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

Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture

I used to think that Ibiza was only beaches and discos, two things I don't like that much, but apparently there's a lot more than that. For example, a fortified town and a unique marine life

Ibiza Upper Town

This postcard was sent by José

Ibiza, also known as Ibiza Town, is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza in the Balearic Islands autonomous community.

Although called Ibiza in English and Spanish, the official name is the Catalan Eivissa (as restored in 1986) and its inhabitants call it the Vila d'Eivissa or simply Vila ("Town"). It is divided into two main parts: the old town, called the Dalt Vila (literally "Upper Town"), located on a little mountain by the sea, and the modern part, called the Eixample ("extension").

Ibiza Upper Town

This postcard was sent by José

Sights include the cathedral of Santa Maria d'Eivissa (14th century), located at the top of the Dalt Vila, and the Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins. Nearby is also the monument of Christ, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a 23-metre-high (75 ft) statue inspired by Christ the Redeemer, which is 3.1 miles (5.0 km) north of the city. - in: wikipedia

Royal Domain of Drottningholm

This was not my first postcard from Sweden but it was my first UNESCO site from there.

Drottningholm Palace

 This postcard was sent by Merja

The Drottningholm Palace (Swedish: Drottningholms slott) is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. Built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), it is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a regular summer residence of the Swedish royal court for most of the 18th century. Apart from being the private residence of the Swedish royal family, the palace is a popular tourist attraction. - in: wikipedia

Ir.D.F. Woudagemaal (D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station)

This is the largest still operational steam-powered pumping station in the world, built to prevent floods.

Ir.D.F. Woudagemaal

This postcard was sent by Saskia

The Wouda Pumping Station at Lemmer in the province of Friesland opened in 1920. It is the largest steam-pumping station ever built and is still in operation. It represents the high point of the contribution made by Netherlands engineers and architects in protecting their people and land against the natural forces of water. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/867

Van Nellefabriek

This factory in Rotterdam  is considered a prime example of the International Style and one of the most beautiful factories in the world

Van Nellefabriek

This postcard was sent by Mike

Van Nellefabriek was designed and built in the 1920s on the banks of a canal in the Spaanse Polder industrial zone north-west of Rotterdam. The site is one of the icons of 20th-century industrial architecture, comprising a complex of factories, with façades consisting essentially of steel and glass, making large-scale use of the curtain wall principle. It was conceived as an ‘ideal factory’, open to the outside world, whose interior working spaces evolved according to need, and in which daylight was used to provide pleasant working conditions. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1441

Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht

Amsterdam is one of the cities of my top 5 "must visit"

Keizersgracht Canal

This postcard was sent by Kim

Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than one hundred kilometers of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. - in: wikipedia

Defence Line of Amsterdam

The Defence Line of Amsterdam consists of 45 forts around Amsterdam built between 1880 and 1920. So far I only have a postcard of one of them

Fort Pampus

This postcard was sent by Kim

Pampus is an artificial island and late 19th-century sea fort located in the IJmeer near Amsterdam. It now belongs to the municipality of Gooise Meren and is open to visitors.

The fort is built of bricks and concrete. The fort has an oval shape and the main building has three floors. On the ground floor were the troops' quarters, kitchen, laundry, two coal-fired steam engines of 20 hp, two dynamos, telegraph, first aid station, and magazines. in: wikipedia