Tag Archives: Christmastime

Zell am See at Christmastime

Zell am See at Christmastime

Anyone who follows my posts will know that they’re basically a collection of travel memories for me, and hopefully some inspiration to others, and so as another Christmas approaches, I thought it was about time I wrote about Zell am See, a fabulous place to spend Christmas if ever there was one.

Zell am See is a well-known ski resort in the Kitzbuhel Alps approximately 50 miles south of Salzburg, but let me tell you straight away that I wasn’t here to go on the piste, but to enjoy Christmas in a winter wonderland – and that’s exactly what it was.

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An Innsbruck Winter Gallery

An Innsbruck Winter Gallery

Innsbruck is the capital of the Tyrol, one of Austria’s nine states, and its strategic location on the River Inn has made it an important communications hub since Roman times.

The Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian I made his home here, and to celebrate his wedding to Bianca Maria Storza in 1494, the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) building was constructed in the centre of the Altstadt. Not only is it still here, but it has also become the city’s emblem.

I think it’s fair to say though, that most people don’t come to Innsbruck for its history, but for access to the mountains, especially during wintertime when the Tyrol beckons skiers and winter sports enthusiasts. Twice the city has been home to the Winter Olympics – in 1964 and again in 1976.

Neither me nor my long-suffering wife are into winter sports, but we chose to come here around Christmastime in 2007 to get the best of both worlds, and below is a selection of pictures of the city itself, its local mountain range, the Nordkette, and the nearby ski resort of Seefeld.

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Originally posted 2020-12-03 10:52:56.

Christmas at Kew

Christmas at Kew

Kew Gardens has one of the world’s greatest collection of plants, and you can get an idea of what there is to see by taking a look at my post Kew Gardens – an Introduction, but there are other things on offer too, and one of the highlights of the year is Christmas at Kew.

Christmas at Kew involves a trail around the gardens that will enchant people of all ages. Each November, a range of multi-coloured lights are switched on to illuminate, not only the natural world of Kew, but also a variety of art installations that together give people a feel-good factor that only Christmas can bring.

If you feel like getting into the Christmas spirit then you can find all the relevant details from their website below.

https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas-at-kew

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Originally posted 2018-11-20 16:38:47.