Castles of Bellinzona

Since I happen to be in Bellinzona Switzerland on a business trip, I thought I would take a break from our trip to England in 2008 and show you a picture of one of the castles of Bellinzona.

In Medieval times, Bellinzona occupied a strategic spot, and therefore became more and more fortified over time. The result for us today is the three castles of Bellinzona. The picture is from inside Castelgrande. These castles are a World Heritage Site.

Although they do not compare to the Tower of London or Warwick Castle, these castles are charming as is the town. If you are ever in the southern part of Switzerland near the Italian border, take time to visit Bellinzona.

The View from Tower Bridge

This is the view from the walkway between the towers of Tower Bridge. I took this picture looking up river.

Just left of center in the distance is St. Paul's Cathedral.

Right of center near the bottom is HMS Belfast. It is a light cruiser that saw active service during World War Two in the Royal Navy. It is now a floating Navy Museum.

Tower Bridge

This is Tower Bridge not London Bridge. London Bridge is a plain non-descript bridge just up river from here.

Tower Bridge was built 800+ years after the Tower of London, but was designed to match the ancient architecture. Hidden behind the facade is the engineering marvels of Victorian England. It is a draw bridge that was designed to work using stream power. I am told that while using steam, it never failed to open, but since being switched to electrical power, it has failed.

The Tower Bridge Exhibit gives you access to the walkway between the two towers of the bridge. The Exhibit also explains the history and design of the bridge. I think just the view from the walkway is worth the admission price.