castle Bourscheid Photo

Photographer’s Note

Bourscheid castle is located on an isolated promontory, accessible only from the north-west, 150 meters above the level of the river Sûre and 370 meters above sea level. Even today the ruins testify of an impressive fortification covering a surface of 12.000 square meters (151 meters long, 53 meters wide) and surrounded by a massive ring wall with 11 watchtowers. Bourscheid is an excellent example of the medieval castle tradition.

The centre of the enclosure came into being around the year 1000 when a stone construction replaced an earlier wooden defense structure. Archaeological excavations have yielded traces of Ottonian, Carolingian, Merovingian end even Roman times. Initially, the little square near the tower with its "palas" and chapel was surrounded by a circular wall with at least 4 towers. Only the tower and the circular wall remain of this first construction dating from the romanesque period. The manifold building ornaments in the form of ears ("opus spicatum") are a characteristic of this part of the castle.

Shortly after the year 1350 the extensive circular wall was begun. It was finished in 1384, the same year in which the Stolzemburger house in the lower area of the castle was erected (notice the fine basement in gothic style). As the circular wall with its 8 towers now offered better protection to the core of the castle, the "palas" in the upper area was increased to a height of at least 10 meters, which corresponds to 4 storeys. A bakery-house was added on the top of a two-level dungeon hewn into the naked rock. The warden's house with its two towers formed the entrance to this castle.

Behind the gateway, which was built only after 1477, a ditch protected by 4 towers barred the access to the upper and the lower castle. http://www.luxembourg.co.uk/

The day that I took this photo we had bad weather, there was almost no sun and it was a little bit rainy. The castle is nice, high and fotographic very intersting. I hope you like it too.

jmdaoudal, oochappan, chinchini, jhm, nwoehnl, papagolf21, S5000, ChrisJ, Gix, Galmeida, jpdeloof, apazevedo, Kenny10pin, hojper, orme, eska has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

oochappan (22032) 2004-12-17 12:34

Mooi kader Jaap met die muur op het eerste plan in contrast met de zachte kleuren van het landschap ... ( PS tijd is aant korten )

chinchini (27841) 2004-12-17 12:46

Très belle composition avec des murs en ruines montrant parfaitement leurs structures en pierre et terre, et une très belle profondeur avec la vue plongeante sur la vallée.
Bien vu Jaap.

jhm (83446) 2004-12-17 13:23

Jaap, het werkt blijkbaar aanstekelijk om eens in de archieven te gaan kijken en dit is een zeer mooie uit Luxemburg, de rivier beneden met het kleine dorp geven een mooie diepte, letterlijk en figuurlijk, het verzicht is gigantisch, mooie kleuren ik hou wel van deze Jaap. Prachtig werk met goed nota!

nwoehnl (120) 2004-12-17 15:14

Not a bad result you got during the inclement weather, Jaap. Old castles are one of my favorite photo motives, so this one is really nice for me to see. You made a good use here of the stair-shaped wall remains in the foreground, as a framing device for the Luxembourg countryside that is unfolding in the background. Good depth that is supported by the small river and the roads leading towards the background.

papagolf21 (56811) 2004-12-17 18:12

Cher Jaap,
Très belle prise de vue Jaap. Quel magnifique spectacle. Si l'on s'approche un peu du muret (il ne faut pas avoir le vertige) le panorama doit être grandiose.
Un grand merci pour le partage Jaap.

S5000 (4) 2004-12-17 18:55

Well done on this image. excelent use of DOF, clear and detailed.
Well done

Mike

ChrisJ (70443) 2004-12-17 22:23

Hi Jaap

I like the texture in the stonework, as well as the u shaped composition & the fine view of the background valley.

jmdaoudal (82) 2004-12-18 4:06

Great view from here! This is well composed whith this front old wall. Nice point of view for the photographer, the same than these people in the old time to prevent from invasions.
Dof is good everything perfect as usual.
Tu for the note.
And for the photo
Jean Michel

PixelTerror (86957) 2004-12-18 5:57

Hi Jaap, nice view, this old view opens up the view to the valley that gives the photo a nice perspective and depth. I like too the excellent stone details.

jpdeloof (2546) 2004-12-18 10:04

Cet avant plan d'une grande netteté donne une certaine profondeur au paysage.
JP

manny (21378) 2004-12-18 11:51

Nice use of foreground. It establishes the depth. Good subtle coloring.

Gix (3559) 2004-12-18 14:47

Nice compo Jaap, is nice to look at the river with the wall as a frame. If i can to say it, perhaps a stronger crop of the overexposed clouds can be interesting to concentrate the attention to the valley.
Really a nice place, and thanks for the rich note!
ciao, Giorgio

waskahegan (0) 2004-12-18 17:19

de mooie foto van een mooi land, de mening is goed van waar u bent, deed u goed in het omvatten van de stenen in de voorgrond.

maphoto (8076) 2004-12-18 17:23

Great view into this valley Jaap, excellent choice with this wall on the right, nice framing, well done.

jp80 (8437) 2004-12-18 17:53

A nice one, with a great DOF, which let us appreciate all this lovely landscape. Good sharp too. Thanks Jaap !

Pascal

Galmeida (12559) 2004-12-19 5:47

Fine landscape perspective taken from the wall of the castle. The colors are good and the view have a nice composition, For me I will sharpenned a litlle bit this photo, but is only my modest opinion. Good work!

apazevedo (5469) 2004-12-20 18:51

Very good one, Jaap; in spite of the weather, you managed everything very well, I like the textures of this wall and also the excellent perspective and depth, as well as the green fields in front. Good work!

Kenny10pin (19301) 2004-12-22 6:08

Very good note here, I like the scenery down below, very good foreground too, really well done

hojper (2830) 2004-12-22 12:14

Of course I know the place, and how well you have succeded in showing both castle and the lovely view of the valley. And those views are not easy to catch because the weather often is grey and overcast. That one detail of the ramparts is very impressive. And a vertical landscape is always interesting.

Hanssie (9133) 2004-12-22 15:52

With the wall as a great and heavy frame, great view on the landscape, I also like the few flowers on the wall here, nice total-picture, Jaap !

orme (6746) 2004-12-23 9:57

A perfectly framed shot, Jaap. The detail and texture of the wall is great. I like the depth, with the beautiful shades of green in the distance. Well seen and framed.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

eska (520) 2006-04-11 7:41

Hi Jaap.I was going to post a picture from Bourscheid i have taken in May last year (2005). But since it was taken from the same spot you took this one I left it home. The weather was the same, just little more foggy and some of the fields on the horizon are yellow. Your shot shows very well why the castle was build there, good spot for projecting the military might. I guess if I like yours then, why, my picture must be good too. ;-)
Chris