tower

Sforza Castle/Castello Sforzesco in Milan; Italy

Sforza Castle | Milan, Italy

Sforza’s Castle in Milan is one of the city’s focal points. Despite this, it is often overlooked in photographs depicting this northern Italian city. Sforza’s

Kutná Hora in Czech Republic (St Barbara's Church)

Kutná Hora | Czech Republic

Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic is located only 51 kilometers from Prague. For centuries it even competed for supremacy with the capital of modern

View of the Fanar - Al-Fanar Islamic Cultural Centre; Karat

The Fanar Mosque in Doha | Qatar

That “spiral” tower in the photo is the “Fanar” mosque, which is part of the Al-Fanar Islamic Cultural Centre in Doha. It is probably one

Al Thakhira Mosque near Al Khor; Qatar

Al Thakhira Mosque | Qatar

The mosque located in the town of Al Thakhira is one of the oldest historical monuments in Qatar. The town itself is located just outside

Al Khor city in the north of Qatar

Al Khor city | Qatar

The city of Al Khor is located in the north of Qatar – only 57 kilometers from Doha. The town attracts locals, but also tourists

Pena Palace in Sintra in Romantism style; Portugal

Pena Palace in Sintra mountains | Portugal

We found the fairy-tale glow of the castle, which contrasted the evergreen hills of Serra da Sintra, quite unique. Each part of it had different paint and almost gave an impression of a separate building, taken out of different worlds, but with its own imaginative ornaments.

Quinta da Regaleira Gardens and Initiation Well in Sintra, Portugal. View from above.

Quinta da Regaleira Gardens and Initiation Well | Sintra, Portugal

This inverted tower – Initiation Wells, is one of the most intriguing parts of the Quinta da Regaleira Gardens. Climbing this tower was much like climbing any other tower, the only difference is that… it is buried underground. Looking at this photo today now sends a shiver up my spine.

Milano Bosco Verticale (“Vertical Forest”) in Italy.

Bosco Verticale | Milan, Italy

The Bosco Verticale – “The Vertical Forest” was one of the most unique buildings I had ever seen in Milan. There were 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 floral plants that had been imbedded against the two towers. The towers were built in this style, to reduce smog and increase oxygen levels.  

San Gimignano and the San Gimignano vineyards, Italy.

San Gimignano and The Vineyards | Italy

San Gimignano is known in Italy as “the Town of Fine Towers”. The towers of this medieval town are visible from every point you approach on the hill that it stands on. The dozens of tower-houses are a symbol of San Gimignano but, it’s not the only symbol of this place – another, is the vineyards with the famous Vernaccia grapes!

Venice St Mark’s Square with St Mark’s Basilica and St Mark's Campanile – summer in Italy

St Mark’s Square | Venice, Italy

Piazza San Marco, internationally known as St Mark’s Square gained its own nickname “La Piazza” – THE Square, and I think it says a lot about Venice’s importance. There is a legend that Napoleon called it “the drawing room of Europe”. In our day, I would say the “photographing room of Europe”.

Island in the Venice Lagoon – Burano and San Martino Church with the Leaning Tower, Italy

Burano and San Martino with the Leaning Tower | Venice, Italy

The Burano, with its distinctive colours, was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I later learned that there was a purpose behind the colour-toned design. During the golden age of development of Burano, if a house owner wanted to paint his belongings, he had to apply to Burano’s government for a colour. The government would only allow a few options of colours of choice.

Belem Tower in Lisbon on an evening, Portugal.

Belem Tower | Lisbon, Portugal

Belem Tower was built in the 16th century from limestone as part of a defense system on Tagus River and was a built as a ceremonial gate of Lisbon. This, however, is not the only reason why this tower is so famous and why it remains a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Belem Tower is a symbol of the Portuguese maritime travels during the Age of Discoveries.

Clock Tower (Sahat Kula) in Podgorica, Montenegro. Sight from Ottoman times.

Clock Tower (Sahat Kula) | Podgorica, Montenegro

Podgorica city centre is unlike any other city I have ever seen in my life. I expected small shops and touristic places in the middle of the capital Montenegro. To my surprise, the centre was sprinkled with small houses! On this side of the district though, you can see the Clock-Tower, which dates right back to the Ottoman times.

Puerta de Europa represent modern architecture in Madrid, Spain. This photo of the twin towers was made during a sunny day in February.

Puerta de Europa – Modern Architecture | Madrid, Spain

“Puerta de Europa” – the “Gates to Europe” in Spanish are also known as KIO towers. Each tower is 114m high and they are the second tallest twin towers after the “Torres de Santa Cruz.” They were both built with the initial thought of being 15 degrees at an incline, the same way they were made back in 1996. Once finished, they were the first inclined skyscrapers in the world.

Photo of the Prague Castle during summer sunset taken from Tower of Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic.

View from the Tower of Charles Bridge | Prague, Czech Republic

Charles Bridge has two towers – one from the side of old town and one from the Mala Strana district. This one closer to the old town is open for visitors. Originally, I planned to take photos of just the bridge, but there were simply too many tourists. So, I went up hoping to have some good composition from the tower, where I would have city view and the sunset together in one shot.

Night photo of Thessaloniki White Tower and the light trails along Leof. Nikis Street.

White Tower light trails | Thessaloniki, Greece

In ancient times on the place of the White Tower there has been a Byzantine fortification. In the 15th century, when the city fell under Ottoman Rule, the construction has been used as a prison and also as a place for mass executions, which explains why its name was ‘The Red Tower’ then. As soon as the Greeks were free from the Ottoman Rule in the beginning of the 20th century, they whitened the construction and gave it the name “The White Tower”, as a symbolic purification from the burden of the past.