OUR TRAVELS
Photos of sightseeing enthusiasts
A TRIP ROUTE
INTERESTING FACTS
John I of Luxembourg, known as the Blind, was count of Luxembourg, king of Bohemia and titular king of Poland from 1310 to 1335. He limited his claims to the throne to the former kingdom of Przemysł II (i.e. Greater Poland and Pomerania). In 1327, he decided to also claim the Polish heritage of Wenceslas II. The expedition of Czech troops stopped only at the gates of Krakow and only an effective diplomatic intervention by Hungary, whose interest did not lie in the liquidation of Władysław Łokietek kingdom, saved it from becoming dependent on Bohemia. In the following years, John of Luxembourg paid homage to Upper and Lower Silesia, the duchy of Breslau and Masovia. In 1335, at the congress in Visegrád, Casimir the Great purchased Czech rights to the Polish crown for the then enormous sum of 20 thousand kopecks of Prague groschen (twice the annual income from the salt mines in Wieliczka). In 1345, due to the Luxembourg invasion of the duchy of Świdnica, the Polish-Czech war broke out. When the Czech king unsuccessfully besieged Kraków for eight days, his troops were defeated at Miechów and Będzin, which forced him to sign a truce. John of Luxembourg died in 1346 in the Battle of Crecy, and his remains rest in the crypt of the Luxembourg cathedral.
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
The tapestries located at the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill were ordered, purchased and brought by Sigismund II Augustus in Brussels, which was the main centre of this type of weaving in the 16th century. Made according to the designs of Dutch artists, they represent the highest artistic level: they are woven with wool, silk, silver and gold threads (weaving density 7 to 8 warp threads per 1 cm). They bear the weaving marks of workshops that carried out orders from great figures of Europe at that time, emperors, kings, secular and church dignitaries. These are the marks of Pieter van Aelst, Jan de Kempeneer, Willem de Kempeneer, Jan van Tieghem. The collection made in Brussels for the Polish king in the years 1550-1560 could originally have numbered about 170 pieces, currently 138. The set of tapestries in the chambers of the Wawel Royal Castle is the only movable remnant of the interior furnishings of the Krakow castle from the Renaissance. It consists of several series with different themes, representations, dimensions and formats, which were made in different workshops. These include: the biblical series, verdures and heraldic and monogram tapestries. All tapestries form a coherent whole, connected by the same ornamental pattern, made of interwoven ribbons and appearing on all fabrics, as well as common technical and material features. (source: wikipedia.org)
INTERESTING STORIES
By virtue of the provisions of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Belgium was united with the Netherlands and Luxembourg into a single state under the rule of William of Orange, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The ruler favoured the Dutch when filling important positions, which caused dissatisfaction among the Belgians. After the successes of the revolution in France in 1830, the Belgians took up arms and on 18 November 1830 proclaimed the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands. The established order in Europe was guarded by the Holy Alliance, an alliance of Prussia, Austria and Russia. Tsar Nicholas I decided to intervene, ordering the mobilisation of the army of the Kingdom of Poland in november. The prospect of sending Polish soldiers as an intervention corps to Belgium was one of the external impulses that accelerated the decision to break out the uprising. The armed uprising of the Poles thwarted the plans for the intervention of the Holy Alliance in the Netherlands. The awareness of the fact that Belgium's independence had been largely saved thanks to the November Uprising was very high in Brussels, and the organization of the Belgian army was entrusted to the leader of the uprising, general Jan Skrzynecki. This was remembered even many years later, when in 1920 the Belgian royal family got involved in providing aid to Poland defending itself against the Bolsheviks.
Belgium, Luxembourg
August 2024
When I went to Belgium, I knew what to expect. Rich medieval cities, full of magnificent monuments, whose power grew from the wool and cloth trade, weaving and diamond trade, fully deserved their fame. Their rulers successfully ensured that the past blended harmoniously with the present.
I wandered for hours through the picturesque streets of Bruges or Ghent, surrounded by fabulously colorful tenement houses and interwoven with canals, always coming across something new and original. The cherry on the cake turned out to be the local museums, full of wonderful masterpieces of painting and applied art. An unexpected discovery for me was the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, intersected by forested valleys and dotted with fortified castles, palaces and residences. However, the biggest surprise was the information that in Luxembourg all public transport within the principality is free. It's a pity that it's only here.Brussels
Brussels greeted me with futuristic architecture, but the capital of Belgium is not only the seat of the most important EU institutions. This thoroughly cosmopolitan city delighted me with its magnificent monuments and the openness of its inhabitants. The most spectacular place was the Unesco listed Grote Market with its impressive town hall and guild houses. Just before returning, I also had the opportunity to admire the famous flower carpets that cover the market square every two years.
Ghent
Ghent boasts magnificent monuments from all periods of history. Some of them, like the impressive Belfort, have been placed on the Unesco World Heritage List. However, what drew me to the city was the Ghent Altarpiece by the Dutch painters Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Admiring the masterpiece, also known as the "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", in one of the chapels of the cathedral of St. Bavo was an unforgettable experience for me.
Bruges
Bruges is often called the Venice of the North, and there is no exaggeration in this statement. Picturesque streets intersected by canals can delight even the biggest malcontent. Thanks to its wonderfully preserved monuments, the entire historic city centre has been included on the Unesco World Heritage List. Bruges is also wonderful churches and rich museums. In one of them, the Groeninge Museum I admired masterpieces by Hieronymus Bosch, Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling and many other artists.
Antwerp
Of all the Belgian cities I visited, Antwerp made the least impression on me. Maybe it was the fair in the city center that made sightseeing difficult, the confusing buildings of the Grote Markt, the fatigue of the journey, or the bad weather. I more than made up for it by admiring the masterpieces of the old masters in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. Another highlight was a visit to the Diamond Museum, for the processing of which Antwerp is famous, being the undisputed capital of the world's diamond trade.
LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, listed on the Unesco list, was the largest fortress of the Habsburgs. A large part of the defensive walls were demolished, but fortunately the medieval fortifications and bastions from the 17th and 18th centuries in the eastern part of the city have survived in good condition. Visiting the mighty fortifications on the Alzette River, I felt completely lost by their size and dimensions. The only thing that remained in my memory was the Dent Creuse tower, a relic of a fortress built in the 10th century by Count Siegfried.
Valley of Seven Castles
While visiting Luxembourg I noticed signs advertising an attraction called the "Valley of the Seven Castles". It looked very inviting, so I decided to go on such a trip. I walked almost 15 km and despite the sunny weather and picturesque views, the trip turned out to be a failure. I only visited the beautiful garden at Grand Château d`Ansembourg, because the castles were either closed or under restoration.
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