LandScope: Travel Diary of An Explorer

UTRECHT, HIDDEN GEM OF THE NETHERLANDS

2021-05-17T10:57:00.002-07:00

Tranquility defines Utrecht's atmosphere, a sentiment echoed by locals, travelers, and city dwellers alike. With its vibrant, appealing, and sustainable urban environment, Utrecht offers a picturesque setting defined by its canals, green spaces, bicycle paths, and authentic architecture.

As a compact and accessible city, I had the opportunity to immerse myself fully in its local life during a week-long stay in August. While my husband attended classes at Utrecht University, I explored the city at my own pace, spending leisurely days discovering its charms. We spent evenings strolling along the canals, shopping and enjoying cafe culture. My best experiences were going to the swimming pool with a friend I recently met, touring the historic streets of Utrecht by "horse carriage" cinema experience at Het Utrecht Archief museum, and walking in the rain without a chaos.

It invites visitors to discover its tranquil, uncomplicated, alluring, and distinctive way of living. Like many other hidden gems, it offers explorers a blend of local architecture, urban layout, artistic vitality, bohemian neighborhoods, and recreational amenities creating a captivating atmosphere.

Before Amsterdam took the spotlight as the Netherlands' famous city, Utrecht held the status of the country's most important city for years. However, it now stands as the fourth largest in the Netherlands. Its central location provides a significant transportation advantage, easily accessible from other cities and neighboring countries. Despite being half an hour away from Amsterdam, Utrecht is home to a sizable population, many of whom commute to work in Amsterdam. Therefore, during the day, the city becomes tranquil, providing ample opportunities for exploration.

Describing Utrecht as a smaller version of Amsterdam is a major misconception. It differs from Amsterdam's international cityscape. Positioned at the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht offers a genuine Dutch urban experience. The only similarity may lie in the presence of canals, which is a distinctive features of all Dutch cities.

One outstanding feature that sets Utrecht apart globally is its renowned wharves and wharf cellars. Initially designated for goods storage during the medieval era, these wharf cellars now house restaurants, cafes, shops, and studios. Accessible from canal-level, they offer an exceptional outdoor setting to enjoy. Extending along the canals, they form a unique urban space unparalleled elsewhere in the world. Stairways facilitate movement from canal level to street level, providing restaurants with water-facing patios both above and below ground.

Utrecht is a small city and when you endeavor to explore different parts of the city, you often find yourself traversing the same streets. As mentioned earlier, it's a living city rather than a tourist hub. Day trips are common since there aren't a plethora of attractions to keep you occupied. Walking along the Oudegracht (old canal), the bustling and famous shopping street, or relaxing at a canal-side café, perhaps followed by a scenic canal tour, are the best ways to experience the city. However, beyond these activities, Utrecht holds a special appeal for free thinkers, wanderers, and creative artists. Whether it's daytime or nighttime, morning or evening, you'll always feel the same sense of tranquility pervading the city.

The canals of Utrecht's city center – Oudegracht, Nieuwegracht, Plompetorengracht, Drift, and Stadsbuitengracht (surrounding canal) – collectively contribute to the city's continuity and charm.One of the most peaceful experiences is sitting along the canal, observing the rhythm of daily life passing by, a privilege afforded by the location of my apartment. The morning stillness is broken only by the arrival of cyclists commuting to work, their faces often reflecting the tranquility of the city.

Utrecht is recognized for its association with the "De Stijl" art movement, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017. De Stijl is characterized by its minimal use of colors, straight lines, and geometric shapes. One of the masterpieces of this modern art movement is The Rietveld Schröder House, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must-see in Utrecht. To commemorate the centennial, a giant replica of the Rietveld chair was placed in front of the city hall. Visitors can also explore other notable examples of De Stijl throughout the city.

Secret garden in Domkerk - cloister garden

Experience the serenity and tranquility amidst the silence. The beautiful inner courtyard stands as a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city center. The Dom Kerk church, situated in the most popular square, is a must-visit destination. Climbing to the top and enjoying the panoramic view of the city is a typical tourist activity in Utrecht. However, one of the most enchanting and hidden gems is the courtyard of the church. Originally a medieval monastery garden dating back to the 15th century, it boasts arcades, parterres, a neo-gothic gate, fountain, and sculptures. This serene garden serves as a sincerely tranquil retreat for those seeking solitude; it's a place where many visitors genuinely choose to enjoy their lunch amidst the peaceful ambiance.

A tearoom run by middle-aged ladies attracts customers of a similar age group. While its decor is modest, the captivating view from the large windows overlooking the serene garden is all one needs. It offers a priceless experience for those seeking tranquility, accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea and a slice of cake.

Reading, writing, or just being alone, and enjoying the silence creates a wonderfully peaceful experience.

DISTRICTS OF STOCKHOLM PRESENTING MODERNITY AND TRANQUILITY

2017-09-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

After having the museum visits at the basic level - I hope so -, I tried to visit all the districts of the Stockholm.
Gamla stan, Södermalm, Östermalm, Vasastaden, Kungsholmen, and Normmalm are the central districts of Stockholm.

The old city center was well-known, you can stroll through the historic cobblestone streets and visit the "Stortorget square" -the main center of the Gamla Stan.

Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Streets of Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Narrow streets of Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Stortorget is the best place for the fika time. Fika culture is a cafe culture in Stockholm among young people who loves socializing with friends, taking a break from work to socialize over cups of coffee. There were attractive cafes in the center and I chose Kaffekoppen which is located on the ground floor of one of the iconic buildings. It was a good choice to drink the fresh coffee and watch the people around and feel the atmosphere of the old city.

Stortorget, Gamla stan, Stockholm

Stortorget, Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Södermalm is the creative, relaxed and trendy district of the city. People prefer this district to eat and drink and relax.

Östermalm is a wealthy area in the city. Humlegarden and large streets (Karlavagen street) decorated with green alleys, Östermalms Saluhall, Kungliga biblioteket were the main attraction points of the district. Karlavagen is used for walking, jogging activities as well as daily pedestrian transport. Humlegarden was a tranquil site, so I lied down on grass and listened to the sound of silence. It was a great pleasure to live such a great daily life containing leisure time and activities in daily routines.

Karlavagen, Östermalm, Stockholm

Humlegarden, Stockholm

Kungliga biblioteket was a big and diverse source for citizens. I searched for the old maps and photos of the city and there were a great number of sources for researchers.

Kungliga biblioteket, Stockholm

Vasastaden is mostly the residential area where the Stadsbiblioteket and Vasaparken located in. This park is a perfect place for picnics.

Kungsholmen is a residential island and the base of the iconic building of the Stockholm -City hall. There are beautiful places to go for swimming.

Normmalm is considered to be the central part of Stockholm. Drottinggatan and the area of Sergels Torg offer department stores (Ahlens city), restaurants, cafes. Kungstradgarden which is the most popular and central park is located in this district too. Here is a place for people-watching, concerts and colorful market.

Sergelstorg, Stockholm

There is also small island called Skeppsholmen linked to Normmalm via a nice bridge. Skeppsholmen is the best places to relax and watch the other parts of the city or to picnic in a green area.

Skeppsholmen, Stockholm

After all, the images remained in my mind are the considerable number of bridges, large open and green spaces, the vanilla sky at 21.00 pm, lively evenings, crowded squares, old historic city center and narrow historic streets with cultural buildings. The city brings old and new, historic and modern, natural and man-made features together. You never get bored in the city, because it provides lots of opportunities for different interests.

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is a livable, enjoyable and sustainable city with friendly Stockholmers. They always tried to help you when you're in trouble to find your way or you are in a bad situation. They share their knowledge because they like and value their city and want people to feel the same as they do.

The only thing that I am worried about is to discover the well known Swedish group Abba after I returned back. I know them of course but didn't listen deeply before. They were really natural they make you feel good.

I look forward to visiting Stockholm again :)))

THE BEST ONES OF STOCKHOLM - SKANSEN, MEDIEVAL MUSEUM, NORDISKA MUSEUM, RIKSDAGSHUSET

2017-09-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Stockholm presents a livable daily life to visitors. It is a city that should be visited some favorite attractions if you really want to learn about the culture and differences between Southern and Northern Europe. You are a tourist but not feel like one while visiting the popular touristic places, because local people also use these places for their daily or weekly recreational activities.

Djurgarden, Stockholm

I would like to tell about Skansen, Medieval museum, Nordiska Museum, and Riksdagshuset. These all are impressed me so much. A special one is Skansen in Djurgarden which is an open-air museum and a zoo containing Scandinavian animals in Sweden. It shows the way of life in Sweden before the industrial era. It is possible to watch the folk dances and concerts performing in the summer and you can visit historical buildings and people by characters in period dresses. It exhibits the traditional rural culture by exhibiting furnished houses and farmsteads, cultivated plots and gardens. It was so nice to see the old schools, churches, and houses. Local families come to Skansen for informing their kids about the traditional life and animals.

While visiting the buildings, one of them took my attention -the height of the ceiling-. It was so low for such taller people lived in this country. After I learned the reason it was so understandable. It was really cold in Nordic countries and to spend low heating expenses they had built houses like that. It can be a way of sustainable living in that years before the world was not familiar with the word of sustainability :). So it is one of the must-see places.

Skansen, Stockholm

Typical Swedish house, Skansen

Skansen, Stockholm

Another one is the Nordiska Museum, it is worth to see the daily lives, interior designs such as living rooms, table set-up, dresses in time periods. It takes three to four hours to visit the museum if you want to view in detail.

But the Medieval museum (Medeltidsmuseet) was the bonus one. I confronted with the museum during my researches before I go. It was free and the best one in comparison to the paid museums. People dressed in middle age clothing show the traditional life in that period, their war equipment, kitchen utensils, traditional foods, daily lives at home and outside. It was the best ever.

Medieval Museum, Stockholm

Medieval museum, Stockholm

Medieval Museum, Stockholm

I had a chance for a guided tour to "Riksdagshuset (parliament house)" which has a tour on specific times for a few people. It was a different experience to visit a parliament house and see openness and transparency in Swedish democracy. Anyone can visit the chamber to listen to debates, votes etc. The guide shows the chambers and tells about the works of the Riksdag and what is happening in the Riksdag today and the history of the Riksdag. Another surprising issue was the location of the president's house where is the opposite corner of the Riksdag (in the city center).

Riksdagshuset (parliament house), Stockholm

After the museum visit, lets look at the main districts of Stockholm...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN... The Great Example of Sustainable Way of Living...

2017-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Stockholm, Sweden

I had dreamt about Scandinavia for a long time. I planned, researched, canceled and planned again most of the times. But this time I found a great deal to realize my travel to Sweden. It was always different from the other European countries for me, and yes it was.

Stockholm, Sweden

After reading lots of blogs and travel suggestion to plan my trip, I was a bit stressed to sustain my travel expenses in Stockholm. Because lots of them had mentioned about Sweden as an expensive country. But when it is planned in detail, it is possible to find great opportunities and best deals, so it was not as bad as I expected.

Stockholm is seen from the airplane as a sum of scattered land pieces :)... It was also interesting to see the considerable number of ferries traveling from Stockholm to the other coastal cities such as Tallinn or Helsinki on the Baltic Sea.

I traveled to Stockholm in May and it was the ideal time to taste the city. You live each day as two days. The first part of the day is for your museum visits or visits limited by strict times and the second part of the day starting at 5.00 pm is for strolling, losing yourself in the city streets, relaxing in cafes and restaurants. So it was enough to plan 3 days trip to Stockholm.

As a first impression, I should mention about friendly and helpful Stockholmers, regular city life, beautiful and useful coastlines, open and green spaces refreshing you. Stockholmers take advantage of Stockholm's archipelago and the seaside. Urban design encourages the relationship between people and the sea. There are numerous trips around the collection of islands just an hour or two away from Stockholm.

Stockholm, Sweden

I would like to spend my trip with local people and learn much more things about their local lives in Scandinavia. So I met a friend from the Couchsurfing site. She was really kind, helpful and thoughtful during my stay at her house. When I arrived her house, she welcomed me with a cup of hot tea. We talked about the city and the daily life, not only their opportunities to live in a sustainable city but also difficulties of living in a Nordic city such as severe winter cold and short daylight.

Stockholm, Sweden

I had researched about sustainability issues in my Ph.D. thesis and most of the times I came across Stockholm as one of the best examples. After I visited the city, I must confess that it was literally true. Sustainability was a way of life for Swedes. They use efficient sustainable transport modes such as subways, buses, trams, commuter trains and of course bikes. One does not feel the impress of the car usage. They care about recycling for their domestic wastes as I experienced at first hand. There are lots of recreational sites where people can relax and refresh themselves in their daily routine. Life seems regular, peaceful, safe and people are friendly, well-educated, helpful.

By the way, I would like to share the largest urban project called "Hammarby Sjostad" which is a district has been planned using eco cycle approach and environmentally sensitive construction and living. I had a plan to visit there during my trip, but on the way to Hammarby, I confronted with a very beautiful city park and I spent some time there:) then it was a bit late to visit this district and I missed my chance for this time :(. So I saved this place for my next trip.

After visiting most of the European cities, I overdosed myself with museums and touristy places, so from now on I changed my mind and try to experience local life, feel the real city and observe the people's routines in the cities. I aimed to start my mission in Stockholm and I was content with this situation. But I must confess that it didn't work, there were attractive must-see museums and places which are particular ones and shouldn't be ignored, so I think a few museum visits couldn't be bad.;).

For my detail notes about attractions in Stockholm.

Belgrade, Serbia...The meeting point of Sava and Danube river

2016-08-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

Fortress, islands, rivers and cafe culture...
Nowadays, it is the most popular city for a budget travel in Europe. This big city having an important place in history tries to attract tourists after the wars of the 1990s. One of the attraction points is that the prices for just about everything are quite cheap compared to European standards.

But our discovery started with the interest of Nikola Tesla -the name is given to the airport-. and the reflection of Turkish culture. Ottomans' presence in Belgrade for 300 years had affected social and cultural life. So, It is inevitable to see the traces of the Turkish motifs. After learning the fame of the Belgrade with Nikola Tesla, curiosity of historical and cultural features of the city and of course with the advantage of budget travel options, we planned a visit to Belgrad in November. My first impression about the city was that it was really peaceful although it hadn't passed so long after the wars. I think they have tried to relieve quickly and created a new peaceful life in it.

Kalemegdan Park

Belgrade is the meeting point of Sava and Danube river. The riversides could be experienced by walking, riding bicycle, enjoying in the cafes, or taking the boat tours. We were really lucky, because the weather was so great for a winter day in Balkans. So we had a chance to walk and discovered the city and lifestyle easily.
The pedestrianised street of "Knez Mihailova" which is also a shopping street surrounded by famous brands and "Skadarlija" district were the most lively parts of the city. Knez street was always crowded and the street cafes were full of the people. It connects Republic square and Kalemegdan Park which is the most important historical monument in Belgrade. Most of the people had popcorns on their hands while walking in the Knez street. The most popular snack in the city :))

Knez Mihailova street

Skadarlija

Cafes in Skadarlija district

Skadarlija

The city center is easily reachable from airport by bus. We arrived to the main train station at first and we confronted with a local market:) that I really like to see in a city I visit. From this point, it takes max. 10 min to walk to the center. Belgrade is a walkable city, but if you would like to see the outer side of the center, it could be a bit tiring. In that time you could use public transport -buses, trams- reaching every parts of the city. Especially Saint Sava Cathedral, Ada Ciganlija and Danube riverside are far from the center and you need to climb the hilly streets to reach to the center, so maybe walking could be ok to go to these places but on your way to return you can use the trams as we do...

Local market

Saint Sava Cathedral

Climbing street from the riverside to the Kalemegdan

Tadeusa Koscuska street - towards Danube river

As I mentioned in the beginning, city was really peaceful. We saw lots of young couples having babies and people walking for dog. It gave us calmness. In fact I am afraid of dogs, but after seeing them all the time, I think I overcame my fear.

Church of St. Mark and Tasmajdan

One evening we went to the Kalemagdan Park to stroll around. The citizens were coming, sitting and talking with each others, watching the river from the top. We visited the fortress and passed through the tunnels, bridges and darksides of the park where a few people were around, but I must confess that I didn't feel any fear of crime. It wasn't so light or crowded, but I felt safe. In this respect, it was not as empty or neglected as it was seen in photos or google street views. You can trust me...

President of the Republic of Serbia Building

Streets

We rented an apartment very close to Skadarlija and Republic square and could easily access lots of the places. We spent four days in the city and walked so long, saw lots of places, tried lots of foods, relaxed in the parks, went to the zoo and spent some times with giraffe, goats, kangroos, birds, horses and many more... The sunset time was a bit early, so we had a lot of time to spend in the dark. Thus we sat in lots of cafes and restaurant. It was great to experience the city in this way.

Kangroos in Belgrade zoo

Belgrade zoo

The serbian people like to spend their time in pleasure. They are outside all the time, they drink cafes and teas so much that the culture comes from Ottomans and Turks, so they serve tea with very big teapots and cups in the cafes. But they had a bad smoking habit -cigarettes or nargiles and they smoke in the close areas :( That is a bit different compared to the European cities.

Tea service -with teapot, honey and big cups-

My favorite places in the city was Dorcol district where you can enjoy in lots of cafes, pubs and restaurants. For example "Red Bread" in where we had breakfast every morning and "Jimmy woo" for a nice dinner or drink were located in this part of the city. Grid and calm streets encourage you to walk and nearly all of the cafes were in the tripadvisor's preferred cafes list. This district is also bohemian part of the city. The name of Dorcol comes from Turkish words dört (four) and yol (road). Another district was Vracar district -Sava temple located in-. It was also attractive with secret cafes, open spaces and a bit expensive compared to the other parts.

If you would like to spend your weekend in a relaxing atmosphere and plan for a budget travel, Belgrade can give you all that you want.

For my detailed reviews, you can visit tripadvisor.

Lviv Handmade Chocolate Factory, Coffee Manufacture, Gasova Lampa

2016-07-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

After the fist impression of the city, I would like to mention about some attraction points in Lviv. By the way you can read about my Lviv impression.

LVIV is a city for anyone who wants to experince a new city with a daily pleasure and routine. If you want no walking tours as a tourist or just would like to relax, sit in a cafe, read a book and watch the outside, city gives you this freedom too. This travel was a relaxation for us. We dreamed for a break and just wanted to live the city as a local. No more touristic activity, much more daily routine...

There are lots of places such as cafes, restaurant, theatres, operas, music theatre, local open market and some street activities and different festivals all the year round. Anybody could find an attraction for themselves.

Lviv Chocolate Factory, Coffee Manufacture, Gasova Lampa are the main hot spots attracting mostly tourists as well as local citizens. So these places are always crowded.

"Lviv handmade chocolate" is so famous, in fact the city is known with its chocolate and coffees. Lviv chocolate factory serves handmade chocolates, aromatic coffees and also you can enjoy different chocolates in its five-storied cafe. Every floor has different design concept that is so relaxing. Lace table sheets were so authentic and the atmosphere was cozy and romantic. The interior of the top floor also was furnished with plants and christmas decorations.

"Lviv Coffee Manufacture" defines itself the place where the Lviv coffee is born. It presents not only a coffee, but also a culture. There are some branches in the city, one of them is in the Rynok square and it is the only coffee mining where it is extracting underground of Rynok square and visitors could experience that.

"Gasova Lampa" is a cafe, pub and the most popular concept restaurant in Lviv. It was really interesting cafe where a guide welcomes you at the entrance with a lit lantern. This cafe-pub is dedicated to the invention of the kerosene lamp by two pharmacists in Lviv. Their statues are near the entrance where the people take photos with one of these famous men while accompanying him on his table. One of them was me of course:)

I must confess that everything that I tasted in city such as sweets, pizzas, steaks, soups, burgers, pastas, omlettes, especially cakes were really excellent. And you get your money's worth.

In the cold winter days, it was a bit difficult to walk so long. We went out after a hot drink and walked about half an hour or one hour and again we sat down for a hot coffee and tea... That goes like that, so I had lots of chances to experience more cafes' atmospheres. One of them was the "Vintage hotel" where we had a great pleasure. The restaurant of the hotel was very well-decorated and it was so elegant. We sat there after the cold weather for a cup of tea. The waitress welcomed us with a favor. They offered us wine and sweets. That was a great pleasure, warm welcoming by these nice people in this cold country.

Last things that I should mention about was "Beer Theatre" where the Pravda-Orchestra was making "live music" every evening. They were excellent, songs were chosen well-known artists, old and new. For example they took our attention with Michael Jackson's "Smooth criminal" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"...

Lviv!.. We are very pleased to be in this wonderful city and be able to feel the spirit of the city. I hope we will come back again...

Lyvov, Lviv... was Like a Box of Chocolates!.. A Bite of Happiness

2016-07-09T09:47:00.001-07:00

Opera house, Lviv

It is a small, compact, historical, livable, calm and pedestrian-friendly city. It was a question mark for me to go to Lviv because of the security matters occuring in the eastern part of the Ukraine. I hesitated for such a travel plan. I made a reservation and cancelled, and made it again and cancelled, so forth. I bought tickets after waiting until the last week :)

Everyone travels mostly to Kiev or Odessa which are the best known cities in Ukraine. I haven't seen these cities but I looked for another choice; anywhere that a few people experienced, so I found Lviv.

I read lots of comments, blogs writings and it seemed really different to me. It is more european -very close to Poland boundary-, more historical and had a considerable amount of universty population. There is an european effects on their daily life and culture.

Lviv had been part of numerous states and empires including Poland, Austiran and later Austro-Hungarian Empires, Soviet Union. While being a part of different countries, Lviv borrowed some parts of culture and knowledge from invaders. Lviv has been recognized as the cultural capital of Ukraine 2009. The city is known as a center of art, literature, music and theatre. Lviv was also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List with its urban fabric and architecture. These features attracted me...

Svobody Avenue, Lviv

We reached to the city center by local transport -minibus- departing in front of the airport. When I first arrived to the center and came to the front side of the Opera House, I just felt as a google man :) What a hilarious scene... While making my travel plans, mostly I stroll around streets, places and some attraction points on the google maps via street view option accompanied by google man. And now this scene came in to real. You are just a small small person in a small small city...Really fabolous.

Rynok square has been the centre of cultural and commercial life of the city for years and it is the central square of Lviv. Rynok square also was recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site and is surrounded by conserved historical buildings dating back to 17th and 18th centuries. Some of them are the most beautiful examples of the Renaissance and Gothic architecture. The main attraction points are located around the square, so it is attractive, lively and crowded all day long.

Rynok square, Lviv

Historical buildings, streets, parks were all balanced with each other. None of them was precluded the others in the city.

While walking in the main streets of the city, I confronted with the sculptures of famous polish poet Adam Mickiewicz lived for a while and died in Galata, Istanbul. It is located in the Mickiewicz square.

Statue of Adam Mickiewicz

Streets of Lviv, Ukraine

Historical buildings of Lviv

Streets and buildings of Lviv, Ukraine

It was Christmas time when I went to Lviv and I had a chance to see the christmas market in that time. The little wooden huts were arriving recently in the Rynok square and the Opera house square, so the city was sparkling at night during our trip.

Svobody Avenue, Christmas market, Lviv

Christmas Market in Rynok square, Lviv

Lviv also is known with its chocolate and coffees. I think it wouldn't be wrong to say that the city itself is like a bit of chocolate that you taste sweet at first, it gives you happiness from the first bite and makes you feel better. And you remember that it makes you happy when you eat again. Lviv is completely like that. It gives you pleasure and you are addicted to it and want to come back and see again to live this pleasure.

Lets look at the attractions in detail.

Don't stop me now, I'm having such a fairy tale in Neuschwanstein, Bavaria

2012-01-16T01:46:00.000-08:00

Neuschwanstein from Marien brücke

I was really in a fairy-tale in Fussen. I don't know how can I tell what I felt in this place but it was very very mystical place I've ever seen. In my visit to Germany, my friends told me that I should go and see Schwangau. Lots of time we made plan to go there, but something went wrong. And I decided to make a visit on my own in my last day of 20 days Germany trip. What a shame :))

Schwangau

When I arrived to Fussen, I felt that I was really lucky to be in that place. Indeed the landscape of Alps was perfect in its own but Schloss Neuschwanstein adds an extra beauty to this region. Ludwing II created a fairy-tale in the Alps, in a magnificent landscape.

It was built in medieval style in the 19th century. King Ludwig wanted to create his own alternative world. He could live like a king of the Middle Ages. This was the idea behind the castle and he created his fantasy world. But Ludwig slept only 11 nights in castle. When the guide told us the story while visiting his bedroom, I felt sorry for him.

You need to take a bus from Fussen train station to reach the area where the castle is located. Bus stop is behind the station and if you bought a bayern ticket, which gives you unlimited travel by train in Bayern, you don't need to pay for bus. It takes 5-10 mins from station.

In Hohenschwangau, at first you should go to ticket center to learn the tour times and take a ticket fitting your programme. Sometimes, it can be 2 hours between two tours in English. And please keep in mind that you need minimum 20 min to reach the castle place.

Castle is located on top of the hill and you should climb to reach it. 3 options: walking, taking bus and horse-carriage. Horse carriage has no schedule, they run independently according to demand of the visitors. If you take the bus, you need to walk when you get-off. The point is that you are responsible for your schedule, because if you miss the tour and you aren't there on time, no refund :((... If you have a good health condition, I advise you to walk.

The route was acceptable for walking. Furthermore I saw a group of 60-70 year-old people walking down in this route. Maybe it can be an encouraging example for you :)... It took 15-20 min. and I had enough time for my tour, approx. 1 hour:)) . There are souvenir shops and cafe-restaurants along your route also.

Walking route to Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein

When I reached the courtyard of castle, it was time to discover surrounding, because I had enough time for my tour. I surrounded back side of castle and saw a viewpoint where lots of tourists were taking photos. It was an incredible landscape. At the background, The Alps, Alpsee and a great topography were waiting for you.
At first I watched the panoroma quite a while and took lots of photos. I had great photos but it seemed as if I had not satisfactory photos showing this magnificent view. So I took photos again and again :)))... I must confess that the photos with me were not as attractive as the photos of only panorama. I think no need to say more.

Alpsee

Second view point is Marien brücke located above the castle. From this point, Schloss Neuschwanstein seems a part of great idyllic world and as a Disneyesque image.

Marien brücke from castle

Inside of the castle there was different atmosphere, but I won't tell that. I wish you visit and feel the same as all of us visited and left with great feelings from this place. At the moment while I'm writing about there, I am still excited.:)))

Prien am Chiemsee, Bayern, Germany

2011-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had many opportunities to see lots of destinations and make day trips during my travel in Germany this year. One of them was Chiemsee. I had planned to go to "Innsbruck" for a day trip from Munich , therefore I got up early in the morning to catch the train. But the plan didn’t work out :(( When I reached to the DB train station, I tried to buy a Bayern ticket to travel cheaper in Bavaria region... I wanted to be sure the ticket was available for Innsbruck, so I asked to the staff in the ticket office... They told me that Bayern ticket didn’t contain the city of Innsbruck :((.

At that time, I started to think about the other choices...
But the hours worked against me. ..
A train to Ulm departed, then the other one to Fussen and so on...

I needed to decide a place to go. Finally, I chose the closer one and took the train to Prien am Chiemsee. The train going to Chiemsee is the same direction to Salzburg, by the way, I had seen the station when I went to Salzburg.

Prien am Chiemsee train station

After an hour long trip, I reached the small and nice town of Chiemsee. Town was really beautiful in its own right. The first thing affected me so much was buildings. Lots of buildings were two stories and there were decorative paintings on the facades of them and they make the total view really fabulous.

Prien am Chiemsee town center

Prien am Chiemsee Heimat Museum

When you get off the train, you are in the town center and you need to walk or take a train to reach the Chimsee. I preferred to stroll around a little and wanted to see the streets, squares and buildings. There were some street cafes, restaurants in the center, but there were not so many people around. Nonetheless, it was really nice and attractive.

Prien am Chiemsee

After I took a map of the town from tourist information, I decided to walk through Seestraße to reach to the See and port. You have a chance to take the nostalgic train to the destination, but I think it was a good idea to walk and see the surroundings. It wasn’t too long and I walked approximately 20 minutes. Here is a seaside place and there are houses with gardens on the both side of the route. There are also some small restaurants, cafes, shops along the street, so it is an attractive route to walk.

Seestraße

Houses in the Seestraße

Chiemsee Bahn nostalgic train

When I started to see lots of hotels, I noticed that I came to the waterside. The view and paysage were outstanding. I took lots of photos, but when I looked at the photos, I didn’t feel as I felt in real. It is really different to see and feel the atmosphere on site.

The Alps and Chiemsee lake

There are two important islands in Chiemsee. One of them is Herrenchiemsee and the other one is Frauenchiemsee. I chose Herrenchimsee which is the bigger one to visit... In fact, I hadn’t enough time to stroll two of them:)).

Let's look at to the Herrenchiemsee...

Herrenchiemsee Palace - Versailles garden in the German island

2011-08-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

Herrenchiemsee Palace

It was a sunny day and taking a boat trip was so good. I reached to the island after 15 min. long trip. I had no idea about places that I would see in the island. When you arrive there, first you see the tourist information and ticket office. You need to buy a ticket to visit the palace located in the island, but I didn’t prefer to visit inside of it and I started to walk to the place where the palace located. You confront with some signs reminding to buy the ticket, before you reach the palace. Because you can't buy it in the palace or another place and you need to walk 15-20 minutes to reach palace from ticket office. If you decide to visit the palace, you need to turn back or you can't visit. Therefore I hesitated a little, but then I went on...

Herrenchiemsee port

Horse carriage in the island

The island is covered lots of trees, green and wild spaces. I was walking through the jungle and I didn't know what I would see at the end of the route... There were horse carriages as an option but I walked as always. When I arrived to the palace, I was shocked. Because I hadn’t read about the palace and garden before.

The route to the Herrenchiemsee

Herrenchiemsee Palace park was a model of the gardens of the Versailles Palace. King Ludwig II of Bavaria had purchased the Chiemsee island and a plan was made for this park. There were symmetrical planted parts and fountains and the main axis from the palace was reaching to the see. This included the "parterre d'eau" towards the west, consisting of two large basins with the surmounted statues of Fama and Fortuna expressly requested by Ludwig II to highlight the mythological effect, the flower parterre with the Latona fountain and the "Grand Canal", in front of whose mirror surface an Apollo fountain was to rise up.

Herrenchiemsee Palace

Herrenchiemsee Palace - Grand canal

Latona fountain in Herrenchiemsee

This garden was really a surprise for me. I came here to see one of the famous and big lakes –Chimsee- for its natural beauty. Then I learned that there was an island and all of the tourists visited there, so I took a boat trip to see it. And I found a great model of the gardens of Versailles palace. It was a good present for a landscape architect to find a planned garden in an island spontaneously. Maybe a professional instinct attracted me to Prien am Chimsee:))

WATERLOO, Belgium: Historical landscape of battle changed the European history

2010-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Waterloo is an important place in European history, because this place is remembered with Napoleon's defeat.

On the way of Brussels from Mons, we had seen lots of route signs written "Waterloo". And then we decided to change our way to Waterloo to see this interesting place. Waterloo is a very small city in Belgian province of Walloon-Brabant. When we reached there, we only saw a few buildings including cafes, restaurants, museum and bars and large open and green spaces, and I thought that there is no living population in here. That was right, because the residential part of the city was far from this area. This part of the city is special for tourists to see only battlefield. The monuments of the Waterloo- "Battu du Lion" located on the top of hill can be seen from road and of course you follow this landmark to reach that point.

Waterloo is the place where the "Battle of Waterloo" between French under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte and Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Brücher from Prussia took place. Although the fighting mostly took place in Braine-l'Alleud and the surrounding areas, history commemorates it under the name of "Battle of Waterloo" with its monument - the "Butte du Lion" (The Lion's Mound). The battle of Waterloo is one of the biggest battles in European history because of the consequences.

Waterloo battlefield has been preserved almost it was in 1815 and it is a good example of the historical landscape of Waterloo. The Wellington museum (headquarters of Duke Wellington) presents now a panorama, fresco of battle. There was also a big historical re-enactment of the battle but it wasn't available on the date we had been there, but I wished I had seen it. Because in this event, thousands of re-enactors coming from all over the world gather for a magnificent reenactment of the events of 1815. Generally, the show takes place on the date of the battle which is 18th June. So maybe it is more meaningful to visit this historical landscape on these dates to live this atmosphere.

We went to Waterloo by car and saw lots of tourists coming with a group tour. So I had no idea about reaching this area by public transportation. But I think if you chose to come to Walloon region of Belgium, you had a few chance to take public transportation. It is better to rent a car for your stay, but the north parts of the Belgium are really accessible by public trains and by foot in the center of the cities. As a result of car transportation, you focus on only museum place and visit this place and leave from there very quickly. So I hadn't any chance to see residential part of the city. But architectural styles and streets in the museum place were really traditional and give you the inspiration of this historical atmosphere.

There is also a sculpture of Napoleon in memory of his defeat in here :)

www.waterloo1815.be

MEDIEVAL BRUGES - A fairy tale town

2010-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

I hadn't spent so much time in Bruges, but Bruges was one of the most attractive and mystic city I've ever seen. Firstly, it is accessible for pedestrians and its narrow streets, canals, local architecture, green spaces, squares and cute cafes make this city most attractive for visitors. Secondly, it serves people from all age groups with its varied public space alternatives. It is in the UNESCO World Heritage list and when you reach the boundary of the historic city conservation zone, city welcomes you with its medieval gate. I think such kind of boundary makes strong impression on people to perceive the importance of the historical part of the city.

BRUGES STREETS

I visited the city while I was making a research about pedestrian friendly cities. So city transportation infrastructure and urban design took my attention at first. Although most historical cities are under the motorized traffic pressure, only some of them create qualified solutions to compete with this problem. Toledo and Bruges, which are the places I had been, are only two of these successful models.

Bruges' narrow streets

When I started to stroll around in Bruges, I saw cars, bicycles and pedestrians together in the medieval streets, but I didn’t feel the negative pressures of cars in the city. Motorized traffic wasn’t as effective as pedestrian transportation, so streets are full of pedestrians. Pedestrian transport was the most preferable transportation mode and urban design supports such kind of transportation mode in the city.

TYPICAL HOUSES WITH TRIANGULAR ROOF
In the most of historical cities, such as Istanbul for example, it is too difficult not only protect city’s historical character but also save traditional building style in urban development process. And I saw in Bruges that it is not impossible. The importance given to its urban design to sustain its character was really successful.

Historical buildings

Traditional surface materials

Triangular roofs

CANALS
Absolutely the spidery canals of the Bruges should be mentioned. The main identity the city gained is coming from its canals.

Bruges canals

The viewpoint from the canal boat or from the streets reflect different, but satisfying impression. With surrounding historical buildings and green spaces, it gives you an experience of fairy tale town :) Although I felt discomforting while passing under the low bridge, the view was still valuable.

Canals

Boat tour

Canals

According to me, sustained street character (narrow and cobblestone streets), typical old houses (low storey buildings, brick houses) and their adopted usage form to new life styles are the reality of the successful story of this city. The triangular roof and stair-cased sides are typical features of Bruges houses and those houses may not be renovated without permission of the mayor. These typical houses aligned side by side in the streets are seen as a model and they are very cute. Your recreational activities and shopping spree take place in traditional and restored old houses and it is amazing for anyone to use these houses.

LA LOUVIERE: Ascenseurs Hydrauliques du Canal du Centre Historique Hainaut

2010-01-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

“Historic canal of the centre” should be the most interesting and amazing landscape feature I had seen in Belgium. It was really amazing. The day we went there, we had planned to go to Bruges, but after long trips in Belgium we couldn’t get up early and we decided to spend the day in sites close to Mons. I should mention that the people(one of my mother’s close friends and her family) hosting me in their home were really nice people and wanted to show me lots of places according to my interest as much as they can do during my short trip. And that day we started the day a little bit late and I had an idea about riding bicycle. Then they brought me to that nice place near the canal. It was very green and calm and there were long trails to ride bicycle in a very peaceful and fascinating landscape.

At first I couldn’t get it, when they tried to tell me about the lifts for ships. What kinds of lifts? Why is it necessary? Because, I hadn’t seen above parts of the canal. But it was my lucky day and I had a chance to see the action of a boat. It was really interesting and this was a good example of industrial heritage. Then I learned that the "Historic Canal du Centre" and its old-century lifts were classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

There are four lifts in different elevation. Each of those lifts, the only ones in the world still in use, is able to compensate for a change in level of about 17 meters thanks to a single source of energy: water !

While we were cycling on the trails continuing along the canal, I could see those four elevators. And it was really interesting to see this cultural heritage which you feel the difference of levels. You ride on sloping trails and on above level you see the standing water again. The landscape and seeing this level was great.

The oldest construction on the site, hydraulic lift no. 1, welcomes you to a fun exhibition, "engineer Clarck's remarkable machine", where you will discover the history of the lifts and how they work through original documents from the era (maps, plans, etc.) as well as modern, interactive media.

There are a whole range of possibilities available allowing you to discover all the treasures of this exceptional days for infant and primary classes, and of course the cruises that include the chance to take a ride with this timeless structures. Yes, I must confess that cycling was a good opportunity to discover the site while doing our daily sport:)...

“Divo-Nanto” – Sacred Valley, DINANT, NAMUR

2009-12-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Here was a really "Sacred Valley"

When we departed from autobahn to the local roads of Dinant, I hadn’t guessed to face with such a beautiful city. City was located in lower side of the area and we were driving to downward. When you enter the city, lots of old and traditional houses welcome you and city seems such a ghost town. I think it is related with the small population of the city. The upper parts of the city were not crowded so much and when you go down to the city center, you can see most of people strolling around.

When I saw the river, I was a little bit surprised because I hadn’t expected to see a water channel. You feel that you are in a small city with only some houses and shops located on both sides of narrow streets. City gives you that feeling while you walk in narrow and old streets. But these streets lead you to the large open area and“sacred river” at the end of them. Being surprised is a result of this unexpected atmosphere. When you reach to the “Sacred river", you really feel that you are in a different world. Streets lying near the river were full of cafes and restaurants . There were lots of people eating there.

I was looking at the river and cross side of it and after I decided to take a photo, I turned my back to the river and I saw the huge rock and a castle at the top of it and Notre-Dame cathedral in front of the huge rock. It was the famous citadel. I hadn’t heard about the city and citadel before I visited here, so discovering such a great area excited me so much. We decided to climb the citadel, but there were 408 steps and we thought that it can tire us out. And we took the elevator to climb the citadel. The view from the elevator was also great. After we climbed, we watched the perfect landscape of the city, its old and traditional buildings, streets, river and green areas.

View from fortress

The city’s name comes from the Celtic word “Divo-Nanto”, meaning “Sacred Valley”. The name of Dinant was first recorded about 800 BC. But in this period the citadel hadn’t came into being. The first fortress was built toward 1040 and the first bridge round about 1080. The town was destroyed most of times, but it has survived until the present day. The town was occupied by Louis XIV from 1675 to 1698, when the castle was given a major facelift under the supervision of the French military engineer “Vauban”. From 1818 to 1821, the castle was once again destroyed and then rebuilt by the Dutch to produce the Citadel we know today.

In the castle there is a central courtyard where you can see cannonballs and a cafe. We hadn’t more time to visit the castle but if we hadn’t done it, we couldn’t learn about more places to see. In the corridors of the time,there were three rooms recalling milestones in the history of the Dinant Citadel. There were dungeons where you can visit the prisoners’cell, the guardroom and the torture room.

The guard room

Torture room

After visiting that part, we went to the splendid view point. This strategic position, 100 m above the Meuse river, is the fortress look-out point. The view of the city was great.

Meuse river

Then we continued to the tour in castle and we saw some places where you can see three scenes from life as it used to be in 1820s – a forge, kitchens and a bakery from 1820s-.

Castle

Castle kitchen

Castle bakery

The most interesting part of the castle was collapsed shelter cave. You lose your balance and try to stay on course. We had a dizziness while we were passing from this part. It was so interesting. After this nice tour in citadel, we discovered the city. You feel like you are in a mystic place and streets and houses give you that feelings. There were lots of people on streets and you really feel that you are in a sacred town far far away.

Travel back in time and explore the fortress.

Address: 9 kms from the E411 Brussel-Luxembourg motorway - Exit No 20

Virtual visits to World Heritage Sites

2009-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Cultural and natural sites listed in World Heritage will be accessible to people around the world in internet now. I read about this new alliance today. Unesco and Google make an alliance to provide virtual visits to these sites. Internet users can visit 19 sites via "Google Street View" interface. All the other sites on the list will be shown on the "Google Earth" and "Google Maps" interfaces. Street view provides panoramic views taken by cameras, so these views can increase awareness about these sites.

This project starts with a short list including Old town of Caceres, Historic city of Toledo, Banks of Seine, Archeological Areas of pompei, Historic centre of Siena, Historic centre of San Gimignano, Historic centre of Prague and some others located in Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, United Kingdom. The focus is on harder-to-access sites. They can be appreciated by millions of people who might never have the opportunity to visit them. These sites are located in South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Netherlands.

This project can be useful for people who have not any opportunity to visit some sites. For example, Brazil, Canada or Australia are inaccessible for me, so I can have a chance to visit sites located in these countries via this project. But I think, if someone has a change and opportunity to visit and see these sites in real world, it is better. Because it is meaningful, when you go and live real life in these sites and experience the natural and cultural heritage.

I searched lots of Unesco sites in internet before, to make a research about my study, you can learn lots of things about these sites but you can not interiorise the importance or unique character of these sites. I understood that when I made a visit to some of these sites (Toledo, Brugge, etc.). It was different than I read. Every source was telling about mediaval character and old narrow streets of Toledo. I learned about it from documents, but I thought that there is a place like a museum conserved by Unesco. When I went there and while I was strolling and walking in the city, I felt these mediaval city. I lived and experienced the city and it gives you the unique character of them. This is my opinion, but as I said before this project provides an alternative on the other hand.

GHENT, BELGIUM - City on the river mouth with its lights

2009-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ghent is a historical city with its art, culture and events. The city's name means 'river mouth' or confluence. Until the 13th century Ghent was the biggest city in Europe after Paris; it was bigger than London, Cologne or Moscow. During my short trip to Ghent, I stayed in one of my friends’ place and I had a chance to learn about city, its historical and cultural features, transportation policies and life styles from her. As my friend told me, beside its historical character, Ghent presents a contemporary city view. Ghent has managed to preserve its mediaval power, while keeping up with time. It is a university city and presence of young people and students has turned Ghent into an important cultural centre. Ghent established a nice blend between comfort of living and history – it is not a museum city. It is an alive city.

When I was there,there were lots of restoration and construction works to make the city and cultural life better. Honestly, I must confess that I felt like I was in Istanbul. These initiatives and vitality made me feel like that. Large public squares, ancient buildings, churches, towers and other historical buildings were remarkable nodes in the city.

Especially true mediaval castle in the middle of the city impressed me so much. While we were walking in the city, it appeared in front of us and it was amazing in the evening with its lights. I visited the city at night and it was more desirable for me to feel the real life when tourists left and inhabitants stayed. City was also great with its lights and rivers in the evening.

When you walk in each street, you feel different ambience because every street of the city reflects different character of it. Some streets are narrow which give you a feeling like you are in a historical city, while others are wide and present a modern city view. Second interesting point was the old fish market at St. Veerleplein. There was a restoration works in there to make a new fish market having a walking area with view on to the rivers and hosting an event hall. I think it will be a nice attraction point with its original charm and character.

In Ghent, people try to use bicycles and public transportation for their daily lifes. There are good infrastructure opportunities such as underpasses under bridge to provide continuous cycling routes and the city has an extensive public transport network serving the city centre and surrounding area. These were results of good transportation policies. Ghent can be easily reached by car and national trains from other cities in Belgium.

At the same time,these transport opportunities by car leads to excessive private vehicle usage in the city. In order to counter the traffic problems, a number of plans had been established. With the bicyle plan (1993), cycling infrastucture and bicycle culture were created. A lot of infrastructure was, and is still, constructed along city roads or along the abundant waterways in the city (including some underpasses under bridges). With the mobility plans for the inner city (1997), it was injected a new dynamism into the historical centre of Ghent. Creating large pedestrian area, traffic flow measures, constraints for car usage in city center, traffic calming, and re-designing the streets and squares to make the city more attractive to citizens and visitors were important decisions of that plan. Ghent has one of the largest car-free area in Europe now.

I couldn’t spend more time to discover the city but, I felt its unique character and I look forward to be there again in a short period.

"Ghent is not just a city like any other which will charm you for a moment then let you go without a further thought. No. Like a beautiful woman who is very much aware of her charms, Ghent will seduce you with its passion and fire. You’ll be distraught to leave it and consumed with longing."
Le Guide du Routard

SHAPE: A Discovery In NATO Military Services...

2009-11-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

These summer, I and my fiance had thought about his military service very much. We tried to guess some interesting places about the place where he would go. The most interesting place that came into our minds was Belgium. Because one of NATO's two strategic commands was there and people from all Nato countries go this military base for their military services. If you live in a foreign country and know about foreign language you can have a chance for doing your service in this base. But it was seen impossible for us, because it is an option for immigrants only. Anyway we had only thought...

After he went for his military service, I planned for a travel to abroad. And I communicated with one of my mother's friend living in Belgium and decided to go and visit them. They live in Mons and when I looked at the city in Google Earth, I saw the SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) near Mons. I was surprised. In the airplane, I met someone and when I told him the place that I will stay -Mons-, he asked me whether they are related with military. Because Mons is remembered with its military base. I hadn’t known about it.

One of the first places that I wanted to go and see was SHAPE of course, when I reached there. Luckily we found a friend in there and the day was came. I wanted to go there insistently, but they didn’t understand why I wanted to go there so much. It was my secret ;) ... It would be really interesting for me. I was in the city that we talked about my fiance’s military service, so I couldn’t miss that opportunity. He was in another place but I were in SHAPE. That’s it! It was really interesting and when I told him about this, I think he will be surprised.

It was a rainy day when we visited the SHAPE. We met with a friend from Turkey and her husband was a soldier there. She showed us the place. Lots of people was talking about the free shop because of its cheapest price, but it wasn’t. And there were Carrefour shopping center, flower shop, shop selling electronic devices, sport center and apartments. I saw lots of soldiers from different countries, but especially I saw many soldiers from Sweden. There were kids cycling, women shopping and teenagers jogging. There were also good opportunities such as sport center, language courses, etc. for families living there. The place wasn’t so good for a tourist but being there was enough for me.

Is there anyone having a SHAPE pass card taken during her travel?;))... I was lucky, because I went Mons and my friends had an acquaintance from SHAPE.

Now the scope of my visit to there took place. Think about it!!! My fiance doesn’t know the city that I stayed during my Belgium travel and of course the city where SHAPE located in. And I showed him my SHAPE pass card while he was making his military service. What can he think about it? There is a card in his hand and writing SHAPE pass card and my photo on it...

It was worth seeing the astonishment on his face.

Mons, Belgium - Where my belgian story starts

2009-11-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Mons was the city where my travel started and I stayed during my trip to Belgium.

When I first arrived to Mons, I felt a little bit confused. Because there were a few people around and I couldn’t see people strolling in the street. In addition to that, the house that I stayed was far away from the city center and there were no public transportation there. So, first day of my travel, I asked to myself “what will I do here, how will I reach to destinations?”... I was lucky because the family I stayed with was really helpful to me. They provide lots of opportunities for me to reach the other cities and destinations, but I need to tell that if you plan or want to go there, try to stay a place in city center or near the train station.

Mons

Mons is a car-dependant city and we reached the city center in 5 minutes by car. Maybe you can think about walking but it is impossible. There are only motorways and if you are far away from the center it is not meaningful. In fact in the street where my house located in you can not see any people too. People come home and go to work by car and they don’t use the streets. They have not a public life in the site that they live.

Mons - Housing properties

One evening we went out and walked to the my host’s daughter's house and we hadn’t came across anybody. It was really interesting for me who live in a crowded metropolitan city.

Anyway, if we talk about the real city, we should mention about the city center and the lives in it. Mons is a green city. There are lots of trees in the streets and the houses have their own gardens and there are also some big parks. The city center is really different from the other sides of the city.

Mons city center

Cobblestone streets

There were some traditional narrow streets covered by cobblestones and a big city plaza and this side was really alive. But when you go down to the border of the center you face with different features. You can see that the city hadn’t extended from the city center.

There is a motorway surronding the center. It seems like the new houses had been scattered in different areas far from the center. There is no connection between center and peripherial sites.

After I saw the place that I stayed, I hadn’t expected to see such a beautiful center. The “grande place” was big and full of historic buildings. There were a big public space in the center. People were sitting in the street cafes and there was a flower bazaar in the center.

Mons town hall was the most attractive building in the city center. On its facade, the monkey of the Great Guard remains a mystery to this day. This animal is now a symbol of the town. If you stroke its head with the left hand, you will find happiness for at least a year.

Mons town hall

There are also some water features designed for people's attractions. Here was attractive center for inhabitants and tourists. There are also some pedestrian streets without cars and these streets are used by inhabitants for their daily activities such as shopping, strolling, travels between home and work or school.

Grande place - water features

You can easily get involved into the real life that continues in the town. Because when you see some people after seeing empty streets, you start to live with them easily and automatically. I think the time that I went there made me feel like that. Because there were no tourists and I saw the real life sustaining in there in that period.

Different transportation choices in Flemish and Walloon regions in Belgium

2009-09-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was in Belgium to make a research about historical cities and sustainable transportation in them two weeks ago. I had a chance to stay both in Flemish and Wallon regions of the country. There was a big difference between these two regions in terms of life styles and city characters. I would like to make a contribution to these differences according to their transportation choices.

Brugge

In Flemish cities (Ghent, Brugge, Antwerp, etc), people mostly prefer to use sustainable transportation modes such as bicycles, public transport and walking and transport infrastructures support sustainable transportation modes, by creating bicycle routes and parks, etc..

Mons

But in most of the Walloon cities (Mons, Charleroi, Tournai, etc.) people use cars for their daily transports and you can't see any bicycle routes, streetscape and supporting infrastructure for pedestrians.

These different transportation preferences create different life styles and city structures. People are more healthy and active in Flemish region and Flemish cities are really very compact, animated and mostly crowded cities. These cities also supports sustainable transportation modes to protect their historical and cultural characters.

Brugge

Especially in Brugge, narrow streets providing walking and cycling and pavements supporting these transportation modes are remarkable points in the city. In addition to non-motorized transportation modes, city offers good public transportation opportunities for people. In Ghent, there is a same approach and city supports car-free events and develops good transportation policies. These Flemish cities are in some initiatives to support sustainable transportation for their future plans .

Brugge

Mons

On the other hand, Walloon cities are mostly car dependant cities. Most of people use cars for their short and long distance travels. And city centers are full of car parkings. Although some of them (such as Mons) have lots of historical and cultural heritage, people can not feel this character of the city.They use bicycles for only their leisure activities not for their daily transports. For this reason, you can not see people in the streets so much. They come to the city centers by their car and make shopping or eating or whatever they need for their daily life and spend less time with other people.

Mons

You really feel the differences between in these two region of the country in this context. Flemish region are more alive than the Walloon region and it was a good chance to compare those cities from that point.

ECOTOURISM IN SAPANCA...

2009-08-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sapanca is getting one of the most important “ecotourism” areas in Marmara region in Turkey day by day. You can reach Sapanca from Istanbul in less than 2 hours. Sapanca provides opportunities for “green tourism”, “nature tourism”, “adventure tourism” and “cultural tourism” . This nature based region aims to use local resources and traditional architecture. Samanli mountains and Sapanca lake are two important natural richness in region. Mountains are covered by rich forests and the other parts of the region are full of the fruit gardens. Here is one of the greenest region of country and there are a wide variety of trees on mountains.

The most important economical activity is agriculture based on orcharding. Lots of small facilities are managed by local families and they tries to improve these traditional economical activities . And the growing potential of “ecotourism” make the region more attractive for local residents. It makes this region to be sustain their natural character and give opportunities for socio-economic developments of the population.
Sapanca with its natural resources presents a good “ecotourism” example. “Trout farming” is a growing economical activity and there are lots of facilities established near brooks and they are managed by local population. Especially if you have a passion to climb the mountains to see the full landscape of Sapanca (I think you should have:)), you can come across with most of them welcoming you in your way of climbing. I can honestly tell you that the highest point of the mountains was one of the most exciting areas.

Firstly the clean air and the wide variety of the trees make you feel that you are in the natural area not in a designed or superficial one. The landscape of the region can only be seen in the top of the “Kartepe”. This mountain also serves for winter sports and in recent years this area appeals most of tourist because of this potential in winter. I need to tell that Sapanca is a really natural recreational area which serves to most of recreational activities for all age groups.
There are also some alternative tourism options such as baloon flights, microlight, trekking, rafting, horse-riding and paragliding. Sapanca is a paradise for people who want to relax and be with nature. It serves most of opportunities for full of a day. We haven’t a chance to experience the microlight flights because of bad weather conditions but it seems attractive and anyone should make it.
I think these “ecotourism” area will be one of the best areas in these conditions in country, because there are lots of opportunities for developments and conservation as well.

Car-free Island, BUYUKADA - lSTANBUL

2009-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Istanbul is one of the rapidly growing city in the world. It tries not only protect its cultural character came from the Byzantine Period and continued with Ottoman Period and Turkish Republic but also adopt the developing world’s necessities. Cars and motorized vehicles are some of these necessities. It was interesting to see carfree places in such a metropolitan area. I think, it is related with the natural character of this area that I talk about. Because this car-free place is an island.

The Princess Islands are a combination of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. The name of the islands comes from the Byzantine period, when royal princes and empresses were exiled there. With the introduction of steamboats during the late Ottoman period around the 19th century, these islands became popular resorts for the rich people who built their wooden houses. Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities were a large part of the inhabitants here. Today, the islands are popular tourist destinations for daily excursions especially in the summer time. There are many monasteries and historic buildings on the islands, besides 19th century Victorian style old wooden mansions.

Buyukada is the biggest and most famous one of these nine islands. Its historical buildings, street character and life styles appeal to people having different interests about island. Architects, engineers, planners, sociologists, etc. might concern different issues in that place. According to me, its car-free character is the most important and wonderful one.
Motorists are not permitted on the islands except the ones belonging to the local municipality for public works, therefore you have to walk or rent a bicycle or horse-drawn carriage (fayton in Turkish). Istanbul hasn’t a flat topography and as a result of this feature, many planners and transport experts have argued that cycling isn’t suitable for Istanbul’s topography. In addition to this, Istanbul hasn’t had a bicycle culture from past to present.

But after my short trip to Buyukada, I changed my mind. I was in there today. And these summer days are the most crowded time of the island. I and my partner had rented a bike when we came in spring but we had decided to walk in this time to discover the different areas. After crowded, polluted parts of the Istanbul, in Buyukada we felt that we were in another city . Buyukada is an exceptional example of bicycle culture. And it is also a good example to support the sustainable transport in Istanbul. It hasn’t a flat topography too, but its strict transportation policy on not allowing the motorized car in the area had caused to be created a new transportation mode. Today, most of the residents of the Buyukada have their own bicycles and cycling has became the main transportation mode used by inhabitants of it. Second transportation option is the horse-drawn carriage which has a cultural background coming from Ottomans. This transportation mode is mostly prefered by old people and tourists. You can ride bike comfortably in assigned roads for bicycles. And as i mentioned before, topography isn’t flat but cycling had became mostly preferred mode of transportation. It is useful and suitable. Especially in summer times, horse-drawn carriage become dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, because they are highly used by tourists.

As a result of the sustainable mode of transportation and green, the air quality is better than the Istanbul centre. Forests, private gardens and squares are the open and green spaces in Buyukada. These green spaces help to control microclimate conditions. Tree-lined roads provide shelter for pedestrians and continued walking routes. So we walked easily by following these connected greenways.

It was a good experience to see such a good sustainable transport application in Istanbul. This transportation mode isn’t against to protect the cultural heritage and adopt the necessities in developing world.

TOLEDO, Castilla la Mancha : Medieval city in 21st century

2009-02-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Toledo, Madrid

City walls, plazas, narrow streets and religious structures of Christian, Muslims, and Jews. All of these structures describe the old capital of the Spain. The most descriptive feature of the city is its pedestrian-oriented streets and city structures. I’m talking about the Toledo where is the capital of the "Castilla la Mancha" region and is placed in World heritage list of Unesco. I went there for my research interest.

Firstly I had planned to go to Madrid after 2 days stay in Toledo. But It was not only a historical city or museum city, it was a living city. You can feel its historic structure when you stay in there. Throughout our 5 days travel, we lived the city as an inhabitant not as a tourist thereby shopping in “Supermercado”.J I think it is related with its pedestrian streets, open spaces and natural landscape.

The streets of Toledo

City initiatives consider social and economic factors of the city to characterize the sustainability in addition to focusing architectural and environmental aspects. It is the point I think. Toledo is a city encircled on three sides by Tajo river and sitting on the top of a hill. With its amazing landscape, it presents lots of opportunities for people.

Especially Tajo river is an advantage for city inhabitants for recreational activities. It is peaceful. We saw lots of people going jogging, picnicking, climbing and watching the river. I think it is one of the best cities sustaining its cultural identity by answering the current citizen’s needs. Especially while you are walking in narrow and winding streets you can lose yourself in a medieval city. But don’t worry, because all the streets meet at least one plaza and there are signs helping for way-finding.

The city of Toledo

If you would like to live in a medieval city surrounded by city walls and reflecting its cultural structure in the 21^st century, Toledo can be the best place in Madrid. The views from both inside and outside of the city are different. You can see the best views of the city from outside while you are traveling by the tourist train. And the best views from inside can be seen on the top of hill where best two places located -El Greco’s museum and Alcazar –

Tajo River, Toledo, Madrid

Finally, I need to mention about the escalators providing access to the historic center from outside of it. It is definitely a successful approach for people’s mobility and accessibility. It is also mentioned that the escalator has a great impact on the reduction of traffic within the city.

Tropical garden in Atocha train station - Madrid, Spain

2009-02-04T01:09:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, we made a visit to Spain. When we reached to Madrid we need to take a train to Toledo but we missed the train because we couldn't understand Spanish people J They really want you to speak only Spanish, but I don’t know anything in Spanish so we couldn’t understand each other :(... The next train was after an hour. And we should wait for it.

The central station was an exotic place. It provides an indoor plaza, a tropical garden. It covers 4000 square metres and has more than 500 species. Garden includes tropical species, plants and fauna. It provides really an exotic atmosphere in train station.

There are several cafes around it and tall palms reach to the roof. This tropical garden has a good view from upstairs but the most interesting thing that took my attention was little turtles. At first sight I think that these were not alive, because they didn’t move. I watched them and I noticed that they were alive :))...

There are lots of small and big turtles and it was so interesting. This place gives a good opportunity to spend your time while you are waiting your train. It was such an interesting garden I’ve ever seen.

ROTTERDAM - Het park, Beurstraverse, Schouwburgplein

2009-01-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

Rotterdam is an example of modern architecture. You can see its modernist vision in all structures and buildings. The central station was the first point where we firstly met with Rotterdam. When you reach the city you feel a little soulless character of it. But when you go inside and try to live the city, it gives you its unique character. So it is a success, I think. After the Second World War, it won its current identity that makes it a modern city. While we were strolling around, we met lots of good examples of redevelopments. There were three areas which took me into its everyday life. The first one is “Het Park”, second is the most famous shopping street called Beurstraverse, third is the Schouwburgplein.

Het Park

Here was the most beautiful park I’ve ever seen. It was the end of the fall and the colors of the trees and plant were amazing. I feel myself in a postcard which shows the fascinating landscape in a perfect painting. Oranges, yellows, greens and reds. all of them are together. The extension of the park leads to the Rotterdam port which is the most important place for both city and Europe. Also, Erasmus Bridge adds a modernist look to port. You feel its atmosphere from this part of the city too.

Beurstraverse

This car-free, pedestrian street was a part of the redevelopment plans of the shopping district that are redeveloped nowadays. this shopping street is below the ground level and it is such a big trench. This shopping trench of Rotterdam is an architectural subterranean link between the two sides of the Coolsingel. It's one of the largest continuous collection of shops in Europe. It is safe, car-free basically pedestrian oriented. So it is a good example for such a city that has large boulevards and modern shopping centers. The world cities try to be pedestrian friendly, so this redevelopment plans are good efforts such a city.

Schouwburgplein

The Schouwburgplein which was the one of the major works of Adrian Geuze is a public square situated in the heart of the city of Rotterdam. It is surrounded by shops and flanked by the City Theatre and the City Concert Hall. It is an interactive public space and changing during day. The major elements of the square are the four red lighting elements. This square emphasizes the big void and the design of the square is a distinct approach against the city skyline.

There is A Secret Place : Begijnhof, Amsterdam

2008-06-08T01:11:00.000-07:00

The Begijnhof is one of the oldest inner courts in the city of Amsterdam. Here is the hidden courtyard in this compact city.

No one can find this secret place without searching the attraction points before going to Amsterdam. It is difficult to find the gate. Think about it, we found the gate with address that we had before the trip. Firstly we found the street and followed the numbers and we couldn't believe it. We thought that it wasn't the entrance of the Begijnhof. We looked inside from a door ajar. At the beginning, we thought that this place was privately owned, but then we opened the door and moved in. The view of the courtyard was wonderful.

There is also an "English church" which dates from the 15 century in this courtyard and possesses its original medieval tower. The Begijnhof was the only Roman Catholic institution to be allowed to remain in existence. This was because the houses were the beguines' private property. The Chapel, however, had to be ceded to the English Presbyterians, and since that time is alluded to as the "English Church".

The Begijnhof was originally built as a sactuary for the Begijntjes, a Catholic sisterhood who lived like nuns, although they took no monastic vows. The beautiful houses overlook its well-kept green garden, include the Amsterdam's oldest surviving house Het Houten Huis dating from around 1420. Houses in Begijnhof are still occupied by single women, so it was so quiet and mysthic.

The address of Begijnhof: Nieuwezijds Voorburguval 371. Amsterdam