Living in Central Europe provides appealing access to some of the world’s top ski destinations. There are countless regional spots and many compelling, world-famous resorts. This winter, my husband and I planned a trip to Zermatt with his cousin Scott, who visited from the U.S. and endured hours of planes, trains and automobiles to enjoy […]
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St. Stephan Kirche, Mainz
High on Mainz’s tallest hill sits Saint Stephan Kirche, a 13th-century Gothic church that is today best known for its blue stained-glass Chagall windows, added by the famous artist in the 20h century. The current structure was built on top of the original basilica from 990. The church’s interior is striking, with bright blue windows, […]
St. Peterskirche, Mainz
Walking into St Peterskirche is like entering an Italian church – you get a full blast of rococo! Not one inch is unadorned. The most striking components are the white-gold wooden pulpit and extravagant altars, including the 16th-century rood altar and the 20th-century celebration altar with human fishes within a bronze net. The original church […]
Mainzer Fastnacht, or Mainz Carnival
When my husband and I decided to visit Mainz, we didn’t realize it hosts one of the three largest German Carnival celebrations (the others are in Cologne and Düsseldorf). The hotels had plenty of availability and we were looking forward to seeing the Gutenberg Museum and trying the local wines and beers. It wasn’t until […]
Mainzer Dom
As in all traditional European cities, Mainz’s cathedral dominates the main square. In this case, St. Martin’s Cathedral, a (mostly) Romanesque sandstone structure with six towers, rises into Mainz’s skyline. Construction began in the 10th century and, in a stroke of unspeakably bad luck, the original structure burned down one day before its consecration in […]
Kirche St. Christoph, Mainz
We rounded a corner in Mainz’s Old City and came upon the striking sight of St. Christoph, a 14th-century Gothic church, that was among the casualties of the 1945 bombings that destroyed 80% of Mainz. This church was particularly notable since it was Gutenberg’s baptismal church. Now, it serves as a WWII memorial and a […]
Mainz
We were curious to check out Mainz, a quiet university city about two hours from Luxembourg. Mainz is very close to Frankfurt, where I’ve spent a lot of time and always enjoyed myself (not that liking one city ensures satisfaction with a neighbor, but it’s not a bad assumption), and I had heard favorable things […]
Oude Kerk, Delft
Delft’s Oude Kerk’s leaning gothic tower rises above the stout skyline. The original church was built in 1050. It was first expanded in the 13th century when Delft received its charter and was completed in the 14th century. The tower, with its brick spire and four angle towers, was added between 1325 and 1350. To […]
Trappistenlokaal ‘t Klooster, Delft
This pub is a great pit-stop on a snowy – or any – afternoon. It’s small and offers an excellent range of local and Belgian beers. It has an attached café, but since we were just looking to have a couple of drinks, we did not try the food. We consulted the bartender for good […]
Staduis, Delft
The eye-catching Renaissance-style Stadius sits opposite the Nieuwe Kerk, anchoring one end of Delft’s main square. The 17th-century façade’s shutters, dormer windows, fluted pilasters and shell decoration add a bold, pleasing touch to the vast plaza. The limestone tower dates from 1300 and was part of the original structure that mostly perished in the fire […]
