Two short visits to Prague

Back in 2011, we visited multiple cities in Germany and on the way, we stopped in Prague. It was only for an hour or so while we were on our way to Germany and half a day on our way back. It was about to rain the first time we were there and the second time it was quite hot, even for early June.

Prague is a beautiful city. I was glad to so many historical buildings restored to their former selves. Practically everywhere you turned, there was something beautiful to see. The photos shown here are combined from those two occasions. Enjoy!

In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic
In downtown Prague, Czech Republic

Places

A jaunt through Geneva

This past summer we visited Geneva, Switzerland, during the Fêtes de Genève. It was a short business trip, if I recall correctly it was about a day and a half, but in-between the business meetings, we snuck in a jaunt or two through the old town. One afternoon we started down by the lake, on the Promenade du Lac, and we climbed uphill on the beautiful stone steps toward the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville and the Promenade Saint-Antoine, then we came back down to the lake to see the Jet d’Eau. The following day, we visited the Promenade des Bastions, where the Université de Genève is located. And that was it. It was August, it was incredibly hot, even for Geneva, and the only area tolerable enough during the sweltering daytime heat was the lakeshore. It really says something about global warming when Geneva’s weather becomes intolerable in the summer…

Geneva is a beautiful city with a lot of history. It’s a wonderful thing when a country has a chance to develop and to build upon the successes of previous generations without the ravages of war, which to say the least, reset the clock of progress for a place. Switzerland has been in this enviable position for hundreds of years where it has been able to stay neutral and thus its people have had decent lives and have been able to see the fruits of their labor and to leave something worthwhile behind for their successors.

I hope you enjoy this gallery of photographs from a privileged place, full of beauty and value.

Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland

Some mornings I wake up early. It’s not often that it happens. I’m a late sleeper, always have been. But when I do wake up at the crack of dawn and it’s snowing outside, I will get out of bed, put on some warm winter clothes, grab my camera and head out for a walk. Today was one of those days.

As I write this, about three hours after taking the photos, it’s still snowing lightly. This was a good snowfall. We’ve had some other ones this year, of which one in particular sticks in my mind. It happened earlier this week, with snowflakes almost as big as my palm. That was magical — but it didn’t last. With -1 degrees Celsius outside right now, this snowfall looks like it might last longer than a few hours, so that makes it the first good snowfall of this winter.

As always, I hope you enjoy the photos. These were taken in the historic town center of Medias — known as Mediasch in German and Medgyes in Hungarian — and known to me as my hometown.

A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania
A dawn walk through the historic town center in Medias, Transilvania, Romania

Places

A morning walk through the snow

Places

The fortified church in Mosna

The village of Moșna, known as Meschen in German and Muzsna in Hungarian, is first mentioned in written documents in 1283, and there is evidence that a settlement existed there since the 1st century AD (source). Moşna was also the home of Stephan Ludwig Roth (1796-1849), a famous Saxon priest, pedagogue and human rights campaigner (source).

The Saxon settlers in the area first built a Romanesque basilica in the 13th century, which was then modified and expanded in the late 15th and early 16th centuries in the Gothic style. The man responsible for the project was Andreas Lapicidas of Sibiu (Hermannstadt), a master stone mason, known as Endreas Steinmetz in Sachsen. His initials can be seen inside the church, carved on a lintel.

The Moșna fortified church is one of the biggest in Transilvania and it is a remarkable work of Gothic architecture. The church itself is structured around three naves with ribbed vaults for ceilings. The naves are separated through four pairs of columns, the ones in the west side having been made of bricks and decorated differently so as to preserve the eastern group of columns intact, since the latter was erected using stone from the pillars of the former Romanesque basilica. Inside, the most noteworthy architectural elements are the door to the sacristy, the stone pulpit and the monumental tabernacle which measures 11.05 m in height.

The fortifications include five towers and a 9m defense wall that surrounds the church and allows for ample space inside the fortress. The bell tower has seven levels and three bells, the oldest of which dates from 1515. The gate tower in the south-eastern corner has five levels. The northern side of the fortification is guarded by a tower with four levels. A shorter, three-level tower stands to the south and it hosts a museum dedicated mostly to the trades and customs of the Saxon community but which also includes exhibits discovered during various archaeological explorations, such as coins and fragments of weaponry.

When we visited in 2011, we arrived right around noon, which as some of you may know, is the worst time of the day for photos. I also had with me a camera that was more remarkable for its zoom (30x) than the dynamic range of its sensor and the quality of its photos. I plan to visit again soon and take some photographs that will do the place justice. It’s undergone significant repairs and restoration work since 2011, so it looks different now. We’ve actually revisited it just a couple of months ago, but it was for a photoshoot for Ligia’s ongoing project, Straie Alese, so I didn’t focus on capturing the architecture.

Enjoy the photos!

At the fortified Saxon church in Mosna, Transilvania, Romania

Places

The fortified church in Zagar

There is a fortified church in the village of Zagăr, which is located in the county of Mureș, Transilvania. I was not able to find out any information about it online; I don’t know why it’s not documented. The only thing I was able to find was a mention of the vineyards in the region, which are known for their white wines (source). The village is known as Rode in German and Zágor in Hungarian. It was first mentioned in written documents in 1412 (source). The same source states that the church was rebuilt in the year 1640 but does not give a reason why.

We also weren’t able to visit the buildings themselves (the church and the parochial house) when we visited in 2011, because the place was locked up and no one was around. On the upside, it’s a well-maintained place, restored in 2007, judging by the inscription on the back gate. Perhaps at some time in the future we’ll revisit it.

Enjoy the photographs!