Feb20
Published by misha in Cultural, Eating, Europe, France, History, Hotels, Parks, Restaurants, Romantic, Sightseeings, Swimming, Travel Stories, Walking

Domaine de Rochebois is located between Bordeaux and Toulouse in the center of the Perigord Noir which is also famous with its humanity, gastronomic heartland. The castle overlooking into the splendid green valley of the Dordogne.

Domaine de Rochebois is an elegant 19 century residence, which nowadays has turned into a superb luxury hotel. The castle is a magical place with beautifully cypresse, yaws and laurels gardens.

The residence includes 40 rooms with high luxury comfort. Visitors can enjoy their drinks & snacks by the poolside at lovely weather.

For the gourments, the restaurant is listed in tourist guide with its delicious cooked regional products. For sportsmen, the 9-hole golf course proposes an attractive course to you, fully in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Jun10
Published by Asya in Arts, Cultural, Czech Republic, Europe, History, Monuments, Travel Stories, Walking

Hluboka Chateau is regarded as one of the most beautiful stately homes in Bohemia is situated 15 km from Ceske Budejovice.
This royal castle was founded in the mid-13th century in a sensitive place on the border of the interest on power of the Premyslid rules and the South Bohemina Vitkovicz magnates. During the 15th and 16th centuries direct royal administration made way for the pledge possession of the castle by Czech lords, whose number included the pernstejns among the most important of them. Vilem of Perstejn laid the foundations of fishing enterprise in Sough Bohemia. Among others, he also founded nearby Bezdrev Pond.

In the 16th century Hluboka was in the ownership of the lords of Hared. In 1581 Baltazar Maio da Ronio reconstructed the castle for Adam Hradec, converting it into a Renaissance chateau. During the Thirty years war Hluboka was the seat of the imperial general don Baltazar de Marradas, who surrounded it with and extensive fortification system.
The interiors of Hluboka castle contain many artistic objects gathered by Schwarzenbergs. Along with valuable furniture hunderts of paintings could be found. Most valued are Bernard Luini’s, Lucas Cranach’s and Jan Jiri Hamilton’s paintings. Unique is collection of 57 flam’s wall carpets, most of them collected in 17th and 18th century. Most valued of them are Brusel’s gobelins of Baudouin van Beveren, inspired by models of Jacob Jordaense on national proverbs.
The biggest hall is the library with a panel ceiling, transferred to Hluboka from the family castle of the Schwanzenbergs. The armory at Hluboka is of a very high standard. The Gothic Revival chapel is dominated by the late Gothic altar with carved folding wings.
You will be able to admire the magnificent collections of furniture, tapestries, porcelain, paintings and historical weapons.
Today’s appearance comes from the reconstruction hold during 1841-1871, made according the project of Wien’s architect Frantisek Beer. Later the construction was directed by Damas Deworecky. The reconstruction took almost 30 years. Outbuildings which did not fit dignity of the chateau were destroyed. The baroque chateau was rebuilt into romantic castle in English Thudors Gothic style.
Apr29
Published by Asya in Asia, Cultural, History, Japan, Monuments, Parks, Walking

Nijo-jo is located in the central of Kyoto, Japan and is the castle of the Edo Period.
Nijo castle was completed in the 17th century by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868) as a temporary residence for his visits to Kyoto. In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of the Nijo Castle. The construction was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

Iemitsu also added the Honmaru (”main castle”) including a five storied castle tower to Nijo Castle. However, the original honmaru structures were destroyed by fires in the 18th century, and the present building was moved there from the Imperial Palace in 1893. The central keep or donjon was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750. Built as a symbol of his power, the castle is filled with many fine works of art, including beautiful paintings of trees and animals by some of Japan’s most famous artists of the period. The palace, comprising 3300 square meters, was built in the shoin-zukuri (library-style) of samurai of the Momoyama Period. One of the castle’s most intriguing features is its so-called nightingale floors. To protect the shogun from real or imagined enemies, the castle was protected by a moat and stone walls.

There are 3 Gardens in the castle, the Ninomaru garden constructed in the Edo period, the Honmaru garden constructed in the Meiji period, the Seiryuen constructed in the Showa period. There is a grand audience chamber (Ohiroma) in which the historical Restoration of Imperial Rule was decided, and there are also splendid wall paintings and paintings on sliding partitions as well as an elegant garden with huge rocks which is considered to have been designed by the famous landscape artist Kobori Enshu. In the center of the garden is a large pond containing three islands connected by four bridges. Horai, the central island, represents the Island of Eternal Happines and is flanked by Turtle Island (Kame-jima) and Crane Island (Tsuru-jima), both symbols of longevity. Waterlilies, plants, and rocks augment the beauty of the garden. It is really a very beautiful and peaceful garden, the garden alone is worth the trip to Nijo-jo. There are two tea houses and more than 1000 carefully arranged stones.