Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches

Ávila is known as the Town of Stones and Saints because of the large number of Romanesque and Gothic churches

Ávila

The city of Ávila is located in the centre of Spain, in the Autonomous Community of Castile and León. Founded in the 11th century to protect the Spanish territories from the Moors, this 'City of Saints and Stones' has maintained its medieval austerity, and is the birthplace of St Teresa and burial place of the Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada. This purity of form can still be seen in the Gothic cathedral and fortifications that, with their 87 semi-circular towers and nine gates, is the most complete found in Spain. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/348

Walls of Ávila

This postcard was sent from Portugal by Joana

The Walls of Ávila in central Spain, completed between the 11th and 14th centuries, are the city's principal historic feature.

The work was started in 1090 but most of the walls appear to have been rebuilt in the 12th century. The enclosed area is an irregular rectangle of 31 hectares with a perimeter of some 2,516 meters,including 88 semicircular towers. The walls have an average breadth of 3 metres and an average height of 12 metres. The nine gates were completed over several different periods. The Puerta de San Vicente (Gate of St Vincent) and Puerta del Alcazar (Gate of the Fortress) are flanked by twin towers, 20 metres high, linked by a semicircular arch. The apse of the cathedral also forms one of the towers. in: wikipedia

Plaza de Santa Teresa and Church of San Pedro

This postcard was sent by José

The church of Saint Peter is located outside the town walls in the Plaza de Mercado Grande at the door of the Alcazar. Presents analogous with that of San Vicente. - in: wikipedia

Plaza de Santa Teresa

This postcard was sent by Marco

Wachau Cultural Landscape

I always prefer my postcards written, even if they are sent in an envelope. If they come unwritten I don't mind, the problem is that sometimes I don't remember who sent them. It's the case of the last two. The first was sent this last Christmas by Marco.

Wachau

The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans" for its high-quality wines. It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) in length and was already settled in prehistoric times. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard the Lion-Heart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V. The architectural elegance of its ancient monasteries (Melk Abbey and Göttweig Abbey), castles and ruins combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and the cultivation of vines as an important agricultural produce are the dominant features of the valley. - in: wikipedia

Melk

Melk is a city of Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube. Melk has a population of 5,257 (as of 2012). It is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery named Melk Abbey. - in: wikipedia

Krems/Stein

Krems an der Donau is a town in Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria. It is the fifth-largest city of Lower Austria and is approximately 70 kilometres (43 miles) west of Vienna.

Krems is located at the confluence of the Krems and Danube Rivers at the eastern end of Wachau valley, in the southern Waldviertel. - in: wikipedia

Kinabalu Park

This was one of the first national parks of Malaysia and the first Malaysia's world heritage site designated by UNESCO

Kinabalu Park

This postcard was sent by Zoe

Kinabalu Park, in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and scrub on the higher elevations. It has been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia and is exceptionally rich in species with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malaysia, as well as pan-tropical flora. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1012

Mount Kinabalu

This postcard was sent by Mary

Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a mountain in Sabah, Malaysia. It is protected as Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago as well as the highest mountain in Malaysia. - in: wikipedia

Mount Kinabalu

This postcard was sent by Faiza