Castles: Hartenberg

Location: Hřebeny, Sokolov, Czech Republic

Hartenberg castle is a small ruined fortified estate in the western part of the Czech Republic, lying nestled and hidden within a heavily wooded valley. Near to the castle is the small village of Hřebeny, and further on is the town of Sokolov.

This is the picture of which the castle, and its nearby brewery, lie within, a hilly landscape and entirely suitable one for the setting of a medieval castle. Also entirely suitable is the fact that the castle has a very interesting history in the region, even up to more recent times in the late 20th century.

The castle has a long history, stretching back to the 12th century when it was founded and its ownership had passed through the hands of many different noble families. Though little is known at this time by the author, the history of the castle contains conflicts, pillage, earthquakes and fires. The extents of what had occurred in the castle appears as an ever tragic spiral downward, culminating from 1945 when the owner at the time had been deported and the castle suffered from three major arson attacks during the period of 1985 to 1991.

The route to the castle itself is by a classic land-bridge, a small dirt track, with a steep slope on either side, making it difficult to approach the castle by any other route. From this bridge, one can also see the main chimney of the old brewery poking out from the tree-line in the valley.

As one approaches the castle, the first building one sees is the main tower of the castle with its newly reconstructed roof, complete with a 'crows nest' and domed shapes. The estate seems to stretch onwards, built up to form the rest of the castle over the top of an apparent graphite rich rock in these hills. Walking alongside these towering ruins, which is what most of the castle is at this time, one approaches the temporary gate, blocking the way to the main entrance. This entrance to the castle would have been an imposing archway with strong gates to block the way in to the castle. 

However while the arch remains, much of its upper structure is ruins and the gates are long gone, broken and burnt from the castle's history in conflicts.

Through this entrance, one ends up in the main courtyard of the castle, an open space surrounded by walls and the antithetical features of ruin and reconstruction. A stage sits at the south end of the courtyard, with a rudimentary 'throne' in the center. It appears as though it had been erected for events, while standing in front of the main estate, a towering building which stands as a stubborn ruin against the destruction wrought on it and against the elements.

The rest of the courtyard is surrounded by a motley of outhouses in either ruined or newly reconstructed in timber types. It gives the feeling of a location undergoing a state of rejuvenation after a 'fall' period of time. Apart from the stage, a small stables like building is undergoing reconstruction, as well as the erection of various other structures, most only half-complete. Throughout the courtyard area, one can find chickens and sheep milling around the area, going about their own ways as visitors to the castle come and go.

The estate building has two main entrances, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor, which is accessible from a wooden stairway on the outside of the building. In either case, one ends up being greeted by room after room of dust and rubble, with some of the rooms even lacking a ceiling.

Going through the ground floor entrance, one proceeds to walk through dark, cool rooms to find openings in the walls and other rooms without ceilings or walls. An eerie and illustrative experience, one gets the sense of abandonment in the maze of rooms one follows with barely a sense of direction.

Moving through the dark ground floor to the lighter upper floor, the extents of both the ruinous destruction of the castle and how far the reconstruction has gone, is revealed.

Moving through the upper floor towards the upper floor entrance, one comes across a gallery within the castle, with the bottom half taken up with displays of various artifacts and information boards on the history of the castle.

Some of these are the broken remains of plagues with Latin inscriptions, or old, worn statues. One particular piece of interest are the broken pieces of a column, found in the ruins of the chapel, set up for display in the gallery in the form that it was discovered in. On a floor above this gallery is the volunteer artwork gallery, based on the castle, as well as a selection of photographs of the volunteers who had come to the castle over the past years. One image stands out from this, one where the volunteers are posing with the flags of own nationalities.

So to conclude, this sight within the pine covered hills of the western part of the Czech Republic, the Hartenberg Castle will take some time before it will be completed, potentially many years to come, though good progress had been made in the restoration of the castle. Even now it offers a slightly different kind of visit, alike to visits of old ruins and places in various states of decay.

Bremen, New SIghts and Smells

Location: Bremen, Germany

To break the long sojourn from finding more interesting or enjoyable sights around, the author had begun a trip that will shake things around. So the author finds himself in Germany, at the home of an acquaintance and in the middle of a confusing and fascinating country.

The city is in the North-western part of Germany, in the neighbourhood of Hamburg and still a very intact city with most of its old buildings in good condition. While it is the heat of summer here, resulting in a fair number of rains, cloud and a lot of time spent indoors, though there have been occasions for exploration around a city with considerably cleaner air than London.

Historically, the location had been settled as far back as 12,000 BC, it is situated around 60km from the North sea. It once had a stone wall around its edge, but in later times this had disappeared when such structures became obsolete, the only indication left of the old city wall is the moat around the old town, now transformed in to a canal with park lands surrounding it.

Some of the more well-known sights around the city have been explored and documented for this post. First and most well-known is the Marktplatz, a cobbled pedestrianised zone of the city, surrounded by the cathedral, town hall, with various bars situated around the oldest standing buildings of the city. A wide open area, it is one of the first places a tourist would come across, with each side-street taking one to any of the main bars and shops in the city. 

North, behind the town hall lies the city's main shopping area, with a variety of common high street, while South takes one to some interesting side-streets filled with bars, restaurants and shops aimed towards the tourist directly, known as the Böttcherstraße. 

Around this platz, one particular statue stands out, one of the most notorious icons of the city; the donkey, dog, cat and rooster statue depicted the Stadtmusikanten (town musicians) from the folklore tales by the Grimm Brothers.

Around the North side of the cathedral, if one looks carefully around the paving there, a difficult to notice and small monument to Bremen's most notorious serial killer, the spit-stone which marks the point of execution of Gesche Gottfried.

The other area investigated around Bremen is known as the Schnoor, an area of small crooked cobbled streets and the old small houses of fishermen and shipmakers. This area is tied in with Bremen's fishing and seafaring past, though little of this remains apart from the houses and streets. However it is a pleasant area to walk around, though at times very busy due to the small width of the streets in front of densely packed touristic, art & craft shops, restaurants and cafés.

The houses here come in a myriad of designs, from the white walls interspersed with dark wooden beams, to others painted in a plethora of bright colours. What one cannot escape is the feeling of the old Bremen town when the medieval city wall still existed a stone's throw from this area.

This short introduction to the town may well be followed up by specific sights later on. If not, then the next location the author ends up will be done when it is done. Photographs used above are taken by and sole responsibility of the author, who had to endure looking like a tourist.

Alt. Events: Occupy Bank of England

Location: Bank, London

This is one of the more unusual situations to find oneself in, but it is not necessarily something to snub as a form of anarcho-tourism. One does not get to experience the feeling of stumbling in to the middle of an organised protest, particularly one demonstrating against wealth hoarding and capitalism.
In this case, one has to carefully make their way through lines of policemen, watching the proceedings in groups of three to four, as loud speakers blare out various conflicting noises.

Even within the protest itself, there is an obvious segregation of different groups with their own agendas, with one particularly standing out is the 'Anonymous' group, which seems to bear a certain irony, but no less has their agenda to mind.

This demonstration was a particularly small one compared to gatherings viewed before outside St. Paul's Cathedral, but either way, this summer looks set to continue with these demonstrations occurring at sporadic times. Whether you support their aims, want a free event to mingle with other people, or just want something plain different, this is something that has an intellectual and politcal interest about it, not least for the furor that it is generating from the finance sector, and the City of London corporation itself.

Photos taken and courtesy of the author, a trend that will continue for most future posts.
Disclaimer: The author remains neither 'for' nor 'against' the Occupy Movement or the Met. Police. Though there is no doubt that the demonstrations are of a huge interest, especially outside of the newspaper headlines. It is fully endorsed to interact with members of the demonstrations.

London Walks: East India Quay to Canary Wharf

Location: East London

London is a city with a reach that extends miles out, even from Victorian times, and that is most certainly true of the contrasts between the relics of the old London Docklands to the developments of the new.

The other feature to be introduced in this is the Thames River path, two footpaths running along the north and south banks of the Thames wherever they can follow. For miles and miles running through London, these paths are hugely popular for daylight strolls in the sun, places to go for lunch breaks, and more. 

So this stroll takes place along a route on the north bank of the Thames, starting at East India Quay, a short distance from Canning Town station. An old quay from the Docklands heigh days, it has been given over to wildlife as a conservational area, with a small park, and sediment islands for water birds. Considered a very peaceful and quiet area, it also opens out on to the Thames, just across the river from the O2 Arena.

Walking along, one goes through new blocks of flats and housing, one in particular having a walkway lined with trees in a stylish fashion. By this point, one leaves the riverside, and heads through towards the Isle of Dogs, past towering blocks of flats, all very recently built and still polished. It is not an unpleasant sight, but by no means is it picturesque.

Eventually one gets to Cold Harbour, a closed of dock area, with an entirely blocked off section forming a pond for large carp, beyond which lies a small quay with a number of boats. In the background of this, the towering edifices of Canary Wharf rise up, polished like mirrors and reflecting the clouds towards the viewer, giving a bright modern touch to the surrounding houses and calm quay waters.

From here onwards, one walks inland towards Canary Wharf and South Quay, walking past a number of boats along this route. On the large quay that resides south of the main skyscrapers, some pretty large ships get moored, as shown below is a small cruise-liner called Caledonian Sky.

A short walk along this stretch of the river, it finished just before entering Canary Wharf. The Thames Path would have continued south from Cold Harbour, round the Isle of Dogs past the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, and further on, towards Wapping, Limehouse and Tower Bridge itself. These might be covered at a later stage, but the Thames Path is not short route, and walking sections of it at a time is highly advised.
All photographs taken by the author, therefore no need for acknowledgements!

London Walks: Canal walk from King's Cross to Camden

Start: York Way, King's Cross, London
End: Camden Market, Camden Town, London

The walk along the side of the canal just north of King's Cross and St. Pancras stations is not only a nice direct way to walk to Camden town, but it is also one of the more interesting views of London. The canal snakes its way around the north of the city, past both industrial and natural scenery.

Along this walk, one will come across a great number of canal boats moored along the side. Canal boats are a major feature of London's waterways, and many serve as homes, while others are available for hire to drive along the canals. This is a great way to spend a day, coasting along at a quiet pace, taking in the scenery of inner London without the constant roar of traffic.

However, no matter where one goes, one does not feel that they have left the city behind, and there is always the background of the city beyond the trees, whether it is the sounds of traffic or trains. Bird life however thrives in this environment, with songbirds and many others in the branches above the water, to the numerous ducks, geese, and swans.

As one walks further along, a certain tranquility is apparent, as the city noise is minimal, and more trees and greenery dominates the scene. However large warehouses and flats are seen, a constant presence of the city, but with the rest of the vista on offer, these become background blemishes.
One destination worthy of note is the Constitution pub, that sits overlooking the canal, with a sizable beer garden. This is one recommended venue for a halfway stop along the canal, and will be covered here at a later date.

The walk goes on from there, through a number of bridges, when the sun is in the right position, creates mesmeric reflections on the inner arches of these 'tunnels'.

Through these arches, the numbers of other walkers starts to increase sharply, with many walkers, picnickers, and cyclists crowding out the more narrow parts of the footpath. Soon however, Camden market starts to make itself apparent, as the numbers of other people keep soaring.

 As one gets nearer, one starts to go past the locks in Camden, and if one wishes, can pass underneath Camden and continue onwards. However this journey made it to Camden, and no further.

This is the start of a series of articles on London walks, as an activity, as well as a means of capturing some interesting sites around the city that are not on the tourist trail. Sunny summer days are most recommended for this, though be aware that many others will have the same idea. That should not dissuade one at all, as these days are recommended for good reason.

All photographs were taken by the author, and all souls captured on film will be refunded at no extra cost.

V&A Rennaissance in Europe, 1400 - 1600

Location: Victoria & Albert Museum, London

The V&A, as it is better known as, lies almost adjacent to the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Following the same style of building as the surrounding area, but taken to a grand level, this impressive place offers nothing of what is inside.

The museum was founded in 1852, it houses one of the largest collections of art in every single medium, from all corners of the world, and from all of human history. Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the museum has 143 galleries, and it is one or two of these that is the focus of this post.

The museum houses artifacts collected or donated from around the world, and are organised by region and era that they came from. So this visit introduces an interesting room in the museum, the Rennaissance Europe, from 1400 to 1600. While not covering the entire collection, this review takes a sample of one of the many rooms on offer, in a long hall with a high arched glass roof. The room is a tasteful cream colour, with dark marble columns at each end.

Starting at one end of the room, the most immediate artifact is a large stone well head decorated with the arms of the Concoreggio family, dating to 1450. Nearby lie the stemma and roundels of various family arms, such as Réne of Anjou; the roundels are of classical heads, intricately made of ceramic.

There are some statues on the other side of the room, depicting characters from classical Greek, Roman mythology, and biblical heroes. Some notable examples woulb be Jason with the Golden Fleece, Samson slaying a Philistine, and the Rape of Proserpina. The statues show the Rennaissance tendency to the dramatic in depicting classical and biblical scenes, but the Jason statue shows a more calm, satisfied scene of Jason with his Golden Fleece.

Moving past these to the wall, there are a number of interesting architectural and decorative pieces. Some of these would be a doorway, though little other information was given, top of a Dormer window, balcony panels from the Palazzo Pola, and a Dormer window from Montal, all dating from 1490 to 1557. These were attractive pieces that intrigued the author's attention in depicting how the streets of those times would have looked, with that distinctive architecture.

More statues are found around this point, amongst a plethora of capitals (column heads) and well heads, in the style of the Rennaissance families of Italy. Of these, there is the highly intricate and delicate looking fountain surmounted by a small statuette of David, matching and adjacent statues of Apollo and Zephyr, and one of Saint George and the Dragon.

The last few exhibits in this sections are of a morbid nature, starting with the oddly-shaped tombstone of Antonio and Caterina Maggi de Bassano from 1520, the grand Monument of the Marchese Spineta Malaspina, funerary chapel doorways, and a selection of richly carved effigies such as Don García de Osorio and Doña María de Perea. Finally, worth looking at is the tomb for a member of the Moro family.

The next half of this unfolded in a distinctly christian theme, with the room filled with exhibits from a number of churches, monasteries, and abbeys. For example, as labeled, some very good altarpieces to view include the 'Life of the Virgin', the 'Virgin, Child and God', with the 'Adoration of the Shepherds', the distinctly vandalised Sutton Valence altarpiece, and lastly the Troyes altarpiece. 

 

Stained glass windows are dotted around and illuminated, such as the Mariawald windows, windows showing St. Peter and St. Paul, and many others around the edges of the hall. Statuettes are also a prominent feature of churches, and in line with this is a collection of many such statuettes of figureheads. One set of statuettes all feature St. Catharine of Alexandria, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Ursula. There was a semi-decayed wooden statuette of the Angel Gabriel, then there was St. Margaret and the Dragon, and finally St. Peter again. While not exhaustive at all, these are some particular examples that should be regarded on any visit.

There was a large altar frame around a painting of the Virgin of Soreto with St. Jerome. The end of the room contains an altarpiece and tabernacle from the Santa Chiara Chapel which dates back to 1400. Behind this, there is a selection of other church artifacts of an even richer nature, such as the expensive metal pieces, incense holders, chalices, candlesticks, and metal altar crucifixes. On the other side is a selection of the fine cloth and robes worn by members of the church, including a selection of various mitres.

This concludes this particular section of the V&A museum, and there will be many more visits to come, especially in this area which offers so much for the visitor to see. Photographs are courtesy of the author himself, once he finally worked out how to download them to his computer!