Nature of Northern Poland
Impressions from Northern Poland. Shot in May and July 2019.
Details of a Cathedral
Details of the Cathedral of Burgos, Spain. Shot in April 2019.
Perspectives on Burgos
With 175.000 inhabitants Burgos is not a small town. Despite this fact, it feels like a compact city, where all public life, typical for Europe, is condensed in the historic city center. The city center, on the other hand, lies in the shadow of a grandiose building, the medieval Gothic cathedral of Burgos.
A Masterpiece in Gothic Architecture: The Cathedral of Burgos
I am fortunate enough to have a job enabling me to travel a lot around Europe. Concerning architecture and different architectural styles, it is a prosperous and exciting continent. Two historical architectural styles in particular are very distinct and closely linked to European history: The styles of Baroque and Gothic. While the baroque style is very opulent, colorful, and somewhat playful, the style of the French Sun King in the 17th century and the glorious Catholic church of its time, Gothic, on the other hand, is very different. It is a somewhat dark style, with many goblins and trim colors. Everything reaches as high as to touch God himself. The light is filtered and restricted through beautiful stained glass; the only energy source is the Almighty. One of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture must be the grandiose Cathedral of Burgos, Spain, consecrated in 1260 and still as impressive as it must have been to the people living almost 800 years ago. A masterpiece.
Burgos in Monochrome
Burgos is the historic capital of Castilla, the heartland of modern Spain. Since the middle ages, Burgos has been a wealthy and prosperous city renowned for its cathedral and beauty. Rich in colors and sunshine as well. Some details, though, are best seen in the absence of color. The following black-and-white shots were done in April 2019.
Travelling Castile
Most of the visitors arriving in Spain visit the coasts and Madrid. Not as many people travel around the region of Castile. Being the historical heartland of the Spanish kingdom, though, the areas of Castile and Leon have a lot to offer. The town of Salamanca, for example, has the oldest university in Spain and is one of the oldest in the world (pictures 1, 3). Burgos was one of the first capitals of the kingdom and is still a pretty impressive town with a grandiose cathedral (pictures 2, 4). The city of Avila is pretty interesting because of its completely intact medieval city wall (last photo). All of these towns have beautiful churches and exquisite cuisine. Also, the region is compact; you do not travel more than two or three hours to the next larger city.
Michael Hoffman Photography 