Germany - Lower Saxony - Historic Town of Goslar

Historic Town of Goslar, highlighting the market square and surrounding buildings, including the Imperial Palace of Goslar.

Sent by Günther from Goslar, Germany.

Goslar (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɔslaʁ]; Eastphalian: Goslär) is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and is located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar with over 1.500 timber houses and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their millennium-long testimony to the history of ore mining and their political importance for the Holy Roman Empire and Hanseatic League. Each year Goslar awards the Kaiserring to an international artist, called the "Nobel Prize" of the art world.

Goslar is situated in the middle of the upper half of Germany, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Brunswick and about 70 km (43 mi) southeast of the state capital, Hanover. The Schalke mountain is the highest elevation within the municipal boundaries at 762 metres (2,500 feet). The lowest point of 175 m (574 ft) is near the Oker river. Geographically, Goslar forms the boundary between the Hildesheim Börde which is part of the Northern German Plain, and the Harz range, which is the highest, northernmost extension of Germany's Central Uplands. The Hildesheim Börde is characterised by plains with rich clay soils – used agriculturally for sugar beet farming – interlaced with several hill ranges commonly known as the Hildesheim Forest and Salzgitter Hills. In the northeast the Harly Forest stretches down to the River Oker, in the east, Goslar borders on the German state of Saxony-Anhalt (read more).

Switzerland - Old City of Bern

Switzerland - Old City of Bern.

Sent by asega from Ashmitten, Switzerland.

The Old City of Berne, federal city of Switzerland and capital of the canton of Berne, is located on the Swiss plateau between the Jura and the Alps. Founded in the 12th century according to an innovative foundation plan, and located on a hill surrounded by the River Aar, Berne has experienced an expansion in several stages since its foundation. This development remains visible in its urban structure, mainly tributary to the medieval establishment and its clearly defined elements: well-defined wide streets, used for the market, a regular division of built sections, subdivided into narrow and deep parcels, an advanced infrastructure for water transportation, impressive buildings for the most part dating from the 18th century mainly built from sandy limestone, with their system of arcades and the facades of the houses supported by arches. Public buildings for secular and religious authorities were always located at the periphery, a principle also respected in the 19th century during the construction of the large public monuments confirming the function of Berne as the federal city from 1848 (read more).

Germany - Saxony-Anhalt - Meisterhouse

Greetings from Dessau-Roßlau

View of one of the famous Masters' House.

Sent by Lene and Diemo from Düsseldorf, Germany.

Between 1919 and 1933 the Bauhaus movement revolutionized architectural and aesthetic thinking and practice in the 20th century. The Bauhaus buildings in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are fundamental representatives of Classical Modernism, directed towards a radical renewal of architecture and design. This property, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, originally comprised buildings located in Weimar (Former Art School, the Applied Art School and the Haus Am Horn) and Dessau (Bauhaus Building, the group of seven Masters' Houses). The 2017 extension includes the Houses with Balcony Access in Dessau and the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau as important contributions to the Bauhaus ideas of austere design, functionalism and social reform (read more).

Japan - "Double Diamond Fuji"

"Double Diamond Fuji" is a phenomenon wherethe morning sun overlaps the summit of Mt. Fuji and its reflection is cast on the surface of the lake.

Sent by Eriko from Kanagawa, Japan.

As a spiritual symbol of Japan, Mt. Fuji is one of only three sacred mountains of the country and its tallest at 3,776 meters. Its designation as a UNESCO world heritage site further exemplifies its importance to not only the people of Japan but to the world as well.

When my wife and I went to Japan in the Spring of 2017, I had the opportunity to capture a widely known event called diamond Fuji — the time when the sun rises behind the apex of Mt. Fuji, creating a sparkle on top, much like a diamond would on top of a ring.

The term double diamond Fuji refers to this event and its reflection caught in a body of water in the foreground. This happens around April 20 and August 20 of every year (give or take a few days) at Lake Tanuki (read more).

Finland - Verla Groundwood and Board Mill

The World Heritage Verla.

Sent by Anu from Kouvola, Finland.

The Verla groundwood and board mill and its associated residential area is an outstanding, remarkably well-preserved example of the small-scale rural industrial settlements associated with pulp, paper and board production that flourished in northern Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Only a handful of such settlements survive to the present day (read more).

Malaysia - Malacca - Dutch Square

Tourists gathered around the Dutch Square where the major Malacca landmarks are located; the Christ Church, the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fountain, the Malacca Art Gallery and the biggest of them all, the Stadthuys.

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca City.

The focal point of the Unesco Heritage zone, this attractive and elegant square is surrounded by Dutch-era buildings that have been painted crimson, shady trees and a mass of kitschly decorated trishaws waiting for customers. Take a moment to admire the pretty fountain erected in 1904 in memory of Queen Victoria and decorated with four bas-relief images of the monarch (read more).

Malaysia - Malacca - Proclamation of Independence Memorial

Proclamation of Independence Memorial, Malacca City.

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca City.

The Proclamation of Independence Memorial (Malay: Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan) is a museum in Malacca City, Melaka, Malaysia.

The memorial building was established in 1912. The building used to house the Malacca Club which was used as the social centre of the British people in British Malaya. The memorial was set up and officiated by former Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman on 31 August 1985, 28 years after the independence of the country (read more).

Malaysia - Malacca - Melaka Islamic Museum

Melaka Islamic Museum.

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca City.

The establishment of the Malacca Islamic Museum aims to make it a centre for the collection, research, conservation and exhibition of Islamic-oriented collections of materials in line with Melaka's role as one of the centres for the spread of Islam in the archipelago in the past and the development of Islam in Malaysia today.

The Malacca Islamic Museum is located in the old building of the Malacca Islamic Religious Council (MAIM) Office, Jalan Kota, Melaka . The interior design of this museum is conceptualized as a reflection of the glorious atmosphere of Islam in Melaka and the archipelago by displaying a combination of the identity of Islamic art globally and Islamic art in the archipelago, especially Melaka .
The exhibition and information presentation method is developed through eight main exhibition spaces with a clear sequence with specific themes. This is to make it easier for visitors to understand the message, historical journey and experience that is being conveyed.

Among the collections on display are replicas of the earliest Al-Quran , the history of the mosque and replicas of the sword of Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

Malaysia - Malacca - Flor de la Mar Maritime Museum

Flor de la Mar Maritime Museum (Muzium Samudera).

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca City.

Maritime Museum (Malay: Muzium Samudera) is a museum about maritime activities in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia. It was officially opened to the public by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on 13 June 1994, began with phase one. The phase two of the museum is housed in the old Guthrie building and was opened by State Committee for Tourism, Culture and Environment Chairman Poh Ah Tiam on 23 May 1998.

The museum main exhibits the replica of Flor de la Mar with 34 metres high, 36 metres long and 8 metres wide; houses exhibits, artifacts and documents from the golden era of Malacca and shows how political control of Malacca was essential to the establishment of maritime dominance in the region and also displays the trading link of Malacca from the early time through the colonial era until independence (read more).

Malaysia - Malacca - Taming Sari Tower

Menara Taming Sari (Taming Sari Tower).

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca City.

Taming Sari Tower is a 24-story, 110-meter-tall gyro tower in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia. It is the first and tallest gyro tower in Malaysia. The tower was opened to the public on 18 April 2008 and officiated by then Chief Minister of Malacca, Mohd Ali Rustam on 17 May 2008. Its design was taken from the eponymous legendary keris which belonged to Hang Tuah. The tower offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Malacca City and beyond, and is able to accommodate 80 people per viewing session, which lasts about 7 minutes (read more).

Malaysia - Malacca - Malacca River Walk

The Malacca River Walk is a path that runs on both sides of the Malacca River in the historic centre of Malacca City, Malaysia.

Sent by myself during my recent trip to Malacca.

China - Gansu Province - Mogao Caves

Motifs of the craftsmanship of Sui Dynasty (581-618) in Cave No. 107.

Sent by Han Tong from P.R. China.

Carved into the cliffs above the Dachuan River, the Mogao Caves south-east of the Dunhuang oasis, Gansu Province, comprise the largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art in the world. It was first constructed in 366AD and represents the great achievement of Buddhist art from the 4th to the 14th century. 492 caves are presently preserved, housing about 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures. Cave 302 of the Sui dynasty contains one of the oldest and most vivid scenes of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, depicting a camel pulling a cart typical of trade missions of that period. Caves 23 and 156 of the Tang dynasty show workers in the fields and a line of warriors respectively and in the Song dynasty Cave 61, the celebrated landscape of Mount Wutai is an early example of artistic Chinese cartography, where nothing has been left out – mountains, rivers, cities, temples, roads and caravans are all depicted (read more).

China - Chongqing Province - Dazu Rock Carvings

Partial view of a group of stones sculptures Mount Baoding.

Sent by Han Tong from P.R. China.

The steep hillsides in the Dazu area near Chongqing, contain an exceptional series of five clusters of rock carvings dating from the 9th to 13th centuries. The largest cluster at Beishan contains two groups along a cliff face 7-10m high stretching for around 300m. There are more than 10,000 carvings dating from the late 9th to the mid-12th century which depict themes of Tantric Buddhism and Taoism. Inscriptions give insight to the history, religious beliefs, dating and the identification of historical figures. The late 11thcentury Song dynasty carvings at Shizhuanshan extend over 130m and depict Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian images in a rare tripartite arrangement. The Song dynasty carvings at Shimenshan dating from the first half of the 12th century extend along 72m and integrate Buddhist and Taoist subjects. At Nanshan the Song dynasty carvings of the 12th century extend over a length of 86m and depict mostly Taoist subjects. The culmination in terms of expression of Tantric Buddhism is found in the U shaped gorge at Baodingshan which contains two groups of carvings dating from the late 12th to the mid-13th century near the Holy Longevity Monastery. The very large group to the west stretches for about 500 metres and comprises 31 groups of carved figures depicting themes from Tantric Buddhism as well scenes of herdsmen and ordinary life (read more).

Russia - Karelia Republic - Kizhi Pogost (2)

Kizhi Island

Sent by Olga from Moscow, Russia.

This is my second postcard of Kizhi Pogost. The first one is here.

Italy - Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia

AQUILEIA

Interior of the Basilica

Sent by Gabriele who is living in Germany.

Located at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea on the Natissa (Natiso) River, the property includes the Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia. The Roman city dates to 181 BCE and became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the early Roman Empire until it was sacked and destroyed in 452 by the Huns led by Attila.

The city was a major trading centre connecting the Mediterranean to Central Europe. Aquileia’s wealth and status within the empire was reflected in its magnificent public buildings and private residences many of which survive as archaeological remains. The archaeological area, covering 155 hectares, includes part of the forum and its Roman basilica (courthouse), the late antique horrea, one of the sets of baths, and two luxurious residential complexes. Outside the late Roman city walls, the entire course of which has been located and part of which stills survives, excavations have also revealed a cemetery with some impressive funerary monuments. Below ground archaeological remains of the amphitheatre and the circus have also been preserved (read more).

South Korea - Changdeokgung Palace Complex

UNESCO World Heritage of Rep. of KOREA
In the early 15th century, the King Taejong ordered the construction of a new palace at an auspicious site. A Bureau of Palace  Construction was set up to create the complex, consisting of a number of official and residential buildings set in a garden that was cleverly adapted to the uneven topography of a 58-ha site. The result is an exceptional example of Far Eastern palace architecture and design, blending harmoniously with its surrounding landscape.

Sent by Seokyoung from Ulsan, South Korea.

Constructed in the 15th century during the Joseon Dynasty, the Changdeokgung Palace Complex occupies a 57.9 ha site in Jongno-gu, in northern Seoul at the foot of Ungbong Peak of Mount Baegaksan, the main geomantic guardian mountain.

Changdeokgung is an exceptional example of official and residential buildings that were integrated into and harmonized with their natural setting. The complex was originally built as a secondary palace to the main palace of Gyeongbokgung, differentiated from it in its purpose and spatial layout within the capital. Situated at the foot of a mountain range, it was designed to embrace the topography in accordance with pungsu principles, by placing the palace structures to the south and incorporating an extensive rear garden to the north called Biwon, the Secret Garden. Adaptation to the natural terrain distinguished Changdeokgung from conventional palace architecture (read more).

South Korea - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007)
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes together comprises three sites that make up 18,846 ha. It includes Geomunoreum, regarded as the finest lava tube system of caves anywhere, with its multicoloured carbonate roofs and floors, and dark-coloured lava walls; the fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone, rising out of the ocean, a dramatic landscape; and Mount Haila, the highest in Korea, with its waterfalls, multi-shaped rock formations, and lake-filled crater. The site, is outstanding aesthetic beauty, also bears testimony to the history of the planet, it features and processes.

Sent by Soyoung from Incheon, South Korea.

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is a coherent serial property comprising three components.  The unequalled quality of the Geomunoreum lava tube system and the exhibition of diverse and accessible volcanic features in the other two components demonstrate a distinctive and important contribution to the understanding of global volcanism (read more).

Belarus - Struve Geodetic Arc

UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Belarus.
Struve Geodetic Arc.

Sent by Alena from Minsk, Belarus.

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries (Belarus, Finland, Lithuania, Moldova, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Russia, and Ukraine) and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks (read more).

Czechia - Tugendhat Villa in Brno

BRNO - Tugendhat Villa.

Sent by Věra from Brno in Czechia. 

The Tugendhat Villa is situated in Brno, in the district of Černá Pole, in the south of South Moravia in the Czech Republic. The villa was designed by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and built on a commission from Grete and Frits Tugendhat, members of rich industrial families of Brno, in 1929–1930.The prominent German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed not only the villa but also its furniture and the adjacent garden. Moreover, Mies van der Rohe closely supervised the execution of the building project to achieve perfection (read more).

Germany - Bavaria - Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square

Greetings From Würzburg
Cherry blossom in front of the Residenz.

Sent by Tom from Plauen in Saxony, Germany. 

Located in Southern Germany, the sumptuous Würzburg Residence was built and decorated in the 18th century by an international corps of architects, painters, sculptors, and stucco workers under the patronage of two successive Prince-Bishops, Johann Philipp Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn.

The Residence was essentially constructed between 1720 and 1744, decorated on the interior from 1740 to 1770 and landscaped with magnificent gardens from 1765 to 1780. It testifies to the ostentation of the two Prince-Bishops, and as such illustrates the historical situation of one of the most brilliant courts of Europe during the 18th century. The most renowned architects of the period - the Viennese, Lukas von Hildebrandt, and the Parisians Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand - drew up the plans. They were supervised by the official architect of the Prince Bishop, Balthasar Neumann, who was assisted by Maximilian von Welsch, the architect of the Elector of Mainz. Sculptors and stucco-workers came from Italy, Flanders, and Munich. The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo frescoed the staircase and the walls of the Imperial Hall.