London in 2016
Every year or two I have the chance to visit magnificent London. Some pictures are following from my visit in March 2016.
Blue Sky over Warsaw
Snapshots from a beautiful clear day in Warsaw, Poland.
Along the Elbe River
A couple of months ago, I had the chance to travel to a part of Central Europe I hadn’t been to before. The initial plan was to travel around Northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. At last, we ventured into the neighboring region of Southern Saxonia, too, as the borderlands are historically and geologically intertwined. The area is shaped by the Elbe River, one of the longest in Europe. Along the river, you’ll find many towns; some are charming and touristy, while others are more industrial in nature (pictures 2, 3, 6). The highlight is the magnificent landscape shaped by sandstone (picture 5). Climb one of the many mountaintops around sunset and enjoy the fantastic view (last photo).
The Port City
The city of Gdańsk (or Danzig in German) has a long tradition as an essential haven in the region of the western Baltic Sea. Its history is very much intertwined with the history and tradition of the Hanseatic League, a trade confederation of sailors, which dominated the waters of Northern Europe for centuries. The city was largely destroyed during the II World War and restored after the war by Polish specialists. Today, Gdańsk is visited by many millions every year from Poland and abroad. It offers beautiful architecture and a rich cultural life.
The Far North
The far north of Europe is actually pretty fortunate regarding the weather. The reason is the Gulf Stream, which makes it possible to cultivate even fruits around the Norwegian fjords (pictures 2, 6). However, if you go uphill from the fjords, your surroundings change pretty quickly, and you will experience marvelous but very alien ice deserts like the Hardangervidda (picture 1). That’s Planet Hoth from Star Wars Episode V, by the way – the scenes were shot there. One of the biggest and historically most important towns in the far north of Europe is Bergen at the North Sea. For centuries, it was an important port and a center of commerce, especially regarding the trade with fish. Today it is a lovely student town with a lot of culture and museums (pictures 3, 4 and 5).
Bornholm and Christiansö
The islands of Bornholm and Christiansö are situated in the Baltic Sea close to Sweden, yet politically, they are part of Denmark. These are quiet islands, the people living here work primarily in agriculture and tourism, offering some escapism to visitors from more busy parts of Europe.
Michael Hoffman Photography 