanic plug that has witnessed siege after siege. Wind whips across the Esplanade, carrying echoes of military tattoos and royal proclamations. Inside, the Crown Jewels of Scotland gleam behind bulletproof glass, while Mons Meg, a medieval cannon, […]
Categories: Castles and Palaces, Cities, Sights, Sights, United Kingdom
Towers capped with steep slate roofs rise from the forest like something out of a storybook. Pierrefonds Castle, rebuilt in the nineteenth century under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc, stands as a vision of medieval grandeur reimagined for the romantic age. Moats surround the outer walls, and the inner courtyard reveals carved stonework, ornate chimneys, and […]
Categories: Castles, France, Sights, Sights, Virtual Travel
The Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial rises from the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, a colossal granite complex that Philip II of Spain built as a royal palace, monastery, library, and mausoleum all in one. Completed in 1584 after just 21 years of construction, the Escorial is one of the most impressive […]
Categories: Sights, Spain, Wellness, Relax & Sports
The red-tiled dome of Florence Cathedral dominates the skyline of the Tuscan capital, a masterpiece of Renaissance engineering that has inspired architects and artists for over 500 years. The cathedral, formally named the basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, was begun in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the topping […]
Categories: Cities, Italy, Religious Monuments, Sights, Sights
Castillo de la Mota is one of the most beautiful medieval fortresses in Spain, a magnificent 15th-century castle in the town of Medina del Campo, Valladolid province, Castile and León, built from the region’s distinctive red brick in the Mudéjar style and considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in the Kingdom of […]
Categories: Castles, Sights, Sights, Spain, Wellness, Relax & Sports
St. Mary’s Church in Gdańsk (Bazylika Mariacka) is the largest brick Gothic church in the world, a colossal 14th-15th-century basilica in the heart of Poland’s most beautiful Baltic city whose soaring nave, 78-metre tower, and capacity of 25,000 worshippers make it one of the most awe-inspiring religious buildings in northern Europe. Built over 159 years […]
Osborne House is the beloved seaside retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a magnificent Italianate palace on the Isle of Wight that was designed by Prince Albert himself and served as the royal family’s private escape from the formality of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Victoria famously described Osborne as “a place of one’s […]
Categories: Sights, United Kingdom
\n \n\n Updated: December 26, 2020 |\n\n\nBy Claire \n\n| \n\n\nMore\n\n \n Piazza Navona in Rome is considered by many as the most beautiful square, not only in the capital of Italy, but throughout the world. This bustling area, having the shape of an ellipse, shows two thousand years old history of Rome to its visitors. […]
