Architecture trip Europe
 

Hi

Im a female architecture student in my 20s and am wanting to travel in December/Jan by myself to Europe. I have about 2 weeks and would like to see Germany, Denmark, Poland and Italy. I know this is a bit much for 2 weeks so am happy to cut it to just 2 countries. I need advise on the following:
-which two countries would be best to concur.. i am leaning towards Germany and Italy but is this practical? I am happy to maybe just see 1 city in each, for example a week in Rome a week in Berlin
- I will be traveling at the end of December and early January and am concerned about places being open
-I am very passionate about architecture and would like my trip to revolve around this, where would be the best cities to go to in each country?
- I will be alone so I am worried about my safely- which would be the safest countries/cities to visit?
- I was also wondering what would be the best way to move between counties- some people say air and others say train?

As you can well imagine the architecture of Italy is layered by the centuries and some of the best Greek antiquities are in Sicily.

BTW Barcelona probably has the most interesting architecture between the Gothic structures and the moderisme of Gaudi and Puig.

Warsaw was totally destroyed by WWII, but the architecture in Krakow is varied.

Historic architecture or modern architecture?

The Monuments (the Ten Great Buildings) or representative buildings in their settings?

Vernacular or designed?

One architect or a school?

People with a passionate interest, whether buildings or steam railroads, can happily and usefully take obsessed trips, ten cities in ten days, because they are not there to learn about French culture or eat Italian cuisine or look at the Alps. They are there to feed their obsession.

Narrow your interests with the help of my questions at the top, then go for it.

I find Rome an architectural mess. There are many, many examples of world class architecture but the layers of development spread over 4000 years and it seems to lose its synergy.

I would suggest a trip from Venice to Milan via the Brenta canal, Padua and Vicenza. Many of the buildings derive from the time of the renaissance and is mainly Greek/ roman revival. Probably the most famous and influential Western architect if the past 2000 years was Andrea Palladio. His work dominated architecture for 400 years and there are many examples of his work and influences in this area.

If you are interested in modern architecture then Spain has probably some of the most ground breaking examples of European architecture. Valencia is a good destination.

I notice you mentioned Denmark, which is also at the fore in European movement but the design is generally far more function than the modern approach in Spain. Architects such as Bjarke Ingles have a huge international following, his work is far too functional for my taste.

My wife and I are architects and our upcoming trip to Italy in September will be our 25th since 1998. IMO, Italy has everything you need.

Go to Venice. Piazza San Marco is the greatest space in all of Italy. Cruise the Brenta Canal and visit Vicenza to see Palladio's work.

Florence can't be missed and a day trip to Pienza offers a view of Pope Pius 2's truncated attempt at a city to rival Rome, designed by Rossellini.

And, of course, Rome. The ancients, Bernini, Boromini and all would keep one occupied for weeks. A day trip to Orvieto for the duomo is a must.

Take trains. Be alert and you'll be safe. God, I wish I was an architectural student again!

DRJ, your post brings back so many happy memories!

If modern architecture, Dessau for Bauhaus buildings and projects.

Venice, for the work of Carlo Scarpa.

And then Le Corbusier in France or Lutyens in England. Or Gae Aulenti or on and on.

We are architecture nuts and often travel with a friend who is even nuttier than we are ("why would I go to Norway? All they have is scenery."

I wrote a long trip report on our trip when they rented Palladio's Villa Saraceno and invited 12 friends to stay for a week of 'all Palladio, all the time'. We did not see all the villas, but we saw all that were open to the public and the exteriors of some that were not. We also have done what our wives called the "one more damned Romanesque church and I will scream" tour in France,

But we didn't try to do Palladio and Romanesque churches at the same time. So, OP, pick your top ten in Europe, learn how to buy cheap train tickets and stay in hostels, and you can see them all in your two weeks. If you don't get distracted. Or go somewhere like Rome and do one place intensively. Both are great.

Berlin has been a whirlwind of building since the government returned to home base, followed by massive commercial projects. Historic buildings are being refurbished and new towers sprout like flowers (or weeds.) Near the Brandenburg gate you can find one of archi-superstar Frank Gehry's rare commercial projects, a bank. The Bauhaus archives are housed in a very 1960s building. Daniel Libeskind's addition to the Jewish Museum is as contentious as he likes. Lots of foundation excavations, lots of construction cranes, lots of history and culture. You could be busy for a week.
If, however, you can spare a day or two, Rotterdam in the Netherlands is an on-going experiment in urban rebuilding, its whole city-centre like a living workshop.

Just spent the day in Rotterdam, the irony of destruction. There is very practical and whimsical architecture that restored the city. Very impressive ressurection.

<<I am very passionate about architecture and would like my trip to revolve around this, where would be the best cities to go to in each country?>>

Well, what architecture do you like? After all, much of Germany was bombed to ruins in WWII and rebuilt. Ditto for Warsaw. Not so for Krakow or Gdansk.

agree - unless you want to see all modern architecture Germany is not for you - so many cities were bombed to oblivion in the war.

If you want a contrast to Italy head to Prague - which was NOT bombed in the war and where you can see the entire history of the city in it's architecture -and will be a complete change to whatever place(s) in europe you decide to see.

But as others have said - what type of architecture - original greek or roman or any one of the dozens of options up to the last few years.

There is still plenty of architecture to see in Germany for instance in central Munich, Berlin is a good option but it depends on what sort of architecture you want to see. There is certainly some interesting modern architecture in Denmark eg housing project in Ørestad or the aquarium. For art deco, I would suggest Riga. For rococo, it has to be St Petersburg.

Worth a look, maybe.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...-bombed-in-war

<i>or instance in central Munich</i>

All reconstructed. Tracks were placed to the center fo town to remove the rubble after W.W.II

Does it matter if it is reconstructed? There are still interesting buildings to see.

The Paladian villas in The Veneto near Venice would certainly fit into an architectural themed trip.