Smugmug header
Paul Smit Mick Palarczyk | Features, Photos and Text
Two faces, one philosophy

Getting an impression of our work:
Portfolios
Published work
NEWS/BLOG
Questions & answers
Contact us
DOING BUSINESS WITH US:
FEATURES
PHOTOS
by region
PHOTOS
touristical subjects
PHOTOS
general subjects
PHOTOS
flowers & gardens
Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.THUERINGEN 35] 
'Goethe's garden house, Park an der Ilm, Weimar.'

Weimar is the city of Goethe. When he was twenty-six he was invited by Karl August, duke of the mini-state Sachsen-Weimar and seven years his minor, to be his personal teacher. Later Goethe became minister of mining and taxes. He improved the social climate of the miners and decreased the number of soldiers in the army, leading to lower taxes and higher prosperity for the Weimarians.

After a long journey to Italy he returned and became minister of education and director of the theatre. Everyone knows Goethe as a poet and author, but these were just two of his side-activities. He also liked to draw and was thoroughly involved with botanics, zoology, geology and colour theory. He was one of the last universal minds in history.

His garden house is another proof of his versatility. Not only did he design its garden, he designed the adjacent landscape park as well: the Park an der Ilm. In fact, he decorated it with his own romantic dreams: gothic ruins, artificial caves and antique temples.

His house proper, situated in the town's heart, is open for the public as well, but don't expect to be alone: it's the busiest attraction of Thüringen. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.SACHSENANHALT 21] 
'Ottonic abbeychurch in its stronghold, Quedlinburg.'

Maybe the most beautiful town of Germany: Quedlinburg. In 1994 UNESCO rightly took the complete town center under protection, thus creating the largest world hertitage site of the Germany.

Over a thousand years earlier Finkenherd, now a pittoresque square at the foot of the fortified hill, was an open space in the wood. Heinrich, duke of Saxonia, had left his governmental tasks  and went catching finches. The birds had to shine at the singing birds contests he used to participate in, which have continued to exist up until today. Suddenly a group of richly dressed horsemen came forward from the woods and fell on their knees for the amazed Heinrich. They were counts, dukes and nobleman, honouring him as their emperor.

Thus Heinrich der Vogler (Henry the Birdman) became the first emperor of the first Ottonic dynasty, named after his son Otto. Heinrich established his first Paltz, Quiltenburg, on the isolated mound in the forest, immediately behind Finkenherd. Around this hill, which not only holds the fortification but also a beautiful Ottonic abbey church (photos), grew the city of Quedlinburg. Her medieval centre is that big I’d advise not to take a townplan. Lose your way and let yourself be surprisedLose your way and let yourself be surprised by the coblestone alleys, the timber framed houses and the medieval squares and churches. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.MECKLENBURG 1] 
'Schlosspark Ludwigslust.'

In 1757 Christian Ludwig II, duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, moved his residence and court from the city of Schwerin to his hunting lodge. Here he erected a baroque court town that still exists today, expanded by the classicist expansions of his successors. The hunting lodge made place for a huge palace dating from the late Baroque, surrounded by an equally huge park. A century later the famous landscape architect Lenné transformed it into a romantic English landscape park, offering beautiful views on the landscapes, the waterworks and of course the palace. The only thing he left untouched were the straight canals of the original baroque design, as he was fond of the 100 year old trees growing alongside them. Which have grown another 150 years older since then... Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [AUSTRIA.NIEDER 03691]
'National Park Donau-Auen.'

Just outside the eastern gates of Vienna the quiet of nature begins. National Park Donau-Auen (Floodplains of the Danube) gives the river the chance to relax after it has left it's main water source, the Alps, behind. Old river arms revive when the water level rises, like in this picture, to become clear lakes when the level falls. Actually the Danube breathes through a net of side arms, covered in riparian forest. Life is abundand, even turtles live here in the wild. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [AUSTRIA.WIEN 04298]
'Hundertwasser-Haus.'

A public housing project (1985) by architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. His aim was to make housing more livable and green. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [VIETNAM.NORTH 21.404]
’Landscape near Tam Duòng.’

	Mountain range with wooded limestone cones west of Tam Duòng. Photo Mick Palarczyk.
Smit & Palarczyk > [FRANCE.COTEDAZUR 2714] 
'The elm of Gorbio.'

The old elm, planted in 1713, is the centre of it all. Except for the boys at night. They gravitate around the local coquette, a teenage BB. She however pays them not the least bit of attention, saving it all for the little children. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [POLAND.MAZURIA 4848] 'Krutyn landing stage.' Kruytyn, at the end of a gorgeous nature reserve, is a touristic village, not yet busy in May. Picturesque landing stages appear in the landscape, little bridges soar over our heads. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [POLAND.MAZURIA 4809] 'Angler's paradise.' An angler having all of lake Gieladzkie for himself. Photo Paul Smit.
[GERMANY.THUERINGEN 35]
'Goethe's garden house, Park an der Ilm, Weimar.'

Weimar is the city of Goethe. When he was twenty-six he was invited by Karl August, duke of the mini-state Sachsen-Weimar and seven years his minor, to be his personal teacher. Later Goethe became minister of mining and taxes. He improved the social climate of the miners and decreased the number of soldiers in the army, leading to lower taxes and higher prosperity for the Weimarians.

After a long journey to Italy he returned and became minister of education and director of the theatre. Everyone knows Goethe as a poet and author, but these were just two of his side-activities. He also liked to draw and was thoroughly involved with botanics, zoology, geology and colour theory. He was one of the last universal minds in history.

His garden house is another proof of his versatility. Not only did he design its garden, he designed the adjacent landscape park as well: the Park an der Ilm. In fact, he decorated it with his own romantic dreams: gothic ruins, artificial caves and antique temples.

His house proper, situated in the town's heart, is open for the public as well, but don't expect to be alone: it's the busiest attraction of Thüringen. Photo Paul Smit.
Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.THUERINGEN 35] 
'Goethe's garden house, Park an der Ilm, Weimar.'

Weimar is the city of Goethe. When he was twenty-six he was invited by Karl August, duke of the mini-state Sachsen-Weimar and seven years his minor, to be his personal teacher. Later Goethe became minister of mining and taxes. He improved the social climate of the miners and decreased the number of soldiers in the army, leading to lower taxes and higher prosperity for the Weimarians.

After a long journey to Italy he returned and became minister of education and director of the theatre. Everyone knows Goethe as a poet and author, but these were just two of his side-activities. He also liked to draw and was thoroughly involved with botanics, zoology, geology and colour theory. He was one of the last universal minds in history.

His garden house is another proof of his versatility. Not only did he design its garden, he designed the adjacent landscape park as well: the Park an der Ilm. In fact, he decorated it with his own romantic dreams: gothic ruins, artificial caves and antique temples.

His house proper, situated in the town's heart, is open for the public as well, but don't expect to be alone: it's the busiest attraction of Thüringen. Photo Paul Smit.
[GERMANY.THUERINGEN 35]
'Goethe's garden house, Park an der Ilm, Weimar.'

Weimar is the city of Goethe. When he was twenty-six he was invited by Karl August, duke of the mini-state Sachsen-Weimar and seven years his minor, to be his personal teacher. Later Goethe became minister of mining and taxes. He improved the social climate of the miners and decreased the number of soldiers in the army, leading to lower taxes and higher prosperity for the Weimarians.

After a long journey to Italy he returned and became minister of education and director of the theatre. Everyone knows Goethe as a poet and author, but these were just two of his side-activities. He also liked to draw and was thoroughly involved with botanics, zoology, geology and colour theory. He was one of the last universal minds in history.

His garden house is another proof of his versatility. Not only did he design its garden, he designed the adjacent landscape park as well: the Park an der Ilm. In fact, he decorated it with his own romantic dreams: gothic ruins, artificial caves and antique temples.

His house proper, situated in the town's heart, is open for the public as well, but don't expect to be alone: it's the busiest attraction of Thüringen. Photo Paul Smit.
See photo in gallery
All rights reserved. No permission for reproduction, including copying or saving of digital image files or text, is granted without prior written authorisation from the author.