My Travel and History Blog, Focussing mostly on Roman and Mediaeval Times
2 Jun 2025
Spring Tour 2025 – Denmark, Part 2: Odense, Æroskøbing, and More Vikings
Here is the second part of my Back with Booty posts from Denmark (the first can be found here). 15 days won’t cover the country – even leaving out Copenhagen and surroundings which I visited years ago – but proved sufficient to see quite a few interesting places.
Odense, lane in the old town
Odense is another town whose origins go back way into the past. The first time the name appears is a charte in which the German Emperor Otto III granted rights (unspecified; have to research that for future posts) to Odense in 988, but archaeological finds go beyond that. Odense had been a Vking settlement – one of Harald Bluetooth’s ring fortresses was buit here – though that past is mostly hidden under the present town.
Odense, Blackfriar’s Square
Odense thrived in the Middle Ages, churches and monasteries were built, as well as handsome houses by merchants and major craftsmen. A large fire in 1247 (during the conflicts of one of the dysfunctional royal families) proved no major setback, albeit several damaged churches were rebuilt in a more 'modern' Gothic style. Prosperity continued after the Reformation – many of the fine houses date to the 16th and mid-17th century, but then an increase in taxes (result of the lost Dano-Swedish War 1657/58) led to a period of stagnation.
Street in Odense
In the late 18th century, a canal was built from Odense harbour to the fjord at the Baltic Sea to faciliate the passage of larger ships, and since the 1840ies, industrialisation brought new prosperity to the city.
But not everyone participated in that development; there were still many poor people (living, like in the towns I mentioned in the first post, in those now so pretty little houses). The parents of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the famous Danish writer, were of those poor. Andersen could only attend high school and university thanks to grants.
Odense, gardens of the new Hans Christian Andersen Museum
Odense is proud of its famous citizen and has built a new museum – Andersen’s birth house has been one for a long time – a modern site, designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, that opened in 2021. I have not visited it since it is more a virtual and interactive presentation of Andersen’s fairy tales, but the gardens with the rotunds are free for everyone. The main museum is underground.
Funen Village Museum
One of the highlights (besides the Viking Village near Ribe and the Vindelev treasure, see below) was the open air musem Den Fynske Landsby (the Funen Village) near Odense, which reminded me of a similar one in Molfsee near Kiel in Germany I mentioned at the end of this post. It was interesting to compare the styles of the houses and farms.
Funen Village, the inn
The Funen Village opened in 1946, but its establishment began during the German occupation in WW2, in 1944. Many old houses and farm buildings – most of them half timbered and with thatched roofs – from the 18th and 19th century had fallen into disuse and were replaced by modern stone buildings, which was felt to be a shame, because the past vanished. So the idea was born to dismantle such buildings and reassemble them in one place.
Funen Village, interior of a house
The village presents 25 buildings, farmsteads, crofter houses, a parsonage, a school, a watermill, a windmill, an inn (fully functional, though the food is modern, no gritty meal with chaff) and more. The oldest building dates to 1692, the youngest is from 1893. Besides the houses, there are also gardens, stables and pasture with livestock, arable fields. In all, the village looks like something Hans Christian Andersen would have seen in his life, and it was a really nice place to explore on a sunny day.
Funen Village, a landau, with the parsonage in the background
Of course I wouldn’t miss one of Denmark’s most famous historical sites: The rune stones and burial mounds at Jelling. The older stone reads: "King Gorm made these monuments in memory of Thyra / his wife, Denmark’s bót." The meaning of bót is discussed, it can mean "Denmark’s adorment" but also "Denmark’s salvation". There are no contemporary sources outside the rune stones, but later sources present Thyra as a politically active queen who supported her husband.
The second stone was erected by their son Harald Bluethooth in honour of his parents, and to mark the Christianization of the Danes he had undertaken. Besides the text, there are a depiction of Christus and animal ornaments.
The older Jelling stone, front side
Gorm the Old (*~ 900 – † 958 or maybe 963) was a Danish king – whether he ruled all of Denmark is dubious, more likely he ruled over Jutland – with a semi-legendary ancestry that connects him to Harthacnut. Not much is known about him except his marriage to Thyra and being the father of Harald Bluetooth and perhaps other children as well. About Thyra, even less is known.
Jelling, the church and one of the burial mounds
Gorm’s son Harald Bluetooth is connected with the Viking Treasure of Hiddensee, and more shinies can now be seen in Jelling. I was lucky, since the exhibition of the Vindelev Treasure that has been discovered a few miles outside Jelling in 2020, had just opened two days before I visited the the museum.
Jelling, a piece of the Vindelev Treasure
The Vindelev Treasure is older than the finds of Hiddensee; the pieces date to the 5th/6th centuries AD and were deposited in a bog in the 6th century, during the Migration Period. It is assumed that the treasure was laid down as a sacrifice (which means that I’ll have to go back to the comment section of the Hiddensee post where I discussed the problem of safekeeping/sacrifice).
If someone thinks that the guy on the medaillon looks Roman – yes, he does; it’s Constantine the Great. Among the finds were not only 'Nordic' gold bracteates, but also Roman coins and medaillons. Trade connections and maybe even personal meetings went quite far at that time.
The Ladby ship burial
Another Viking site not far from Odense is the Ladby Ship. It is the only Danish ship burial (Norway got several), and the Danes were pretty excited when it was discovered in 1935. The conditions in the mound did not preserve wood very well, so most of what can be seen are impressions of the ship’s planks in the earth. Iron, on the other hand, preserves well, thus lots of nails and rivets have been found (in other sites, sometimes the timber is better preseverd and small iron objects rusted away). Most bones of the buried chief are missing, but those of several horses and dogs have been found, together with pieces to their tack.
Ladby is the only ship burial that has been conservated on site by encasing the ship in glass in an oblong room, and recreating the mound over it. The dim lights make it truly a burial.
Kerteminde, another pretty Danish lane
When traveling to somewhat remote places by public transport, I usually have to aim for a nearby town with a bus/train connection and then catch a local bus, or walk a few miles, ask for a ride, or take a taxi. Though that way I often had some time to explore the towns
Kerteminde is one of those cute little towns with cute little houses. And a coffe shop with yummy cakes. *grin* Settlement in the area goes back to the 11th century, but rights of town were granted Kerteminde only in 1413. Like most other historical places, the town lies directly at the Baltic Sea coast.
The double houses of Egeskov Castle
Egeskov Castle is one of the main tourist attractions on Funen. It is a handsome Late Gothic building with a spacious park, a vintage car museum and a large children’s playground. I was warned not to go there on a weekend, but under the week in pre-holiday season it wasn’t too crowded.
Egeskov Castle, the great house
Egeskov was built by the Danish nobleman Frands Mikkelsen Brockenhuus (1518-1569), military leader, diplomat, and member of the Royal Council, in 1554, though an older building on the grounds is mentioned in 1405. Since there had been a civil war just a few years prior (the Count’s War 1534-36 about succession to the throne as well as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants), Brockenhuus made sure the castle was well fortified. He would die in another conflict, the Nordic Seven Years War (1563-1570), one of the many sub-conflicts in the Nordic Wars over the dominance in the Baltic Sea that lasted from 1554 to 1721.
Egeskov Park, the tulip garden
Brockenhuus bought a lot of adjacent land and added the first park. The castle itself was erected in the lake, resting on oaken pillars (it is said he used up a forest of trees, thus the name Egeskov – oak forest). Access originally was by a drawbridge.
The estate came to the Bille-Brahe family in 1784 and was inherited by the counts Ahlefeldt Laurvid-Bille who still own the castle and park.
Svendborg, the harbour
Svendborg is another town with a number of nice old houses, but I admit, I didn’t take so many photos this time. I got enough colourful little houses already. And since those houses are lived in, you sometimes get cars parking in front, or the ground floor taken up by stores and boutiques; Svendborg is a shopping town and got a main street full of those.
Ærøskøbing, pretty houses
The old character is better preserved in Ærøskøbing on the island of Ærø. One of the reasons is that its importance never went beyond the local trade and crafts, other than large towns like Aarhus or Odense. So the town was never 'modernised' the way those larger cities have been. Today, the townscape is deliberately kept since Ærøskøbing has become a tourist destination; tourism providing its major income.
Ærøskøbing, more pretty houses
The town dates to 1250, but a fire in 1629 destroyed most of it. The town recovered, though, and the old houses were rebuilt, and newer, somewhat larger ones added that show stylistic influences from Funen and northern Germany. Today, the old houses – the oldest dating to 1645 – are lovingly kept. The paint needs to be refurbished regularly; one lady was painstakingly recolouring a black stripe when I walked through the lanes.
The Baltic Sea near Svendborg
The last afternoon in Denmark ended with an ice cream at Ærøskøbing harbour and a ferry tour back to Svendborg. You know I love being on the water.
¶ June 02, 2025 3 comments
Here is the second part of my Back with Booty posts from Denmark (the first can be found here). 15 days won’t cover the country – even leaving out Copenhagen and surroundings which I visited years ago – but proved sufficient to see quite a few interesting places.
Odense is another town whose origins go back way into the past. The first time the name appears is a charte in which the German Emperor Otto III granted rights (unspecified; have to research that for future posts) to Odense in 988, but archaeological finds go beyond that. Odense had been a Vking settlement – one of Harald Bluetooth’s ring fortresses was buit here – though that past is mostly hidden under the present town.
Odense thrived in the Middle Ages, churches and monasteries were built, as well as handsome houses by merchants and major craftsmen. A large fire in 1247 (during the conflicts of one of the dysfunctional royal families) proved no major setback, albeit several damaged churches were rebuilt in a more 'modern' Gothic style. Prosperity continued after the Reformation – many of the fine houses date to the 16th and mid-17th century, but then an increase in taxes (result of the lost Dano-Swedish War 1657/58) led to a period of stagnation.
In the late 18th century, a canal was built from Odense harbour to the fjord at the Baltic Sea to faciliate the passage of larger ships, and since the 1840ies, industrialisation brought new prosperity to the city.
But not everyone participated in that development; there were still many poor people (living, like in the towns I mentioned in the first post, in those now so pretty little houses). The parents of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the famous Danish writer, were of those poor. Andersen could only attend high school and university thanks to grants.
Odense is proud of its famous citizen and has built a new museum – Andersen’s birth house has been one for a long time – a modern site, designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, that opened in 2021. I have not visited it since it is more a virtual and interactive presentation of Andersen’s fairy tales, but the gardens with the rotunds are free for everyone. The main museum is underground.
One of the highlights (besides the Viking Village near Ribe and the Vindelev treasure, see below) was the open air musem Den Fynske Landsby (the Funen Village) near Odense, which reminded me of a similar one in Molfsee near Kiel in Germany I mentioned at the end of this post. It was interesting to compare the styles of the houses and farms.
The Funen Village opened in 1946, but its establishment began during the German occupation in WW2, in 1944. Many old houses and farm buildings – most of them half timbered and with thatched roofs – from the 18th and 19th century had fallen into disuse and were replaced by modern stone buildings, which was felt to be a shame, because the past vanished. So the idea was born to dismantle such buildings and reassemble them in one place.
The village presents 25 buildings, farmsteads, crofter houses, a parsonage, a school, a watermill, a windmill, an inn (fully functional, though the food is modern, no gritty meal with chaff) and more. The oldest building dates to 1692, the youngest is from 1893. Besides the houses, there are also gardens, stables and pasture with livestock, arable fields. In all, the village looks like something Hans Christian Andersen would have seen in his life, and it was a really nice place to explore on a sunny day.
Of course I wouldn’t miss one of Denmark’s most famous historical sites: The rune stones and burial mounds at Jelling. The older stone reads: "King Gorm made these monuments in memory of Thyra / his wife, Denmark’s bót." The meaning of bót is discussed, it can mean "Denmark’s adorment" but also "Denmark’s salvation". There are no contemporary sources outside the rune stones, but later sources present Thyra as a politically active queen who supported her husband.
The second stone was erected by their son Harald Bluethooth in honour of his parents, and to mark the Christianization of the Danes he had undertaken. Besides the text, there are a depiction of Christus and animal ornaments.
Gorm the Old (*~ 900 – † 958 or maybe 963) was a Danish king – whether he ruled all of Denmark is dubious, more likely he ruled over Jutland – with a semi-legendary ancestry that connects him to Harthacnut. Not much is known about him except his marriage to Thyra and being the father of Harald Bluetooth and perhaps other children as well. About Thyra, even less is known.
Gorm’s son Harald Bluetooth is connected with the Viking Treasure of Hiddensee, and more shinies can now be seen in Jelling. I was lucky, since the exhibition of the Vindelev Treasure that has been discovered a few miles outside Jelling in 2020, had just opened two days before I visited the the museum.
The Vindelev Treasure is older than the finds of Hiddensee; the pieces date to the 5th/6th centuries AD and were deposited in a bog in the 6th century, during the Migration Period. It is assumed that the treasure was laid down as a sacrifice (which means that I’ll have to go back to the comment section of the Hiddensee post where I discussed the problem of safekeeping/sacrifice).
If someone thinks that the guy on the medaillon looks Roman – yes, he does; it’s Constantine the Great. Among the finds were not only 'Nordic' gold bracteates, but also Roman coins and medaillons. Trade connections and maybe even personal meetings went quite far at that time.
Another Viking site not far from Odense is the Ladby Ship. It is the only Danish ship burial (Norway got several), and the Danes were pretty excited when it was discovered in 1935. The conditions in the mound did not preserve wood very well, so most of what can be seen are impressions of the ship’s planks in the earth. Iron, on the other hand, preserves well, thus lots of nails and rivets have been found (in other sites, sometimes the timber is better preseverd and small iron objects rusted away). Most bones of the buried chief are missing, but those of several horses and dogs have been found, together with pieces to their tack.
Ladby is the only ship burial that has been conservated on site by encasing the ship in glass in an oblong room, and recreating the mound over it. The dim lights make it truly a burial.
When traveling to somewhat remote places by public transport, I usually have to aim for a nearby town with a bus/train connection and then catch a local bus, or walk a few miles, ask for a ride, or take a taxi. Though that way I often had some time to explore the towns
Kerteminde is one of those cute little towns with cute little houses. And a coffe shop with yummy cakes. *grin* Settlement in the area goes back to the 11th century, but rights of town were granted Kerteminde only in 1413. Like most other historical places, the town lies directly at the Baltic Sea coast.
Egeskov Castle is one of the main tourist attractions on Funen. It is a handsome Late Gothic building with a spacious park, a vintage car museum and a large children’s playground. I was warned not to go there on a weekend, but under the week in pre-holiday season it wasn’t too crowded.
Egeskov was built by the Danish nobleman Frands Mikkelsen Brockenhuus (1518-1569), military leader, diplomat, and member of the Royal Council, in 1554, though an older building on the grounds is mentioned in 1405. Since there had been a civil war just a few years prior (the Count’s War 1534-36 about succession to the throne as well as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants), Brockenhuus made sure the castle was well fortified. He would die in another conflict, the Nordic Seven Years War (1563-1570), one of the many sub-conflicts in the Nordic Wars over the dominance in the Baltic Sea that lasted from 1554 to 1721.
Brockenhuus bought a lot of adjacent land and added the first park. The castle itself was erected in the lake, resting on oaken pillars (it is said he used up a forest of trees, thus the name Egeskov – oak forest). Access originally was by a drawbridge.
The estate came to the Bille-Brahe family in 1784 and was inherited by the counts Ahlefeldt Laurvid-Bille who still own the castle and park.
Svendborg is another town with a number of nice old houses, but I admit, I didn’t take so many photos this time. I got enough colourful little houses already. And since those houses are lived in, you sometimes get cars parking in front, or the ground floor taken up by stores and boutiques; Svendborg is a shopping town and got a main street full of those.
The old character is better preserved in Ærøskøbing on the island of Ærø. One of the reasons is that its importance never went beyond the local trade and crafts, other than large towns like Aarhus or Odense. So the town was never 'modernised' the way those larger cities have been. Today, the townscape is deliberately kept since Ærøskøbing has become a tourist destination; tourism providing its major income.
The town dates to 1250, but a fire in 1629 destroyed most of it. The town recovered, though, and the old houses were rebuilt, and newer, somewhat larger ones added that show stylistic influences from Funen and northern Germany. Today, the old houses – the oldest dating to 1645 – are lovingly kept. The paint needs to be refurbished regularly; one lady was painstakingly recolouring a black stripe when I walked through the lanes.
The last afternoon in Denmark ended with an ice cream at Ærøskøbing harbour and a ferry tour back to Svendborg. You know I love being on the water.
¶ June 02, 2025 3 comments
24 May 2025
Spring Tour 2025 – Denmark, Part 1: Aarhus, Ribe, and Some Vikings
This year I went to hunt some Vikings and pretty Danish towns. Here’s the usual Back with Booty-post. I started this blog in May 2005, so it’s the 20 year anniversary of The Lost Fort. A good reason for picture fun, after all.
On the ferry from Svendborg to Ærø
The Danes love their flag, the Dannebrog; you’ll find it flying pretty much everywhere.
The sunny weather was typical for my tour; I only had two days with overcast sky and one day with some rain. But the wind was still cold – you better bring a jacket in a country where no place is more than 50 km distant from the sea.
Aarhus, view from Dokk1 to Aarhus Ø
Aarhus – while dating back to the Viking Age’s Aros – is today the second largest city in Denmark, and the one with some of the most experimental modern architecture. I’m more interested in historical buildings, but I took a few shots of the modern ones when I came across them during my walk in the city.
Aarhus, at the Å river
The inner city has some nice spots as well, like the way along the Å river. There are also plenty of museums – not all to my interest, but I should have planned for a day more to visit some of them. Well, if I need a reason for another visit ... *grin*
Aarhus, the cathedral
The cathedral, dedicated to St.Clement, patron of sailors, was built in the late 12th century in the Romanesque style. The material, brick stones, was not common in Denmark at the time and likely influenced by northern German churches. The same influence also led to a church makeover in the Gothic style in the second half of the 15th century. With a length of 93 metres, the cathedral is the largest sacral building in Denmark.
Aarhus, Møllestien lane
Some buildings of the old town around the cathedral have survived the various changes of the town centre, like this cute little lane. Though it has not always been a pretty place to live; once those houses were inhabited by poor people.
Aarhus, open air museum Den Gamle By (with a modern building in the background)
Den Gamle By (The Old Village) is a little time travel island hiding in the city, an open air museum that takes you back to the time of the 16th to 19th century, with historical houses that have been removed from their original sites in Denmark and found a new place here.
Moesgaard Museum
One museum I did not miss was the wonderful Moesgaard Museum with exhibits from the Stone Age to the Vikings, presented in a much more fun way than rows of vitrines. The modern building is also quite fascinating.
Moesgaard Museum, the Grauballe Man
One of the highlights (well, rather dimly lit) is the Grauballe Man, a bog body from the late 3rd century AD who had his throat slit. He may have been a sacrifical victim. The body, which was found in 1952, is an unusually well preserved example of a bog body.
Moesgaard Museum, weapon deposit from Illerup-Ådal
A silted up lake in the river valley of Illerup-Ådal has been a site of several Iron Age bog sacrifices of weapons and personal equipment of defeated enemies. Many of the weapons and personal belongings of the warriors are on display in the museum. The size of the most important fund layer points to the remains of a large battle nearby.
One of the fun bits: Before accessing that part of the exhibtion, you’ll pass a room with an animated diorama that makes you feel like being in the midst of a battle, with arrows whooshing over your head, and a rider coming towards you.
Moesgaard Museum, replica of the Gundestrup Cauldron
Another iconic bog find has been the Gundestrup Cauldron, of which a replica is shown in Moesgaard (the original is in Copenhagen). The cauldron dates from some time between 200 BC and 300 AD, and is one of the largest cauldrons ever found (diameter 69 cm, height 42 cm). Material and art show elements of Celtic and Thracian origin – one wonders how such an unusual piece found its way to Denmark.
Lindholm Höje, view over the graveyard
Lindholm Höje near Aalborg is a large graveyard that has been in use from the 5th to the 11th century. Many of the graves are stone settings in the shape of ships, but there are also triangular and quadratic graves. Overall, there are about 700 graves, mostly cremation burials.
Ship-shaped grave settings at Lindholm Höje
Remains of settlements have been found nearby as well. Towards the end of the 11th century, the area was covered by drifting sands and thus preserved. Excavations took place 1962-1960; today the entire field of burials can be visited. Some finds of grave goods are displayed in a local museum.
Kalø Castle, the keep
Trust me to find a castle ruin again. Kalø Castle was constructed in 1313 by King Erik VI who had some trouble with rebellious nobles and peasants in Jutland. So he put – among other fortresses spread over Jutland – a castle on a small island and connected it with the mainland by a 500 metres long embankment and a road which still shows mostly the original cobblestones, and very cobbly they are.
Kalø Castle, closeup of the keep
The castle was party dismantled only a few years later, but still in use, among others, as prison in the next centuries. Its most famous inmate was the later king Gustav Vasa of Sweden (1518), before he escaped to Lübeck in Germany. The castle fell into decay during the wars between Sweden and Denmark and was abandoned in 1645.
Ebeltoft town
Ebeltoft is one of those charming small Danish towns with a centre still dominated by lanes with cute, colourfully painted little old houses. And Dannebrogs. *grin* The town is a tourist magnet in summer, but it wasn’t so crowded when I visited.
Ribe, the cathedral
Ribe is considered to be the oldest town in Denmark (dating to the 8th century) and had been the most important Danish harbour at the North Sea during the Middle Ages (today, the coast line has changed and put the town several kilometres inland). Over the centuries, Ribe losts its importance, but the cathedral and town hall still prove its former greatness and wealth. The town also retains a considerable number of little old houses.
Ribe, old harbour at the river Å
The town was hit by several catastrophes (floods, and the most common at a time where many buildings were made of timber: fires) during the 13th to 15th centuries, yet Ribe remained an important place; the town hall, built in 1496, is proof of continuing prosperity. During the Middle Ages, Ribe had not only been a major trade hub, but also housed a number of craftsmen working in metal, leather, and pottery.
Ribe, lane with old houses
The decline began in the 16th century with more floods, fires, pestilence, silting of the coastal lands that cut off the connection to the sea, and war between Denmark and Sweden. In the 17th century, Ribe was reduced to a minor town.
Ribe, another lane
Those charming little houses mostly date to the 17th and 18th centuries; many older timber-based buildings have been destroyed over time. The houses near the river – my B&B was located in one such – once had been the homes of poor fishermen, minor craftsmen and such, crowded with large families, and not very romantic. But my room was lovely.
Ribe, at the Ribe Å
There are worse places to sit and have a beer in the evening than this spot at the river Å in Ribe. For me, Ribe stands as a good example for the famous Danish hygge. There were not so many tourists this time of the year, either.
Reconstructed houses in the Ribe Viking Centre
Since finds from Viking times have been abundant, Ribe – then called Ripa – also has a Viking Museum and a reconstructed Viking village outside the town. The Viking Centre Ribe was one of the highlights of my journey.
Interior of a Viking house
The village was established in 1992 and shows buildings from the 7th to 10th centuries, among others a long house, a farmstead, and town houses at a market square. A church from 860 AD was added in 2015, and a ringwall fort is under construction.
Ribe Viking Centre, More Viking houses
What makes visiting this open air museum so much fun is that is has a lived-in feel. Viking reenactors live in some of the reconstructed houses (ok, there is a modern bathroom hiding in one of the houses) during summer for a few weeks, which also serves for research purposes, because they’ll make real life experiences (f.e. the smoke of the fireplace keeps most wee crawlies and buzzies away). Several of those I met were from Germany.
Ribe Viking Centre, view to the longhouse
I also took a day tour to Mandø Island on the North Sea coast of Denmark. During high tide the way across the Wadden Sea is only open for special vehicles with high wheels, like the Wadden Sea buses pulled by tractors. The day started nice and sunny, but on the island, it turned cloudy and very windy and cold. I did a bit of hiking nevertheless, but didn't take many photos, because the dune landscape on the outer coast unfortunately looked a bit dreary.
Wadden Sea on the way to Mandø Island
The next part about Odense and some more Vikings can be found here.
¶ May 24, 2025 1 comments
This year I went to hunt some Vikings and pretty Danish towns. Here’s the usual Back with Booty-post. I started this blog in May 2005, so it’s the 20 year anniversary of The Lost Fort. A good reason for picture fun, after all.
The Danes love their flag, the Dannebrog; you’ll find it flying pretty much everywhere.
The sunny weather was typical for my tour; I only had two days with overcast sky and one day with some rain. But the wind was still cold – you better bring a jacket in a country where no place is more than 50 km distant from the sea.
Aarhus – while dating back to the Viking Age’s Aros – is today the second largest city in Denmark, and the one with some of the most experimental modern architecture. I’m more interested in historical buildings, but I took a few shots of the modern ones when I came across them during my walk in the city.
The inner city has some nice spots as well, like the way along the Å river. There are also plenty of museums – not all to my interest, but I should have planned for a day more to visit some of them. Well, if I need a reason for another visit ... *grin*
The cathedral, dedicated to St.Clement, patron of sailors, was built in the late 12th century in the Romanesque style. The material, brick stones, was not common in Denmark at the time and likely influenced by northern German churches. The same influence also led to a church makeover in the Gothic style in the second half of the 15th century. With a length of 93 metres, the cathedral is the largest sacral building in Denmark.
Some buildings of the old town around the cathedral have survived the various changes of the town centre, like this cute little lane. Though it has not always been a pretty place to live; once those houses were inhabited by poor people.
Den Gamle By (The Old Village) is a little time travel island hiding in the city, an open air museum that takes you back to the time of the 16th to 19th century, with historical houses that have been removed from their original sites in Denmark and found a new place here.
One museum I did not miss was the wonderful Moesgaard Museum with exhibits from the Stone Age to the Vikings, presented in a much more fun way than rows of vitrines. The modern building is also quite fascinating.
One of the highlights (well, rather dimly lit) is the Grauballe Man, a bog body from the late 3rd century AD who had his throat slit. He may have been a sacrifical victim. The body, which was found in 1952, is an unusually well preserved example of a bog body.
A silted up lake in the river valley of Illerup-Ådal has been a site of several Iron Age bog sacrifices of weapons and personal equipment of defeated enemies. Many of the weapons and personal belongings of the warriors are on display in the museum. The size of the most important fund layer points to the remains of a large battle nearby.
One of the fun bits: Before accessing that part of the exhibtion, you’ll pass a room with an animated diorama that makes you feel like being in the midst of a battle, with arrows whooshing over your head, and a rider coming towards you.
Another iconic bog find has been the Gundestrup Cauldron, of which a replica is shown in Moesgaard (the original is in Copenhagen). The cauldron dates from some time between 200 BC and 300 AD, and is one of the largest cauldrons ever found (diameter 69 cm, height 42 cm). Material and art show elements of Celtic and Thracian origin – one wonders how such an unusual piece found its way to Denmark.
Lindholm Höje near Aalborg is a large graveyard that has been in use from the 5th to the 11th century. Many of the graves are stone settings in the shape of ships, but there are also triangular and quadratic graves. Overall, there are about 700 graves, mostly cremation burials.
Remains of settlements have been found nearby as well. Towards the end of the 11th century, the area was covered by drifting sands and thus preserved. Excavations took place 1962-1960; today the entire field of burials can be visited. Some finds of grave goods are displayed in a local museum.
Trust me to find a castle ruin again. Kalø Castle was constructed in 1313 by King Erik VI who had some trouble with rebellious nobles and peasants in Jutland. So he put – among other fortresses spread over Jutland – a castle on a small island and connected it with the mainland by a 500 metres long embankment and a road which still shows mostly the original cobblestones, and very cobbly they are.
The castle was party dismantled only a few years later, but still in use, among others, as prison in the next centuries. Its most famous inmate was the later king Gustav Vasa of Sweden (1518), before he escaped to Lübeck in Germany. The castle fell into decay during the wars between Sweden and Denmark and was abandoned in 1645.
Ebeltoft is one of those charming small Danish towns with a centre still dominated by lanes with cute, colourfully painted little old houses. And Dannebrogs. *grin* The town is a tourist magnet in summer, but it wasn’t so crowded when I visited.
Ribe is considered to be the oldest town in Denmark (dating to the 8th century) and had been the most important Danish harbour at the North Sea during the Middle Ages (today, the coast line has changed and put the town several kilometres inland). Over the centuries, Ribe losts its importance, but the cathedral and town hall still prove its former greatness and wealth. The town also retains a considerable number of little old houses.
The town was hit by several catastrophes (floods, and the most common at a time where many buildings were made of timber: fires) during the 13th to 15th centuries, yet Ribe remained an important place; the town hall, built in 1496, is proof of continuing prosperity. During the Middle Ages, Ribe had not only been a major trade hub, but also housed a number of craftsmen working in metal, leather, and pottery.
The decline began in the 16th century with more floods, fires, pestilence, silting of the coastal lands that cut off the connection to the sea, and war between Denmark and Sweden. In the 17th century, Ribe was reduced to a minor town.
Those charming little houses mostly date to the 17th and 18th centuries; many older timber-based buildings have been destroyed over time. The houses near the river – my B&B was located in one such – once had been the homes of poor fishermen, minor craftsmen and such, crowded with large families, and not very romantic. But my room was lovely.
There are worse places to sit and have a beer in the evening than this spot at the river Å in Ribe. For me, Ribe stands as a good example for the famous Danish hygge. There were not so many tourists this time of the year, either.
Since finds from Viking times have been abundant, Ribe – then called Ripa – also has a Viking Museum and a reconstructed Viking village outside the town. The Viking Centre Ribe was one of the highlights of my journey.
The village was established in 1992 and shows buildings from the 7th to 10th centuries, among others a long house, a farmstead, and town houses at a market square. A church from 860 AD was added in 2015, and a ringwall fort is under construction.
What makes visiting this open air museum so much fun is that is has a lived-in feel. Viking reenactors live in some of the reconstructed houses (ok, there is a modern bathroom hiding in one of the houses) during summer for a few weeks, which also serves for research purposes, because they’ll make real life experiences (f.e. the smoke of the fireplace keeps most wee crawlies and buzzies away). Several of those I met were from Germany.
I also took a day tour to Mandø Island on the North Sea coast of Denmark. During high tide the way across the Wadden Sea is only open for special vehicles with high wheels, like the Wadden Sea buses pulled by tractors. The day started nice and sunny, but on the island, it turned cloudy and very windy and cold. I did a bit of hiking nevertheless, but didn't take many photos, because the dune landscape on the outer coast unfortunately looked a bit dreary.
The next part about Odense and some more Vikings can be found here.
¶ May 24, 2025 1 comments
2 Jan 2025
Photo Parade 2024
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
Open Air Museum Kiel-Molfsee, modern entrance building
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed).
The Vanšu Bridge in Riga
I love how the sun makes the cables sparkle. The Vanšu Bridge – then named Gorky Bridge – was built in 1981, during the Sovjet occupation. It is 595 metres long, with a central pylon of 109 metres height, and spans the Daugava river, connecting the city of Riga with Ķīpsala island. The word vanšu refers to the suspension cables holding the bridge.
The tower to the left is the Swedbank Main Office in Riga. It is nicknamed Saules Akmens (Sun Rock), was completed in 2004, and is 122 metres high.
Category: Town (Stadt)
Helsinki, seen from the sea
It is always nice if you can get a pretty view of a town from either above or from some distance that shows a pretty side (and not the often less attractive suburbs). This one was not taken on the big ferry from Tallinn, but from a smaller boat during a tour in the archipelago landscape of Helsinki.
Tartu (Estonia), the Town Hall Square
Tartu in Estonia is Tallinn’s underrated little sister. It is less tourist-y, but a lively place due to the many students. I picked the Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), the historical centre of the town, though the buildings framing the place today are mostly of the classicist style. The trapezoid shaped square had been the main trading area, located between the town hall and the river Emajõgi. Today, it is a meeting point, framed by several restaurants, and a lovely spot on a warm and still bright evening in late spring.
House of the Blackheads in Riga
An iconic view in Riga: the House of the Blackheads. The building dates back to 1334, then serving as warehouse and meeting place for merchants. The Brotherhood of Blackheads Guild – a guild for unmarried merchants – used the house as a guest house and inn since the mid-15th century. Some of the decorations of the facade date to the 17th respective 19th century.
The building was damaged by bombs in 1941, and the Sovjet occupants knocked down the remains in 1948. The house was rebuilt according to old plans, photos and studies by the Riga Polytechnic Institute 1996-2000, so Riga has its landmark back in full splendour.
Detail from Riga’s old town
A typical feature of Medieval towns with their historical centres still intact are small lanes, passageways and little yards that make for a charming maze to walk.
Tallinn: the iconic view from the Toompea Hill to the old town
One typical motive featuring Tallinn is the view from the Toompea Hill where the castle and cathedral are located, over the old town with the town wall towers and further to the harbour and sea. Of couse, I took some shots from that balcony like a good little tourist. *grin*
Tallinn, the town walls
Another feature typical for old towns are town walls. They are not always preserved – with the development of advanced siege techniques and the growth of the cities beyond their Medieval borders, the walls were frequently dismantled. But some towns – like Tallinn – kept at least part of the walls which nowadays are maintained as historical attractions.
This is the oldest section of the Tallinn town wall, built in the 13th century. It became one of the strongest town defenses in Northern Europe during the following centuries. Today, about two kilometres of the wall still exist, as well as 26 towers and two gates.
Tallinn, St. Olaf’s Church
Churches are also an intergral part of towns. They are also often difficult to photograph, because the houses cluster around and you can’t get a wide angle view. What you can get is photos of parts of the churches, or put your head back and catch a tower. This photo might also fit the next category.
St.Olaf’s Church dates back to the 12th century, but was rebuilt in the 14th century, and again in 1649-51, after a fire had destroyed the church and its landmark tower – the tower served as signal for ships during several centuries.
Category: Above / Up / At the Top (oben)
Helsinki, the copper ceiling of the Rock Church
The “Rock Church” (Temppeliaukion Kirkko - Church at the Temple Square) in Helsinki was built in the 1960ies by the architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, though the plans date back to the 1930ies. It was built into a granite rock and has a copper roof with 180 skylight windows; the cupola is 13 metres high. The granite walls inside were left roughly hewn in their natural hues which, together with the copper plate ceiling, gives the round hall an unusual atmosphere. To get an impression of the interior, click here.
Helsinki, dome of the Uspenski Cathedral
The Uspenski Cathedral ist the largest Orthodox cathedral in Finland. It is dedicated to the Dormition (= the death and ascension) of the Virgin Mary. The idea for the construction of an orthodox church dates back to 1812, shortly after Finland was made a Grand Duchy under Russian supremacy during the reign of Tsar Alexander I. But it would take until the 1860ies for it to be actually built.
The interior is very rich with lots of gold, colour, and icones in a neo-Byzantine style. I would have liked to stand directly under the main cupola for this photo, but parts of the interior are cordoned off, so visitors have to follow a path.
Category: Mountains (Bergwelt)
I changed that one to Landscape because the Baltic States aren’t exactly a mountain area. But I got plenty of photos of the pretty archipelago landscape outside Helsinki, therefore I’ll share some of those.
Helsinki archipelago
There isn’t much to comment. *grin* Blue sea, blue sky – a nice day on Suomenlinna island. There is a large fortress on the island, but the fortifications and buildings are spread out and partly hidden, so you can easily catch views without any of them.
Seurasaari island (Helsinki)
Seurasaari island can be reached by a bridge. The shore vegetation is more lake-like and looked pretty in the afternoon sun. The island houses an open air museum with old rural houses from Finland.
Latvia, Gauja river valley
The Gauja National Park in Latvia is the one area I visited that may qualify as ‘mountains’. The park was founded in 1973. It encompasses about 90,000 hectares of hilly land around the Gauja river valley and offers a number of hiking routes.
Gauja National Park, view from Sigulda Castle
Geologically, the rocks in the park are mostly 350-370 million year old sandstone formations in shades of red, orange and yellow, including a number of cliffs and caves. Most of the park is covered by deciduous forst.
Category: Black and White (Schwarz/Weiss)
I don’t do black and white photography any longer (I did it a lot back when we still had to use film rolls), but some photos come out nicely when using the feature in some photo editing program.
Loading cranes in Klaipeda harbour (Lithuania)
My way to the Baltic States is the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda – I consider travelling that way very relaxing, though of course, it takes more time than a flight to Riga or Vilnius. I took some photos of the harbour from the upper deck of the ferry in the evening before it set ‘sail’.
The Snail Tower in Tartu
The Tigutorn is an appartment building in Tartu, designed by Estonian architects Vilen Künnapu and Ain Padrik. It was openend in 2008 and offers flats, offices and a parking house on a space of 23 floors. The tower is designed as a sprial with irregular windows. It surely looks less boring than your average multi-appartment house.
There was a thunderstorm coming in, and the tower looked interesting against the darkening sky even in colour, but the contrasts got stronger in black and white.
Category: Surprise (Überraschung)
That category was a bit difficult since I planned the tour ahead and knew what I wanted to see. But the unusually warm and sunny weather was a pleasant surprise. It’s not every year there will be up to 28°C in late May in Helskini or Tallinn, and the evenings still warm as well.
Beach outside Helsinki in May 2024
I didn’t think about bringing a bathing suit, or I might have joined those brave Fins down there. I prefer colder water for swimming anyway.
Impression from the Open Air Musem Kiel-Molfsee
Another place that could qualify as ‘surprise’ was my spontaneous visit to the Open Air Museum in Kiel-Molfsee. I had been there as a child when our family regularly spent the summer holidays at the Baltic Sea in the 1970ies, and found it quite fascinating. But I didn’t remember how beautiful the place was. Also, they have meanwhile added more houses that could be safely relocated. I spent some pleasant hours walking around and peeking into the houses.
Category of my Own: Castles (Burgen)
I picked ‘Castles’ again, because I got a really nice booty of those this time.
Turku Castle (Finland), inner bailey
The oldest parts of the castle in Turku date back to the late 13th century. At that time the castle was the seat of the Swedish administration of the provice Eastland, as Finland was called. During the following years, the castle was expanded and the fortifications strengthened. The castle lost its status as administrative centre in the 17th century, but was never destroyed or badly damaged.
Turaida Castle (Latvia), the keep
I like how the red bricks come out against those clouds. Turaida Castle was commissioned by Albert of Buxthoeveden, Archbishop of Riga, in 1214, and built by the Livonian Sword Brothers. The masons of the order used bricks like in many churchesand castles in northern Germany and the Baltic states. The defensive systems of the castle were strengthened in later centuries. Turaida Castle was the seat of the bailiff of the archbishop of Riga until the secularization of the archbishopric in 1566. It lost its military importance, and after a fire in 1776, the castle became a ruin.
Cēsis Castle (Latvia), the main gate with bridge
Cēsis Castle is one of the most important castles in Latvia. It, too, was constructed by the Livonian Sword Brothers, but the original castle had been thoroughly altered when the Sword Brothers merged with the Teutonic Knights in 1236. The latter set up Cēsis according to the castellum pattern they used for their castles.
Cēsis Castle, double set of curtain walls
Cēsis Castle was damaged during the Livonian War (1577) by a Russian army under Ivan the Terrible. Later, the castle came to Sweden and was the property of the High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654). The castle was damaged during the Northern War (1700-1720) and remained a ruin.
Haapsalu Castle (Estonia), curtain walls
Haapsalu Castle was the seat of the bishop of Ösel-Wiek since the 14th century. When the bishopric was founded in 1228, the bishops at first worked together with the Order of the Sword Brothers, but after some time, the rivalry between both powers increased, and the bishops decided to have some strong castle of their own. Haapsalu Castle was altered during the following three centuries, adapting to the developments of arms and warfare. The castle grounds cover about 30,000 square metres, enclosed by walls at least a metre thick (in some places up to 1.80 metres) and ten metres high.
More information about my tour 2024 can be found here and here.
¶ January 02, 2025 4 comments
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed).
I love how the sun makes the cables sparkle. The Vanšu Bridge – then named Gorky Bridge – was built in 1981, during the Sovjet occupation. It is 595 metres long, with a central pylon of 109 metres height, and spans the Daugava river, connecting the city of Riga with Ķīpsala island. The word vanšu refers to the suspension cables holding the bridge.
The tower to the left is the Swedbank Main Office in Riga. It is nicknamed Saules Akmens (Sun Rock), was completed in 2004, and is 122 metres high.
Category: Town (Stadt)
It is always nice if you can get a pretty view of a town from either above or from some distance that shows a pretty side (and not the often less attractive suburbs). This one was not taken on the big ferry from Tallinn, but from a smaller boat during a tour in the archipelago landscape of Helsinki.
Tartu in Estonia is Tallinn’s underrated little sister. It is less tourist-y, but a lively place due to the many students. I picked the Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), the historical centre of the town, though the buildings framing the place today are mostly of the classicist style. The trapezoid shaped square had been the main trading area, located between the town hall and the river Emajõgi. Today, it is a meeting point, framed by several restaurants, and a lovely spot on a warm and still bright evening in late spring.
An iconic view in Riga: the House of the Blackheads. The building dates back to 1334, then serving as warehouse and meeting place for merchants. The Brotherhood of Blackheads Guild – a guild for unmarried merchants – used the house as a guest house and inn since the mid-15th century. Some of the decorations of the facade date to the 17th respective 19th century.
The building was damaged by bombs in 1941, and the Sovjet occupants knocked down the remains in 1948. The house was rebuilt according to old plans, photos and studies by the Riga Polytechnic Institute 1996-2000, so Riga has its landmark back in full splendour.
A typical feature of Medieval towns with their historical centres still intact are small lanes, passageways and little yards that make for a charming maze to walk.
One typical motive featuring Tallinn is the view from the Toompea Hill where the castle and cathedral are located, over the old town with the town wall towers and further to the harbour and sea. Of couse, I took some shots from that balcony like a good little tourist. *grin*
Another feature typical for old towns are town walls. They are not always preserved – with the development of advanced siege techniques and the growth of the cities beyond their Medieval borders, the walls were frequently dismantled. But some towns – like Tallinn – kept at least part of the walls which nowadays are maintained as historical attractions.
This is the oldest section of the Tallinn town wall, built in the 13th century. It became one of the strongest town defenses in Northern Europe during the following centuries. Today, about two kilometres of the wall still exist, as well as 26 towers and two gates.
Churches are also an intergral part of towns. They are also often difficult to photograph, because the houses cluster around and you can’t get a wide angle view. What you can get is photos of parts of the churches, or put your head back and catch a tower. This photo might also fit the next category.
St.Olaf’s Church dates back to the 12th century, but was rebuilt in the 14th century, and again in 1649-51, after a fire had destroyed the church and its landmark tower – the tower served as signal for ships during several centuries.
Category: Above / Up / At the Top (oben)
The “Rock Church” (Temppeliaukion Kirkko - Church at the Temple Square) in Helsinki was built in the 1960ies by the architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, though the plans date back to the 1930ies. It was built into a granite rock and has a copper roof with 180 skylight windows; the cupola is 13 metres high. The granite walls inside were left roughly hewn in their natural hues which, together with the copper plate ceiling, gives the round hall an unusual atmosphere. To get an impression of the interior, click here.
The Uspenski Cathedral ist the largest Orthodox cathedral in Finland. It is dedicated to the Dormition (= the death and ascension) of the Virgin Mary. The idea for the construction of an orthodox church dates back to 1812, shortly after Finland was made a Grand Duchy under Russian supremacy during the reign of Tsar Alexander I. But it would take until the 1860ies for it to be actually built.
The interior is very rich with lots of gold, colour, and icones in a neo-Byzantine style. I would have liked to stand directly under the main cupola for this photo, but parts of the interior are cordoned off, so visitors have to follow a path.
Category: Mountains (Bergwelt)
I changed that one to Landscape because the Baltic States aren’t exactly a mountain area. But I got plenty of photos of the pretty archipelago landscape outside Helsinki, therefore I’ll share some of those.
There isn’t much to comment. *grin* Blue sea, blue sky – a nice day on Suomenlinna island. There is a large fortress on the island, but the fortifications and buildings are spread out and partly hidden, so you can easily catch views without any of them.
Seurasaari island can be reached by a bridge. The shore vegetation is more lake-like and looked pretty in the afternoon sun. The island houses an open air museum with old rural houses from Finland.
The Gauja National Park in Latvia is the one area I visited that may qualify as ‘mountains’. The park was founded in 1973. It encompasses about 90,000 hectares of hilly land around the Gauja river valley and offers a number of hiking routes.
Geologically, the rocks in the park are mostly 350-370 million year old sandstone formations in shades of red, orange and yellow, including a number of cliffs and caves. Most of the park is covered by deciduous forst.
Category: Black and White (Schwarz/Weiss)
I don’t do black and white photography any longer (I did it a lot back when we still had to use film rolls), but some photos come out nicely when using the feature in some photo editing program.
My way to the Baltic States is the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda – I consider travelling that way very relaxing, though of course, it takes more time than a flight to Riga or Vilnius. I took some photos of the harbour from the upper deck of the ferry in the evening before it set ‘sail’.
The Tigutorn is an appartment building in Tartu, designed by Estonian architects Vilen Künnapu and Ain Padrik. It was openend in 2008 and offers flats, offices and a parking house on a space of 23 floors. The tower is designed as a sprial with irregular windows. It surely looks less boring than your average multi-appartment house.
There was a thunderstorm coming in, and the tower looked interesting against the darkening sky even in colour, but the contrasts got stronger in black and white.
Category: Surprise (Überraschung)
That category was a bit difficult since I planned the tour ahead and knew what I wanted to see. But the unusually warm and sunny weather was a pleasant surprise. It’s not every year there will be up to 28°C in late May in Helskini or Tallinn, and the evenings still warm as well.
I didn’t think about bringing a bathing suit, or I might have joined those brave Fins down there. I prefer colder water for swimming anyway.
Another place that could qualify as ‘surprise’ was my spontaneous visit to the Open Air Museum in Kiel-Molfsee. I had been there as a child when our family regularly spent the summer holidays at the Baltic Sea in the 1970ies, and found it quite fascinating. But I didn’t remember how beautiful the place was. Also, they have meanwhile added more houses that could be safely relocated. I spent some pleasant hours walking around and peeking into the houses.
Category of my Own: Castles (Burgen)
I picked ‘Castles’ again, because I got a really nice booty of those this time.
The oldest parts of the castle in Turku date back to the late 13th century. At that time the castle was the seat of the Swedish administration of the provice Eastland, as Finland was called. During the following years, the castle was expanded and the fortifications strengthened. The castle lost its status as administrative centre in the 17th century, but was never destroyed or badly damaged.
I like how the red bricks come out against those clouds. Turaida Castle was commissioned by Albert of Buxthoeveden, Archbishop of Riga, in 1214, and built by the Livonian Sword Brothers. The masons of the order used bricks like in many churchesand castles in northern Germany and the Baltic states. The defensive systems of the castle were strengthened in later centuries. Turaida Castle was the seat of the bailiff of the archbishop of Riga until the secularization of the archbishopric in 1566. It lost its military importance, and after a fire in 1776, the castle became a ruin.
Cēsis Castle is one of the most important castles in Latvia. It, too, was constructed by the Livonian Sword Brothers, but the original castle had been thoroughly altered when the Sword Brothers merged with the Teutonic Knights in 1236. The latter set up Cēsis according to the castellum pattern they used for their castles.
Cēsis Castle was damaged during the Livonian War (1577) by a Russian army under Ivan the Terrible. Later, the castle came to Sweden and was the property of the High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654). The castle was damaged during the Northern War (1700-1720) and remained a ruin.
Haapsalu Castle was the seat of the bishop of Ösel-Wiek since the 14th century. When the bishopric was founded in 1228, the bishops at first worked together with the Order of the Sword Brothers, but after some time, the rivalry between both powers increased, and the bishops decided to have some strong castle of their own. Haapsalu Castle was altered during the following three centuries, adapting to the developments of arms and warfare. The castle grounds cover about 30,000 square metres, enclosed by walls at least a metre thick (in some places up to 1.80 metres) and ten metres high.
More information about my tour 2024 can be found here and here.
¶ January 02, 2025 4 comments
