19th century – Page 5 – The Unexpected Traveller

A photo of the plaque commemorating Peter the Great - Brussels, Belgium

The Belgians know Tsar Peter’s secret

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2018-02-52025-02-13
Posted in History

The National Park in Brussels, right in front of the Royal Palace, is a welcome touch of greenery in the city. But why would the Belgians commemorate the spot in the park where Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, felt violently sick?

A photo of St Christopher - Prague, Czechia

St Christopher and the Alchemist

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2017-12-182022-07-14
Posted in Legends

Prague’s Charles Bridge is adorned with statues that accompany tourists on their walk across the Vltava river. St Christopher’s statue is one of the more recent, but also full of

A photo of the castle as you approach - Konopiště, Czechia

Konopiště Castle and World War I

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2017-09-252022-12-28
Posted in History

No more than a 30-minute train ride south of Prague you can visit Konopiště castle. This is where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand travelled from when he went to Sarajevo and

A photo of the Eiffel Tower - Paris, France

The con man who sold the Eiffel Tower

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2017-04-172025-02-5
Posted in History

One of the smoothest con men who ever lived managed to fool people into buying France’s Eiffel Tower from him. Twice. His name is Victor Lustig and he was Czech.

A photo of the facade of the Mosta Church - Mosta, Malta

Egypt and Malta – Unusual Historical Connections

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2017-03-202024-06-13
Posted in Connections, History

Ask anyone in Malta to direct you to the Mosta Dome and you’ll get immediate directions. Not all churches on the island are as well-known as this one is. Not

A photo of the view from St Michael's Bastions - Valletta, Malta

The Obelisk that Moved

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2016-12-262024-04-11
Posted in History

In Malta, driving towards Valletta, you see a large obelisk amidst the many lanes of traffic fighting their way to work. This monument is Spencer Obelisk and has a connection

The Cartouche of the Two Suns - Prague, Czechia

The Two Suns of Prague

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2016-12-192022-11-20
Posted in Legends

An enigmatic cartouche of two suns watches you as you walk up to Prague’s famous Castle complex. On either end of the suns, two faces in profile look in opposite directions;

A photo of the Bosphorus Bridge from Beylerbeyi Palace - Prague, Czechia

Slapping a French Empress in Turkey

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2016-02-152024-04-24
Posted in History

Once you cross the Bosphorus Straits from Europe to Asia, one of the first places you can visit is Beylerbeyi Palace. This is where you would slap a French Empress

A photo of the organ at the Votivkirche - Vienna, Austria

How to Celebrate a Failed Assassination

Posted by Antoine P Borg
Posted on 2015-03-302020-09-22
Posted in History

As you head north-by-north-west from the city centre of Vienna, the old centre of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it won't be long before you reach the Ringstrasse that marks the old walls of the city. There, in Sigmund Freud park, you can see the Votivkirche ⛪️

Tag: 19th century