World Heritage Sites Archives - Pacific Northwest Explorer

Granada and the Alhambra

by Alan K. Lee

Albayzin neighborhood seen from the Alhambra

Introduction

The main reason, and to be honest probably the only reason, that my wife and I visited Granada on our trip to Spain last spring was to tour the Alhambra. The Alhambra is simply magnificent, and almost reason enough by itself to justify the 12,000-mile roundtrip journey that we took. But if we were to do the trip again, I would spend another day or two in Granada because I think we missed a lot by only spending one night there.

History

Like most of Andalusia, Granada has a long and complicated history. The oldest ruins unearthed in the city date to about 650 BCE. In 44 BCE the area became part of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, the Visigoths ruled the area until the Moorish conquest in the 8^th century CE. At that time, Granada was a small community with a mostly Jewish population. As late as the 11^th century, Granada was a Shephardic Jewish state. Later, it was ruled by Berbers from North Africa. From 1232 until 1492 it was ruled by the Nasrid Dynasty. And Granada was the last city to be conquered by Christian forces during the Reconquista, surviving as a Muslim state for more than two centuries after the fall of Cordoba and Seville.

The Alhambra

The Alhambra was built during the Nasrid Dynasty. Construction of the complex began in 1238, two years after nearby Cordoba fell to Christian forces during the Reconquista, and was expanded over the course of more than a century.

Located on Sabika Hill, the Alhambra is a sprawling collection of fortifications and palaces. It was a self-contained community separate from the city of Granada during Nasrid rule, with its own water system that brought water from the mountains to the east rather than having to bring water up from the Darro River in the city below.

As it exists today, the Alhambra is a complicated combination of original construction by the Nasrids, additions made during the Renaissance (most notably the Palace of Charles V) and restorations done during the 19^th and early 20^th century. But it all seems to be of a piece, even if it is not.

We arrived in Granada on a Saturday morning after a short train ride from Cordoba. We didn’t have much time to explore the city before our walking tour of the Alhambra that afternoon.

I hadn’t done much research on Granada or the Alhambra. Sometimes it’s better to arrive without any preconceived notions of what you’re about to see, but I probably should have been better prepared. I didn’t realize how spread out and how big the Alhambra is, how much of a climb it is up from the city, and how long our walking tour would last.

There are a variety of ticket packages available. Advance tickets can be purchased online through the Alhambra y Generalife website. None are particularly expensive – the Alhambra General ticket that includes access to the full complex, including the Generalife (summer palace) is €19 per person – but admission to the Alhambra is limited to 8000 tickets per day and the various tour companies snatch up a large percentage of them as soon as they become available. When I looked into purchasing tickets online, several months in advance of our planned visit in early May, tickets were sold out for the two dates we had available. But I was able to book tickets through one of the tour companies.

Sierra Nevada Mountains viewed from the Alhambra

Our walking tour lasted more than three hours and was about six kilometers (3.7 miles) of walking, much of it uphill. I was pretty tired by the end of it, but what an incredible place! If I were to someday run out of new places to explore (doubtful), the Alhambra would be one of the first places I would revisit.

Walking tours of the Alhambra are available through a number of tour companies. We booked our tour through Play Granada. Our tickets cost US$66 for the two of us, significantly more than individual tickets, but it was money well spent. Our guide had a wealth of information that no guidebook could possibly match, and the skip-the-line tickets meant we did not have to waste time standing in any lines. Play Granada also offers walking, electric bike, and Segway tours of Granada (the Alhambra not included).

Granada Cathedral

The Granada Cathedral is prominent in the view of the city that you get from the Alhambra. Construction of the cathedral (officially the Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Incarnation) began in 1518 on the site of what had been the city’s principal mosque. Construction continued until the cathedral’s completion near the end of the 17^th century.

We didn’t go inside (it was Sunday morning and religious services were being held), but we did wander around for a while and admired the exterior of the cathedral the nearby plazas.

The cathedral is open 10:00-5:45 Mon-Sat and 3:00-5:45 on Sunday. Timed entry (morning or afternoon) tickets are available for €7 per person on the cathedral website.

Other Things to See and Do

If we had another day or two to explore the city, we would have visited the Albayzin (or Albaicin) neighborhood, the old Moorish Quarter located on a hill just north of the Alhambra, toured the interior of the cathedral, maybe taken an e-bike tour of the city, and probably done a more targeted search for great dining experiences (maybe a tapas tour). We’d probably also have done more of what we usually do in a new city, just wander around for a time with no set itinerary and see what we find.

Conclusion

Even the limited time we had to spend in Granada was a wonderful and truly memorable experience. Any trip to Andalusia should feature Granada and the truly magnificent Alhambra.

For more on our visit to Andalusia, check out my posts on Seville and Cordoba. And look for a future post on Ronda, Spain. You might also like my posts on Lisbon, Sintra, and the Algarve.

Posted November 16, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Cordoba, Spain

by Alan K. Lee

Introduction

When I was planning for the trip to Spain and Portugal that my wife and I took last spring (2024), Seville got a lot of my attention, as did Granada, Ronda, and Malaga, all for different reasons. Seville is the largest city in Andalusia, with a myriad of reasons to visit. Granada has the magnificent Alhambra. Ronda first got my attention more than a decade ago when I saw a TV travel program about the city. And Malaga is on the Mediterranean coast and has an international airport with many flights to the U.S. But Córdoba wasn’t much on my radar.

I included Córdoba in our itinerary mostly because it’s centrally located, and I couldn’t see a reason to completely bypass it. And I’m glad we didn’t, because Córdoba has a couple of gems that no one visiting Andalusia should miss, the city’s wonderful cathedral (the Mezquita) and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Palace of the Christian Kings).

A Brief History of Córdoba

Córdoba has a long and diverse history. It was first established as a Carthaginian settlement, before being conquered by the Romans in 206 BC. Roman rule of the area lasted more than 600 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Córdoba became part of the Byzantine Empire, then was conquered first by the Visigoths and later, early in the 8^th century, by the Moors. Córdoba thrived under Muslim rule, becoming the second largest city in Europe by the 10^th century. In 1236, Ferdinand III drove the Moors out in the Reconquista that brought all of the Iberian Peninsula under Christian rule. Today, little of the Roman city of Corduba remains, but Córdoba retains much of the architectural heritage of the Moors, most notably the Mezquita (meth-KEY-ta) and the Alcazar.

Climate

The climate of Córdoba is notable for its hot and dry summers. It is the hottest city in Europe, with the average high temperature in July and August a scorching 99⁰F (37⁰C). Spring and fall are more moderate and are the best times to visit. Winters are mild with mid-winter highs around 60⁰F (15-16⁰C) and lows around 40⁰F (4-5⁰C). Annual rainfall averages about 22 inches, with 2-4” per month from October to April. We were there in early May and the weather was nearly perfect.

Our Visit

We traveled from Seville to Córdoba by train, only a 45-minute ride on Renfe’s high speed AVE trains. From the train station, we strapped on our backpacks and walked the mile or so to our hotel. I had some concerns about the hotel (La Despensa de la Corredera Hostal), which my wife had booked, but it turned out to be nothing like I associate with a hostel. It was modern, clean, comfortable, and had a private, ensuite bathroom. And it was located at the historic Plaza de la Corredera.

We spent our first afternoon and evening in Córdoba just wandering around, exploring the city, with no set agenda, something we often do when visiting a city for the first time. We walked along the riverfront, stopped at a sidewalk café for a beer, and walked around the exterior of the Mezquita and its Courtyard of the Oranges, which dates to the Moorish occupation, before returning to the Plaza de la Corredera, where we had dinner at one of the many restaurants there. The Plaza caters to tourists, and the food you get in restaurants in such areas is often expensive and mediocre at best, but our dinners were both good and reasonably priced.

The Mezquita

The Mezquita was constructed in 756 as the Great Mosque, possibly on the site of a Catholic Basilica built by the Visigoths. The mosque was expanded several times over the next two centuries, including construction of the minaret in 958. After the Reconquista, the Mezquita was converted to a Christian cathedral, but the name was retained. (Mezquita is Spanish for mosque, and today’s cathedral is also called the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, or Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba).

The Mezquita was modified a number of times after the Reconquista, most notably in the 16^th and early 17^th centuries when the central nave and transept of the Capilla Mayor, which rises in the center of the structure, were built. The minaret was also rebuilt into a Renaissance-style bell tower.

The Mezquita is an attractive structure, but the exterior does not make a grand statement. It’s neither tall nor particularly interesting from an architectural perspective. But the expansive interior, with hundreds of the original mosque’s two-tiered arches supporting the roof, the 13^th century Royal Chapel, the 15^th century Gothic-style nave of the Villaviciosa Chapel, and the Capilla Mayor are all stunning and make for a truly unique structure that blends many architectural styles into a magnificent whole.

General admission tickets to the Mezquita cost 13€, discounts are available to seniors, children, students, large groups, and the disabled, and children under 10 get in free. Tickets are available online from the Mezquita-Catedral Córdoba website or can be purchased at vending machines in the Courtyard of the Oranges on the north side of the cathedral. Entry is free from 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning, Monday through Saturday. Night tours are available for 20€ and entrance to the bell tower is 3€.

The Mezquita was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984, and that designation was expanded to the entire historic city center in 1994.

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The site of the Alcazar was the Governor’s Residence during Roman rule and later a Visigoth fortress before Córdoba was conquered by the Moors. The original Alcazar was built by the Moors as the official residence and seat of power of Al-Andalus. After the Reconquista, King Alfonso XI of Castile began construction of the present-day Alcazar, which appears Moorish in style but in fact incorporates little of the original structure. There are four towers, one at each corner of the palace, and several large, enclosed courtyards, as well as two main halls, the Hall of Mosaics, and the Reception Hall. Like the Mezquita, the Alcazar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

We did not initially plan to tour the Alcazar (largely because Rick Steves panned it), but we did want to see the surrounding gardens. We found that entry to the gardens is only through the Alcazar, though, so we stood in line (in the sun) for 15 or 20 minutes to get tickets, then in another line for half an hour to get into the palace. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes to get into the towers. But the Alcazar is interesting enough (though no match for the Real Alcazar in Seville) that it was worth the long waits to see it all.

General admission is 4.91€ (as of October 2024), with a 2.25€ discount for family groups (the official website says “large family members”) and students. Admission is free for Córdoba residents, children under 14, seniors (65+), and the disabled.

You enter the Alcazar through the Courtyard of the Women (Patio de las Mujeres), which gets its name from the fact that this was once the site of a women’s prison. The courtyard is an archaeological site with ruins of the original Alcazar and the remains of part of the Roman structure that predated it.

The four towers give views of the Mezquita to the northeast and the Alcazar Gardens (Jardines del Alcazar) adjacent to the southwest. The Courtyard of the Moriscos (Patio Morisco) is a tree filled rectangular courtyard with small ponds on each end and a central fountain.

While the palace was worth the wait, we spent more time in the gardens than in the palace itself. There have been gardens here since at least the 10^th century, but the present gardens are much more recent.

There are a number of ponds, fountains, and statues scattered throughout the 14-acre gardens. The gardens are dotted with palms and lemon, orange, and cypress trees. There are acres of shrubs and flowering plants. And there are plenty of shaded places to get out of the sun and sit for a while.

Other Attractions

One of the things Córdoba is noted for is its many private and public courtyards, called patios. Many of the residences in Córdoba are built around a central courtyard. Often there is a fountain in the center and the courtyards are often full of colorful flowering plants.

Each May, during the Córdoba Patios Festival, many of the patios are opened to the public for free viewing and competitions are held for traditional courtyard designs (1970s and earlier) and for more modern designs. Some of the patios are open year-round (except July and August) for a small entry fee. The Patios Festival has been designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage event by UNESCO.

There are also streets and alleys throughout the city that feature colorful flower displays, the Calleja de las Flores, near the Mezquita, being probably the best known.

Another feature of the city is the Guadalquivir River and the 2100-year-old Puente Romano (Roman Bridge). Just downstream of the bridge are the ruins of a number of ancient mills. Across the pedestrian only bridge, the Torre de la Calahorra, a medieval gate-tower, has a small museum, and there are walking paths on both sides of the river.

Conclusion

I have no doubt that there are many other sights worth seeing and things worth doing in Córdoba that my wife and I didn’t discover or just didn’t have time to experience during our stay. Seville and Granada may get the spotlight when it comes to tourist destinations in the Andalusia region of Spain, but visitors should not overlook Córdoba. It’s a beautiful, charming, and historic city. I am more than happy that we included it on our itinerary and if you’re planning a trip to Andalusia, you should definitely plan to spend a day or two in Córdoba. I don’t think you will regret it.

Posted October 15, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Sintra, Portugal

by Alan K. Lee

Introduction

Sintra is a magical fairytale town that combines spectacular palaces and magnificent gardens with the area’s deep history, making it a truly unique destination. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see side trip if you’re visiting nearby Lisbon. Visiting Sintra can be done as a daytrip from Lisbon, which is what my wife and I did on our recent visit to Portugal and Andalucia, but you can’t see everything Sintra has to offer in a single day. To take in all Sintra has to offer, you either need to make several daytrips from Lisbon or, better yet, plan to spend a night or two in one of the town’s many hotels.

Since we had time for only a single daytrip from Lisbon, we had to be strategic about what we saw and what we didn’t. The top four attractions in Sintra are the Pena Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena), the Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros), Quinta da Regaleira, and the Sintra Palace (Palacio Nacional da Sintra). We could have seen all four, had dinner in Sintra, and still been able to catch a return train to Lisbon that evening, but we weren’t sure we’d have time for all of that when we were making our plans. In the end, we chose to skip the Sintra Palace. But even though you can tour all four major attractions in a day, you won’t be able to fully explore them, and there’s still much to see in and around Sintra to make a second day necessary to see it all.

Getting there and getting around

If you’re doing a day trip from Lisbon, the best way to get to Sintra is by train. Trains to Sintra run from both the Rossio Train Station in the center of Lisbon and the Oriente Station near the airport, departing about every 20 minutes throughout the day. Tickets are cheap, less than three Euros one-way per person. They can be purchased at ticket counters or vending machines at either station and come in the form of a plastic Viva Viagem card. Tickets cannot be purchased online. Each person needs to have their own card, and tickets are one-way, so each person needs to purchase two tickets for a round trip. The trains are free if you purchase a Lisboa Card, which also gives you discounts to the major attractions in Sintra, free admission to many attractions in Lisbon, and unlimited travel on Lisbon’s Metro subway, surface tramway system, and public buses. See the Sintra Tourism website for more detailed information, including train schedules.

Once in Sintra, it’s about a 10-minute walk from the train station to the center of the historic old town and the Sintra Palace, and another ten minutes to Quinta da Regaleira. The Pena Palace and the Castle of the Moors are located on hilltops high above the town and are best reached by local bus (#434), taxi, or tuk tuk. The road to both is closed to private vehicles. You can hike up to them, but it’s quite a climb and I doubt that many people get there on foot. The old town center and Quinta da Regaleira can also be reached by bus (#435), taxi, or tuk tuk. There are also many tour companies that offer a range of tours that will take you to any or all of the major attractions in Sintra.

The Pena Place, Sintra Palace, and Castle of the Moors are all operated by Parques de Sintra and require timed entry tickets. We purchased tickets for the Pena Palace online, but it took much longer to get from town to the entrance to the park by bus than we anticipated, it’s at least a ten-minute walk from the park entrance to the palace, and there was a long line to get into the palace. All those factors meant that we were late getting to the palace entrance, outside the 30-minute window are tickets were good for. They let us in, though, despite the website stating that late entry would be denied and the cost of the tickets would not be refunded. Perhaps that was because we were there on a national holiday (see my post on Lisbon for more information about Portugal’s Freedom Day), but they could have legitimately sent us packing, so be sure to leave plenty of time to get there. You can wander around the grounds of the park if you’re early. We did not purchase tickets to the Castle of the Moors in advance, but we were able to purchase tickets on site. Quinta da Regaleira does not require timed entry tickets and the tickets we purchased online were valid for four months from the date of purchase.

Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira was built by a man named António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, who purchased the property in the late 19^th century. From its completion in 1910 until 1997 the palace and grounds were a private estate. It was then purchased by the City of Sintra and opened to the public.

We did not tour the interior of the palace, but the park-like grounds surrounding the palace are a magical land of towers, ponds, pathways, tunnels, grottos, and a 100-foot-deep well with a spiral staircase around the perimeter known as the Initiation Well. The initiation to what is not clear, but Monteiro had ties to the Free Masons organization, which may have evolved out of the medieval Knights Templar, a somewhat secretive and mysterious military and religious order central to the Crusades, that once controlled Sintra.

The grounds are a bit confusing, and the intersecting paths are not well signed, so do your research and plan your visit well. Do not, as we did, simply show up and wander the grounds. We had a hard time finding the Initiation Well and were on the verge of giving up when we finally stumbled across it. Since it was the one feature that both my wife and I had independently hit on before we even began planning a trip to Portugal, not getting to experience it would have been a big loss.

There was a long line to get into the Initiation Well once we finally found out where it was, but it was well worth the twenty minutes or so that we had to wait. You enter through a small tunnel and then spiral your way down the perimeter staircase. It’s slow going because people are taking their time, trying to get photos that convey the experience (without much success in my case), or just taking in the weirdness and magnificence of it.

At the bottom you enter a long tunnel that takes you to the backside of a small waterfall and then out to one of the several ponds on the property. The gardens are a fever dream of fantasy and imagination, filled with caves, statues, enigmatic carvings, and structures that are completely unique and must be seen to be fully appreciated, all the creation of Monteiro and his architect, Luigi Manini.

Pena Palace

The Pena Palace dates to only the mid-19^th century, but the history of the site goes back to a 12^th century chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena and the 15^th century Monastery of St. Jerome. The monastery was left mostly in ruins by the earthquake of 1755 but what remained continued to be occupied until 1834 when it was finally abandoned.

The property was then purchased by Ferdinand II, King-consort and husband of Queen Maria II, who built the Pena Palace on the old monastery site. The palace was the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family until the monarchy was abolished in 1910, when it became a National Monument. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

The palace is surrounded by parkland that was developed by Ferdinand II during the same time period that the palace was built. Unfortunately, we did not have time to see more of the park than the portion of the grounds between the park entrance and the palace, another good reason to spend more time in Sintra than we allowed ourselves on our trip.

Castle of the Moors

After touring the Pena Palace, we walked the short distance back down the road to the Castelo dos Mouros. There is a ticket machine at the bus stop, which would not take my debit card, but there is another at the actual entrance to the castle, a short walk from the bus stop, where we were able to purchase tickets. Just inside the entrance, there is an interesting archeological site that was part of the Moorish village that once occupied the site. From there, it is an uphill climb to the parapet walls that snake across the slopes of the hill on which the castle is located.

The castle, a fortress high on a hill overlooking the Tagus River and the Lisbon area, was built between the 8^th and 10^th centuries by the Islamic rulers of the Iberian Peninsula to guard the surrounding agricultural areas. Inside the walls that stand today there was a Moorish village until 1147 when the area was retaken by Christian forces during the Reconquista.

Pena Palace, viewed from the Castle of the Moors

Little remains of the Moorish village or the subsequent Christian settlement that took its place, except for the ruins of the Chapel of São Pedro de Penaferrim and a few other structures, but the site is spectacularly beautiful.

There is a lot of climbing on the steeply sloped grounds if you want to see it all, especially up to the highest point. But the awesome views of the Pena Palace (as seen in the featured image at the top of this post) and down to the old town area of Sintra and the Sintra Palace, make the climb well worth the effort required.

Sintra Palace

The Sintra Palace dates to the same time period as the Castle of the Moors, but nothing of the original Moorish palace remains. The oldest part of the existing palace is the Royal Chapel, which may have been constructed in the early 14^th century. Most of the existing palace was built in the 15^th century. The palace was a summer residence of the Portuguese royal family for more than 500 years.

We did not tour the palace, but in retrospect we should have planned better and taken it in along with the other three attractions in Sintra that we did tour. Something left for our next visit, I guess.

Other Sintra Attractions

The Sintra Town Hall (Camara Municipal de Sintra), located near the railroad station, is one of the first buildings you’ll see in Sintra, and it is worth a look. But most people, like us, pass it by on their way to the historic center of Sintra and the other Sintra attractions mentioned above.

You’ll also pass by the entrance to the Parque da Liberadade if you walk from the train station to the old town center. Again, most people pass it by, which we did as well. But it looks like it is worth exploring, if you have the time (another reason to spend more than one day in Sintra). The historic town center is itself worth exploring, too.

Monserrate Palace. Photo by Jocelyn Erskine-Kelly, sourced from Wikimedia Commons.

About two miles west of the historic center, on the Rua Barbosa du Bocage (about 1.5 miles past Quinta da Regaleira), you’ll find the beautiful Park and Palace of Monserrate. The same bus that takes you to Quinta da Regaleira also takes you to Monserrate Palace. There are also numerous private tours that stop at Monserrate.

Cabo de Roca. Photo sourced from Wikimedia Commons and credited to “Mister No.”

Further west, Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point of Europe, is also a stop on many private tours, as are the nearby beaches. You can also ride the #435 bus all the way to the cape and beaches.

Conclusion

Whether you have only half a day or have two or more days to explore Sintra, you’ll come away impressed by the beauty, magnificence, and, in some cases, the weirdness of what you’ve seen. I can’t imagine anyone coming away from Sintra unhappy that they had come. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. But there were many other highlights, as well. Look for other posts from our trip that will be coming over the next month or so, including Faro and the Algarve, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and Ronda, Spain.

Posted June 16, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee, except as noted

Wachau Gorge, Austria

by Alan K. Lee

In 2022, my wife and I had the pleasure of taking a river cruise on the Danube, beginning in Budapest, Hungary and ending in Passau, Germany. Along the way, we toured Bratislava, Slovakia, spent a day exploring Vienna, Austria, and visited several other smaller cities and towns on the Danube. Most of the actual sailing took place at night, but we spent one beautiful afternoon cruising through the fabulous Wachau Gorge between the towns of Krems and Melk in northern Austria.

The Wachau Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (listed as the Wachau Cultural Landscape), known for its medieval history and architecture, but also for its modern-day vineyards and wineries and its riverine landscape. The Wachau Gorge is bookended by the town of Krems and the hilltop Gottweig Abbey and the town of Melk and the spectacular Melk Abbey on the south bank of the Danube.

Our day started with an early morning arrival in Krems and a morning tour of Gottweig Abbey a few miles south of the town.

Gottweig Abbey was founded in 1083 and has been continuously occupied for more than 900 years. The current structure was built in the 18^th century. (Viking River Cruises is the only cruise line that tours Gottweig Abbey, but also the only one that does not tour the larger Melk Abbey at the upstream end of the gorge).

Upstream of Krems, the valley narrows and the roughly 25 miles between Krems and Melk feature steeper slopes bordering both sides of the river with the occasional castle looming above the riverside towns. The town of Dunstein, seen in the featured photo at the top of this post, is particularly beautiful.

Most of the north shore of this stretch of the Danube is part of a nature park (Naturpark Jauerling Wachau) and is largely wild, managed to protect wildlife habitat and the natural environment. It’s also spectacularly beautiful.

Late that afternoon, we sailed past the town of Melk and the huge, and hugely popular, Melk Abbey. Like Gottweig Abbey, the original Melk Abbey was founded nearly a thousand years ago (in 1089) and has been continuously occupied ever since. The current structure dates from 1702. I would have loved to tour the abbey, but with several river cruise ships already docked there, I understand why Viking skips it.

Upstream of Melk, we spent the evening hours cruising the Wachau Valley, an agricultural area with many small riverside towns and vineyards.

The following morning found us in Linz, Austria. We didn’t see much of Linz because we took an all-day trip to the beautiful and well-preserved medieval village of Cesky Krumlov, Czechia. Then it was on to our final destination on the cruise, Passau, Germany.

After the cruise, we extended our trip to Salzburg, Austria and Munich, Germany. One of the advantages of river cruising is that you get to see a lot of places in a short amount of time. But one of the disadvantages is that you don’t spend much time in any one place. We were able to spend several days in Salzburg, though, and several more in Munich and the Bavarian Alps, through a relatively inexpensive addition to our cruise offered by Viking. Several of the friends we made on the cruise took a different extension (also booked through Viking) to Prague.

The two river cruises that my wife and I have taken (the other was on the Rhine) were both very enjoyable, hassle-free experiences (except for all of the Covid-19 tests that we had to take during our Danube cruise, but that is now in the past tense). Both featured an immersion into medieval history, beautiful riverside cities and villages, and beautiful stretches of natural habitat that is rare in Europe. I can personally recommend both cruises, and river cruising in general. If you’re interested in river cruises or are just curious, check out my European River Cruises post for more information and advice.

Posted April 15, 2024.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria is a city steeped in history going back to at least 500 BCE when the Celts first settled in the area. It was later occupied by the Romans, was the capital of the Habsburg Empire, and then the de facto capital (according to Wikipedia) of the Holy Roman Empire. Vienna is also the spiritual home of classical music. Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Schubert, Mahler, and many others lived and worked in Vienna, and many of the most acclaimed classical music works were composed and first performed there.

There’s so much to take in that Vienna cannot be fully appreciated on only a short visit. And my wife and I had only one full day to absorb as much of the city as we could on our 2022 Danube River cruise. But it was a memorable day.

Unlike Budapest and Bratislava, the historical center of the city does not lie directly on the Danube. We had to take Vienna’s subway system from the riverfront to the medieval center, which lessened the sense of going back-in-time that we have felt in exploring some of the other ancient European cities that we’ve visited. But the old city is truly magnificent. It is home to some of the most spectacular medieval architecture that can be found anywhere in Europe.

St. Steven’s Cathedral, Hofburg Palace, the Vienna State Opera House, the Albertina art museum, Maria Theresa Plaza, the Kunst Historical Museum, Mozart’s residence, and many other museums and places of interest are all within a half mile radius of each other in the historic center.

Belvedere Palace and Schonbrunn Palace, two of the more spectacular examples of Vienna’s medieval architecture, are a little farther afield and weren’t on our walking tour but are must-see attractions if you have more time than we did.

On our walking tour we chanced upon students of the Spanish Riding School exercising some of the famous Lipizzaner Stallions in the Burggarten park adjacent to the Hofburg Palace.

Besides being the cultural and historic center of Austria, Vienna is a modern city of two million people that has been ranked several times as the world’s most livable city, so there is much more to explore than just the medieval center.

Vienna is also a city of many beautiful parks and natural areas. After our walking tour of the medieval center, we crossed the Danube and spend some time in a beautiful park on a long, narrow, tree lined island between the main channel of the Danube and the Neue Donau side channel.

We likely will never return to Vienna – too many places we haven’t seen, and too little time left in our lives – but it’s one of the places that I would to return to if I ever check off all of my bucket list destinations. I left Vienna feeling like I didn’t get more than a tiny taste of what it has to offer. If you have a desire to visit Vienna, check out Visiting Vienna’s Guide To Vienna webpage to begin your planning. And plan to spend at least three or four days there. There is just too much there to see in a day or two.

And if you do go to Vienna, visit Budapest, too. And include Salzburg on your itinerary, as well. You won’t regret adding either of those cities to your trip.

Posted April 4, 2024 by Alan K. Lee

All photos ©Alan K. Lee, except as noted

Bern and Basel, Switzerland

When travelers think of Swiss cities, Bern and Basel probably don’t come immediately to mind. In fact, Rick Steves’ Switzerland guide book doesn’t even mention Basel. And even though Bern is the capital of Switzerland, it is not nearly as well known as Geneva, Zurich, and Lucerne. But both Bern and Basel have charming and interesting medieval city centers and are well worth exploring.

Basel is located on the Rhine River where the borders of Switzerland, Germany, and France meet. The city center straddles the river, and the city’s suburbs spill into both Germany and France. Bern is located on the Aare River midway between Geneva and Zurich, about 40 miles as the crow flies south of Basel .

BASEL

When my wife and I did a Rhine River cruise a number of years ago, Basel wasn’t really on our agenda. It was just the place where the cruise ended, where we would spend the night before extending our trip to the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Berner Oberland section of Switzerland.

Since our guide book didn’t cover Basel at all, we didn’t know quite what to expect. But, after disembarking the ship in the morning and taking a taxi to our hotel, we took advantage of having the rest of the day to explore the city.

We first headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art, part of the Kunstmuseum. On the way there we discovered an old section of the city (the St. Alban District) that is as picturesque and has all of the charm of the other medieval city centers we’ve visited, but with few tourists and no crowds.

After touring the museum, we spent the rest of the day sampling Swiss cuisine and exploring more of the city center, including Basel Cathedral (Basel Minster) and the Basel Town Hall (Rathaus), which has been the seat of government for 500 years. All in all, Basel was a delightful surprise, and a fitting end to our Rhine River cruise.

I later learned that Basel is considered by many to be the cultural heart of Switzerland. The Kunstmuseum (linked above), which opened in 1661, is the oldest public art museum in the world. The Museum of Contemprary Art is also the oldest contemporary art museum in Europe. And the and the University of Basel, founded in 1460, is the oldest university in Switzerland. Clearly, there is a lot of history here.

BERN

Bern also wasn’t really on our radar before the trip. After our stay in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, it was an overnight stop on our way back to Amsterdam and our flight home. But we had booked a hotel room in the old medieval city center, and had the afternoon and evening to explore the old town.

We wandered our way through the medieval center and down to the Aare River at the point of the peninsula that the old city is located on. The Aare is strikingly beautiful, colored turquoise blue by the glacial silt it carries. We lingered along river for a while before crossing the relatively new (built in 1840) high bridge (Nydeggbrucke) on our way to a couple of cold beers at the Altes Tramsdepot, a restaurant and pub housed in what was once a transit center.

The restaurant and the viewpoint next to it provide a good view of the river and the old city. And below, along the river, you can sometimes see brown bears, which are the symbol of Bern, in the Bear Park (Barenpark). The bears were not out and about when we were there, though.

Just downstream of the Nydeggbrucke, the older Untertorbrucke is a good vantage point to photograph the river and the high bridge. The current Untertorbrucke was constructed in 1489 to replace a wooden bridge built in 1256.

Back in the medieval city center (all of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site), we visited the Bern Cathedral (Bern Minster) and the Swiss Assembly building (the Bundeshaus). On the grounds of the Bundeshaus we found a rock garden with rocks from places around the world that have Switzerland in their name or are somehow associated with Switzerland. The Wallowa Mountains in Oregon are often referred to as the “Switzerland of America,” and, sure enough, one of the rocks in the rock garden came from Joseph, Oregon.

The following morning we boarded a train for an all day journey back to Amsterdam, where we spent a few more days before flying back to Portland. The Rhine River cruise, our foray into Switzerland, and our exploration of Amsterdam were all quite incredible experiences. I just wish that we had been able to spend more time in Switzerland, including Bern and Basel. They are both very interesting cities and we barely scratched the surface of what is there for the visitor. I hope to return someday, and I think that most travelers will find even a brief visit to Bern or Basel as worthwhile as we did.

Originally posted February 27, 2021 by Alan K. Lee. Updated and reposted February 9, 2024.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Florence, Italy

In 2018 my wife and I had the great pleasure of visiting Florence, Italy. It was the final leg of our 2018 trip that also included visits to Cinque Terre, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena.

There is probably no other city in the world where history, culture, and art intersect as strongly as they do in Florence. Walking the streets of the old city center, you are walking the same streets that Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, the Medicis, and Machiavelli walked. You are literally walking in their footprints. That’s a very powerful and pretty magical connection. Never mind that there are tens of thousands of other visitors walking those same streets.

If you an art aficionado, you have a problem here – you simply can’t see everything worth seeing unless you have an unlimited amount of time to spend in Florence. There are dozens of galleries, museums, and palaces, and hundreds, probably thousands, of statues and other significant pieces art scattered around the city. Many of Florence’s churches have impressive art collections, as well. We visited many, but by no means all, of the major galleries in our four days there.

The two most acclaimed art museums in Florence are the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’ Accademia. The Uffizi has the most extensive collection of Italian renaissance art in existence, and the Accademia is home to Michelangelo’s David. Though very crowded, both are absolute must sees if this is your first visit to Florence.

Statue of Orpheus, Medici-Riccardi Palace

The Duomo Museum is also highly worth visiting, and the Bargello has the best collection of early Florentine sculpture. The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi and the Palazzo Vecchio both also house significant works of Florentine art. The Galileo Science Museum, the Museum of San Marco, and the museums in the Palazzo Pitti are also highly recommended by the guide books. We weren’t able to visit any of those, however.

The history and culture of Florence is intimately tied to the Catholic Church, and many of the city’s churches are among the major attractions of Florence, including the Church of Santa Maria Novella, the Santa Croce Church, the Brancacci Chapel, the Medici Chapels, the San Miniato Church, and, of course, the Duomo cathedral (officially the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) and the Baptistery (the oldest structure in Florence, built in the eleventh century).

Construction of the cathedral started in 1296, but the nave wasn’t finished until 1420, and the dome wasn’t completed until 1436. (The Lantern that tops the dome wasn’t added until 1472). The dome of the cathedral is by itself one of the wonders of Florence. When the cathedral was designed no one had any idea how to build a dome spanning 150 feet, especially one that began 180 feet off the ground. Nothing like it had been built before. No one knew if it could be built. Filippo Brunelleschi, who both designed and built the dome, had nothing to guide him. He literally had to invent the engineering techniques and much of the equipment needed to construct it as he went. It is still the largest masonry dome in the world. The Florence Inferno website has more information on construction of the dome. There is also a fascinating episode of the PBS series NOVA depicting the building of the dome that I highly recommend. There is a link to that at the end of this post.

Entrance to the Duomo cathedral is free. Because of that and because the cathedral is one of the most prominent attractions in Florence, the lines are long – many blocks long when we were there. The cathedral opens to the public at 10:00, except Sunday. Mass (which is open to the public) is held at 10:30 on Sunday, and the cathedral opens for public tours at 1:30. A €15 combo ticket gets you into all of the other Duomo attractions, including the Campanile, the Baptistery, the Duomo Museum, and the climb to the top of the dome (which also requires reserving a time in advance).

City view from the top of the Duomo dome

Since we were climbing the dome, we skipped the long line to get into the Duomo cathedral. Climbing the dome does not get you into the main floor of the cathedral (except for a small roped off area as you exit), but does give you a birds eye view looking down on the altar and the 500 foot long nave from halfway up, and gives you an up close view of Vasari’s magnificent painting that covers the dome’s ceiling. And the view of the city from the top of the dome is spectacular, especially if you’re there near sunset, and makes the 463 step climb definitely worth the effort.

After our dome climb, and a short rest, we climbed the Campanile (bell tower), also known as Giotto’s Tower. While the view of the city is essentially the same as from the cathedral dome, from the Campanile you have a great view of the dome itself. The 414 step climb to the top of the bell tower is slightly less taxing than the climb to the top of the dome (unless you climb them back to back like we did). If you just want a good view of the city, the more sensible option would be to just climb the Campanile and skip the dome, but climbing both is certainly doable for most people.

We stayed at an Airbnb rental near the city center, and walked everywhere we went. All of the major attractions of Florence are within easy walking distance of each other. The closer to the center of the city the more expensive hotels and other accommodations tend to be, of course, so staying outside of the center and taking a taxi or bus in makes some sense. (Even if you have a car, I would advise not driving into the city center). Our Airbnb was reasonably affordable and only a ten minute walk to the Duomo, though, so that is also a good option to consider if the cost of accommodations is a concern.

There is just too much to Florence to cover here. If you’re planning a trip, do your homework (Rick Steves’ guide to Florence and Tuscany is a good starting point), pick the sights you have to see, and plan accordingly. But also leave time to explore the city, especially areas away from the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. Sample the local cuisine (the food was very good at every place we ate, so don’t be a slave to guide book recommendations), drink some wine, and get a feel for the city. Visit the Pitti Palace (closed on Mondays) and the Boboli Gardens in the Oltrarno area south of the river, take in the sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo (also in the Oltrarno), or just wander at random. You will find interesting, artistic, and historical attractions wherever you go.

There is simply no other place like Florence. If you are contemplating a trip to Tuscany, Florence has to be at the top of your list of places to visit. And you should spend enough time there to get a real feel for the city. There’s just too much history, too much art, and too much of the soul of Italy there to not experience as much of it as you can.

I don’t know if we will ever return to Tuscany, but there is still much to see if we do, in Siena, Lucca, and Pisa as well as Florence. And the hilltop villages in central Tuscany that we did not make it to on this trip beckon.

Click here to watch the NOVA episode on building the Duomo dome. To view other posts from our trip, click on the links below:

Cinque Terre Lucca Siena

Originally posted 11/4/18 by Alan K. Lee. Updated and re-posted 8/24/20 and 6/20/23.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Cesky Krumlov

by Alan K. Lee

Czesky Krumlov is a small city in the Czech Republic about 85 miles south of Prague on the Vltava River. The old town section of the city, with its well preserved Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture and a castle complex that towers over the city, is one of the top tourist destinations in the country, drawing more than a million visitors a year.

You’ll see a lot of superlatives in descriptions of Czesky Krumlov: romantic, charming, magical, fairytale-like, enchanted, and so forth. If that sounds a bit Disneyesque, the town does have a bit of a theme park vibe. But it’s undoubtedly beautiful and the old town is ancient and authentic. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

You’ll also see Czesky Krumlov described as unbearably touristy. Many of the comments I read on tourist forums recommended spending the night in the city so that you can see the city in the evening after the tour buses have left and in the morning before they arrive. My wife and I were there in early June, a little before peak season. There certainly were many other tourists there, but I wouldn’t call it unbearably crowded. And the beauty of the city and its undeniable charms would have trumped the detrimental aspects of any crowds, anyway, in my opinion.

The Cesky Krumlov Castle complex , with its Baroque Theater (one of only two remaining in Europe that are open to the public), is probably the biggest tourist draw. There are four different tours of the castle that you can take, all lasting from 45 minutes to an hour with adult admission prices of 180 to 280 Czech Korunas ($7 to $12 at current exchange rates).

Another top attraction is the 15th century Church of St. Vitus in the historic old town area.

Floating the Vltava River through town is another popular activity.

For my money, the best part of our visit was simply wandering around the historic center, walking the cobblestone streets and taking in the wonderful architecture, the beauty of the Vltava River that meanders around and through the town, and finding some of the charming and quirky things that set Czesky Krumlov apart. The old town area is car free and pedestrian friendly.

We didn’t do any of the castle tours or tour the Castle Garden. But our tour guide gave us a good deal of information about the town and its history, and we had plenty of time to just wander around the old town on our own. And that was enough to make it well worth the long bus ride from Linz.

Guided walking tours are available for about $40-50 per person, but you don’t need a tour guide to enjoy the sights. We spent only one afternoon in Czesky Krumlov (we were among those hordes that arrived on tourist buses), so we hardly experienced all of its charms. The only regret we had about our visit was that we didn’t have more time to spend there.

Everyone visiting Prague and/or Vienna (or doing a Danube River cruise) should consider adding Cesky Krumlov to their itinerary. It is an absolutely beautiful city and a wonderful place to visit. The guide books and reviews were right, too – you should spend the night there, if you can, and give yourself plenty of time to fully explore this fascinating town. More information about Cesky Krumlov can be found here.

My wife and I visited Cesky Krumlov as part of a Danube River cruise that we took earlier this year (2022) on Viking River Cruises. If you’re interested in more information about river cruising, check out the Viking website and our river cruising post.

Posted October 26, 2022

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Salzburg, Austria

by Alan K. Lee

Salzburg, Austria is a beautiful, charming, and historic city on the turquoise blue Salzach River. Salzburg’s old town (the Altstadt) is wonderfully preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It would be easy to imagine yourself time traveling back to medieval days while walking its streets were it not for the hordes of (other) tourists who are drawn to Salzburg in all seasons.

Salzach River, Mulln Church (left), and Slazburg Christ Church tower (right)

Salzburg was Mozart’s birthplace and boyhood home, and that draws many classical music fans to the city. And much of The Sound of Music was filmed in and around Salzburg. That draws many of fans of the movie (and there are millions of them).

Many visitors come for the summer Salzburg Festival with its classical music concerts, opera, and theater performances. Others come in January for the Mozart Festival. And just the beauty and charm of the city draws many more. But despite the crowds, Salzburg was one of the highlights of our recent trip.

Even if you have only one day to explore Salzburg, the Altstadt is compact, easily walkable, and full of historic sites, wonderful baroque architecture, palaces, gardens, churches, museums, restaurants, and much more. You can pack a lot into one day. My wife and I did just that.

We arrived in Salzburg on a Sunday afternoon. Our first stop was the Hellbrunn Palace (Schloss Hellbrunn) on the south edge of the city. This was actually the last stop on a bus tour of Sound of Music filming locations in the rural area east of Salzburg. We didn’t tour the palace, but the large surrounding park provides plenty of shade on sunny days, and the palace’s garden is beautiful and renowned for its trick fountains (you might get wet) and whimsical sculptures. You’ll also find the pavillion where “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” in the The Sound of Music was filmed, although it has been moved from its original location.

Our only full day in Salzburg started with a guided walking tour of the Altstadt that took us first to the Mirabell Gardens where parts of The Sound of Music were filmed. Fans of the movie will recognize the Pegasus Fountain, the Dwarf Garden, and the Vine Tunnel. We didn’t tour Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell), but entrance is free, and you can attend evening chamber music performances in the Marble Hall, where some of the young Mozart’s earliest performances took place.

Our tour then took us to Mozart’s residence (Mozart-Wohnhaus) where he lived from age 17-25, and across the Salzach River to his birthplace (Mozarts Geburtshaus), now a museum. In the Altstadt you’ll also find the Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom), the Mozart Plaza (Mozartplatz) with its large statue of Mozart, the Residenzplatz, a large plaza with a 15 meter (50 foot) tall fountain, the Salzburg Museum, and many other historic and interesting sites. Guided walking tours of the Salzburg Altstadt are available for as little as $10 per person, and Lonely Planet has a guide to free things to do in Salzburg that includes a self-guided walking tour.

Although you can have a great time and see a lot of interesting sites without spending much (or any) money, purchasing a Salzburg Card can save you a good deal of money if you want to visit the Fortress, tour Mozart’s birthplace or residence, and visit any of the city’s many museums. A Salzburg Card also gives you free rides on the city’s public transit system. Cards can be purchased that are valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Twenty-four hour cards cost €30 for adults. Forty-eight hour cards are €39, and seventy-two hour cards are €45. Children 6-12 are half price. Cards are about 10% less in winter.

Model of the Altstadt and Fortress made entirely of salt, Fortress Museum

The Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) looms over the Altstadt and can be seen from most of the city. It’s one of Salzburg’s must see attractions. Our tour didn’t include the Fortress, but we had all afternoon on our own, and it was our first stop. We took the funicular, but you can also walk up. Either way, I’d recommend getting “all inclusive” tickets that get you into the museum, arsenal, princely chambers, and the Magic Theatre. The current price for an all inclusive funicular adult ticket is €16.60 (about $17). Walk-up all inclusive adult tickets are €12.60 (about $13).. Admission is free with a Salzburg Card. Even if you don’t have a Salzburg Card, the Fortress is well worth the price of admission, even if just for the amazing views of the city and surrounding mountains. Climb the observation tower for the best views.

View of Salzburg from the Salzburg Fortress

After touring the Fortress, we returned to the Cathedral and toured the interior. The exterior of the cathedral is not as grand as cathedrals in many European cities, but the interior is stunning.

There has been a cathedral on the site for more than 1200 years. The original cathedral was built in 774 AD and burned down in 842. The second was severely damaged in the 16th century and was demolished. The current cathedral dates to 1628. The cathedral was damaged in World War II by an Allied bombing raid, but was rebuilt after the war, and reopened in 1959. It is by any account spectacularly beautiful. Entrance to the cathedral is free.

Our final stop that afternoon was the Augustiner Braustubl beer garden. Most of the seating is outside, under a canopy of trees. It happened to be a holiday, though, and the place was packed (but maybe it always is). We had to settle for a table in the smoking section under a second story patio, but that was fine. It was open to the main garden area and only a couple of people were smoking. And the beer was good, and cheap. There are other beer gardens, of course, but the Augustiner Brewery is ancient and iconic. The Munich brewery dates to 1328. The Salzburg brewery is a little younger. It’s only been there for 400 years. It opened in 1621.

That evening, we dined at a local restaurant not far from our hotel. It wasn’t listed in our guide book, but the food and the service were both very good, the prices reasonable, and by the look of things, the locals vastly outnumbered our fellow tourists. The moral here is don’t be afraid to ignore the guide book recommendations. You can find good, authentic Austrian cuisine at a restaurant that doesn’t cater to tourists, and you can dine like a real Salzburger.

Residence Fountain and Salzburg Cathedral

The next morning we were off to Munich, but our brief time in Salzburg left a lasting impression on us. We definitely recommend visiting Salzburg at some point in your life, if you can. It certainly gets two thumbs up from us.

Our tour of Salzburg was an extension of our recent Danube River cruise. A river cruise can be a good way to get at least an introduction to European history and culture. And the cruises themselves have their own charm and have several advantages over both other types of organized tours and independent travel. Rhine and Danube River cruises, in particular, are popular with Americans making their first trip to Europe. But we also found that many of the passengers on our ship had done at least one prior river cruise or had made other visits to Europe, or both.

Our cruise began in Budapest and ended in Passau, Germany eight days later. In between we visited Bratislava, Slovakia, Vienna and Krems, Austria, and Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. And we spent an afternoon cruising the beautiful Wachau Gorge. If you think you might enjoy a European river cruise, check out our river cruising post here for more information and a few tips.

Posted August 6, 2022

Butchart Gardens

by Alan K. Lee

Butchart Gardens, located on the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island about twelve miles north of Victoria, draws visitors from around the world. The Gardens brochure is printed in 22 languages! Butchart Gardens is a National Historic Site of Canada and was designated a World Heritage Site in 2004.

Jeanette (Jenny) Butchart created the gardens in the early 20th century. Her husband, Robert, owned a cement manufacturing business. He was drawn to Vancouver Island because of its abundant limestone deposits, a key ingredient in Portland cement. Near the turn of the 20th century he purchased the site of what is now Butchart Gardens and began mining limestone and manufacturing cement. In 1904 the Butcharts built their estate on land adjacent to the quarry. Shortly thereafter, Jenny Butchart hired Isaburo Kishida to design and build the Japanese Garden at the estate.

When the limestone deposit was exhausted and the quarry closed in 1909, Jenny Butchart set about transforming the quarry into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921. Five years later she replaced the estate’s tennis courts with the Italian Garden. In 1929 the Rose Garden, designed by Butler Sturtevant, was created where the kitchen vegetable garden had been. The Mediterranean Garden was added later, completing the five gardens present today. All told, Butchart Gardens covers 55 acres, and include some 900 varieties of plants in the five gardens.

Ownership of the Butchart Gardens remains in the family. In 1939 the Butcharts gave the Gardens to their grandson, Ian Ross, on his 21st birthday. After World War II, Ross set about turning them into the internationally renowned attraction they are today, and he ran the Gardens for more than fifty years. The Gardens are currently owned and managed by Ross’s daughter, Robin-Lee Clarke.

Numerous improvements and additions to the Gardens have been made over the years. In 1953 Ian Ross added lighting to illuminate the Gardens at night, and in 1964 the Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir in the Sunken Garden. The two large totem poles next to the Fireworks Lawn were erected in 2004. In 2009 Robin-Lee Clarke added the Children’s Pavillion and the Rose Carousel.

Two full service restaurants at the Gardens, the Dining Room and the Blue Poppy Restaurant, give visitors a choice of indoor dining options. A Coffee Shop, Gellateria, and, during the summer, Annabelle’s Cafe, located in the Children’s Pavillion, add to the dining options. And on summer Saturday’s you can purchase gourmet picnic baskets in the Italian Garden. Beer and wine are available as well.

Nightly concerts, held at the Gardens in July and August, give visitors another way to experience the Gardens. And during that same period, Saturday evenings feature a fireworks display after the concert. Many people are drawn to the Gardens in the fall, especially to the Japanese Garden, for the fall foliage. During the month of December the gardens are illuminated for their Magic of Christmas celebration. Spring brings an abundance of flowers. The Gardens have something to offer almost year around, and they are much less crowded in the off season. Ticket prices vary by season. Check the Butchart Gardens website for more information.

There have been a few reviews that have called the Gardens overpriced and under-whelming, but that’s definitely a minority opinion. And I’m siding with the majority here. Butchart Gardens may not be my favorite garden, but in my opinion the Gardens reputation and World Heritage Site designation are well deserved. And the Gardens are so beautiful that the cost of admission and the crowds shouldn’t dissuade anyone from visiting. If you have never been to Butchart Gardens, they should be on your bucket list, if they aren’t already. And now is as good a time as any to start planning a trip to Victoria and Butchart Gardens.

Originally posted September 4, 2018

Most recently updated April 18, 2024

Santa Fe and Taos

by Alan K. Lee

Santa Fe bills itself as “The City Different,” and the Santa Fe Tourism website calls it “a city unlike any other.” A few years ago my wife and I stopped in Santa Fe for a few days on a trip through the Southwest, and I found that Santa Fe largely lives up to those descriptions. The unique blend of Spanish, American, and Puebloan history, culture, and arts make Santa Fe and Taos interesting and unique destinations for the traveler.

Santa Fe’s history dates back more than 1000 years, to when a Tanoan Pueblo village was established on the Santa Fe River at a location that is now downtown Santa Fe. Descendants of those early settlers continue to live in six Tewa-speaking Pueblos in the Santa Fe area.

Spanish colonization of the area dates to 1598, when the first European settlements were built in what became the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico, part of New Spain. What is now New Mexico became part of the U.S. in 1848 as a result of the peace treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. New Mexico became the 47th state in 1912, with Santa Fe as its capital.

Native American culture and arts have survived in the Southwest to a degree not found elsewhere in the United States. Evidence of that is everywhere in modern day Santa Fe, Taos, and the Pueblo settlements remaining in the area. Native influenced art works can be found in the many art galleries and the numerous public art installations that are found throughout Santa Fe and Taos. The Puebloan culture is also represented in the architecture of the city, and the local cuisine.

Santa Fe’s Spanish roots also remain a significant influence on Santa Fe’s modern culture. You can explore the city’s history at the many museums that dot downtown Santa Fe, such as the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors, both adjacent to the Santa Fe Plaza, the cultural and social heart of the city.

The Plaza is an ideal place to begin your exploration of Santa Fe, particularly if you are an art lover, as my wife and I are. The New Mexico Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Native American Arts are both within a block of the Plaza. For fans of Georgia O’Keefe, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and Museum Annex are both within a few blocks of the Plaza. The Gib Singleton Museum of Fine Art is also only a couple of blocks off the Plaza. Pop art fans should check out the Pop Gallery Santa Fe, two blocks north of the Plaza.

Southeast of the Plaza, within easy walking distance, the Canyon Road Arts District is a must see destination for the art lover. More than fifty galleries and studios line what had once been a residential street. It was impossible for us to visit more than just a fraction of the galleries in the district in the short time we had, but just walking the street and viewing the outdoor art installations was memorable, one of the highlights of our visit.

Of course there are plenty of things to see and do in Santa Fe beyond just the visual arts and local history. The Tourism Santa Fe website offers dozens of suggestions including outdoor recreation, dining, shopping, performing arts, activities for kids, and other attractions. The site also has tips on visiting, information on accommodations, and a calendar of events.

There are also a lot of places outside of Santa Fe itself that are worth visiting. Taos, about 65 miles north of Santa Fe, is another arts oriented community. The Taos Society of Artists has been in existence for more than a century. Many of the early artists’ galleries have been preserved and are open to visitors.

Puebloan history and culture is an even more pronounced component of modern day Taos than it is in Santa Fe. The nearby Taos Pueblo is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. The Pueblo has been occupied continuously for over 1000 years and continues to be an active Native American community. Unfortunately, Taos Pueblo is currently (as of February 2, 2022) closed to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Check their website for current information. There are also a number of other pueblos in the Santa Fe and Taos area that may be open to visitors. Each pueblo is independent and makes its own decisions concerning rules for public visitation, so check the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website for more information.

Another site near Santa Fe that is well worth visiting is Bandelier National Monument. While it is not as well known as many of the other Native American historical sites, the park features impressive ruins of cliff dwellings that can be easily explored, plus one high up the cliff that can only be reached by climbing several long ladders. Bandelier is about 30 mile northwest of Santa Fe, near the town White Rock.

While some sites may be closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, New Mexico is largely open at present. There is a statewide mask mandate in force, but no other restrictions.

Santa Fe and Taos are high on our list of places to revisit and we’re looking forward to another, and hopefully longer, visit. And I’d encourage everyone to visit Santa Fe at least once. It truly is The City Different.

Originally posted June 29, 2020. Updated and re-posted February 2, 2022

Rhine River Cruise: Cologne and the Middle Rhine

The second and third days of our Rhine River cruise took us to Cologne, then the villages and castles of the Middle Rhine region. After leaving Kinderdijk (see my previous post) on the afternoon of our first full day of cruising, our “longship” navigated its way to the Rhine, and then upstream to Cologne overnight.

“Love locks”, Hohenzollern Bridge, Cologne

My wife and I took two guided tours on the second day of our cruise. In the morning our guide led a tour of the old historic city center. Normally that includes a tour of the cathedral, but it was Sunday, so tour groups were not allowed in. We had the afternoon to ourselves, though, so we were able to tour it independently later that day – a very impressive structure, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe.

We also spent a good bit of time that afternoon exploring the Museum Ludwig (modern art, including a large collection of Picasso’s), and the nearby Roman-Germanic Museum, which preserves a Roman villa from the third century B.C. that was unearthed during the construction of a bomb shelter in 1941. Both are adjacent to the cathedral. If you’re an art and history buff, those are two places you do not want to miss.

Cologne ( Koln) was founded by the Romans in the fist century A.D. (The Roman name for the city, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, was shortened and became Cologne to the French and Koln to the Germans.) The city was heavily bombed during World War II, and 95% of the central city was destroyed. Only the cathedral, city hall, and a few other buildings survived. A lot of the rebuilding was done in a style to match the surviving buildings, so much of what you see when you visit looks old and historic, but is in fact less than 70 years old.

Cologne’s city hall is built on the site of the ancient Roman Praetorium, which was the seat of government of the Roman province of Germania Inferior until 475 A.D. The Praetorium was destroyed in an earthquake in the late eighth century. Cologne municipal government was formed around 1100, and the original city hall building was constructed in the mid-12th century. The current structures date from as early as 1330.

Construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248. In 1478 construction was halted and the cathedral remained unfinished for another 400 years. It wasn’t until 1880 that it was completed to the original medieval plan. The cathedral was damaged by a number of bombing raids in WWII, but remained standing, and repairs were completed in 1956.

Detail of the Cologne Cathedral exterior

Our second tour in Cologne was an optional pub crawl that evening, led by a local guide. In Cologne each pub has a working agreement with one of the local breweries that produce the local brew, called kolsch. Each pub serves only one brand of kolsch, so to sample a variety of different kolsches, we visited four pubs. Kolsch is served in small seven ounce straight-sided glasses. You never have to order a refill. An empty glass is considered the order and will be refilled without your asking. A coaster placed over the top of the glass is the signal that you do not want a refill. Needless to say, we had a great time, drank our fill of good beer, and the guide managed to get all of us back to the ship before it left that night.

Spay, Germany, viewed from Marksburg Castle

The next morning found us in Koblenz. After breakfast on board, most of us boarded a bus that took us to Marksburg Castle. It’s not the prettiest castle along the Rhine (in my opinion), but it is the most intact. It is the only castle that was never attacked, so you get a better peak at what castle life was like back in the middle ages. Many of its rooms display historically accurate recreations of how they looked and functioned in medieval times. It was all very interesting, but also very crowded.

Back on the ship, we spent the afternoon cruising the Middle Rhine Valley (sometimes called the Rhine Gorge), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here the Rhine flows through a narrow valley with picturesque villages along the shore and many castles high above the river on the ridges either side.

The cruise ships travel this section of the river during the day both because it is the most scenic part of the river and because it is difficult to navigate in places. The famous Lorelei Rock is on this section of the river.

Late that afternoon we docked in Rudesheim and spent the evening exploring on our own. Rudesheim is a small, picturesque town, like many that we passed earlier in the day. It was a pleasant end to a very nice day. By this point I was fully onboard with the idea of doing more river cruising in the future. Maybe the Danube next time, perhaps.

Our cruise continued with stops in Heidelberg, then Strasbourg and Colmar, France, and a tour of Freiberg, Germany before disembarking in Basel, Switzerland. Look for future posts on the remainder of our trip.

Posted by Alan K. Lee, 3/21/19

All photos by the author

Rhine River Cruise: Amsterdam and Kinderdijk

Our Rhine River cruise began in Amsterdam and our first port of call was Kinderdijk, Netherlands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Neither are actually on the Rhine River, but a network of canals that crisscrosses The Netherlands and connects to the Rhine allowed our “longship” to sail from Amsterdam to Kinderdijk, and then on to the lower Rhine.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a major transportation hub as well as a popular tourist destination. Many travelers headed to other places in Europe travel through Amsterdam, and many of them stay for a day or two. Many others come to Amsterdam for a variety of reasons – to visit Amsterdam’s many outstanding museums or the famous (or infamous) red light district, to tour the Anne Frank House, some to experience the liberal and tolerant culture of Amsterdam, and a few, I’m sure, come for the “coffee shops” where they can smoke marijuana in public without risk of arrest.

I came for none of those reasons, but simply because it was the embarkation point for our cruise, and because my wife wanted to visit Amsterdam. I had no real desire to see Amsterdam. But I quickly fell in love with the city. It’s crowded, noisy, and surprisingly dirty. Dam Square, the heart of Amsterdam, is filled with people elbow to elbow during the day, and filled with their left behind trash in the evening. The Nieumarkt Square, which our Airbnb rental faced, didn’t quiet down until two or three in the morning. Normally, all of that would be reason for me to dislike a place. But none of it really mattered.

There is a vibrancy and energy to the city that is a more than a little bit intoxicating. It’s a thoroughly modern city, but with a long and deep history. It is Dutch, certainly, but it is also one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Almost everyone in Amsterdam speaks English, but there is little about the city that is evocative of either England or America. No city in the U.S. even remotely resembles Amsterdam. And therein lies much of its appeal. It’s exotic and yet very approachable and understandable. The people are friendly. The atmosphere is relaxed. It’s easy to feel at home there. And it’s an immensely interesting place. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that there is something for everyone there.

Getting around Amsterdam is pretty easy. Most of the major attractions are within walking distance of the Central Station. The city also has a good public transit system. But the best way to get around is probably by bicycle. There are plenty of places to rent bikes at reasonable rates, and there are dedicated bike paths everywhere. You will quickly find that Amsterdam is a city of bicycles and bike riders.

Art pervades the city, not just in the museums, but in the streets, and in the culture. Our first night’s stay was in the Art’otel Amsterdam, a boutique hotel near the main railway station (Central Station), that houses a surprisingly interesting gallery. And there are hundreds of other galleries and art museums scattered throughout the city.

The two most prominent museums, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are both on the Museumplein, as is the Stedilijk Museum (contemporary art and design). The Museumplein is about a mile and a half south of Central Station. That should be one of your must-see destinations. The Anne Frank House is another must see.

Museum tickets can be purchased online. Also check out the Amsterdam City Pass and I Amsterdam cards. Both offer free “skip the line” entrance to the major museums. Tickets to the Anne Frank House are available only online and are not included in either card. Also note that tickets to both the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are time specific, so advance planning is a must.

Our Rhine River cruise began with boarding our “longship” (the Viking Mani), and dinner onboard. That was the first of many outstanding meals served on the ship – and the first of many pleasant surprises on the cruise. (See my previous post for more information on river cruises in Europe.) The ship left Amsterdam well after dark, and we arrived at Kinderdijk the following morning.

Kindedijk

The largest surviving group of ancient windmills in the world is in village of Kindedijk, Netherlands, located about 50 miles from Rotterdam in the province of South Holland. Kinderdijk was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The entire area was once one giant peat bog. The first settlers built their homes on the local sand dunes nearly a thousand years ago. Over time, the fertile soil brought others to the area. In the 13th century district water boards were formed to coordinate the building and maintenance of the dikes and canals needed to drain areas of the bog and keep waters out of the resulting polders. But over time the soil of the polders subsided, and the Lek River level rose due to siltation.

After a disastrous flood in 1421 killed thousands of people and damaged or destroyed many of the dikes, the water districts decided a better system of water management was needed, leading to the construction of a group of stone windmills in 1738 and an additional group of wooden windmills in 1740. Of the original 20 windmills, nineteen survive and remain operational.

The name Kinderdijk means Children’s Dike. Legend has it that after the 1421 flood a cradle was discovered bobbing in the flooded fields. In the cradle were an unharmed baby and a cat. The cat was said to be jumping from side to side to keep the cradle balanced and preventing it from tipping over.

In the late 1800s steam powered pump stations began taking over the primary pumping needs. These were replaced by diesel powered stations in the early 20th century. During World War II the occupying German army commandeered all diesel supplies, so the residents had to once again rely on the windmills to keep their land dry.

Currently two large electrically powered pump stations provide the primary pumping power, but the old windmills remain operational and serve as a backup to the modern pumps. One of the old pump stations now serves as a visitor center, and two of the windmills are open to the public.

From Kinderdijk our cruise joined the lower Rhine River and proceeded on to Cologne, Germany. Look for future posts on the rest of our Rhine River cruise, including Cologne, Heidelberg, and Freiberg, Germany, the castles of the Middle Rhine, and Strasbourg and Colmar, France.

Posted by Alan K. Lee, 3/1/19

All photos by the author