GERMANY POSTCARDS COLLECTION

SWEDEN POSTCARDS COLLECTION

STOCKHOLM (Old Town) Capital City

Stockholm, SWEDEN

Thanks to Merja Deb of Sweden

Received: Aug. 06, 2016

     Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in the Nordic countries.

     Stockholm’s Old Town is in the intersection of the Baltic Sea and lake Mälaren, it was first built from about 1000 CE by Vikings. Now, the present Old Town (Gamla Stan) was built on the central island next to Helgeandsholmen from the mid 13th century onward.

     Stockholm Palace is also a part of Old Town it is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch.

     Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister.

SWEDEN POSTCARDS COLLECTION

DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE

Stockholm, SWEDEN

Stockholm's major tourist attractions

Thanks to Merja Deb of Sweden
Received: Aug. 06, 2016

     The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family since 1981. It is located in Drottningholm. Built on the island Lovön, 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.

     The palace is a UNESCO World heritage Site, mainly because of the Drottningholm Palace Theatre and the Chinese Pavilion.  Since then, the Palace has also been guarded by the Swedish Military in the same fashion as Stockholm Palace.  The palace is a popular tourist attraction.

     The name Drottningholm (literally meaning "Queen's islet") came from the original renaissance building designed by Willem Boy, a stone palace built by John lll of Sweden in 1580 for his queen, Catherine Jagellon.  This palace was preceded by a royal mansion called Torvesund

Official Name: Royal Domain of Drottningholm.......Type: Cultural.......Criteria:  iv

Designated: 1991 (15^th session)…….Reference no.:  559

SWEDEN POSTCARDS COLLECTION

STORTORGET

Stockholm, SWEDEN

Stockholm's major tourist attractions

Oldest Square in Stockholm

Thanks to Merja Deb of Sweden

Received: Aug. 06, 2016

     Stortorget (Swedish. The Big Square) is a small public and most charming square in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.  It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre on which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being.

   Ever since the thirteenth century, this square has formed the heart of Gamla Stan. It is bordered by beautiful patrician houses, surrounded by coffee shops and restaurant and the entrance to the Nobel museum. Today the square mostly attracts tourists, many of whom take a break at one of the inviting cafés that border the square.

SWEDEN POSTCARDS COLLECTION

STOCKHOLM CITY HALL

Stockholm, SWEDEN

Stockholm's major tourist attractions

Thanks to Merja Deb of Sweden

Received: July 01, 2016

     Stockholm City Hall is the building of the Municipal Council for the City of Stockholm in Sweden, one of Sweden’s most famous buildings, and one of the capital's most visited tourist attractions. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfärden’s northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as ceremonial halls and unique art pieces, and the luxury restaurant Stadshuskällaren.  Design and construct by Architect Ragnar Östberg in 1911 and completed in1923.  It is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet held on 10th of December each year.

RUSSIA POSTCARDS COLLECTION

SAINT ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL OR ISAAKIEVSKIY SOBOR
Famous Landmarks of St. Petersburg
Largest Orthodox Basilica
Fourth Largest Cathedral in the World
RUSSIA

Saint Isaac's Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral (sobor) in the city. It is the largest orthodox basilica and the fourth largest (by the volume under the cupola) cathedral in the world.  It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint.

The cathedral took 40 years to construct, under French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand's direction, from 1818 and completed 1858.

The cathedral is a Late Neoclassical rendering of a Byzantine Greek-cross church. The main dome rises 101.5 metres (333 ft), plated with pure gold dominates the city skyline.

St Isaac's Cathedral is one of the most famous attractions in St Petersburg.  It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world following St Peter’s in Rome, St Paul’s in London and Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence; and the major Orthodox basilica in Russia.

Thanks to Egoshina Maria of Russia

Received: June 28, 2016