Many Themes - Group 1548 * Castles / Palaces

This group and the previous one were the first two I joined in this RR. All my cards were received and I've received all the cards I was supposed to get. These cards are from Estonia, Ireland and China.

Rita sent me this card with a view of the Neo-Gothic Alatskivi Castle. It dates back to the 16th century. It was rebuilt in the late 19th century by Arved von Nolcken, modeled on the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland. Alatskivi Castle is one of the many structures that exists in a forested park of 130 hectares (320 acres) area. Five rooms on the first floor house the Eduard Tubin museum, which documents his accomplishments as a music composer and conductor. - in: wikipedia

Photography: Peter O'Toole

From Ireland, a Powerscourt Estate card sent by Thea-Iren. 

Powerscourt Estate, located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares (47 acres). The house, originally a 13th-century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect Richard Cassels, starting in 1731 and finishing in 1741. A fire in 1974 left the house lying as a shell until it was renovated in 1996.

Today the estate is owned and run by the Slazenger family. It is a popular tourist attraction, and includes a golf course, an Avoca Handweavers restaurant, and an Autograph Collection hotel. - in: wikipedia

And from China, a card with the Palace Museum in Beijing, sent by Mengyao.

Located in the center of Beijing, the Palace Museum, historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive museum in China, was established on the basis of the Forbidden City, a palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1840), and their collection of treasures.

The Palace Museum is China's largest museum. It houses a collection of one million valuable art works, most of which were in the possession of the imperial families of the Ming and Qing dynasties. These art treasures include paintings, pottery, bronze wares, gold and silver wares, embroidery, sculptures, jade wares, lacquer wares and lacquer enamel wares. In addition, there are also court articles, including jewels, accessories, clocks, medicines, furniture and furnishings. It is a unique, superb building complex, integrating the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese architecture. - in: http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/museums/125576.htm