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Bagger 1473 Excavator – The Blue Wonder of Engineering
The Beginnings of Bagger 1473 Excavator Bagger 1473, a monumental excavator produced by the German company VEB Schwermaschinenbau Lauchhammerwerk, began its work in a lignite surface mine in 1965. For decades, it served in extraction operations, becoming an integral part of the industrial landscape. When it finished its service in 2002, the natural consequence was to send it to the scrapyard. However, thanks to the initiative of local authorities, this giant of engineering was saved. The Second Life of the Excavator Instead of being scrapped, Bagger 1473 was transported 9 kilometres from the mine and placed in an open field. Unfortunately, ongoing decay and numerous acts of vandalism led to…
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Monaco and conrete houses… Girl on a Trail
The Principality of Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world. Only there you can find the highest percentage of luxury cars and yachts per square meter. I perceived this place as full of splendour, wealth and it actually turned out to be like that. However, I must admit Monaco surprised me in several ways. NO TAXES ARE PAID IN CONCRETE HOUSES Monaco is one of the smallest countries, its surface is 2,02 km2, and at the same time is the most populous place in the world. For comparison, the density of the London population is around 5600 people per square kilometre, meanwhile in Monaco, there are more…
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Germany, Bavaria – Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle is probably the most famous building in the world, especially in the age group from 2 to 5 years old. Presented in the intro to Disney fairy tales, it ignites everyone’s imagination. The Castle was an inspiration for Walt Disney to create Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Not very subtle name – Neuschwatein, does not reflect its fairytale look, hence it is often called Disney Castle – then everyone knows what we are talking about 😉 The Castle is located on a high hill surrounded by the Bavarian Alps and resembles the old fortress. However, appearances can be deceiving, because its construction began in 1869, at the…
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Liechtenstein – somewhere in a faraway land…
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a tiny duchy. This duchy had no access to the sea, it did not have its own language, army and currency. There wasn’t even an airport there because the duchy was so small that few people visited it. Its neighbors sometimes even didn’t realize that it existed and accidentally entered its territory with an army. Despite this, the people in this duchy were very rich and happy, and their ruler invited everyone to a party every year. If anyone likes this fairy tale, I have very good news. It’s not a fairy tale, but the reality of Fürstentum Liechtenstein, or…
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Switzerland, Basel – gate no. 2
I like landing at the Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse – Fribourg. In fact, there’s nothing extraordinary in this airport, except one thing. The list of my favorite airports is mainly limited to those that allow me to “sleep well” 😉 I focus mainly on cleanliness, location of the seats and lack of armrests. However, Euroairport has stolen my heart for a completely different reason. It’s funny because actually, it doesn’t have to with the airport itself, but it’s more connected with the exit. At Euroairport, you have three options of exit to choose, so you can visit: France, Switzerland or Germany. This time I chose the gate no. 2- Switzerland. The airport…
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Berlin in ruins part II, Teufelsberg – Devil’s Hill
In the competition for the weirdest place in Berlin, Teufelsberg, which in translation means – Devil’s Hill is definitely on the podium. The attractiveness of Teufelsberg was initially noticed by the Nazis. Under the direction of Albert Speer – Hitler’s architect, the construction of the military academy began on this site. The investment wasn’t completed due to the war, which took most of the expenses. After the war, the Allies attempts to blow up a solid German construction, ended with covering it with the debris, transported form bombarded Berlin. As a result, a pretty large 80-meters hill – the highest point in Berlin, was created. Initially, it was considered to…
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Berlin in ruins – an invitation to after party
Finally, it’s time for a post about Berlin, but I won’t focus on charming, elegant places. On the contrary, it’s time to write about Berlin in ruins! Practical to the bone, the Germans have mastered the art of bringing back old buildings to life. A similar direction is currently seen in Warsaw, however, on a smaller scale and in a completely different way. How do Germans do it? Very simple. The resuscitation of these places has nothing to do with the German perfection. They assume, that there’s no point of changing something that is iconic itself, due to its history and unique character. Tempelhof Airport Tempelhof airport, closed since 2008…
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Kehlsteinhaus, Germany – a visit to the Eagle’s Nest
Kehlsteinhaus or the teahouse on Kehlstein – it’s a legend itself. Beautiful Alpine views clashes with the difficult history of the World War II. The teahouse is widely known by another name, which speaks more to the imagination. It’s famous Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. The teahouse was built on the initiative of Martin Bormann as a gift from NSDAP for Hitler’s 50th birthday. The best architects and engineers in the Third Reich were involved in the construction of the Kehlsteinhaus. This project cost over 30 million Reichmarks, which is currently worth around 150 million €! According to the Bormann’s intention, in addition to the diplomatic function, Kehlsteinhaus was supposed to be…
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Czech Republic – Adrspach and Teplice Rocks
[huge_it_maps id=”7″] Adrspach and Teplice Rocks are ideal attractions for rock lovers. For a long time, both places had been unknown untill the fire that took place in 1824. It discovered numerous rock formations and mazes. Both places are located in Czech Republic in the Adrspassko – Teplicke Skaly National Nature Reserve. Why is it worth coming here? The main attraction of both places are numerous ineterstingly shaped rocks. They’re made of light sandstone which contrasts with lush vegetation. Long-term sandstone erosion due to the impact of water, frost and wind affected the unique appearance of these rocks. Many of them have their own names. We can see here:…
