Medieval Rothenburg's most famous photo op, Siebers Tower (Siebersturm) as a backdrop for the yellow timber-frame house of the Plönlein square. On a December morning both were consumed in a heavy fog from the Tauber river.

Colmar is the largest city in the southern part of the Alsatian Trail in eastern France. The area is stunning during Christmas, offering one of the greatest Christmas markets in Europe. The architecture is a blend of French and German as the border has bounced between theses two countries over time. Now Colmar looks to be the best of both.

I wasn't sure this scene was the right one for Bruges upon completion. But I am looking to offer a variety of cityscapes, and the trees really differentiate this one from the rest. So here it is, the lovely Lady of Bruges steeple behind a crosshatching of branches along the canal at Dijver. The image is from about 2 weeks before Covid-19 shut down the world.

Vianden Castle was the first reconstructed castle I ever visited. Set above the charming town of Vianden, the castle was being harvested for building materials until it proved useful during WWII. Victor Hugo actually lived in the castle for a few years. Exterior reconstruction has been ongoing since the late 1970's. I first happened upon this town during Carnival, a band of costumed partiers (a skeleton, one guy in a gorilla suit, Vlad the Impaler, etc.) was parading through town entering every unlocked door to play their tuba and beat their drum. I returned that summer to see a Russian horror surfer band (the Messer Chups). Good times.

Located in the Princess Street Gardens between old and new town the towering Scott Monument offers a view of Edinburgh that's second to none - for those willing to climb to the top. The last 20 steps or so I had to turn sideways to squeeze to the upper-most level. At Christmas time this area hosts a Christmas market and carnival. Somewhere around the mid-point of the climb I was eye level with people riding the Star Flyer. The monument's silhouette was quite the sight at sunset.

When looking for ancient sites in Europe the likely last stop is Hallstatt, a beautiful village in the mountains where human presence goes back as far as 7,000 years. Archaeological digs have revealed layers of habitation related to salt mining - a resource that, in all that time, remains unexhausted. Some have said this village is no more than an afternoon stop as there are just a handful of attractions. But I think if the surroundings don't count as attractions you need your eyes checked! I was there 3 days and wished it had been longer.

The northernmost piece of what was once Yugoslavia is the beautiful country Slovenia. With dramatic mountains, extreme caves and idyllically blue waters the beauty of Slovenia is unbelievable. Its capitol, Ljubljana, is a charming small city with a population of just a few hundred thousand people. At it's center is The Triple Bridge, underlit at night in vibrant green.

Like Slovenia to the north, Croatia has stunning countryside and lakes but far more coastline. On the southern end is Dubrovnik, with the most stunning medieval defensive wall I've ever seen. It's a little horrifying to think that this wall was used for defensive purposes as recently as the 1990's. But today with its blue sky, crystal water and sea side cities as opulent as they are ancient, Croatia is a must see medieval destination. This paintings name is Croatian, translating to Old Pathway, New Journey

Seeking out medieval destinations I happened upon Chester, just east from the northern corner of Wales. It was around in medieval times but actually dates back to Roman occupation. With an architectural approach not seen elsewhere in England and the only original defensive wall that still fully encircles the city, Chester is a real UK standout.