Art

West Berlin

During the Cold War, West Berlin was an exclave of West Germany, and much more prosperous than East Berlin.

Prenzlauer Berg

Prenzlauer Berg is a trendy district in the former East Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate stands at the West end of Unter Den Linden Straße.

Mitte

Mitte is Berlin's historic core.

Pergamon Museum

A spectacular museum full of looted artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Asia-Minor, and Persia, the first museum you visit in Berlin should be Pergamon.

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Deutsches Historisches Museum is an newer museum, conceived in 1987 in West Germany shortly before reunification, but of course its ultimate location is in the former East Berlin.

Treptower Park

East Germany was under the thumb of the Soviet Union during the cold war, and Treptower Park was correspondingly filled with Soviet Monuments.

DDR Museum

We continued our adventure in East Berlin with a visit to DDR Museum and looked at graffiti on the Berlin Wall.

Palmer Engels and Marx

On Wednesday morning Palmer, Engels, and Marx met for several hours in East Berlin to discuss the proletariat of the masses, whilst Mrs Trent grazed about for Ostalgia.

Checkpoint Charlie

Upon arriving in Berlin, we visited Tempelhof Airport, Checkpoint Charlie, and Reichsluftfahrtministerium.

Green Vault

Grünes Gewölbe should be the first museum you visit in Dresden. Then we explored Neustadt.

Dresden Altstadt

We returned to Altstadt in order to take advantage of the morning angle of sun light. Yes, that's a thing.

Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis

Hofkirche is a Rococo Church in Dresden that was elevated to status of Cathedral in 1964. I have questions.

Furstenzug und Frauenkirche

Frauenkirche is a bucket-list item for anyone even remotely interested in history, and resonates hope.

Krumlov Castle

Krumlov Castle and Garden appears in some of our photos from Cesky Krumlov.

Prague Castle

Prague Castle is one of the main tourist attractions in Prague.

St Vitus Cathedral

On Thursday we visited Prague Castle beginning with St Vitus Cathedral.

Charles Bridge

Karlův Most is iconic, historic, and scenic, and worthy of several photos.

Exploring Prague

Upon arriving in Prague we explored the city, taking photos of historic sites.

Wenceslas and Mucha

We began our exploration of Prague in Nové Město (New Town), surrounding Wenceslas Square.

Medieval Sky Scrapers in Regensburg

Sky scrapers that were built in the 13th Century are cool.

Regensburg Cathedral

Regensburg Cathedral is an important Gothic Cathedral which is notable for its stained glass, organ, and bells.

Neupfarrkirche Regensburg

After returning to Regensburg from Walhalla, we visited Neupfarrkirche, Kollegiatstift unserer Lieben Frau zur alten Kapelle, and St Ulrich.

Walhalla

Walhalla is a German Hall of Fame in a (neo)-Classical Temple Structure East of Regensburg. While scenic and impressive, the historical context is even more interesting.

Landesgartenschau Park

Cascading down the bluff north from Festung Marienberg in Würzburg, are a series of international gardens built for Landesgartenschau 1990.

Wurzburger Dom

If your city (Würzburg) had a Bishop, then you also had a Cathedral.

Wurzburg Residenz

As Würzburg was an ecclesiastical Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire, Residenz was home of a Prince-Bishop.

Churches in Bamberg

We took some pictures of Pfarrkirche Unsere Liebe Frau, and Bamberg Cathedral.

Bamberg Altes Rathaus

We visited the Altes Rathaus in Bamberg.

Rothenburg Churches

We also visited Church of St James, Rothenburg's large Gothic Church.

Schlosspark Nymphenburg

Nymphenburg Palace Park has ponds, canals, fields, and small buildings and lodges from where the Royal Family would hunt.

Nymphenburg

Both outside of Munich to the north-west, Dachau and Nymphenburg pair well together logistically.

Munich Residenz

On MayDay we visited Munich Residenz, home of Wittelsbach.

Mayday in Munich

Our first two days in Munich, we explored the city. Our room was near the Oktoberfest Fairgrounds.

Palazzo Nuovo

We concluded our visit to Capitoline Museums by touring the Halls of Palazzo Nuovo, as well as the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter, and the Tabularium.

Palazzo dei Conservatori

The primary wing of Capitoline Museums is Palazzo dei Conservatory, where you can see pieces of a giant statue of Emperor Constantine, and the Capitoline She-Wolf.

National Museum of Rome

Palazzo Massimo also contains ancient mosaic and fresco.

Palazzo Massimo

The best Museum for Ancient Roman Statuary is National Museum of Rome.

Sant Ignazio

Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola is the premier manifestation of the Jesuit affinity for trompe-l'œil, baroque illusionary fresco painting.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Originally built in the 5th Century, Santa Maria Maggiore has the opulence which is characteristic of the four major Vatican Basilicas of Rome.

Vatican Museums

We continued our tour of Vatican Museums in the Renaissance Wing.

Palazzo Apostolico

Vatican Museums is full of art and we began with sculpture.

Basilica di San Pietro

St. Peter's Basilica is the greatest Church in Christendom.

Piazza San Pietro

We visited St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

Santa Cecilia and Villa Farnesina

After stopping at a Cafe for Breakfast, we filled up on more art, history, and culture at Basilica Santa Cecilia and Villa Farnesina.

Trastevere

We spent the morning exploring Trastevere, beginning with Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Rome After Dark

Our Sunday Evening ended by visiting Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Quirinal Palace.

Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Rome's Greatest Palace still under private ownership is a Gallery of the family's private art collection with a tour narrated by the Prince himself.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is an ancient athletic stadium reborn as a baroque public square.

Saint Peter in Chains

Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli commemorates the Apostle Peter's imprisonment.

San Paolo Fuori le Mura

St Paul's Outside The Walls was rebuilt in the 19th Century, is lovely if somewhat sterile, contains mosaic portraits of all 266 Popes and translucent Alabaster windows.

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo is the historic North Entrance of Rome.

Borghese

Borghese Gallery nestled in the vast Villa Borghese Gardens, high atop a bluff overlooking the entrance to Rome, is a Palace Museum displaying the private art collection of Cardinal Borghese.

Pantheon

Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient monument in Rome. "Pantheon" means "all the gods", thus Pantheon was originally a temple to all the gods.

Gesu and Sopra Minerva

On our way to see the Pantheon, we swung by Teatro Marcello, Gesu Church, and Sopra Minerva.

San Giovanni in Laterano

Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran is the Cathedral of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome, and as such, ranks even higher than St. Peter's Basilica.

Exploring Rome

We traveled by train from Florence back to Rome and immediately began exploring Circus Maximus, Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Piazza Farnese, and Campo de' Fiori.

Boboli Gardens

We marinated in the stunning views of Boboli Gardens behind Palazzo Pitti.

Accademia

On Thursday we visited the Accademia in order to see David, the greatest sculpture in the World, carved in Marble by the World's Greatest Sculptor.

Salone dei Cinquecento

We continued our tour of Palazzo Vecchio, viewing the Grand Hall, touring Pope Leo X's Apartments, and then visited the Christmas Market at Piazza Santa Croce.

Palazzo Vecchio Apartments and Terrace

At Palazzo Vecchio we were delighted by the Bust of Macchiavelli, enjoyed the view from the terrace, and were awed by the Hall of Justice.

Bargello First Floor

We continued our tour of Bargello viewing Verrocchio's David, Donatello's David (bronze), Donatello's St George, and the famous Baptistry Doors Contest submission.

Bargello Ground Floor

At the Bargello, we began by viewing the Courtyard, Michelangelo's Bacchus, Giambologna's Flying Mercury, and Donatello's Marble David.

Uffizi Lower Floor

The lower floor in Uffizi contains High Renaissance Paintings by artists such as Titian, Raphael, Da Vinci, and Parmigianino.

Uffizi Top Floor

Chronologically, Uffizi begins on the top floor, starting with Medievel and Early-Renaissance Art.

Opera del Duomo Museum

Many of the original works of art from the Cathedral, Baptistry, and Bell Tower in Florence reside now in Duomo Museum for preservation.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Florence Cathedral is the fourth-largest Church in the world, with the largest brick dome in the world.

Basilica of Santa Croce

In Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, we visited Baroncelli Chapel, Pazzi Chapel, the Sacristy, and Refectory.

Basilica di Santa Croce

Santa Croce, Church of the Holy Cross, is the largest Franciscan Church in the world and was built in the 14th Century.

Cupula de Santa Maria del Fiore

It's 463 stairs to the top of Cúpula de Santa María del Fiore, and the view is great.

San Miniato al Monte

San Miniato al Monte is a Romanesque Church (and abby), with a Romanesque Marble Facade, the place to hear live Gregorian Chants.

Oltrarno

We spent the afternoon exploring Oltrarno, including Brancacci Chapel, enjoying the views.

Pitti Palace

Too much Palazzo Pitti for one post, so we continue.

Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti is the Grandest Palace in Florence, primary residence of de' Medici family, and second-most prestigious art gallery in Florence.

Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella is the first large is the first large Basilica in Florence. Right next to the train station, it is also the first Basilica you see upon arriving.

Cappelle Medici and Piazza Santa Maria Novella

We visited Cappelle Medici inside Basilica of San Lorenzo, and then photographed the facade of Basilica di' Santa Maria Novella, from Piazza Santa Maria Novella (before touring the basilica).

Palazzo Medici and San Marco

We visited Palazzo Medici and San Marco Basillica and Convent in Florence.

Hofburg and Museums

On Friday we visited Hofburg Imperial Palace and Museums.

Life in Vienna

I have a few photos from Friday that don't really fit the context of our primary activity that day, so enjoy.

Schoenbrunn Palace

Our first full day in Vienna, we visited Schoenbrunn Palace, the summer palace for the Habsburg Imperial Family, one of the greatest palaces in the world.

Leaving Salzburg

As we slowly move in the direction of the train station, we take one last look at Salzburg.

Neuschwanstein

After visiting Hohenschwangau we visited Neuschwanstein.

Hohenschwangau

On Monday we made a (long) day-trip from Salzburg to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.

Salzburger Dom

Salzburg Cathedral is in the very center of AltStadt, and very Baroque.