Cottbus, Lubbenau & Spreewald (01/09/2019)

On this day we decided to do a day trip and visit a few places south of Berlin. We headed to the nearby station of Alexanderplatz and after having bought our Brandenburg ticket (which allows us to take any regional train around the state of Brandenburg for the whole day) we took our ride towards the city of Cottbus. After reaching our destination, we headed towards the city center, passing by the imposing State Theater constructed at the beginning of the 20th century. Not long after we reached the Altstadt, or old town, marked by the Spremberger Tower to the south. This gothic building was once part of the medieval walls surrounding the city, and it was further refurbished during the 1800s when a clock was added to it. We then walked along the main street where a mix of old and modern buildings coexisted, most probably due to the post-world-war-2 reconstructions. At the end of it we reached the Altmarkt, the old market square, with many historic baroque and neoclassical burgher houses around its perimeter. The day was sunny and the square was lively as the restaurants' outer spaces were starting to fill up, mostly by people starting their day with a beer or two. We passed by the central fountain and headed further until we reached the church of St Nikolai. Built in a gothic style around the 15th century, it features a nice light and airy interior with some baroque altars and furnishings. After the visit to the church, we then walked onwards and reached the neogothic Schlossturm. This tower was built during the 19th century on top of a mound next to the new courthouse where once a Slavic fortification was set. Here we decided to find a spot to sit down and enjoy the lunch we had brought from home. After eating we then strolled back through the old town and exited through the only other surviving medieval gate located at its western end. After reaching the train station we then took a ride to reach the next town that day, Lubbenau. This small town is one of the gateways to the Spreewald, a biosphere reserve consisting of marshes, canals, and small traditional villages. After arriving and leaving the station we headed towards the city center which was just a few minutes walk from there. The small town had a nice historic center with typical 18th and 19th-century timber-framed houses and a large church at its center. The oldest house is dated 1713 and is now a café. As we crossed through the town we noticed many stalls and shops selling the traditional Spreewalder gurken, the pickled cucumbers which are grown and then sold in the area. We decided to get some later on our way back while now we were interested in finding a place where to rent kayaks. We walked a while along until we reached the small village of Lehde made up of yet again the typical timber-framed houses. In this case, the houses were scattered around with canals passing right by them and a forest surrounding them; it looked like a typical dutch countryside town. Here in fact no cars were allowed and people were going about on either foot or by boat. We found a place to rent a two-seater kayak and started our own tour of the Spreewald. We paddled along canals passing through the houses and others meandering through the forest with just the sound of birds chirping and the water sloshing. Eventually, we headed back to the rental place and got back on dry land. From there we headed back to Lubbenau where we found a stall that sold the traditional gherkins, we bought some with different flavors: classic, pepper, and honey mustard. It was then time to head back to the station just as the sun was setting, we reached the station and from there took the next train back to Berlin.

Szczecin (31/08/2019)

 After flying to Berlin to see Ania, we decided to take a day trip and visit the Polish city of Szczecin. In just two hours we arrived by train from Berlin main station in Szczecin's main station. After exiting the station we headed towards the city center which was just a few minutes to the north. We then reached the Cathedral, the city's largest church and the largest in Pomerania. Built during the 14th century as a Romanesque building on the model of St Mary's church in Lubeck. It was later rebuilt after the Scanian war at the end of the 17th century in the Baroque style and later again after world war 2, it was rebuilt to serve then the catholic population as the territory was now under Poland and not Germany anymore. The interior, as could be expected, was quite empty, but featured some nice gothic altars taken from elsewhere. Not far from there we then passed through the pretty Plac Orla Bialego, the white eagle square, one of the city's main ones. At its center stands a nice fountain representing an eagle and dating to the 18th century, and which has in fact given the name to the square around it. Walking further on we then reached the Ducal Castle, once the seat of the dukes of Pomerania which ruled from 1121 to 1637. The castle itself started out as a fortified settlement and later transform, rebuilt, and expanded. During the 16th century, the castle was rebuilt in the mannerist style for Duke John Frederick by Italian stonemasons. Later it suffered some modifications throughout the centuries particularly during the Prussian rule which introduced some Rococo and Neoclassical refurbishments. During WWII, like many other buildings in town, it was greatly damaged and then restored when the city came under Polish hands. In order to restore its Slavic past and erase the German influence, the castle was rebuilt in its previous Mannerist style which is how it can be seen today. As most of the interior is modern, containing even a cinema, we did not enter the building itself but rather explored the central courtyard which featured the nice renaissance arcades all around its perimeter and a colored clock tower with the city's coat of arms, which are also those of the house of Griffin who ruled the city. After exiting the castle's grounds, we passed by the Brama Krolewska, or royal gate, one of the two remaining gates of six that once dotted the city built during the Prussian period in the 18th century. The gate was really nice but unfortunately surrounded by road crossings which made it hard to admire and making it stand by itself without any kind of continuation with the surrounding architecture. Right by the city gate is a large square with the statue of an angel commemorating the victims of the protests of December 1970 against the government of the time. Next to it stands the ultra-modern building of the Szczecin Philarmonic, built in 2014 in a glass ice-like structure. From there we continued on and reached the main building of the city's national museum, an art nouveau building dating to 1908 which is part of a larger complex of buildings dating to the same period. It was there in the fact that during Prussian rule, the city's authorities decided to build the Hakenterrasse, today known as Waly Chobrego, an observation deck right above the Oder river's bank with modern imposing buildings. The intent was good however nowadays, I believe its function and impact have lost their original intent as there are now cars passing right below between the deck and the river and there is not much going on, apart from maybe once in a while a concert or event taking place on the grounds. After enjoying the view we headed into the museum and visited the various exhibitions inside, including the African section, the bronze age sculptures, and some modern paintings. After the visit to the museum, we walked back to the city center and visited another branch of the national museum, located in the Palace of the Pomeranian States Parliament. The interior featured objects from the time the city was part of the Duchy of Pomerania. After visiting that building too we then headed on to reach the city's old town square, the Rynek Sienny. Its southern side is surrounded by nice renaissance and baroque buildings reconstructed after the war, while to the east is the old gothic town hall. We headed inside to visit one other branch of the national museum, this one detailing the city's history. On the top floor, we even enjoyed a view of the old town. After that we strolled around the square, enjoying the sun, and then decided it was time to head back to the station to catch our train headed to Berlin. 

The Plac Orla Bialego

View of the Plac Orla Bialego and the Cathedral

One of the courtyards of the Ducal Castle

The clock tower in the central courtyard of the castle

The Brama Krolewska gate

The modern Philarmonic building

View of the Waly Chobrego observation deck

The old town square, Rynek Sienny

View of the Ducal Castle from the town hall museum

Street leading up to the castle

Caorle (21/08/2019)

On a nice sunny day, my brother and I decided to take the bicycles and from Jesolo visit the nearby town of Caorle. After getting on the bikes, we headed eastwards and followed the waterfront for a while until we reached the bridge which crosses over the Piave river. We crossed over to the other side and then continued onwards on a straight way passing by Duna Verde and Porto Santa Margherita, two known seaside locations. Not long after we then reached Caorle and after going through the modern area we reached the old town. In fact, this is one of the few beach towns of this area that preserves its ancient old town having been founded along with Venice after the fall of the roman empire and the arrival of the barbarian invasions. Most of the towns along the coast are in fact much more recent and a product of modern seaside tourism. Another peculiarity regarding the town is that the streets and squares, just like Venice, are called calle and campo instead of the typical via and piazza found all around Italy. We carried out bicycles alongside us and wandered along the pretty streets with typical low and colorful houses. At one point we reached the Duomo, the most important landmark of the city. Built during the 11th century, it didn't suffer many alterations during its long history. It is also specifically known for its conical romanesque bell tower which stands right in front of its facade and which can be also visited but was unfortunately closed at the time of our arrival. We decided to visit the interior of the Cathedral which featured a long central single nave, like the churches found in Ravenna, featuring a mix of romanesque and byzantine architecture. Some of the capitals were ancient roman spolia reutilized, and here and there some traces of medieval frescoes were visible on the walls. After exiting the church and walking a few hundred meters along the rock barrier dividing the city from the sea, we reached the small Santuario Della Madonna dell'Angelo, one of the city's symbols. Built at the end of the rock barrier just above the sea level, it is thought to be older than the Cathedral and probably founded during the 9th century. Its present structure is that of the rebuilding which took place during the 18th century. The sanctuary, since its beginnings, has been a place of worship as it was built around the small figure of the Madonna which was found at sea. The figure was unfortunately burned when unknown thieves stole from the sanctuary in 1923. A new figure was commissioned and replaced the old one and still today it is used in the processions that take place throughout the city. After visiting the sanctuary we had a quick swim in the water just next to it and then decided to head back to the bicycles which we had parked next to the Cathedral. From there we then headed back to Jesolo by following the same way we had come in the morning.

The small port of Caorle

The beautiful round romanesque tower

Interior of the Cathedral

The Santuario Della Madonna dell'Angelo

View of the Cathedral's bell tower

The walkway and beach

Street in the old town

Val Pusteria & Conegliano (14-16/08/2019)

Following Ania's arrival in Italy for her holiday period with a few days at the beach in Jesolo, we decided to head for a couple of days to my aunt's house in the mountains. We left early morning from Jesolo and taking the panoramic way through the Dolomites, reached Brunico in time for lunch. We parked next to the church of Santa Maria Assunta and then grabbed something to eat in the surroundings. Having been several times to visit the city I decided to show Ania around. We walked through the pretty small square to the west of the church and then headed uphill to reach the castle. We didn't go in but instead went around it and then down towards the city center passing by the church of Santa Caterina Am Rain with its beautiful onion-shaped bell tower. After reaching the old town we followed the sidewalk that bordered the Rienza river and ended up at the northern end of the old town where all the main restaurants are located. From there we entered through the medieval St Florian Gate and were now in the Via Centrale, the core of the old town. Lined by beautiful typical Baroque houses all in different colors, the street is just a few hundred meters long but very picturesque. After strolling around we then headed back to the car and drove until we reached my aunt's house in the small hamlet of Chienes just west of Brunico. After parking and leaving our stuff in the house we decided to take a small walk; we descended down through the town and crossed then the Rienza river. Then following a path winding its way through the forest we reached the small hamlet of Casteldarne. At the top of the hill jutting out from the city center, we reached the parish church with a nice Baroque interior. Right below it was the castle, originally built in the 12th century but later refurbished during the 18th century in the baroque style. Now only the outer southern side preserves the medieval structure while the rest maintains the manor-style from the later period. The castle is privately owned so we were only able to see it from the outside. We then decided to head back to the house and rest for the day.

The following morning after an early rise, we got in the car and drove a few minutes uphill until we reached a car park just north of Chienes. From there, a nice trail winding its up through a forest brought us to the mountain hut Moarhofalm. I had walked that same way the previous winter, and that trail was used by people on bobsleighs as it was covered in snow. From the hut, we then continued onwards until we reached the small so-called Green Lake. Here Ania decided to take a break so I headed onwards to reach the top of the Cime di Pozzo, at 2438m. The view from the top, despite the cloudy weather, was amazing and the whole Pusteria Valley to the south was visible, with the Plan de Corones, where the skiing area is located also easy to spot. To the north, the white peaks of the Alpi Aurine were visible among the clouds. The view during the winter was much clearer but it was definitely worth coming here during the summer to have a completely different outlook of the whole area. After enjoying the view for a bit and catching back my breath, I descended back down and rejoined Ania. We then continued downwards until we reached the aforementioned hut where we had an incredibly tasty lunch which we still recollect once in a while when thinking about it. I had some super tasty Canederli with sauerkraut, while Ania had polenta with mushrooms. After the great lunch, we went further down, reached the car, and then drove back to the house. After changing into non-hiking clothes we then headed to the Hotel Kronblick, just down the street where we bought two entrances to their spa and pools. For a decent price, we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon chilling in their outside area with sunbeds and pool with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and occasional walks inside to enjoy the saunas and Turkish baths. Included was also a small buffet of snacks and drinks right next to the spa entrance which I particularly thoroughly enjoyed. 

The next day after yet again an early rise we had decided to head back to Jesolo but in the meantime stop to see a few sights on the way. Our first stop was the Lake Braies which we reached in just over half an hour. This small alpine lake located at 1496m and right below the Croda del Becco mountain has become one of the most visited sites in the whole region. Once relatively unknown, it gained popularity thanks to an Italian tv show which filmed its scenes on the shores of the lake, and later thanks to Instagram which popularized abroad as well. It was shocking to see so many people already crowding it at 10am, particularly organized groups of Asians. I had been a couple of times before in the past years and had never had a problem with crowds. However, now due to the high numbers of people visiting, the local authorities have even put special blocks so that no more than a certain number of cars can access the area. Luckily we had reached the place relatively early so the block was not in place yet and we managed to find a spot in the parking lot next to the entrance. As we reached the shore we were in awe of the amazing view that appeared in front of our eyes. From the northern end of the lake, we then decided to follow the trail that went around the perimeter in order to do a whole circle and admire it from every perspective. We followed the trail clockwise and after about 2 hours made a complete round around it. By the time we had reached the beginning the sun was now shining completely over the lake and made the already crystal clear waters even prettier than in the early morning. After getting back in the car, and leaving the crowds that were now inexorably arriving at large, we got back on the road in the direction of the sea. Driving again through the Dolomites we then reached the plains and I proposed to take a little detour to visit the small town of Conegliano. We parked the car right outside the city center and then proceeded on foot. We entered the medieval core by walking through the Porta Morticano, the eastern city gate, where a fresco of the Lion of St Mark clearly indicated we were in the lands of Venice. We then walked along the main street, Via XX Settembre, in the past known as Contrada Granda, with its fine Renaissance palaces and houses many of which featuring some beautifully frescoes facades. Halfway along the street we then passed by the central main square, Piazza Cima, and then entered the Duomo located right after it. Its facade, not visible, it covered by the splendid palaces of the main street, however, the Renaissance bell tower jutting out among the rooftops clearly marks its presence. The interior, quite simple and unadorned, featured through a masterpiece by a local artist who was later known nation and worldwide: Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano. This painting, the so-called Conegliano Altarpiece, depicts the Madonna and Child with Angels and Saints in the typical vivid colors of the renaissance and particularly of this artist. It was a real pleasure to admire a painting in its originally intended location, quite rare these days, especially when concerning masterpieces. After the visit to the Cathedral, we then followed a stairway sided by the medieval walls which eventually brought us to the top of the hill where the castle is located. Built during the 12th century, not much is left apart from the main keep's tower and the small church of Santa Orsola, once the old Duomo, the latter unfortunately closed. We headed up to where the actual castle used to stand and where the lonely tower now dominated the town below and enjoyed the view of the surrounding landscape. After sitting in the shade of one of the cypresses there we then decided to retrace our steps and walk back down into town, from where we then reached the car and finally drove onwards until we reached Jesolo less than an hour away. 

The nice little square right outside the city walls of Brunico

Street in Brunico

View of the Rienza river passing through town

The castle

The belltower of the Chiesa di Santa Caterina Am Rain

The castle of Casteldarne

On the way to the Cime di Pozzo

View from the top

Another view while heading back down

Our delicious lunch at the mountain hut

The pool at the Hotel Kronblick

Lake Braies

Another view of the lake

View of the lake and the Croda del Becco mountain

Typical view with the wooden boat launch

Main street in Conegliano

Main street with the bell tower

Interior of the Cathedral

The so-called Conegliano Altarpiece pianted by Cima da Conegliano

View fro the hilltop castle

The hilltop castle with the little garden