Situated directly on the Danube, this castle not only shines with an impressive view, but also offers plenty of history. The fortress, probably built in the 14th century, was very interesting for Serbian, Hungarian and Ottoman occupiers because of its location, which is why many wars took place there and the fortress often changed hands. It is called Taubenstadt or Taubenburg because of the Roman fortification that was there before. The fortress is divided into a lower and upper castle, has a total of eight towers which are 20 to 30 meters high and one finds remains of a Serbian Orthodox church. The church is situated on the water's edge due to the rise of the Danube and is very close to the Iron Gate, another attraction on the Danube.
More information: Wikipedia - Golubac Fortress
(Image: Golubac Fortress; source: Pixabay)
The “Ulmer Schachtel” – or “Boxes of Ulm” was a sort of single-use boat, used for merchandise and passenger transportation since the Middle Ages. The mocking name “box” came to know in the 19th century, deriving from their flat shaped bottom. Nowadays the Ulmer Schachteln represent particularly the emigration of Ulm’s citizens – the Danube Swabians – and their new settlements along the Danube river from the 17th to the 19th century. The Ulmer Schachtel has a lot to do with the history of the Danube Swabians who fled their homeland in the hope of a better life. The Danube Swabians are called Franks, Palatines, Hesse, Aargau, Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourgers, Thuringians and the emigrants from many Austrian countries who from the end of the 17th century arrived in South Eastern Europe in large waves, also called "Swabian trains".
More information: City of Ulm - The Ulmer Schachtel
(Image: The "Ulmer Schachtel"; source: Donaubüro gGmbH)
It is a well-known tradition in many of the countries along the Danube river to bring bread and salt as a symbolic gift for great variety of occasions. This can be the welcoming of guests or friends, moving into a new home or entering into matrimony.
More information: Wikipedia - Bread and salt
(Image: Girls in costume with bread and salt; source: Project Tastes of Danube)
“Mărțișor” is a common present for march 1st. Called “Martisor” in Romanian or “Martenitsa” in Bulgarian, the Märzchen are composed of a red and white cord and a little dangler. It is worn by women and children from march 1st for several weeks, symbolizing spring, or as in Bulgaria a long and healthy life. The colors red and white stand for red cheeks and white hair. Martenitsas are worn until April 1st or until the first signs of spring arrive, after this you hang them on a tree or lay them under a stone, wishing for something beautiful to happen.
More information: Wikipedia - Mărțișor
(Image: Mărțișor; source: Pixabay)
Lotca is a traditional fishing boat from the Romanian Danube Delta. Nowadays, Lotca is used as a common mean of transportation for the people in the Danube Delta. Everyone in the Danube Delta has a boat because most villages in the Delta don’t have connection to the road network. The wooden boat is popular because it is simple and reliable for a duration of 50 years.
More information: Rowmania - Tourism, in romanian language
(Image: Lotcă; source: Rowmania)
In 1112, a wooden church was built at the place where St. Andrew Church in Kiev (Ukraine) stands today. The present church was inaugurated in 1767 and has been used as a Church Museum since 1968. The ground floor is seat of the Theological Academy and the Seminar of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
More information: Wikipedia - Orthodox church of Ukraine
(Image: St.-Andreas-Church; source: Pixabay)
This beautiful railway bridge, Chmarošský viaduct, is surrounded by forests and mountains and reaches a height of over 18 metres and a length of over 110 metres. Despite the ancient style, the Chmarošský viaduct was built only in 1930 and is still in operation today, connecting two tunnels of the Margecany-Červená scale railway line.
More information: Atlas Obscura - Chmarošský Viadukt
(Image: Chmarošský Viaduct; source: Pixabay)
Wikipedia defines folklore as “the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people”. This includes customs and rituals, music, arts and so on. In most of the countries along the Danube river folklore is through songs, traditional clothing and dances still very vivid. In the picture you can see three different types of traditional clothing.
More information: Wikipedia - Folklore
(Image: Folk costumes; source: Bertram Wegemer)
Whether bands, single instruments or singing, Sinti and Roma are known in all Danube countries for their excellent musicality. It is little known bout the history of Sinti and Roma, their culture and way of life, and about the difficult living conditions they are exposed to in most countries.
More information: Wikipedia - Romani people
(Image: Two Romani woman; source: from the personal archive)
The Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate icing. It is considered to be a speciality of Viennese cuisine, but is not a protected product. According to history, Prince Metternich commissioned his court kitchen in 1832 to create a special dessert. Since the chef had fallen ill, the 16-year-old apprentice Franz Sacher had to take the job - and he invented the basic form of the Sacher cake. Franz was then in his second year of apprenticeship.
More information: Wikipedia - Sachertorte
(Image: Piece of Sachertorte with whipped cream; source: Pixabay)
Thinking of cheese, one tends to think of France. And yet Slovakia offers a rich variety of sheep’s cheese, including Korbáčiky, a wattled cheese. You can get it regular or even smoked.
More information: Wikipedia - Korbáčik
(Image: Cheese on the plate; source: Nadja Hrapkova)
The gigantic colloseum of Pula is the sixth largest of its kind and is of course in Roman style. Even today it is a place full of culture and history and is still used for cultural purposes. It is not known who caused the construction, but the enlargement was initiated by Emperor Vespasian. The rooms for gladiators and wild animals are still preserved today and are located under the arena. Today, however, these rooms are home to the permanent exhibition "Olive-growing and viticulture in Istria during Roman times". The rows of spectators offer space for up to 23,000 spectators. In the past, the theatre used to be a place where large sea battles could be observed, which were specially organised at the nearby sea, but which were later replaced by water battles inside the arena. Today, as in the past, this historic place attracts people from the surrounding area and from far away.
More information: Wikipedia - Pula Arena
(Image: Pula Arena; source: Pixabay)
The Churches of Moldavia in Bukovina, Romania are a group of monasteries that stand out due to their splendidly decorated facades and are known for their colourful appearance. They are said to have been built in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Principality of Moldova and are associated with Stefan the Great, who had a monastery built for each battle he won. Some of the monasteries have been part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 1993 and 2010 respectively.
More information: Wikipedia - Churches of Moldavia
(Image: Monastery in Bukovina; source: Pixabay)
Giving colored eggs is an inherent part of Christian Easter tradition in Ukraine. However, the eggs are painted in a special way: patterns are painted on the eggs with wax and overdyed with various colors.
More information: Wikipedia - Easter egg
(Image: Painted eggs; source: Pixabay)
