Saint Petersburg, Russia (UNESCO)

A surprise card coming from Saint Petersburg in Russia fron Margo. It shows the confluence of the rivers Fontanka and Moika with the Mikhailovsky Castle in the background.

Union Pacific Steam Locomotive, USA

Great choice of postcard for the WiP Speed Swap. These days one wouldn't consider this Union Pacific Steam Locomotive to be a fast means of travel, but back in the time when it was invented it probably was looked at with wonder :)
It is found in the Golden Spike National Historic Site, Utah, north of the Great Salt Lake, in exactly the point where the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed on the 10th of May 1869.
This wonderful card was sent by Amanda Hakkarainen for the Wip Speed Swap.

Queen Victoria and Prince Consort Albert

I found this beautiful card when visiting the Fortress of Coburg and just had to send it home. The original picture, a photograph by John J.E. Mayall, is part of the Art Collection of the Coburg Fortress.

Tokyo, Sky Tree, Japan

The Tokyo Sky Tree is the tallest free standing broadcasting tower in the world with 634 meters and the second tallest structure in the world, only surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Ayako Yoh sent me this beautiful postcard for the WiP Extremes Swap.

Canary Islands, Mapcard, Spain

One of a series of great mapcards issued on the Canary Islands. This one shows all of them under a smiling sun :)
I sent this one home from our Canary Islands cruise last year.

Deer Valley, Utah, USA

Deer Valley is one of the top ski resorts in the USA, located in the Wasatch Range, close to Salt Lake City in Utah.
The beautiful card was sent by Susan Pierce for the WiP January General Swap.

Opera House, Vienna

I just fell in love with this card when I saw it while visiting Vienna.  It shows the beautiful opera house of Vienna, together with the premiere program of Mozart's Zauberflöte.
I sent it home to be put into my own collection :)

Veste Coburg, Germany

Veste Coburg (or Coburg Fortress) is one of the largest castles in Germany. It is located on a hill overlooking the city of Coburg in Bavaria. It was built in the 10th century. In 1530 it Martin Luther lived there for a few months. It was the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg Gotha who are related to the English royal family. The Ducal family abandoned the fortress though, to live in Ehrenburg Palace in the city of Coburg. The fortress now houses several museums and exhibitions.
I sent this card myself when visiting the city of Coburg.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veste_Coburg

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Vatican (UNESCO)

Great night view of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is built in late Renaissance style and is one of the largest churches of the world. Construction took 120 years. It started on April 18, 1506 and was completed in November, 18 1626.  Right below the main altar is the burial site of Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles and first bishop of Rome.
I have visited this cathedral myself a few years ago, and I was absolutely impressed by the size and the beauty.
The beautiful card was given to me by Mrs. Anne Loeffler who received it from friends.

Imperial Court Theatre (Burgtheater), Vienna, Austria

The Imperial Court Theatre (Burgtheater) is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna. It opened its doors for the first time on March 14, 1741. The card shows the richly decorated entrance hall with the ceremonial staircase.
It was sent by Nina Kramlinger.

Tropical Rainforest of Queensland, Australia (UNESCO)

Great card of the Wet Tropics of Queensland inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988. The card was sent by Kim  (CanberryWren) for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Fraser Island, Austraia

Great postcard showing Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island. it is a deep crater lake with crystal clear water. The sands around the lake are of pure white silica. Fraser Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was inscribed in 1992.
The card was sent by the Tuxfords.

Dublin, Ireland

Wonderful multiview card  sent by my friend Jane Thomas from her recent  trip to Dublin. The city is rich in history and has many fine buildings and streets. On the card you can see ( clockwise from top left) Trinity College, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Barrenjoey Lighthouse, Sydney, Australia

This great lighthouse card was sent by Rod Eime for the WiP Lighthouse Swap.
It shows Barrenjoey Lighthouse, designed by James Barnet and completed in 1881.

Olsztyn Castle, Poland

These are the ruins of the Olstzyn Castle in Poland, part of a system of fortifications called the Eagle's Nests, built by King Kazimierz Wielki to protect his lands. It is one of the major attractions of the city of Olstyn.
This amazing card was sent by Wanda for the WiP Letter O swap.

Arizona Mapcard, USA

Great new mapcard of Arizona for my collection sent by Rose Davenport for the WiP Fast Fives Group 5.

Point Abino Lighthouse, Lake Erie, Canada

This card showing the Point Abino Lighthouse in Canada  took a detour via Russia to arrive here in Germany. The lighthouse was built in 1918 by the Canadian government to replace the old Buffalo lightship that was lost at sea in 1913.
The card was sent by Kate (siguanea) for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Strawberry Fields Memorial, Central Park, New York

Strawberry Fields in the New York Central Park is dedicated to the memory of John Lennon and named after the Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever. The mosaic on the card, sent by Amanda Hakkarainen for the WiP January General Swap, is just one part of the memorial.

Union Church, Idstein, Germany

The protestant Union Church in Idstein was built in the 14th century. The interior was changed in the 17th century and for a protestant church it is rather unusual to be so overwhelmingly decorated. There are 38 paintings of the Dutch Golden Age School of Rubens.
I sent this card myself when visiting the town of Idstein in May 2012

Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Australia (UNESCO)

I have quite a few postcards of Uluru and Kata Tjuta already, but none of them are as magical as this card :)  It was sent by Alison Bailey for the WiP 3 Things to know about ... myself Swap. These two mountains, holy to the Australian Aboriginees, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed into the lis in 1987 with an extension made in 1994.

Saxonian Wine Trail (Sächsische Weinstraße) Mapcard, Germany

The wine reagion in Saxony is the third smallest in Germany, but wine produced there is of high quality. In 1992 the winegrowers of the area established the Saxonian Winetrail to promote not only their products but also the historical sites and to increase tourism.
This beautiful mapcard was sent by Ingrid Passarello for the WiP Map Swap.

Toscana, Italy

This gorgeous card I received via the Postcrossing Favourites Tag. I can't read the sender's name / id anymore :(  Just love the southern style houses!

Germany Mapcard

This beautiful mapcard I found when I visited Wiesbaden. Mapcards of the whole country were pretty rare to find in Germany so far, seems finally they are printing some :)  Most of the sights I have already seen,  only two remain,  the palace in Karlsruhe and Neuschwanstein. Hope to get the chance of seeing them soon.