Tag: 13th Century

A photo of a street in Hranice

The Czech-German tri-point

Accidents of geography have determined as much of world history and culture as anything else. Rivers and mountains became natural, then political, borders. The Czech town of Hranice used to be a meeting point between 3 countries.
A painting of St Margaret

Why does St Margaret always appear with a dragon?

I’ve have a keen interest in iconography and imagery. Regular readers will know I often write about these things. Sometimes I spot something I haven't before and, curiosity piqued, I look into it. Which is how I got to know about St Margaret and the dragon.
A photo of Drimnaugh castle - Dublin, Ireland

Learn all about Drimnagh castle

You’d think a city of Dublin wouldn’t be the place to hide a castle. Yet many Dublin natives had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned Drimnagh castle. This article describes the history of one of Ireland’s few moated castles.
A photo of part of the Qutb complex - Delhi, India

Why Delhi’s iron pillar doesn’t rust

The world is full of magnificent stories and this website is a testament to some fascinating ones. When I travel I always look for these sort of unexpected finds and am rarely disappointed. This article is about Delhi’s mysterious Iron Pillar.
A photo of the restored interior

The lost rotunda of St Wenceslas

Rotundas used to be common in Central Europe. Prague was no exception and it is a shame so many have disappeared. This article explains how archaeologists re-discovered St Wenceslas’ rotunda which stood in the Lesser Town Square (Malostranské náměstí).
A photo of the church-tower - Žulová, Czechia

Frydberk castle

The criminals who built Frydberk ? castle terrorised the Bohemian countryside in mediaeval times. Conquered, plundered, turned into a ? brewery and then the Church built a place of worship out of its tower. This is the castle's amazing story ?
A photo of the gate and entrance to Český Šternberk castle

Český Šternberk Castle

It’s not everyday you find castles still owned by the original family. Czechia's Český Šternberk ? towers over the town of the same name, and is one of the few in the world to make that claim ?
A photo of the view on Bezděz castle - Liberec, Czechia

The gothic royal castle of Bezděz

About an hour's drive north-east of Prague, the Gothic Bezděz castle watches over the region of Liberec. The view from the top of the Devil's Tower is such that you can see one-eighth of the entire country!
A photo of the view from the castle - Oslo, Norway

The crazy and odd ghost stories of Oslo Castle

The cold air, buffeted by Arctic temperatures, billowed around me as I strolled across the pedestrianised square in front of Oslo's Rathuset, or City Hall. I dodged one of the clunky blue trams as I headed towards the fortifications of the city's Akershus Castle.