| http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/czech_republic/ Czech Republic The Czech Republic is still all things to all people. From the pulsing capital Prague to the back-in-time villages of Moravia, from toiling up mountains to lounging in spas, from the world-famous Pilsner to the strains of Smetana and Dvorák, there's an experience to suit every taste.Stunning architecture is not limited to Prague - there are plenty of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque facades in other towns. Among the richest are Kutná Hora in Central Bohemia; Cheb, Loket and Domalice in western Bohemia; Olomouc in northern Moravia; and Telc and Kromęí in southern Moravia. Lonely Planet Author Interview:Matt Warren on the Czech Republic What do you love about the Czech Republic? After spending decades gathering cobwebs in the Soviet closet, the Czech Republic has reacted to life in the wider world with unabashed gusto. Now at liberty to celebrate its own national identity, there is a tremendous sense of excitement about the future, as well as a deep-rooted pride in the past. To celebrate the past, the country's fabulous collection of castles, chateaux and old town centres have been lovingly resurrected; traditional arts and crafts are undergoing something of a renaissance; and towns across the country host cultural events in a seemingly endless round of festivities. At the same time, the country's growing popularity as a tourist destination, its accession into the wider European community, and its slow but sure economic growth – these have all brought a truly 21st-century feel to Czechia, with chi-chi restaurants, clubs and cafes rising from the ashes of over-baked dumplings. There's also a vibrant youth culture, and plenty of outdoor activities for the fresh-faced and large-lunged. What was the highlight of your travels when researching this book? Olomouc, with its seemingly sleepless student population, broody historic centre and buzzing ambience has yet to become a stop on the trans-European tourist superhighway. In many ways, it is Prague without the crowds – a city where the bars throb until the wee small hours, bonhomie comes cheap and tired heads can be walked off on long meanderings through picture-postcard streets. What was the lowlight? There are times, in towns like Cesky Krumlov, where the tourist industry has become such big business that you are left wondering whether anything of the original community remains beneath the whirlwind of coach tours, bric-a-brac shops and ice-cream stalls. Ceský Krumlov remains one of the most beautiful and enigmatic towns in Europe, but it is always a shame when somewhere starts to look more like a pre-fabricated parody of itself, rather than the genuine article. What were the defining moments, people or places you encountered on the road? Hitchhiking remains popular in a country where a trip on a train can mean a whole day clanking through five or six changes. Speaking to a range of people at the side of the road, you quickly realise that this country has a hundred thousand stories to tell. Some people are excited about their nation's move into Europe, others are sceptical; some have benefited from the transition to the free market, others have not; some can only think about ice hockey, others are looking forward to football's European Cup. Either way, the freedom to think is held dear here and opinions are never hard to find. What makes the Czech Republic unique? Positioned among the big boys of Europe, Czechia has always had to work hard to define itself against an overwhelming 'other'. Whether it is through art, castles, music, or universal pride in their notoriously troublesome language, the Czechs, and their surroundings, are truly idiosyncratic. What are your Top 5 things to see or do in the Czech Republic? 1. Cesky Krumlov (despite the crowds) 2. The 13th-century town of Telc 3. Olomouc 4. Drifting down the Vltava River on a canoe from Rozmberk to Ceský Krumlov 5. The beautiful natural rock formations that pepper the landscape |
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| Brno http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Czech+Republic/Where+to+Go The Moravian city of Brno merits at least a day to enjoy its impressive medieval architecture. Sights include the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, Old Town Hall and the Capuchin Monastery. The 13th-century Spilberk Castle, a prison before World War II, has a wonderful view of the city and countryside. Near the castle is the Augustinian monastery where Gregor Mendel first discovered the laws of genetics using pea plants. Part of the monastery houses a museum, and Mendel's experimental garden can still be toured. The Reduta Theater (facing the medieval market square) performs colorful operettas based on local folklore. Aficionados of the bizarre should visit the crypt in the Church of the Holy Cross, which displays 20 preserved and fully dressed corpses of monks and aristocrats. After seeing the town, we drove to nearby Austerlitz (now called Slavkov), where Napoleon won his stunning victory over the Austrians and Russians in 1805. About an hour outside Brno is Moravsky Krumlov. The chateau on the edge of that town contains the Slovanska Epopej (The Slavic Epic), a series of monumental paintings by art-nouveau artist Alfons Mucha. Easily the most popular day trip from Brno is the Moravian Kras region, famous for its hundreds of limestone caves, which lies just outside the town of Blansko. Continuing north, visitors will come upon the lush beauty of Kromeriz, about 50km north of Brno. The city's baroque chateau, chateau gardens and the magnificent baroque flower gardens are a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. www.brno.cz/index.php?lan=en&nav01=2 The most viewable attractions about Brno were the castles. We gather that, during the Communist reign, many of the castles were nationalised but the government didn't have the werewithal to keep them in good repair. Noe that they have been (largely) restored to private ownership they are being restored to their former beauty. We've seen lots of castles in England, gemany and the chateaux of France and these were up there with best. It seems that much of the money for restoration is coming from the film makers who want to use the castles as sets. Bouzov Castle A visit to Bouzov Castle is an especially great experience for those who like Romantic buildings. Originally a gothic style castle, it was rebuilt for the Master of the Order of Teutonic Knights and became his representative seat. Thanks to its marvellous location amidst forests and its monumental style, Bouzov Castle is a popular location for filming fairytales. Furnished and decorated in period style and equipped with unusual period appliances, the castle kitchen is very unique. PernstejnCastle Http://www.lhair-cz.com/author/perst1.htm Pernstejn is one of the most important and most beautiful castles in Moravia. From the mid- 19th century it was the seat of the lords of Perstejn who for centuries played an important role in the political affairs of the Czech kingdom. Its present appearance results from the late Gothic transformations the castle underwent between 1450 and 1550. It came to be known as the marble castle because of the marble-like local stone used to frame the doors and windows. The castle has preserved some of its alveolar vaulting. At the end of the 16th century the family was obliged to sell both the castle and attendant estate, which marked the end of its days of glory. Around the 1700's Baroque alternations were carried out in castle rooms, and in 1716 Franz Eckstein decorated the ceilings of the chapel while Corbellini added stucco to the Knights Hall. The end of the 18th century brought further modifications required by the new owners, the Schroffl family from Mannsberk. |
| It was very easy to drive from the camping ground next to the lake to the north of the city to the villages and castles around Brno because of the autobahn ringroute that goes around the city. We spent several days tooling around the country side and visiting places like; Velehrad http://www.zamky-hrady.cz/5/velehrad-e.htm The monastery founded earlier by Cistercian monks in 1205 in the charming valley of the little river Salaška with the financial help of Vladislav Jindrich, Margrave of Moravia. By the middle of 13th century there was already a triple-aisled Romanesque basilica with transept and five apses at the east end. The sanctuary was consecrated in 1228, and by the end of the century the monastic buildings had been completed. In the latter half of that century a single-aisled chapel called the Cyrilka was built within the monastery precincts. Badly damaged in 1423 by the Hussites, the buildings were not radically renovated until 1681-1769. Giovanni Pietro Tencalla was the architect responsible for the refashioning of the Romanesque basilica, Baltazar Fontana and Josef A. Winterhalder for the stucco of both church and monastery, while the sculpture was executed by Michal Mandík and Antonín Riga, and the paintings by Michael L. Willmann, Franz Eckstein, Jan J. Etgens and Ignaz Raab. Nearby, an extensive lapidarium has been erected to contain architectural and sculptural fragments mostly deriving from the late Romanesque stage of construction. Velehrad is a lively religious centre attracting thousands of pilgrims every year. After Brno we drove westward toward the other attractions listed in the Lonely Planet including Telc Http://www.4windstravel.com/shows/czech/telc.html Telc lies at the midpoint of the old King's route from Vienna to Prague. It is the best preserved Renaissance town north of the Alps and was recently added to the UNESCO list of international heritage sights. The hard part is to find the Telc square. We drove around and around until finally we noticed cars driving through a tiny arch. So despite the sign that appeared to say no entry, we drove through and there it was, in all its magnificence! [Point for tourists. In many towns parking is not allowed in the main square or the main part of town, but most of the towns fail to indicate where to park!] The guidebook says the square is so perfect that you feel as if you've entered a film set. Funny thing, they said we had to move our car from the square (only allowed if you're staying in a hotel on the square) early in the morning because they were filming a movie! Pictures: http://hoary.org/snaps/czech/telc.html After it was burnt down in 1530 it was rebuilt by Italian workmen in Renaissance style; work on the town had almost (or completely?) ceased by the end of the century and little has been changed to it since. It's very well preserved and in 1992 was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list. The town is something of a tourist ghetto. Obviously it depends on tourism, and wherever you look there are tourists. Still, this is the acceptable face of tourism: the bearded guys playing guitars seem to be playing them there as it seems a good place to play -- and who could argue? -- not, "Hey, look how cool I am!" Dominating the centre of town are the Renaissance castle, the towers of St James Church and the Baroque Holy Name of Jesus Church. Among the square's charming Renaissance houses, don't miss the town's smallest house in the south-east corner, an object lesson in the use of space. Ceský Krumlov Ceský Krumlov is one of Bohemia's most beautiful towns, with a well-preserved historical centre that is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The city's castle is the second largest in the Czech Republic and it dominates the town from a hill overlooking a horseshoe-shaped bend of the Vltava river. The town's traffic-free historic centre is a magic area of narrow cobbled streets lined with Renaissance and Baroque facades. Half the townspeople dress in Renaissance costume to welcome the summer solstice with a procession, street theatre, mock duels and chess matches played with human pieces. Hluboká is on the Vltava (Moldau) -- thus its longer name of Hluboká nad Vltavou -- just ten kilometres north of Ceské Budejovice (the town traduced by Anheuser Busch). There's a village next to a hill. At the top of the hill is a massive Schloss built from 1840 to 1871 as the latest in a succession of castles dating back to the mid thirteenth century. From 1661 and for centuries thereafter it belonged to the Schwarzenberg family. The design of the present castle was inspired by Windsor castle and more particularly its nineteenth-century refurbishment by Eugčne Viollet le Duc. The first impression you get when visiting this pile is that it's enormous. The second is that it's enormous. The third is that the people who designed it liked sticking bits of animals (or passable imitations thereof) on the outside. Then you try to enter this place and realize that it's immensely popular, that you can only take one or other of a limited number of set tours, and that the one you want to go on probably isn't available. Not being overly fond of collected animal corpses, er, hunting trophies, and being interested in Flemish and other art, I wanted to see the Ales gallery that forms part of this stately pile, but that wasn't possible. Therefore I saw a staggering quantity of pointless opulence, bits of dead animals, and artillery for killing animals (and people). No, really, it's very splendid, but it's considerably too splendid, and I felt inner rumblings of a personal outbreak of socialism. ("What about the workers and peasants?"). Maybe if you go in the off-season, or when tours start up in the morning, you can go through at a leisurely pace and take a closer look at some of the good stuff that the Schwarzenberg clan acquired for their own satisfaction rather than to intimidate rival plutocrats. Slavonice Slavonice (in German, Zlabings) is only a kilometre from the Austrian border. (It's in Bohemia, though it was until recently in Moravia.) The Lonely Planet and other guides make it seem a minor attraction compared with Telc, but while it's undeniably a lot smaller, I found it more attractive. It has a higher concentration of sgraffiti, and (though not normally on public view) outstanding ceilings. What we see now of Slavonice mostly dates from a period lasting from the fourteenth to the end of the sixteenth century. Perhaps luckily for its architecture, its economy declined shortly afterward and has only recently revived -- partly thanks to Austrian tourists on their way to or from their vacations. Slavonice has a much smaller piazza than does Telc, but there are also other little streets that are just as interesting. Kutna Hora It's hard to imagine today, but in its time this town about 65km southeast of Prague was Bohemia's most important after Prague. This was due to the rich veins of silver below the town itself, and the silver groschen minted here was the hard currency of central Europe at the time. Today the town is a fraction of its old self, but is still dressed up in enough magnificent architectural monuments for it to have been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1996. With a pastel-hued square dotted with cafés, medieval alleys with facades from Gothic to Cubist, and a cathedral to rival St Vitus, comparisons with Prague are hard to resist. Kutna Hora is certainly as densely picturesque as Prague, and blessed with warmer people and lower prices. The late 14th and early 15th centuries witnessed an influential Church-reform movement, the Hussite Revolution, led by the Czech Jan Zizka, who was inspired by the teachings of Jan Hus. The spread of Hussitism had threatened the Catholic status quo all over Europe. In 1420 combined Hussite forces successfully defended Prague against the first of a series of anti-Hussite crusades, which had been launched with the authority of the pope. Though they were up against larger and better equipped forces, the Hussites repeatedly went on the offensive and raided deep into Germany, Poland and Austria. We'd heard all the rumours about one of the hottest spots in eastern Europe, the high prices, the hordes of ignorant tourists, etc. etc. so it was with some trepidation that we made our way to PRAGUE. |
| Mikulov Totally underrated, Mikulov and its castle sit precariously on a hill in the centre of the flat wine-growing region of Palava, a UNESCO-designated biospheric reservation. One of South Moravia's highlights, Mikulov has some very impressive monuments but is most popular for its excellent white wines. There's a restored castle on the west side of the town and a museum that includes local archaeology and natural history, paintings and weapons, and excellent displays of regional folk traditions and wine making. It's very close to the border with Austria and is a perfect stop-off to or from Vienna. We camped on the shore of a huge hydro electric lake on our way to Brno. |