What do the German cities of Kassel and Leipzig have in common? In the early 1950s, both cities held architectural competitions to see who could design the best new modern opera house. Both of these competitions were won by architect Hans Scharoun (1893-1972) — but neither of his proposed buildings Read More …
My cycling map showed a bicycle route along the right bank of the Seine River leading southeast out of Paris towards the place where the Seine is joined by its tributary the Marne. For some reason I wanted to go there (even though this is not exactly the most picturesque Read More …
The towns of Charenton-le-Pont (to the south) and Vincennes (to the north) both border directly on a pleasant wooded area called the Bois de Vincennes (Forest of Vincennes), which actually belongs to the city of Paris. In the 13th century this patch of woods was used as a royal hunting Read More …
The Carrousel du Louvre is an underground shopping center directly adjoining the Louvre Museum in Paris. It was built from 1991 to 1993 as part of the second phase of the Grand Louvre project, and includes an entrance to the museum itself, which is open “at peak times” (according to Read More …
The Louvre in Paris began as a fortress, built starting in 1190 at the behest of King Philippe Auguste (1165-1223). The fortress was at one end of Philippe Auguste’s wall, a system of city fortifications that he ordered built because he didn’t want the city to be left undefended while Read More …
This little park at the western (downstream) tip of the Île de la Cité in Paris was named after the French King Henri IV (1553-1610), who was known as “Le Vert Galant” because of his many mistresses that he continued consorting with at a (relatively) advanced age. Actually he only Read More …
Erfurt’s original opera house, now the Alte Oper or Old Opera, was first built in the nineteenth century. It survived the Second World War intact and was used as an opera venue more or less continuously until 1997, when it was condemned as a fire hazard. Actually, they went on Read More …
In the summers from 1961 to 1966, and again every summer since 1994, the steps leading up to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Erfurt have been the venue for open-air theater, music and opera performances at the DomStufen Festspiele, the Cathedral Steps Festival. This is a festival I have never attended, Read More …
The river that flows through Erfurt is called the Gera, but the river that flows through the city of Gera, in the eastern part of Thüringen, is called the White Elster. So the city of Gera has nothing to do with the Gera River, and visa-versa. (Sorry, it took me Read More …
The Anger is one of Erfurt’s main squares. All the streetcar lines cross here, so you can change here to get to anywhere from anywhere else in Erfurt. The name Anger has nothing to do with the English word anger. (It’s even pronounced differently.) In German it is a regional Read More …