2818 ROMANIA (Prahova) - Ghighiu Monastery

Ghighiu Monastery (located at 5km from Ploieşti), is one of the few dedicated to the Life-giving Spring. The oldest testimonies about it dates from the late 16th century, when was mentioned in these places a skete of Logothete Coresi and his wife. In 1817, Măriuţa Râfoveanu and her mother Ana donate a plot of land and a part of their wealth to raise a hermitage (a wooden church and a few cells). The present church was built between 1858 and 1866.

2545 LITHUANIA - Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations (UNESCO ICH)

Both a repository and a showcase for the region's tradition of performing folk art, this cultural expression culminates in large-scale festivals every fifth year in Estonia and Latvia and every fourth year in Lithuania. These grand events, held over several days, assemble as many as 40,000 singers and dancers, belonging to amateur choirs and dance groups. The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations were initially organized in Estonia in 1869, in Latvia in 1873, and in Lithuania in 1924.

0791, 1809 LIECHTENSTEIN - Vaduz Castle

0791 LIECHTENSTEIN - Vaduz Castle

Posted on 12.08.2013, 11.08.2015
Vaduz, the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein, is located along the Rhine, and has about 5,100 inhabitants. Mentioned in 12th-century manuscripts as Farduzes, it seems that was founded circa 1322 by the Counts of Werdenberg. In 1719 Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, decreed the unification of Vaduz and Schellenberg, and raised the new structure to the dignity of Fürstentum (principality), with the name Liechtenstein, in honour of "(his) true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". The most prominent landmark of the city is Vaduz Castle, the home of the reigning prince of Liechtenstein and the Liechtenstein princely family. The castle is visible from almost any location in Vaduz, being perched atop a steep hill in the middle of the city.

1809 LIECHTENSTEIN - Vaduz Castle and the coat of arms of Liechtenstein

The earliest mention of the castle dates from 13th century, but it was certainly built long time before. The Bergfried (the keep) was erected in  12th century, and parts of the eastern side are the oldest. The chapel of St. Anna, with a main altar in late-Gothic style, was presumably built in the Middle Ages. In the Swabian War of 1499, the castle was burned by the Swiss Confederacy, but it was rebuild, and the western side was expanded by Count Kaspar von Hohenems (1613-1640). The Princely Family of Liechtenstein acquired Vaduz Castle in 1712. It underwent a major restoration between 1905 and 1920, then again in the early 1920s, and was expanded during the early 1930s. The castle isn't open to the public, because the princely family still lives in it.

1264, 1515 GUERNSEY (Alderney) - Alderney Island

1264 ALDERNEY - Moorings alongside the breakwater
at Braye Harbour

Posted on 02.10.2014, 07.04.2015
Alderney, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, is the most northerly of the Channel Islands, located at around 16km to the west of La Hague (Normandy, France), and 32km to the north-east of Guernsey. It is 4.8km long and 2.4km wide, and has about 1,900 inhabitants, formally known as Ridunians (from the Latin Riduna), but traditionally nicknamed vaques (after the cows), or else lapins (because of the many rabbits seen in the island). It shares a history with the other Channel Islands, becoming an island in the Neolithic period as the waters of the Channel rose. Its many dolmens have suffered through the large-scale military constructions of the 19th century and also by the Germans during the WWII occupation. Moreover, Germans fortified the island abandoned by inhabitants, as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall, and built four concentration camps.

1515 ALDERNEY - Springtime on Gannet Rock

Braye Harbour is the main harbour on the north side of the island. It is an artificial harbour created by building a pier or jetty. The harbour faces out onto the Swinge, which is part of the English Channel. The breakwater at the Braye Harbour was built between 1847 and 1864. Originally, two arms were planned as a protection to the harbour, but only the western arm was completed, with a length of 1,471 m. Within a year 540 m was abandoned to the sea following heavy gales. The massive stone breakwater is generally used as a walk way to enjoy the scenic beauty of the bay, its harbour and the sea. Braye Harbour has a slipway but it doesn't have a marina and there are no alongside pontoon systems to berth to.

1356, 2066 RUSSIA (Pskov Oblast) - Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture (UNESCO WHS)

2066 Pokrovskaya (Intercession) Tower of Pskov Kremlin and
Trinity Cathedral

Located on the Velikaya River, about 20km east from the Estonian border, Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia, its earliest mention coming from 903, when  Igor of Kiev married a local lady, St. Olga. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the town adhered politically to the Novgorod Republic. In 1241 it was taken by the Teutonic Knights, but Alexander Nevsky recaptured it several months later. In order to secure their independence from the knights, in 1266 the Pskovians elected a Lithuanian prince, Daumantas (known in Russia as Dovmont), as military leader and prince.

1356 Pskov Kremlin and Trinity Cathedral

Having fortified the town (the core of the citadel, erected by him, still bears his name), Daumantas routed the Teutonic Knights at Rakvere and overran much of Estonia. By the 14th century, the town functioned as the capital of a de facto sovereign republic, mainly due to the merchants who brought it into the Hanseatic League. For Russia, it was a bridge towards Europe; and for Europe a western outpost of Russia. Importance of the city made it a subject of numerous sieges throughout its history (26 in the 15th century alone).

1146 POLAND (Lublin) - Old City of Zamość (UNESCO WHS)

Founded in the 16th century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea, Zamość is, in the view of UNESCO, "a unique example of a Renaissance town in Central Europe, consistently designed and built in accordance with the Italian theories of the "ideal town," on the basis of a plan which was the result of perfect cooperation between the open-minded founder, Jan Zamoyski, and the outstanding architect, Bernardo Morando. Zamość is an outstanding example of an innovative approach to town planning, combining the functions of an urban ensemble, a residence, and a fortress in accordance with a consistently implemented Renaissance concept. The result of this is a stylistically homogeneous urban composition with a high level of architectural and landscape values. A real asset of this great construction was its creative enhancement with local artistic architectural achievements."