Friday, July 31, 2020

Czech UNESCO sites

This year because of Covid, UNESCO decided that the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, initially scheduled for 29 June - 9 July 2020 was postponed to a later date. The exact dates of the session are still not known. 
Until last year Czech Republic had the 12 sites depict on these cards inscribed on the UNESCO list. Publishers need to update them because there are two sites missing.  Last year Czech Republic added two sites to its list, Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region and Landscape for Breeding and Training of Ceremonial Carriage Horses at Kladruby nad Labem. The last one is also missing in my collection. 
In 2014 I visited a few os these 12 sites, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Telc, Trebic and Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora.  

CZ-1706980, sent by Pavla.
* Historic Centre of Prague (1992) - Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since the Middle Ages;
* Historic Centre of Český Krumlov (1992) - Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries;
* Historic Centre of Telč (1992) - The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds;
* Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora (1994) - This pilgrimage church, built in honour of St John of Nepomuk was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century on a star-shaped plan, it is the most unusual work by the great architect Jan Blazej Santini, whose highly original style falls between neo-Gothic and Baroque;

CZ-463786, sent by Blanka.
* Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec (1995) - The Church of St Barbara, a jewel of the late Gothic period, and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, which was restored in line with the Baroque taste of the early 18th century, were to influence the architecture of central Europe;
* Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (1996) - Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their domains in southern Moravia into a striking landscape. At 200 km2 , it is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe;
* Holašovice Historical Village Reservation (1998) - Holašovice is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding 18th- and 19th-century vernacular buildings in a style known as 'South Bohemian folk Baroque', and preserves a ground plan dating from the Middle Ages;
* Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž (1998) - The gardens and castle of Kroměříž are an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a European Baroque princely residence and its gardens;
* Litomyšl Castle (1999) - Litomyšl Castle was originally a Renaissance arcade-castle of the type first developed in Italy and then adopted and greatly developed in central Europe in the 16th century;
* Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc (2000) - This memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe;
* Tugendhat Villa in Brno (2001) - The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the international style in the modern movement in architecture as it developed in Europe in the 1920s;
* Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč (2003) - The ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St Procopius in Trebíc are reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. - source: www.unesco.org

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Melk's Abbey - Austria

The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems. 
The valley was inscribed as "Wachau Cultural Landscape" in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history, in December 2000. One of the many interesting attactions of that region is Melk's Abbey. 

The 1st of these cards was sent by Kati in 2013 and was also signed by three austrian postcrossers that she met there. Thise other card is a German official that I've got a few days ago. 

Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Austria, and among the world's most famous monastic sites. It is located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river in Lower Austria, adjoining the Wachau valley.
Melk Abbey was originally a palace. In the 11th century, Leopold II of Babenberg presented the palace at Melk to Benedictine monks, who turned it into a fortified abbey. Its influence and reputation as a center of learning and culture spread throughout Austria.

DE-9405563, sent by Thomas.
Melk Abbey was damaged during the Reformation and the 1683 Turkish invasion. Reconstruction of the abbey began in 1702 in full Baroque style and was completed in 1736. The abbey church was damaged by fire in 1947, but is now almost completely restored.
The monastic community of Melk is over 900 years old and black-robed Benedictine monks still stroll amidst the marble sculptures and frescoed walls. It is now also a prestigious coed monastery school with more than 700 students.

CH-499230

My first visit to Switzerland was in 2004 to see my family in Lausanne. Besides Lausanne I've also been to Gevena but didn't get to see much of the city, because I've spend most of the time shopping with my cousin who needed a dress for a wedding. I think that the only things I saw were the "Jet d'Eau" and the lake.

CH-499230, sent by Irmina.
The symbol of the «world’s smallest metropolis» is the “Jet d’eau” – a fountain with a 140-metre-high water jet at the periphery of Lake Geneva.
 It is dominated by St. Peter’s Cathedral, however the actual centre of the old town is the Place du Bourg-de-Four, which is the oldest square in the city. 
Geneva is Switzerland’s most international city, as it is where the European seat of the UNO is based. Even the International Red Cross directs its humanitarian campaigns from here. Besides being a congress city, Geneva is also a centre for culture and history, for trade fairs and exhibitions. The «Horloge Fleuri», the large flower clock in the “Jardin Anglais” (English Garden), is a world-renowned symbol of the Geneva watch industry. 
Culturally, this city on the westernmost fringe of Switzerland has much to offer. International artists perform in the Grand Théâtre and Geneva Opera House, and an extremely diverse range of museums such as the “Musée international de l'horlogerie”, a watch museum with a collection of jewellery watches and musical clocks, and the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which provides an insight into the work of these humanitarian organisations, invite city guests to visit them. - in: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en

DE-9394793

German ID, German stamps, yes, this is a German official but the card is from Avelengo, a place located in South Tyrol in northern Italy. 

DE-9394793, sent by Jürgen. 
The Romanesque church has its origins in the 13th century and features well-preserved frescos from the 14th century. Fantastic views of the city of Merano/Meran as well as the Texelgruppe range can be enjoyed from the church. - in: https://www.merano-suedtirol.it/en

Friday, July 17, 2020

FR-1297230

Alsace is the french region that I want to visit the most mainly because of it's cute towns. I've never heard about Obernai before but after getting this card and some research about the town, I need to put it on my list too. 
Obernai is situated 25km from Strasbourg in the heart of Alsace and is the second most visited town in the département of Bas-Rhin after Strasbourg. 

photo © Olivier Anger 
FR-1297230, sent by Bernard.
St. Pierre and St. Paul Church is a massive Catholic church was built in pink sandstone of the Vosges between 1865 and 1970 by Eugène Petiti and inaugurated in 1872. 
Local people argue that this is Alsace’s largest church after Strasbourg Cathedral. The façade features three portals surmounted by a rose-window and topped by two identical soaring spires. - in: https://frenchmoments.eu/obernai-alsace/

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

FR-1297599

I've recently started to collect the Flags of The World cards by Postcardsmarket. So far I only have the Portuguese, German, Swiss and French flags. This card was the official card that I got in my new house. 

© concept Postcardsmarket.com
FR-1297599, sent by Alain.
France has an area of 643.801 km², a population of 66.644.000 and its capital is Paris.
- All the trees in Paris are referenced and measured. There are 470.000 of them;
- Mont Blanc in the Alps is the highest peak in Europe with 4.808 meters;
- France is the most visited country in the world;
- French food is known globally for the finesse and flavour;
- In France the oldest traces of human life date from approx. 1.8 million y. a;
- The republic was established in September 22, 1792.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Deconfining card

Paula called this "the deconfining card" and some of these places might be great travel options after so many weeks of lockdown, but, as has been seen in recent weeks, deconfining does not seem to be going so well and is probably better to stay at home.
My first holidays of the year were 2 weeks ago and for the first time in 10 years I didn't travel, I didn't even leave the district. I really want to travel but I want to do it safely and it is not yet time for that.

As for these places (by the way, you can find these signs at Praia Azul in Santa Cruz), I only haven't been to 9 of them... yet. 9 in 22 options is not that bad.

Meetings in Lisbon

Today is Postcrossing anniversary. 15 years spreading smiles around the world. This definitely deserved a better year to be celebrated. Because of the pandemic, the meeting that would be the official portuguese meeting to celebrate the anniversary has been postponed. However, some smaller meetings took place  place last month in Lisbon with all the security measures required. There were no gatherings, just a small group of friends who get together to talk and sign postcards.

Foto: RFS * The Postcrossing logo is a registered trademark
At the beginning of June, Luís, Zé, RFS, Rita and Bojidara met in Portela for the first meeting of the month.

The Postcrossing logo is a registered trademark
A few weeks later another meeting was held at the same place, a Portugal - Bulgaria meeting, to honor Fernando Pessoa, a Portuguese poet. 

The Postcrossing logo is a registered trademark
Portugal, Bulgaria, Fernando Pessoa, seems a strange combination, but it is explained by the fact that Bojidara is a PhD student from Bulgaria, whose thesis was about Fernando Pessoa and his heteronyms.
These postcards were sent by Luís, Lina and Zé.