Tag: city
Visiting Matsumoto Castle (松本城), Japan
Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto, Japan, is one of the most impressive castles in Japan. If you search for Japanese castles, it is likely that you will find images of Matsumoto Castle (along with places like Osaka Castle) and you can find it in many lists of the top castles to visit in Japan. It is…
Toji Temple, Kyoto – The Temple for the Defence of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines
I recently posted about Fushimi Inari and Mt. Inari, Kyoto – The path of 1000 gates, which I visited during my trip to Kyoto. However, it was not the first place I went to in Kyoto. After getting off the Shinkansen (bullet train) at Kyoto station, I split up with my host family and went…
Peony Garden in Fukuoka’s Ohori Park – Japan
Just like the bees that pollinate them, the residents of Fukuoka flock to the peony garden in Ohori Park in early May. Like the nearby Wisteria Garden, you will find many Japanese people coming here to photograph the peonies. Peonies, or 芍薬 (しゃくやく, shyakuyaku) in Japan (some species are also called ボタン (botan)), represent symbolise…
A Garden After Blooming – Wisteria Garden, Ohori Park, Fukuoka
We see the effects of flowering plants year-round: sniffling and sneezing because of pollen, bees and insects invading picnics, and a sweet smell in the air. What many of us fail to realise is how fast flowers come and go. Nowhere is this more evident than in a single-species garden – also called a monoculture…
Fushimi Inari and Mt. Inari, Kyoto – The path of 1000 gates
If you are travelling to Kyoto on a budget, you don’t like spending money or you just like hiking, then Fushimi Inari is for you. Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is a Shinto Shrine in Kyoto that is dedicated to Inari, the god of rice. It is free to visit and is open 24/7. Fushimi Inari…
Wisteria in Fukuoka – Purple cascades
If you are a fan of purple flowers, wisteria (フジの花) may be just the thing for you. Wisteria typically blooms in Japan in late April and early May. Because it is further south in Japan, the wisteria in Fukuoka usually blooms before the wisteria on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. One of the best…
Zurich, Switzerland – The most expensive city in the world
If you are looking for somewhere in Europe with history, Zurich is your one-stop shop. From Roman foundation over 2000 years ago to modern history, Zürich covers it all. If you want to shop, Zürich has one of the best (and most expensive) shopping districts. If you need to deal with finances, Zürich is one…
Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany – That’s one busy port!
The seaside resort of Warnemünde is located on Germany’s Baltic coast, just above the city of Rostock. History Founded in approximately 1200, it has been a fishing village for most of its history. The city of Rostock financed a harbour near the village, signing a contract with the patrician of Rostock to maintain the waterway…
Stralsund, Germany – The gateway to Scandinavia
Stralsund is a town with a population of just over 60,000 on the coast of northern Germany. It is the fourth largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Stralsund is a Hanseatic city: it was part of the Hanseatic League. It certainly reflects that and the wealth that it in brought from the city’s historical buildings. One of…
Bautzen, Germany – The Land of Mustard
In the former East German state of Saxony lies the town of Bautzen, a medieval town that is famous across Germany for its architecture and its mustard (yes, mustard). The city centre of Bautzen sits up on a hill overlooking the more modern areas of the town as well as the river Spree (the same…
Mariazell, Austria – A Pilgrimage in Winter
Nestled between mountains in the North Styrian Alps lies the small town of Mariazell. With approximately 3000 inhabitants, you may think that having to drive through valleys and around mountains to get to it, the town would be relatively unknown and easy to miss. You would also be wrong. Mariazell as a settlement probably dates…
Jaén, Spain – Spending a little time in olive heaven
To the north of the province of Granada in Andalucia in Spain lies the province of Jaén. In the southwest of this province lies the city of the same name, the capital of the province. History The city of Jaén has a long history: the Neolithic period saw humans arrive here celebrated by the well-known…
Como, Italy – Italian riches
When taking a long road trip (for example, from France to Liechtenstein), it is always a good idea to have a point to stop, stretch one’s legs and see something interesting to break up the monotonous hours of motorway/autobahn/highway travel. This specific stop was a nice city on the Swiss-Italian border (on the Italian side): Como.…
Vaduz, Liechtenstein – A tiny capital for a tiny country
Vaduz dates back to the 1100s (at least, it appeared in manuscripts from the time); a castle dates from 1322, but the Swiss completely destroyed both in 1499. Until 1719, the Hohenems family held Liechtenstein. This is when the Liechtenstein family purchased it. The family originally came from Castle Liechtenstein in Lower Austria. They wanted…
Arlon, Belgium – Religious overload
Our trip to Arlon in Belgium was quite unexpected but well worth the trip. The train line between Luxembourg City and Arlon (a friend was heading to Namur) was closed; instead we drove her to Arlon. As we arrived an hour before the train departed, we decided to visit the local church and it was…
