Next in the series on Germany’s 16 federal states: Bremen 🇩🇪

Germany’s smallest state is a historic Hanseatic city-state on the Weser River.

With a legacy of trade, maritime power, and independence, Bremen packs centuries of history into a compact area.

Lets explore🧵

https://twitter.com/CharmOfCulture/status/1966160504117964958

The state of Bremen consists of two separate cities: Bremen and the North Sea port of Bremerhaven.

Bremen joined the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, becoming a major trading hub.

Though small, it retained independence for centuries and remains a proud “Free Hanseatic City.”

🇩🇪 Continuing the series on Germany’s 16 federal states: Brandenburg.

Surrounding Berlin, Brandenburg is a land of palaces, lakes, and forests.

Once the core of Prussia, it remains central to German history and identity.

Let’s explore🧵

https://twitter.com/charmofculture/status/1965848010866471014

Brandenburg lies in northeastern Germany and fully encircles Berlin.

It originated as a medieval margraviate in the 12th century. From the 15th century, it was ruled by the Hohenzollern dynasty, which later created the Kingdom of Prussia.

Brandenburg’s rise shaped the foundation of the German state.

🇩🇪 Continuing the series on Germany’s regions: Berlin.

Germany’s capital is more than just a city, it’s a state of its own.

A center of politics, culture, and history, Berlin reflects both division and reunification in modern Europe.

Let’s explore 🧵

https://twitter.com/charmofculture/status/1965473609759293874

Berlin is located in northeastern Germany, surrounded entirely by the state of Brandenburg.

First mentioned in the 13th century, it became the capital of Prussia in 1701 and later of the German Empire. In the 20th century, Berlin was at the center of both world wars, the Cold War, and reunification in 1990.

Today, it is Germany’s largest city and a major European hub.

🇩🇪 Next up: Bavaria

Germany’s largest state, where alpine peaks, baroque cities, and centuries of tradition meet.

Let’s explore 🧵

https://twitter.com/charmofculture/status/1965095754307174553

Bavaria covers much of southeastern Germany, bordering Austria and the Czech Republic.

The Duchy of Bavaria emerged in the 6th century and later became an Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806, it became the Kingdom of Bavaria, later joining the German Empire in 1871.

🇫🇷 First in our series on France’s regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

A vast and varied region in southeastern France, home to the Alps, world class cities, ski resorts, and some of the country’s best food and wine.

Let’s explore 🧵 Bordering Switzerland and Italy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stretches from the Rhône Valley vineyards to Mont Blanc’s snowy peaks.

Created in 2016 by merging Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, it blends Roman heritage, medieval towns, and dramatic landscapes.

Lyon, its largest city, was once the capital of Roman Gaul and is con France’s culinary capital today.

Last on our tour of Italy’s 20 regions: Sardinia 🇮🇹

Italy’s second-largest island, known for turquoise seas, beautiful beaches, ancient ruins, and a culture that feels distinct from the rest of Italy.

Lets explore this region together 🧵

https://twitter.com/charmofculture/status/1941566393645924859

Sardinia has a long, separate history from the Italian mainland.

Its early civilizations built nuraghi—stone towers that still dot the landscape.

Over centuries, it was contested by many civilizations and peoples.

Today it’s known for:
• Rugged coastlines and clear waters
• Unique prehistoric sites
• Strong local identity, with its own language and traditions
• Wide open spaces, grazing land, and isolated mountain villages

Next up in our tour of Italy’s 20 regions: Sicily 🇮🇹

The largest island in the Mediterranean.

Known for ancient ruins, coastal towns, strong traditions, and a mix of cultural influences.

Let’s take a tour 🧵 Sicily has been shaped by many civilizations: Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, and more.

Its position in the Mediterranean made it a strategic crossroads for trade and conquest.

You’ll see the history in its cities, food, language, and architecture.

Today it’s known for:
• Mt. Etna
• Historic cities and archaeological sites
• Distinct cuisine with layered influences
• Long stretches of coastline

Next on our tour of Italy’s 20 regions: Umbria 🇮🇹

The only region in central Italy with no coastline, Umbria is often overlooked—but it’s full of medieval towns, green hills, and is well worth visiting.

Here an overview of one of Italys most underrated regions 🧵 Umbria sits between Tuscany, Lazio, and Le Marche.

In ancient times it was home to Umbrians and Etruscans, later absorbed by Rome.

In the Middle Ages, it became a land of hilltop communes, saints, and art.

Today it’s known for:
• Medieval hill towns
• Saint Francis of Assisi
• Olive oil and black truffles
• Rolling green landscapes
• A slower pace, far from the tourist crowds

Next on our tour of Italy’s 20 regions: Trentino–Alto Adige 🇮🇹

Tucked up against the Austrian border, this is a land of Alpine peaks, castles, and Italian and German influences.

Here’s a tour of this unique region 🧵 Trentino–Alto Adige is made up of two autonomous provinces:

• Trentino, centered around Trento, and is Italian-speaking
• Alto Adige / Südtirol, where most people speak German

Both were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1919.

Today, they’re known for:
• The Dolomites 🏔️
• Skiing & mountain hiking
• Castles & Alpine lakes
• Multilingual culture (Italian, German, Ladin)
• A mix of Tyrolean and Italian cuisine

Next up on our tour of Italy’s 20 regions: Aosta Valley 🇮🇹

Italy’s smallest region, tucked in the Alps where it borders France and Switzerland.

Let’s take a look at this unique mountain region 🧵 Aosta Valley (Valle d’Aosta) is Italy’s smallest and least populated region.

It borders France and Switzerland, and French is an official language along with Italian.

Historically part of the Kingdom of Savoy, it has long been a crossroads of Alpine trade and culture.

Today it’s known for:

• Mont Blanc & the Matterhorn
• Ski resorts like Courmayeur
• Roman ruins in Aosta
• Stone castles and mountain trails
• A mix of Italian and French influences

🇮🇹 Italy has 20 regions, and each has its own story.

Let’s start in the northwest: Piedmont.

Bordering France and Switzerland, it’s a region shaped by mountains, royalty, and some of Italy’s best food and wine.

Here’s why it’s worth visiting 🧵 Piedmont (Piemonte) was home to the House of Savoy, the dynasty that unified Italy in the 1800s.

It borders France and has long been a link between Italy and the rest of Europe.

Today it’s known for:
• Barolo wine
• White truffles
• The Alps
• The city of Torino
• The Slow Food movement

It mixes French influence with Italian tradition.

Have you ever wondered what the symbol is in Mexico’s flag?

An eagle, a serpent, and a cactus — it looks mythical, and it is.

It marks the site where one of the greatest cities in the Americas was founded: Tenochtitlan.

This is the founding myth of Tenochtitlan 🧵 The Mexica people (later called Aztecs) began as nomads in northern Mexico.
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According to legend, they were guided by Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war, who promised them greatness,but only if they found the sign he had chosen.

The Normans arrived in southern Italy in the 11th century—not just as conquerors, but as builders.

They merged Romanesque forms with Arab and Byzantine influences, especially in Sicily, creating a unique architectural style.

Here are 10 of their most iconic buildings 🧵 1. Palatine Chapel – Palermo

Built by Roger II inside the royal palace in the 1130s.

It fuses Latin, Byzantine, and Islamic art: golden mosaics, Arabic muqarnas ceilings, and a basilica floor plan—all in one chapel.

Norman Sicily at its peak.

The Great Man Theory says history is shaped by influential individuals.

It got me thinking who in history best fits that description.

So I picked the most influential Western figure from each century of the past 1,000 years.

Here’s my list 🧵 11th century – William the Conqueror

In 1066, William crossed the English Channel and permanently changed English history.

He replaced the Anglo-Saxon elite, introduced feudalism, reshaped the English language, and kicked off centuries of continental entanglement.

Without William England would have been a much different place.

Have you ever wondered why this statue in the Louvre is so famous?

Because it’s not a Roman copy, it’s one of the few surviving originals from ancient Greece.

Most Greek statues were lost to time.

These are 10 that somehow made it through🧵 1. Winged Victory of Samothrace (c. 190 BC)

Hellenistic marble statue of Nike, goddess of victory.

Found in 1863 on the island of Samothrace, likely part of a naval monument.

It’s now in the Louvre and is one of the museums most famous pieces.

They say the Palazzo Dario in Venice is cursed.

For centuries its owners have faced bankruptcy, scandal, murder, and suicide.

Locals call it “the house that kills.”

Here’s the chilling story of one of Venice’s most beautiful…and deadly buildings: 🧵 The Palazzo Dario—known as Ca’ Dario—sits quietly on the Grand Canal.

Built in the late 1400s for a wealthy merchant named Giovanni Dario, its pink marble façade masks a sinister history.

It didn’t take long for tragedy to begin.

They hung in museums.

They sold for millions.

And they were all fake.

Here are 10 of the most famous art forgeries ever discovered—and their stories: 🎨🧵 🖼️ “The Supper at Emmaus” (Van Meegeren, forged as Vermeer)

This painting was sold as a lost Vermeer to the Boymans Museum in Rotterdam in 1937.

Critics praised it as a masterpiece—until the forger, Han van Meegeren, confessed after WWII.

It’s now one of the most famous fakes in art history.

Vienna is one of the most timeless cities in the world.

Baroque palaces, grand cafés, and imperial streets—this place has become my favourite city i’ve ever visited.

Here’s a tour of Vienna through my camera lens, showing the places you can see when you visit 📸🇦🇹🧵 📍Belvedere Palace

A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, the Belvedere was once the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy.

Today it’s home to a world-class art collection, including Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.

On October 26, 1958, white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel.

The world believed a new pope had been elected.

But no pope appeared.

The Vatican said it was a “mistake.”

What happened inside the conclave remains one of the great Catholic mysteries

A 🧵 After the death of Pope Pius XII, the Church stood at a crossroads.

The Cold War was escalating. Communism was on the rise. And many inside the Vatican wanted a strong, traditional pope to preserve order.

One of the favourites was Cardinal Giuseppe Siri — a conservative archbishop from Genoa.

Otto von Bismarck didn’t just change Germany—he created it.

He unified a fractured land through blood and brilliance.

And then, at the peak of his power, he was thrown aside by the very empire he built.

Here’s the story of one of the most influential European figures. Bismarck was born in 1815 to Prussian nobility. He studied law, tried out farming, and lived a wild youth.

No one thought much of him—until he entered politics.

By 1851, he was Prussia’s ambassador to the German Confederation.

And he had one goal: Prussian dominance.

For centuries, monarchs ruled over nearly every corner of Europe.

Here are the official residences of every monarch from a now-abolished European monarchy — and what became of them 🧵 When putting together the list, I only considered former monarchs of modern(ish) day states that once had a monarchy and now does not.

If i missed any let me know.