Tag: cathedral

Unique KölnTriangle Tower in Cologne, Germany

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

When visiting Cologne (Köln), if you want amazing views of the city and cathedral, going to the observation deck of the KölnTriangle is an absolute must. The building sits just across the Hohenzollern Bridge, which spans the Rhine River. The glass tower is clearly visible as you walk along the shore of the river with the sides of the building reflecting the surroundings. It is an easy walk across the bridge with all of the locks, passing the statue of Wilhelm II, to get to the KölnTriangle.

Cathedral and the Rhine River
Colorful Trees and Cloudy Skies
Statue of Wilhelm II
Old Town Cologne

Without a doubt, the reason for going to the top of the tower is to see the panoramic views of the city. The cathedral is certainly the star of the view, but as you look around in all directions, there are amazing views everywhere that you look. Even on a cloudy day, such as the day that we visited, seeing the incredible cityscape was a highlight of our time in Cologne.

Close-Up of the Cahedral
Looking Away from Downtown Colgne
Looking Down the River
Crossing the Bridge

Even if you decide not to go to tower and see the views from the observation deck, the building itself is architecturally interesting. It is named the triangle due to the three convex sides that surround a circular core. The sides of the building are made up of transparent glass and aluminum sides, which makes up the reflective surface. It only takes an hour or so to go to the observation deck at the KölnTriangle, so we would definitely recommend taking the time as you will definitely be rewarded.

Walking Toward the Tower
Buildings Along the Rhine
Looking Down from the Observation Deck
View from the Bridge

 

Colorful Church Roofs

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria, Hungary, Photo Challenge14 Comments

Most of the cathedrals and churches have very colorful stained glass windows and ornate features, but the roofs themselves are fairly plain. In some cases, though, the roofs themselves are works of art. Both St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria and Matthias Church in Budapest, Hungary are excellent examples of that. They both have very colorful roofs with geometric designs that draw your eyes to them. It certainly makes for an interesting contrast to the stone walls of the churches themselves.

Close Up View of the Roof of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
Back of the Matthias Church
View of the Cathedral and It’s Roof
Matthias Church
Looking Down from St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Matthias Church in the Castle District from the Top of the Basilica

 

Top Sights for a Three Day Trip to Rome, Italy

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Italy7 Comments

Rome is a beautiful city with a fascinating history, interesting culture, and wonderful food. During our two week visit to Italy, we spent three full days in Rome, which was just enough time to see some of the most important sites within the city. We stayed at a boutique hotel that was right on the Piazza Navona, which gave us a central location to explore the city. Since we only had three days in Rome, we made sure to see as much as we could, but we also kept it at a casual pace with plenty of time to relax and people watch on the many restaurant patios. These were the top highlights for our visit to Rome in no particular order.

View of the Colosseum from the Roman Forum
  1. The Colosseum – This is obviously one of the most recognizable locations in Rome and certainly not something to be missed. We visited during the off-season, in February, and even then the crowds can be quite large and lines can be long. There will be many tour guides outside of the Colosseum offering to take you on a tour and allowing you to jump into a shorter line.

    Walking the Museum Halls
  2. Vatican Museums – The Vatican Museums house thousands of works of art that have been collected throughout the centuries. There is too much to see in a single visit and we had to choose between focusing on sculptures or paintings during our tour of the museums. The final stop of any tour of the galleries is to see the interior of the Sistine Chapel. Often you don’t get a lot of time in the chapel because of the large crowds and long lines, but we were fortunate to get to spend as long as we wanted.

    Marble Floors and the Interior of the Pantheon
  3. The Pantheon – Surrounded by the streets of Rome, the Pantheon is a fascinating piece of history in the heart of the city. The exterior of the Pantheon reveals its true age and classical architecture, but the interior looks like it could have been built recently. The interior of the dome is quite stunning and all of the marble floors, various statues, and beautiful artwork are worth making your way through the crowds to see.

    Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Palace in Piazza Navona
  4. Piazza Navona – We were fortunate to have our hotel located right on the Piazza Navona with amazing views from our room. The fountains are quite beautiful and during the day there will be artists and vendors selling items to the tourists as well as musicians playing a variety of music. Seeing the fountains at night when they are lit up is one of our favorite memories. Another reason to visit the Piazza Navona are all of the restaurants and cafes that are located in and around the piazza.

    View of the Roman Forum from Above
  5. The Roman Forum – Walking the paths of the Roman Forum might be our favorite memory of visiting Rome. We would recommend buying a bundled ticket that includes both the Colosseum as well as the Roman Forum. It would be a shame to visit Rome and not take the time to see the Roman Forum with the thousands of years of history and culture that it represents.

    Inside of Saint Peter’s Basilica
  6. Vatican City and Saint Peter’s Basilica – Obviously the Vatican Museums are wonderful to visit, especially with the inclusion of the Sistine Chapel, but just visiting Vatican City is worth it. There is something truly special about walking through Saint Peter’s Basilica and seeing the incredible artwork and architectural details. Stepping outside of the basilica and heading into Saint Peter’s Square is equally impressive with all of its historical significance.

    The Columns and Statues of the Monument
  7. Altare Della Patria – Located about halfway between the Colosseum and the Pantheon, visiting Altare Della Patria is worth visiting for several reasons. There is an observation deck on the roof that provides stunning views of the city as well as the Piazza Venezia, which is across the busy street from the building. There are the statues of the chariots and horses that can be seen from throughout the city. It is also the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As with much of Rome, there are also many choices of restaurants in the area.

    Trevi Fountain in Rome
  8. Trevi Fountain – This might be the second most photographed location in Rome with its beautiful statues, flowing waters, and iconic scenes from the movies. Legend has it that if you toss a coin over your left shoulder that your dreams will come true. Money is collected from the fountain and used to provide food for the less fortunate, so even if your dreams don’t come true, you’ve done a good deed. It is a wonderful place to sit and take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy a sunny afternoon.

    City Views of Rome

Regardless of how many days that you have or the time of year that you visit, all of these locations should be on your itinerary. It is difficult seeing a city with a history and culture as diverse as Rome’s in such a short amount of time, but if you relax and walk the streets to visit each of these locations, you will certainly go home with incredible memories. We certainly treasure the time that we spent in Rome and in Italy in general.