Alter Travelers

“The value of things is not in duration, but in the intensity where they arrive. That’s why there are unforgettable moments, inexplicable things and incomparable people.” Fernando PESSOA

Lisbon out of kilter capital

In the maze of Lisbon, street art finds a natural playground and contributes to the highly-distinctive atmosphere of the city.

Peninsula: from Sintra to Setubal

If Lisbon’s place in world history is impressive, the city is by no means focused on its past, fully embracing the present. The city is also changing. Lisbon offers a mixture of styles with a unique flavor.

A Geometric Archipelago: Contemporary Lisbon

Seen from the Tagus river, the urban panorama of old Lisbon set across a number of hilltops holds some gems of contemporary architecture. The city is inventing its future here. Buildings with subtle lines and elegant curves stretch out like a rosary along the river, from the Vasco da Gama bridge to the end point of Belém and then the ocean. T

MINIMAL LISBON

MINIMAL LISBON Pushing back the horizon Built the Future Play with the lines

Iconic Australia

Australia | Along the Pacific Ocean drive

Australia |Along the Pacific Ocean drive

STREET ART MADE IN AUSTRALIA FITZROY, RICHMOND, NEWTOWN ENMORE

A mixture of extravagant frescoes, megalomaniac delusions, political engagement, appropriation and aesthetic refinement, these four areas offer an oversized playground. It is a chessboard with a changing configuration that must be traversed.

The spirit of an island: Mallorca off season

An island utopia: Mallorca in winter

From Banyalbufar to Sa Calobra, from Valldemossa to Cala d’Or or the peninsula of Formentor, the island resumes a rhythm that lies somewhere between nonchalance and neglect. The melancholy feeling of time that freezes and stops.

REINVENT LIFE, CHANGE THE WORLD! AUBETTE 1928 Modern architecture in Strasbourg: van Doesburg beyond Mondrian

Using primary colors and geometric lines as their only tools and arguments, they create a balanced, subtle space that suggests a deep harmony. In a limited area, they implement a language that dispels all the conditioning and conventions of previous eras.

FOCUS ON PRAGUE ARCHITECTURE

Prague is a city that lends itself to wandering. It offers views and perspective lines that catch the eye.

CHROMATIC PRAGUE

Above all, Prague is a whole collection of urban mythologies, in which resonates a certain European spirit. From the idea of Mitteleuropa to political and literary dissent, Prague is a symbol that has become a magnet for tourists.

PRAGUE: THE WALLS ARE WATCHING YOU

Mascarons and other decorative motifs abound, providing a survey of the human condition. Demonstrative, unusual, refined, expressive, unexpected; they make up a kind of bestiary of the human face.

STREET ART UNDER THE WALLS?

Ephemeral by nature, street art is sometimes captured and found in some rather surprising places, returning to its roots. Recently, casemates in the fortified town of Neuf-Brisach, a UNESCO World Heritage site, have begun to host just such a project. This location, frozen in time, is given a new lease on life and changes vocation. The venue is in development. It’s a work in progress punctuated by artists’ residencies.

IMAGINE DUBAÏ

Dubaï Photography collection

SHOULD YOU VISIT DUBAÏ?

There is something fascinating at the heart of Dubai. Time is its standard as it chases after a kind of satiety. The city’s two creeds must be read in a kind of superlative bidding war, the highest or the greatest, combined with an eccentric dimension. Simultaneously a futuristic city with innovative architecture, global shopping center (e.g. Dubai Mall and its giant aquarium), super-kitsch or stylishly-designed holiday resort, or intercontinental hub, Dubai is the ultimate stage.

ESCAPE TO ABU DHABI

The 3 sisters ME at the mosque Kaleidoscope Whiter than white The new Louvre Playing with light Escape movement Following the path The future of the desert Minimalist Masdar The mirror vegetation Floral arabesque Golden talks Curve Light and sky Yas Viceroy Abu…

5 REASONS TO STOP AT ABU DHABI: FROM THE DESERT TO THE CITY IN TRANSITION

Abu Dhabi balances on a knife edge, between being anchored in a centuries-old tradition and a future yet to be built, and the two are not always compatible. Sitting on oil wealth that has its limits, the attraction exercised by imported international standards, the desert as a backdrop; the capital of the United Arab Emirates is located on a chessboard comprised of contradictions and juxtapositions that are to varying degrees both radical and unique. Five stops in the city show the main outlines and question the city in transition.

WIEN MOSAIK

Between the monumental nature of its palaces and historical sites, and the need to reinvent itself and project itself forward into the future, Vienna is multifaceted. If order dominates, it invents disorder. If history is necessary, it creates lines of disruption. If tradition is too strong, it counters with a wind of freedom, amongst…

TOP PLACES TO VISIT ON YOUR FIRST TRIP IN VIENNA

The imperial or princely residences, such as the Hofburg and Albertina in the city center, the Belvedere Palace that lies further out, or Schönbrunn Palace on the city’s outskirts, are all representative of a political use of architecture. They have a dual function: to be an incarnation of the established order and to symbolize the cultural model of the dynastic and absolutist Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries. An elitist culture which is in complete opposition to popular culture.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP TO VIENNA

Here are some of our favorite sites: a mix of contemporary architecture, Grands Cafés from the Belle Epoque, the Jugendstil spirit, and unusual places. Exploring Vienna for a weekend means diving head first into a Mitteleuropa culture. If Vienna is comprised of multiple facets that lie beneath the surface, the puzzle and the spirit of Central Europe are revealed.

Airport 2.0 : Marrakech Menara

MARRAKECH, 2018 Version française en seconde partie The international airport of Marrakech subjugates by its aesthetic dimension. Playing on sensitive antipodes like full and empty, or geometric, straight lines and curves, it is like a pure diamond between the blue of the sky and the red ocher of the earth. A gigantic sphere of glass…

Escape from the Outside World in the Majorelle Garden

MARRAKECH, 2018 Between source of inspiration, a longing for elsewhere, or the search for fulfillment, the Majorelle Garden suggests the possibility of a perfect world. This enclosed space evokes to a certain degree the Garden of Eden as represented by the Flemish Primitives of the 15th century. Nature subtly meets the desire of man when…

Step out of time at the Dar Les Cigognes Boutique Hotel by Sanssouci Collection, Marrakech

MARRAKECH, 2018 Version française en 2ème partie The Dar les Cigognes boutique hotel by Sanssouci Collection***** is an amazing, intimate place. Facing the city walls in the heart of Marrakech, not far from the Saadian tombs and the Bahia Palace, a discreet entrance door opens to reveal a small, pleasurable paradise of style and well-being….

Take a Walk through Essaouira’s Fishing Port

ESSAOUIRA, 2018 Version française en seconde partie The former Mogador entrenched in its walls looks out to sea. There is still an 18th century fortress here that is classed as a UNESCO World Heriatge site. The site has been a prosperous trading post since antiquity, and a crossroads of sub-Saharan African land routes and sea…

5 ways to explore Marrakech

MARRAKECH, 2018 Version française en 2ème partie Looking out on the foothills of the Atlas mountains, Marrakech is above all a fusion of the senses. It is fed by constant movement and a frenzy of immediacy. Havens of peace punctuate the urban space amidst the tumult and continuous hubbub. Follow us as we explore what…

Portraits of Moroccans by Altertravelers

MOROCCO, 2018 Eyes that meet, expressions that form, faces that stare at or avoid the lens make up so many subtle, fragile, instantaneous interactions. A whole universe reveals itself in the eye of the camera, presenting at any given moment its uniqueness. Above all, a city’s beauty can also be seen in its inhabitants!…

5 reasons why you’ll love the Völklingen Ironworks!

Like the backbone of a whale, the Völklingen factory near Saarbrücken is the framework on which an economic and social history has been built. The drive for technological development, the organization of a capitalist system, the war effort, nationalisms, as well as its post-industrial use and development as a heritage site emerge concurrently and immediately….

The Alsace wine route’s best kept secrets: how to visit the Alsace wine route without the crowds!

Far removed from the traditional images and reviews of Alsace, we can provide you with a novel experience. Whether you are a wine lover or neophyte, we invite you to discover the region’s captivating landscape. Here is a getaway that’s out of the ordinary, and highly recommended for photographers!

[Travel to India] Portraits of Varanasi

INDIA, 2017 “Once you have felt the dust of India, you will never be free of it.” Rumer Godden “Une fois que vous aurez senti la poussière de l’Inde, vous ne vous en libèrerez jamais.” Rumer Godden The clash of cultures Varanasi, formerly Benares, is one of those places that will mark you forever. The…

Archilovers | Our selection of the best Instagram accounts

If you follow us on Instagram, you noticed that we take a lot of architecture photographies. Here is a selection of our favorite Instagram accounts, where we find inspiration and travel ideas.

Si vous nous suivez sur Instagram, vous aurez remarqué que nous prenons beaucoup de photographies d’architecture. Voici une sélection de nos comptes Instagram préférés, où nous trouvons une source d’inspiration ainsi que des idées de voyage.

Our favorite Travel Photographers on Instagram

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHERS, 2017 Because we love travel photography, we are always looking for inspiration on Instagram and on the Travel Blogs. It is time to share our favorites! Nous adorons la photographie de voyage et nous recherchons continuellement de l’inspiration sur Instagram ainsi que sur les blogs de voyage. Il est temps de partager nos…

[Stuttgart] One of the best german city for architecture lovers

Buildings stretch vertically and follow one another. These glass structures sit on a frame made of metal and concrete. Lines with undeniable formal purity and geometric shapes collide, repeating themselves almost infinitely. Chromatic variations…

[TV Tower] The best panoramic views of Stuttgart

The 210-metre tower (688 feet) was the first of its kind to be inaugurated in 1956 and became a standard model throughout the world from Toronto to Tashkent or Riga.

Le Corbusier in Stuttgart, a manifesto for a modern lifestyle: Am Weissenhof , 1927

Designed and built by the Architects of Modernity in 1927 during a housing exhibition, Am Weissenhof is an atypical district of Stuttgart, perhaps unique in Europe.

[Amsterdam] Everything you always wanted to know about history of cycling

Locals and tourists, like knights riding horses, contribute to the unique image of Amsterdam. For a neophyte, it is a special experience to feel the rush of adrenaline. And from there it is only a short step to think that Amsterdam can only be visited by bike…

Amsterdam City, beyond the horizon

Gleaming 17th century facades follow each other along circular canals. Bunches of cyclists chase each other relentlessly. Tourists dressed in their Sunday best stroll around, amazed but confused. Canal highways busy with all sorts of boats and prestigious museums decorated with long waiting lines. Large avenues with major brands, quirky side streets, fragments of ultra-modern urban planning, houseboats as a way of life, peripheral areas being redeveloped, pieces of street art scattered through the city.

10 surprising reasons to visit Rotterdam in 2017

Rotterdam is surrounded by large arterial roads that cross the city from one side to the other and wide canals that constantly greet the eye, and it opens onto an immense port that handles millions of containers from all over the world. However, Rotterdam also offers some very distinctive, unusual urban gems. If the port represents one end of the scale, the other is the mixture of an inspired, elegant skyline and redeveloped, renovated industrial buildings.

Amsterdam VS Rotterdam, Forget Amsterdam, Welcome to Rotterdam!

Rotterdam et Amsterdam sont en mouvement et cherchent des pistes pour se réinventer. Rotterdam est la ville en devenir qui ne se laisse pas apprivoiser, comme un état d’urgence qui rend sa lisibilité aléatoire et fait penser à un rubik’s cube géant. Amsterdam subit son patrimoine et son héritage et doit les dépasser en quelques sortes. Amsterdam possède les atouts d’une beauté déjà ridée quand Rotterdam est vive et espiègle. Parcourir les deux villes de manière quasi simultanée est très stimulant par toutes les oppositions qu’elles mettent en scène.

Bourj Hammoud : Dreaming of Armenia

Bourj Hammoud is a kind of coruscation, a quixotic conflation that superimposes strata of reality and emotions. It is a finite place that has no end, because its identity is composite, volatile and sometimes illusory.

Why you should discover Beirut, the intercultural capital of Lebanon

Beyrouth possède une musique particulière et sensible. Tout à la fois ouverte, sectaire, cosmopolite, standardisée, partisane, dévote et bling-bling, la ville est en devenir et son futur peut se réinventer au-delà des frontières qui la cadenassent. La ville est aussi un entre-deux temporel ou autrement dit à un tournant de son histoire.

Another Lebanon. When Tripoli turns into a beautiful cityscape.

It is a hodgepodge jumble of dilapidated facades, buildings juxtaposed pell-mell, staggered without order or organization. Considered in detail, both their architecture and urban planning are questionable.