Waterpoort. In Medieval Times the Frisian city of Sneek had 4 more water gates and 2 gates accessible by roads. A water gate gave traders a way to access the city from the water, yet the city could be closed … Read More

Marl quarry. In the Middle Ages a cheap way to get building stones was getting them out of a marl quarry. Marl is a soft type of stone, that can be cut out with a big saw. In one day, … Read More

Bonn. During the Cold War the Reichstag was in the Russian part of Berlin. Because the West-German government could not use it, they needed a new capital to rule West Germany. Bonn was chosen. During this time many powerful people … Read More

Hôtel de Ville Paris, France This is not a hotel, motel or other building you can sleep in. This is the Town Hall of Paris. From 1357 onwards this area is used for this purpose. In 1533 they removed the … Read More

Bastille. Once the Bastille was built as part of the Parisian defense. Soon it became a symbol of suppression. In Medieval times Paris was already a place of riots. King Charles V gave order to build the castle ‘la Bastille’ … Read More

Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is the main landmark of Paris. This unofficial wonder of the world is a symbol of love, the city Paris and France. The Eiffel Tower is open for public from 9 am till 00.45 am, … Read More

Seat of Power. During the Cold War the West German parliament  seated in Bonn. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, all the power went back to the Reichstag. It’s at a walking distance from the Brandenburger Tor. Most people … Read More

Völkerschlachtdenkmal. This monument was erected to remember the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig. It was not only Prusian but a coalition of 4 nations. One can climb this structure of 91 metres. Alternatively, one can have a look at it … Read More

The Louvre. Before Napoleon this musuem was not so big. During Napoleon’s campaigns he stole a lot of art. Most of it was put in this museum and therefore the amount of works increased a lot. A lot of this … Read More

Reflections. Near the Reichstag, the seat of the German government, there are two places you can reflect your thoughts and deeds. The first is the Tiergarten. It is a large park in the center of Berlin. If you walk here, … Read More

Napoleon. In the beginning of the 19th century France started building this memorial monument. The victory in Austerlitz was so big everyone needed to know about it. In the Netherlands we still have a pyramid built by French soldiers to … Read More

Drenthe. During the Stone and Iron Ages a civilization created burial chambers using big megaliths that came to our country with the glaciers. One stone alone can weigh a few tons. These days you can find most of these ‘hunnebedden’ … Read More