The Town Hall of Brussels, Belgium

Everytime I see the images I took of the Town Hall of Brussels in Belgium, it always reminds me of the Town Hall of Munich in Germany. These two buildings almost look like the same.

The Town Hall of Brussels is located in the famous square called Grand Place in Brussels City. It has a Gothic architecture. Its building started in 1402 and was said to be completed in 1420.

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The oldest part of this building is its east wing. The architects who built this Town Hall were Jacob van Thienen and Jan van Ruysbroek and was engineered by Guillaume de Voghel.

It is nice to see historical architecture like this which formed part of the history of Brussels. I had the chance to visit this city last August 2010. This is only one of he images I took during my visit.

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The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

I had seen some replicas of the Pantheon building like in Paris, France, in Bavaria, Germany and if I am not mistaken also in Vienna, Austria. This time I had finally seen the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. Pantheon in Greek word means temple. The Pantheon in Rome was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.

During our visit to Rome last August 2010, Pantheon was under repair. You can see the image I took during our visit that time.

The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft). A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria Rotonda."

HISTORY:

In the aftermath of the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Marcus Agrippa built and dedicated the original Pantheon during his third consulship (27 BC). Located in the Campus Martius, at the time of its construction, the area of the Pantheon was on the outskirts of Rome, and the area had a rural appearance. Under the Roman Republic the Campus Martius had served as a gathering place for elections and the army. However, under Augustus and the new Principate both were deemed to be unnecessary. The construction of the Pantheon was part of a program of construction that was undertaken by Augustus Caesar and his supporters. They built more than twenty structures on the Campus Martius, including the Baths of Agrippa and the Saepta Julia. It had long been thought that current building was built by Agrippa, with later alterations undertaken, and this was in part due to the inscription on the front of the temple. However, archaeological excavations have shown that the Pantheon of Agrippa had been completely destroyed, and Emperor Hadrian was probably responsible for rebuilding the Pantheon on the site of Agrippa's original temple. more infos here

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Winter in Hohenfels

I know that there are some people who don't like winter time. This is the season of the year when the weather is very very cold. In fact, freezing cold that range below zero temperature. As long as the heater inside our house is working, I still love winter season. It has its own beauty which only nature can explain. I heard some people who get depress during cold gray winter. I guess they don't need to worry because there is an anxiety depression treatment for them. I felt sad to a friend who told me that she gets depress during winter time. She just need to do something which will divert her time to help her about her depression. I am thankful that no matter what season of the year it is, I still manage to do things that makes me happy and forget about depression.

Here is a very romantic scenery from Hohenfels, a municipality in Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany. This was taken last winter of January 2010.

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My Euro Travel in Warwick Castle, England

Hello folks! let's go travel again! How you love to see and visit one of the most interesting castle in England? For me, this is a very beautiful castle. I don't know why but everytime I visit a castle, I am always enchanted by its architecture and history. Do I live in the castle in my previous life? I am just kidding folks!

Here is a picture of Warwick Castle in England. I am happy to visit and spend my Halloween in this castle with a friend from England last November 1, 2008.

The interior of Warwick Castle as viewed from Ethelfleda's MoundI am striking a pose in Warwick Castle. I don't remember now which part of the castle is this. I bought a book about this castle but I left it in my friend's house in Birmingham.

LOCATION

Warwick Castle is situated in the town of Warwick, on a sandstone bluff at a bend of the River Avon. The river, which runs below the castle on the east side, has eroded the rock the castle stands on, forming a cliff. The river and cliff form natural defences. When construction began in 1068, four houses belonging to the Abbot of Coventry were demolished to provide room. The castle's position made it strategically important in safeguarding the Midlands against rebellion. During the 12th century, King Henry I was suspicious of Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick. To counter the earl's influence, Henry bestowed Geoffrey de Clinton with a position of power rivalling that of the earl. The lands he was given included Kenilworth – a castle of comparative size, cost, and importance, founded by Clinton – which is about 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the north. Warwick Castle is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) from Warwick railway station and less than 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) from junction 15 of the M40 motorway; it is also close to Birmingham International Airport. source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Castle

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The Trevi Fountain in Rome. Italy

It is always nice taking back time to return to the places we traveled. Thanks to the digital technology where we can already take digital images through our camera. I don't remember having a nodular acne during our visit to Rome, Italy last August of this year. One of the sights we visited was the famous fountain of Trevi. I had already seen one of its replica in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Strip, Paradise in Nevada. It has always been my dream to see Trevi Fountain and I am very thankful that I had finally seen it in person.

Here is an image I took during our visit to Rome last August 2010.

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St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy

It was a dream come true visiting another beautiful city in Europe. Vatican City, a city within a city is where you can see the famous St. Peter's Basilica. I can't believed it myself when I see this historical place in person. I thought it was only in my dream but that dream came true. This is one of the cities in the world that I always wanted to visit. I am very grateful that I was finally there!

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, known in as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, has a Late Renaissance architecture. It is a famous place for pilgrimage. You can also see in this cathedral the famous work of art of Michelangelo.

Here are some images I took during our visit last August 2010.

Saint Peter's Square and the St. Peter's Basilica in the background in Vatican City in Rome, Italy.

the Cupola or the Dome of Saint Peter's Cathedral. taken during our trip to Rome from August 11-14, 2010. We climbed the top of the cupola. It has 551 steps to reach it.

The interior of St. Peter's Basilica.
An amazing architecture!

In Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626. more here

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A Walk in Getreidegasse in Salzburg, Austria

Let's get going and travel Europe again! It's been a long time that I did not share about Austria. This time I am sharing about hte famous street in this city. The Getreidegasse, called in English as the Grain Lane is a busy and famous shopping street in the Altstadt or Old City of Salzburg. Good that I did not find here an ipod touch or else I might be buying one during my trip last time. Getreidegasse is one of the oldest streets in Salzburg. If you notice in my image here, you can see a lot of wrought-iron guild signs hanging above the building shops.

This street is also famous because Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a well-known son of this city was born in this street at house at no. 9. Mozart is a famous composer and musician.

I had been to this city twice and if given the chance, I will still go back here in the future. I love this city!

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Dultfest in Regensburg, Germany

Dultfest is a festival in Regensburg, a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is celebrated twice a year. The first one held sometime in May is called Maidult and the one celebrated during Autumn time is called Herbstdult. This festival is a family friendly festival compared to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Here are some images I took during our visit recently in the Herbstdult.

a kind of Ginger shaped cookies usually sold during German festivals.

various rides like the Ferris wheel can be experienced during the Dultfest.

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Remembering Panglao Island Trip

I guess this is a special post for tonight. I just remember that it is almost a year now since I had my last vacation in my home country. One of the places we visited was Panglao Island in the Philippines. I love the cabin furniture in Panglao Beach Resort and yes, the beaches here are also amazing. The water is crystal clear and the sands are so fine. It is one of the beautiful beaches I had visited in the Philippines.

It was already my second visit here and if given the chance in the future, I will still come back here. Here is one of the native but lovely kiosks in this beach resort. I simply love this place.!
the beautiful white beach in Panglao Island, Philippines. This was taken during our visit last February 2010. I had an almost three months vacation in my home country and it was so far the longest vacation I ever spent there.

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The Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy

The Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy looks like the Arch of Triumph (Arc de Triomphe) in Paris, France, the Siegestor in Munich, Germany and there are still a lot of structure around the world that looks like this. It was built to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.

The arch is 21 m high, 25.9 m wide and 7.4 m deep. It has three archways, the central one being 11.5 m high and 6.5 m wide, the lateral archways 7.4 m by 3.4 m each. The top (called attic) is brickwork reveted with marble. A staircase formed in the thickness of the arch is entered from a door at some height from the ground, in the end towards the Palatine Hill.

taken during our trip in Rome, Italy last August 2010

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The Horse Drawn Carriage Going to Neuschwanstein Castle

Hello folks! It seems that I was out in the blogosphere yesterday. It is because I was out with some friends to visit the famous castle of Neuschwanstein. I already posted some images in my Euroangel Graffiti site, so feel free to browse it.

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The image I have here is such a romantic scenery for me. I thought I can just see it in fairytale films or movies. The wintery surroundings where the trees are filled with snow and the horse drawn carriage going up to the castle were truly an amazing experience. I am happy again to visit this famous castle of King Ludwig II, king of Bavaria, Germany. More images and updates to come in my other sites.

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Prince William gives UK long-awaited royal wedding

LONDON – Prince William finally became engaged to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton, giving her his late mother's sapphire and diamond engagement ring, as Britain looked forward to its biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer almost 30 years ago.

Royal officials announced Tuesday that the couple will marry next spring or summer in London, ending years of rumored splits, reconciliations and will-they, won't-they speculation.

William is second in line to the British throne after Charles, his father. Kate and William's first child would move ahead of his younger brother Prince Harry to become third in line to the throne.

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By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Jill Lawless, Associated Press

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Remembering Oktoberfest in Munich

I had been to the biggest festival in the world three times already. The first time I experienced Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany was last September 2008. That was quite a very exciting trip. It was followed in September 2009 and then this year's 200th Anniversary celebration.

There are some changes going on every year. This year, when the No-smoking law was implemented in the state of Bavaria, it is no longer allowed to smoke inside the beer tents. If I am not mistaken, you can find cigarettes and cigar deals in some kiosks in the festival but sad to say, you can't anymore smoke inside the beer tents. Some guests and visitors were not happy about it but law is law and we cannot just ignore it.

Here are some images I took during my visits to this amazing festival.

one of the beer tents in Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

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The Citadel in Dinant, Belgium

This is a continuation of my previous post about Dinant, a city in Belgium. You can see in my images here the famous Citadel of Dinant which is a fortress that was first built in the 11th century to control the Meuse valley. It is located on top of a hill and above the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame.

The Prince-Bishops of Liège rebuilt and enlarged it in 1530; the French destroyed it in 1703. Its present aspect, with the rock-hewn stairs (408 steps), is due to rebuilding in 1821, during the United Kingdom of the Netherlands phase of Dinant's chequered history. Further fighting took place during the World War I: among the wounded was Lieut. Charles de Gaulle. wikipedia.

the inside part of the Citadel in Dinant, Belgium.
taken during our visit last August 2010.

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Sightseeing Around Bavaria

Bavaria, called as Bayern in German, is the largest state of Germany and the second most populous state of this country. It is one of the oldest states of Europe located in the southeast part of Germany.

I presently live in this state and I love it. What I love most is the beautiful scenery and romantic surroundings that you see all over the place.

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We always go for sightseeing around especially during summer time. I am quite happy that I had already seen and exeprience a lot of Bavaria. I am still hoping to see more in the future not only in Bavaria but in whole of Germany. In my own opinion, this country is truly a beautiful place to live in.
This was taken in Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest) during our sightseeing last August 2010. Such lovely scenery and nature around!

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The Marienplatz in Munich, Germany

The Marienplatz, commonly known in English as St. Mary's Square is a central square in the city of Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria, Germany. You can see here the New City Hall ( Neues Rathaus in German) which dominates this area. It is also one of the major tourist attraction in this city.

Some of the images I took during our visit last August 2010. It is always nice to see this city from time to time.

View of the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) and Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) looking westward. It was built between 1867 and 1908 by Georg von Hauberrisser in a Gothic Revival architecture style. It covers an area of 9159 m² having 400 rooms. It hosts the city government including the city council, offices of the mayors and part of the administration.

The famous Glockenspiel in the tower of the new city hall. It is a major tourist attraction in Munich. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel, performed by an apparatus daily on 11am, 12pm and 5pm.

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London Sights

It is time to share again about my Europe travel. This time I will show a bit of London, the capital of England and the largest metropolitan area in United Kingdom.

It has been two years now since I visited this city. Thanks to the many photographs I took which always reminds me of my travel in this very interesting city. We stayed in a cheap hotel in London during our visit. Since it is one of the most expensive city in Europe, I would like to suggest that you better plan your trip ahead. When doing so, you can have enough time to find affordable flights and cheap hotels in or around this city.

Here are some of the must-to see sights when you are visiting London.

1. Tower Bridge

Don't get confused with London Bridge and Tower Bridge. They are exactly different. Thanks to my friend from UK who explained to me about these bridges. Remember the song, "London bridge is falling down"? I believed you are very familiar with it. I thought it is really the London bridge that is falling down but I was wrong. The Tower Bridge is a movable or a kind of a bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames. It is a very famous symbol of London.

I have here an image for you to see. This was taken during my visit last October 2008.

2. Buckingham Palace

It is located in the city of Westminster and the official residence of the British monarch. It is also one of the major tourist attraction of this city.

3. The Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster

Since the Big Ben is just located on the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, you will surely have the chance to see both. It is said that the Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. How amazing it is to see it live!

4. The London Eye or the The Merlin Entertainments London Eye

Don't miss riding the biggest and the tallest Ferris Wheel in Europe! It is formerly called the British Airways London Eye. Some people also call it the Millennium Wheel. It was formally opened on December 31, 1999 by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. You can have a great panorama view of the city of London when riding this Ferris wheel. The Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben are very visible when your up high inside one of its capsule.

I had the chance to ride it also....alone!

5. St. Paul's Cathedral

This is where the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer took place. The cathedral is one of London's most famous and most recognisable sights. From 1710 to 1962, it was the tallest building in London and its dome is also among the highest in the world.

There are still a lot of attractions and sights in London. Some of which include Kensington Palace, Tower of London, Shard of Glass (currently under construction), Madame Tussaud's, Canary Wharf, and the 2012 Olympic Park. Don’t miss these sights – I recommend doing a London tour so that you can see and learn about London’s history and landmarks.

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Cruising Amsterdam Canals in Netherlands

If you are planning to visit Amsterdam, I suggest that you better take a cruise in its canal. They have this so-called water taxi and it is one of the best ways to see and discover this city. Amsterdam is the capital city of Netherlands. It derived its name from Amstellerdam, a dam in the river Amstel. Due to the 17th century Grachtengordel or canals of Amsterdam, it belong now to the list of UNESCO World Heritage since July 2010.

Here are some images I took during our boat cruise in this city last August 2010.

boat houses can be seen on the side of Amsterdam canals.

Amsterdam is part of the province of North-Holland and is located in the west of the Netherlands next to the provinces of Utrecht and Flevoland. The river Amstel terminates in the city centre and connects to a large number of canals that eventually terminate in the IJ. Amsterdam is situated 2 metres above sea level. The surrounding land is flat as it is formed of large polders. To the southwest of the city lies a man-made forest called het Amsterdamse Bos. Amsterdam is connected to the North Sea through the long North Sea Canal.

Amsterdam is intensely urbanized, as is the Amsterdam metropolitan area surrounding the city. Comprising 219.4 square kilometres of land, the city proper has 4,457 inhabitants per km2 and 2,275 houses per km2. Parks and nature reserves make up 12% of Amsterdam's land area.
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Villas and Hotels To Stay in Europe

Sometimes traveling or taking a vacation in Europe can be very expensive. As a frequent traveler, I already had a lot of experience to share about my travels in this continent. Finding for example cheap villas in France is quite not easy especially if it is your first time to visit this country. If you want to visit for example the capital city of Paris, there are some affordable hotels to stay. Depending on your taste and budget, you can find cheap villas especially if you are traveling with your whole families. If you are a backpacker, there are also some bed and breakfast hotels that best fit for your pocket.

Another interesting place to visit in Europe is Turkey. There are also affordable holiday villas in Turkey. This kind of accommodation is sometimes of great advantage especially if you want to feel the comfort of your own home while spending your vacation.

There are just travel tips that I want to share with you. First, plan your trip ahead. Second, try to find the most affordable place to stay in your vacation. With the help of computer and internet, you can browse online and search for cheap flights or hotels that best fit for your budget. For sure, you can have less stress and even stress-free vacation when it is plan ahead of time.

Here is the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. I took this image during my second visit in this city last August of this year.

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The Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Let's go travel in Europe again! How would you love to visit Rome and see one of the famous fountains in the world? The Trevi Fountain, called in Italian as Fontana de Trevi was created by Bernini in 1641 and was continued by architect Salvi in 1735 under Pope Clement XII.

There is a legend about this fountain that says, whoever drinks its water or throws a coin in it will surely return to Rome. That is also the reason why I threw a coin during our visit last August 11-14, 2010. The Trevi Fountain is also known for its excellent water. It is also the largest baroque fountain in Rome.

Here are some images I took during our visit last August 2010.

a detail of the Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is said to measure 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide.

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The Funny Dog in Cologne

This time I will not be sharing an image about historical buildings, monuments or any form of architecture. I will be sharing a memorable experience while walking on the vicinities of Cologne, Germany. When we were at the Cathedral square that time, we saw this dog wearing a pair of eyeglasses. The people gathered around the fountain where this dog went swimming. He was a star at that moment because a lot of people was looking at him and were laughing on his outfit. It was really funny. We enjoyed it too!

About shopping in Cologne, I guess I can't find nba shirts in any shops in this city. I believed the best way to shop for it is online. It just came to my mind because I was thinking that these shirts can be unique presents this coming Christmas holiday especially for my brothers and nephews. What do you think guys!

Have fun looking at the dog with eyeglasses!

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Meeting Friends in Frankfurt, Germany

I am finally home! The five days trip to Frankfurt and nearby cities is finally done. I was able to see and met once again some friends from my home country. They already left very early this morning to catch their flight back to the Philippines. I remember last Monday night when Roselle was asking if the hotel we stayed-in in Frankfurt has some scales to weight his father's luggage. Sad to say, the hotel don't have one. The one in charge in the reception told us that one customer borrowed it some weeks ago and forgot to return it. As we were already at the airport last Tuesday to accompany my friend's father who need to go home earlier to take care of some official function, we are happy to know that the baggage did not even reach the weight limit. He is a congressman in North Cotabato, Philippines and must go home immediately to attend a certain European Union meeting held in Manila yesterday.

That was a great opportunity spending some time with them and showing them some nice places in Germany. More updates and images to come soon!

taken last Monday in Frankfurt, Germany when I met some friends from my home country.
This is the Roemerberg (Römerberg in German) in the old city of Frankfurt.

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Finding Cheap Hotels Online

There are things we need to consider when traveling. First of all is our budget and this includes searching for cheap Hotel Deals, affordable flights or cheap train tickets. The best thing to do is to plan ahead for your vacation. I already had a lot of experience about this and it truly works. Spending an affordable vacation at this modern era is very possible through the help of computers and internet.

For example if you are looking for cheap hotels online, there are a lot of travel sites which will help you find the cheapest and affordable hotels to stay during your trip. One of these is Booking Channels. You can easily and conveniently search the list of most hotels in any countries around the world in their site. Whether you want to find an advance search or browse by city name or hotel name, their site is very easy to navigate. They also provide the descriptions and information of all of the hotels in their list.

Wherever cities and whatever types of accommodation you are looking for, Booking Channels offer the most available and cheap hotel deals online. The website is also free of use and prices include tax and fees to enable unbiased comparison.

What are you waiting for now? If you are planning for a vacation, plan your travel ahead and for sure you will get the cheapest one that fits to your pocket and budget. Thanks also to the help of computers and internet where we can plan our travel and vacation conveniently.

The image here was taken in Frankfurt, Germany. This building is the European Bank located in this city. I am happy that my friend was able to find a cheap hotel in this city during their five days stay. l I am also very thankful that I had the chance to travel and see interesting places around the globe.

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Sightseeing in Dinant, Belgium

Dinant is a Walloon city and municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. The Dinant municipality includes the old communes of Anseremme, Bouvignes-sur-Meuse, Dréhance, Falmagne, Falmignoul, Foy-Notre-Dame, Furfooz, Lisogne, Sorinnes, and Thynes.

Origins to the 10th century

The Dinant area was already populated in Neolithic, Celtic, and Roman times. The first mention of Dinant as a settlement dates from the 7th century, a time at which Saint Perpete, bishop of Tongeren (with see now at Maastricht), took Dinant as his residence and founded the church of Saint Vincent. In 870, Charles the Bald gave part of Dinant to be administered by the Count of Namur, the other part by the bishop of Tongeren, then Liège.

In the 11th century, the emperor Henry IV granted several rights over Dinant to the Prince-Bishop of Liège, including market and justice rights. From that time on, the city became one of the 23 ‘‘bonnes villes’’ (or principal cities) of the Bishopric of Liège. The first stone bridge on the Meuse and major repair to the castle, which had been built earlier, also date from the end of the 11th century. Throughout this period, and until the end of the 18th century, Dinant shared its history with its overlord Liège, sometimes rising in revolt against it, sometimes partaking in its victories and defeats, mostly against the neighbouring County of Namur.
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The Walls of the citadel in Dinant, Belgium. You can see the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral below and also the city of Dinant.

This was taken during our bus trip to Luxembourg last August 2010. We spent around two hours for sightseeing here.

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