FAQ - Frequently asked questions

‘thewhiterider.eu’ is a cultural internet portal.

The content of ‘thewhiterider.eu’ includes the following topics:

• Castles & castle ruins
• Stately homes
• Monasteries & Gothic abbeys
• Medieval & historical markets
• Gothic architecture
• Nature & love of the natural world
• Mystical ruins
• Creativity & phantasy
• Fairy tales & legends
• Phantasy literature
• Mystery (for example mystery dinner shows in castles)
• Cultural exhibitions & events
• Art exhibitions & events
• Classical music & classical music events
• Cookery & gourmet events
• Nostalgia
• Photographs of medieval markets and historical venues
• Publication of our own photographs and artistic images in ‘thewhiterider.eu’.

The images in ‘thewhiterider.eu’ aim to visually communicate aesthetic, artistic, contemplative, joyful, human, and nature loving aspects, as well as the mystical beauty and atmosphere of European culture. However, the mysterious and spooky atmosphere of visits to mystical ruins is also a theme of the photos and artistic images in ‘thewhiterider.eu’.

The cultural internet portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’ represents the following fundamental social values:

• Freedom
• Creativity and imagination
• Development of talent and creativity
• Child-friendliness & children’s welfare
• Commitment to fighting poverty and hunger
• Democratic values
• Love and respect of nature & nature conservation
• Animal welfare, animal protection & conservation of species
• Ethical respect of creation
• Enthusiasm for culture and nature
• Love of our European cultural heritage (for example beautiful castle ruins and old fairy stories)
• Enthusiasm for phantasy literature
• Gender equality
• a society which values art, culture, music and creativity
• a society which values drama, literature and handicraft
• a society based on education and knowledge
• Conscious awareness of nature and a natural lifestyle
• Promotion of the arts, culture, creativity and talent
• Action for individual and communal welfare and the welfare of society as a whole
• Fair and humane globalisation.

Because of the cultural, creative and positive enthusiasm for the topics which the portal contains. Beautiful and inspiring topics such as…

• castles and stately homes and castle ruins
• fairy tales and sagas,
• phantasy and creativity,
• a love of nature and culture,
• a passion for Gothic architecture and cathedrals, Gothic rose windows,
• medieval markets,
• nostalgia and
• mysterious and excitingly positive mysticism.

In our imagination, the legendary character of a positively mystical figure 'White Rider' also symbolises the positive aspects and social values which we value so greatly.

These include values such as freedom, phantasy, creativity, development of talent, democratic values, positive personal development, child-friendliness, charity, commitment to combatting poverty, animal welfare, joy of life and meaningfulness.

‘The White Rider’ is the name for a gentle mystical figure, who traditionally embodies of all of the social values and positive aspects which are reflected in the name of our culture portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’.

Some apparently identical photos or images or almost identical motifs may be duplicated in the photo series, for example to give protagonists the option of downloading their images in the format which they require.

On closer examination, apparently similar motifs often show subtle differences. For example, slightly different lighting, different facial expressions, or other nice and interesting background details. Because of this it may appear that two identical images have been published in our photo series.

No, the cultural internet portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’ does not hold any historical events such as medieval markets.

In our choice of language, we take care to use suitable nostalgic terminology wherever possible. We take the greatest possible care with key terms on our internet site, for example category names and headings.

However, some modern terms do not have a suitable or sufficiently accurate alternative or synonym. Because of this, in some cases we cannot avoid using modern-sounding terminology on our internet pages.

Of course!

Freedom, independence, democratic values and the greatest possible self-determination for everyone always have the very highest priority in the cultural internet portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’.

In this case, please send us an e-mail with details of the particular series of images and the relevant photo or image and we will permanently delete the particular photo or image from our internet pages and photo series free of charge.

Yes, we produce all the images and photos in thewhiterider.eu ourselves.

We only use our own photos, images and graphics in the photo series and decorative elements of ‘thewhiterider.eu’.

We are often out and about, for example to take photos or visit medieval markets and events for our cultural portal. However, we do our best to respond to e-mail enquiries as soon as is reasonably possible.

However, we thank you in advance for your understanding and patience if it sometimes takes a little longer for us to reply to your e-mail.

The circular symbol which marks 21 September in the event calendar indicates that 21 September is designated as “International Peace Day”.

The royalty-free photos and images in thewhiterider.eu are often of people who are active participants in medieval and historical markets.

The royalty-free photos in thewhiterider.eu are simply a “cultural thank you” to the participants and artists in the medieval markets.

People who are depicted and are individually identifiable in the photos and images may download up to 5 photos or images of themselves or their products and market stall from each photo series in ‘thewhiterider.eu’ free of charge and royalties.

These photos and images may be used without time restriction for their own direct professional use for the sole purposes listed below:

• business cards
• brochures
• flyers
• prospectuses
• own application portfolios
• own homepages.

The cultural internet portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’ retains the sole copyright for all photos, images and graphics. However, with this declaration ‘thewhiterider.eu’ grants the aforementioned participants in the medieval markets the temporally unrestricted right of use of its photos and images for the direct professional purposes as stated above.

“The states of Armenia, Georgia and Cyprus are depicted in a visually different manner in the lists of locations in TheWhiteRider.eu, as officially, Armenia belongs geographically to the West-Asian region, Georgia belongs geographically to the European-Asian region and Cyprus belongs geographically to the Asian region.

However, their beautiful castles and castle ruins, picturesque monasteries and monastery complexes, as well as their historic churches and cathedrals are thematically related to the content and topics of TheWhiteRider.eu.”

The aims and objectives of the internet cultural portal ‘thewhiterider.eu’ with its lists of historical venues, photographs and associated published cultural events are…

• Protection and conservation of cultural heritage (for example old castle ruins and old fairy tales)
• Protection and conservation of nature and the natural heritage (for example ancient forests)
• Restoration, of e.g. medieval castle ruins and beautiful old monasteries
• Motivation and suggestions for “exploring nature” and “outdoor recreation”
• Promotion of playful learning about culture, nature, creativity and imagination
• Promotion of a love of culture and nature
• Preservation and revival of medieval and historical crafts and techniques
• Preservation, conservation and revival of typical regional and national traditions which generate a love of life and enthusiasm for culture in Europe, such as traditional crafts, nature, music, culture, festivals, celebrations and cuisine
• Promotion of the idea and vision of a Europe in which states and countries are bound in a friendly sisterly and brotherly spirit as well as a love of culture and life.

Many planetarium events, shows and lectures feature the timeless topics of science, fantasy, mysticism and nature. Although planetarium events are not primarily related to the topics of the Middle Ages, castles, and stately homes, the content of these events often relates to the societal values of 'The White Rider' such as love of nature, promotion of creativity, playful learning and the stimulating communication of knowledge due to their nature-related and stimulating character.

In addition, planetaria often hold events especially for children, for example reading fairy stories and legends under the dome of the planetarium.

In the Internet portal 'The White Rider', 'tour' usually refers to guided tours of the particular location. For example the viewing of a historic location such as a castle or stately home in a more formal context and with a tourist character.
Usually, tours are linked to particular opening hours and the circumstances of the particular location. During a tour of a location some interior rooms (so-called show-rooms) are viewed in detail and in a more intensive manner. In the Internet portal 'The White Rider' the term 'tour' refers to the possibility of (guided) tours of the location by individuals, as well as by small groups, or even entire school classes who wish to visit a castle or a stately home. Tours often have admission charges and can take several hours.

In the Internet portal 'The White Rider' 'visit' usually refers to more informal visits to a historic site. Although these sites can be accessed by the general public, there are no guided tours and no staff on site. Rather, the visit must be arranged privately. In many cases, these sites are ruined castles which are owned by the municipality,
but are freely accessible to the general public. Such visits to historic locations are often free of charge and are not confined to particular admission times or opening hours. They have a rather informal character, in the sense of a small private cultural visit during the morning or afternoon, and usually take about an hour.

Halloween is a tradition which originated in Ireland, but has become increasingly popular throughout Europe over the past years.

Wherever Halloween-related content appears in the internet portal 'The White Rider', we always endeavour to ensure that this is suitable for children and is not of a potentially distressing nature. An example is the publication of Halloween events at castles in the 'The White Rider' event calendar.

This means that the internet portal 'The White Rider' always endeavours to only publish mildly spooky or even humorous content related to to the topic of Halloween in the images, videos and event information on its website. This content includes e.g. photos and videos of friendly and helpful castle ghosts with treats for children, benevolent and somewhat clumsy ghosts, a smiling full moon, friendly bats, spiders webs, creative pumpkin carving as well as tasty dishes for children and non-alcoholic drinks.

Images and videos with militaristic undertones, and depictions of violence which could be distressing to children, as well as music, costumes, decorations, toys and jokes of a horrific nature (for example Halloween costumes of zombies, the grim reaper, or horror clowns) will, on principle, not be published, featured, or advertised by the internet portal 'The White Rider'. The internet portal 'The White Rider' makes a careful distinction between desired mildly spooky effects and inappropriate horrific depictions. Horrific content of any kind is not published on the internet portal 'The White Rider'.

If, for example, events with appropriate themes, such as performances of fairy tales, concerts, puppet shows or ballet performances are held in theatres, or sacred or classical music concerts are held in churches, such events are also suitable for inclusion in the event categories of the Internet cultural portal 'The White Rider'.

Even though these events are not held in castles, stately homes or wineries, the internet portal 'The White Rider' publicises these cultural events by listing them on its website as well as in its event calendar.

Parts of the historical architecture of some old stately homes go back as far as the middle ages. However, over the centuries, some medieval castles have gradually been converted into stately homes by modifications to the original building, so that in some cases, the architecture a stately home may still resemble that of a medieval castle rather than a Renaissance palace or a stately home from the Baroque era.

Some features of the building such as wings or towers, or the materials used for their construction show that parts of these stately homes were originally castles and the architectural transition between more recent castles and very old stately homes is often fluid. The French term 'Chateau' is used for various types of historic buildings in France and may designate medieval castles, stately homes and Renaissance buildings, imposing manor houses, as well as castles, stately homes with attached wineries, or wineries which have the appearance of stately homes.

For this reason, some castles are listed in the category 'Stately Homes' and some medieval stately homes are listed as 'Castles' in the internet portal 'The White Rider'.

In its detailed descriptive information, the Internet cultural Portal 'The White Rider' differentiates between the terms 'wedding location' and 'wedding venue'.

A 'wedding location' is a historic location (for example a castle) where a wedding ceremony can be held, i.e. where the actual wedding vows are taken. An alternative designation for 'wedding location' in the Internet portal 'The White Rider' is the term 'location for wedding ceremonies'. Historic locations often feature a separate wedding room for the actual ceremony. Some wedding locations offer registry office weddings, while some wedding locations offer free wedding ceremonies, or both registry office and free wedding ceremonies.

On the other hand, the term 'wedding venue' indicates that a particular historic location (for example a castle) provides rooms and facilities which may be rented for wedding parties and wedding celebrations. Such wedding parties and celebrations often cater for large numbers of invited guests after the actual wedding ceremony.

In its detailed information about cultural locations, the internet portal 'The White Rider' differentiates between the terms 'Event Location' and 'Location for Events', which although they sound similar, have entirely different meanings.

An 'Event Location' is a location (for example a castle) whose interior rooms, or outdoor areas are used for annual events featuring culture, art, or the Middle Ages.
These events (for example public concerts or medieval markets) are either organised by the owners of the location themselves or in cooperation e.g. with an event agency.

In the Internet portal 'The White Rider', the term ‘Location for Events’ indicates that the particular historic site (e.g. a castle) offers to temporarily hire out its rooms and facilities for third party events (for example an entire Saturday). These offers frequently cater for wedding parties, birthday celebrations, family events, jubilee celebrations, christenings, seminars and conferences, as well as company functions.

In the case of castles which were originally constructed for defensive purposes in the Middle Ages, the Internet portal 'The White Rider' often uses the term 'Medieval Castle' for greater clarity.

Often, medieval castles or parts of these have been converted into stately homes over the course of the centuries. Because of this, structures which were originally constructed for the purposes of defence, control trade routes, or as toll barriers, were gradually converted to serve social, cultural and representational purposes.

The German term 'Schloss' cannot be generally translated into the English term 'palace'. In English, especially in the UK, the designation palace is more often associated with castles and stately homes belonging to the Royal Family.

On the other hand, the German term 'Schloss' includes many historic buildings and locations, which in English would be designated as stately homes, country estates or manor houses. In the case of Baroque stately homes, the Internet portal ‘The White Rider’ uses the term 'Baroque palace'.

In English, the term 'manor' or 'manor house' is used both for impressive residential buildings similar to small stately homes, as well as for picturesque manor houses.

The designations 'Wasserburg' and 'Wasserschloss' are often used in German. In English, 'water castle' is used as a translation of both of these terms. In the case of actual medieval water castles, the internet portal ‘The White Rider’ sometimes also uses the additional term ‘medieval’, i.e. ‘medieval water castle’.

The term 'water palace' as a translation of the German term 'Wasserschloss' is very rarely used in English.

In addition to the date of construction and the structural history, the actual appearance of the building is also important for the categorisation as a castle or stately home in the Internet portal 'The White Rider', as with many historic buildings the transitions between the various epochs are fluid.

Some more modern castles are very similar to older stately homes and include conversions or extensions with more recent architectural elements for example from the Renaissance. Also, some older stately homes still retain older architectural elements, for example from the Gothic era.

Owners of castles and stately homes are welcome to contact us at any time if they wish to change the categorisation of their property in 'The White Rider'.

The fleur-de-lys is a symbol with positive associations, which has been used since the early Middle Ages. It has been used as an heraldic symbol for many centuries in the coats of arms of countries, communities, cities, families and castles.

Because visual details make a website more attractive, the internet portal 'The White Rider' uses the fleur-de-lys as a design element on its website in order to create an additional medieval, historical and nostalgic atmosphere.

In some European countries, impressive historic buildings which appear similar to stately homes are also wineries.

In France, the term 'Château' is used for both traditional stately homes, as well as for impressive winery estates.

In Italy, the tern 'Castello' is used for both traditional stately homes, as well as for imposing winery estates.

Some of these 'Châteaux' in France and 'Castelli' in Italy do not have publicly accessible parks as is the case with traditional Baroque stately homes. On the other hand, they may offer other interesting services to visitors. These may include wine tastings, vineyard tours, wine cellar tours or picnics in the the vineyard.

Because of this, both traditional stately homes as well as wineries with impressive buildings and estates similar to those of stately homes are listed under the heading 'Stately Homes' in the Internet portal 'The White Rider'.

No, tickets for concerts and events cannot be purchased via the Internet portal 'The White Rider'.

Please contact the relevant ticket websites and ticket services to purchase tickets.

No, admission tickets for castles and stately homes cannot be purchased via the Internet portal 'The White Rider'.

Please contact the relevant ticket websites and ticket services to purchase admission tickets for the particular locations.

No, bookings for overnight stays, hotel rooms, guest rooms and other accommodation cannot be made via the internet portal 'The White Rider'.

Please contact the relevant locations or booking websites and booking services to make online bookings.