Franconia Open air Museum

Franconia Open Air Museum

What luck!  When we aimed for Bad Windsheim last night, we knew there was an open air museum in town, but read that it was closed on Mondays.  During our morning walk we passed the entrance and noticed a few cars and indeed it was open.  Another great find. The buildings moved here are all from Franconia, the local area, and include homes, barns, trades, and even a pub, many from the 17th and 18th centuries.  Signage was in German but I think we picked up enough information just by observing.  Not many visitors, though a couple of school groups were enjoying themselves, so school must still be in session.  We covered about 70% of the museum before forcing ourselves to leave.  

We had lots of riding ahead today.  We picked up lunch supplies and took some scenic back roads until 2 when we stopped for lunch in Marktbreit along the Tauber River.  No time to see the town unfortunately.  Back on the road, completing our journey along the lovely Neckar River to Heidelberg, and arriving at 6:30.  

Nuremberg II

We did manage to pack up and reach the German National Museum almost by 10 when it opened.  And amazingly--no lines.  So I headed for the special Durer exhibit while Rob returned to the hotel to retrieve his forgotten watch.  The Durer was crowded, but a wonderful exhibit of his early work--drawings, paintings, engravings, and woodcuts.  When I left at 11, the crowds had arrived and Rob was in the "wait" line.  

16th century sundials

I started on the extensive (exhaustive) exhibits, perhaps seeing 40% in the next two hours.  The most interesting exhibits for me were musical instruments, scientific instruments, and rural life. There were many rooms of painting, sculpture, religious art, porcelain, and even clothing.  I dabble in those a bit and mostly avoided getting lost.  Check out the photos, which unfortunately I  cannot always identify.  I must take pen and paper with me when I enter a museum.   Much of the art and artifacts date from the 16th and 17th centuries.  There were few visitors to the main museum galleries.   Durer was the big draw.  

dancing in Bad Windsheim

At 1:30 we departed, ate our picnic at a nearby bench outside the walls, and headed for museum #2--The Industrial Museum.  This centered on the past and present industries of Nuremberg.  We have already noted that the city was the site of the first German railroad, and known for its toy manufacturing.  One long room displayed classic motorcycles (including some Triumphs), and later bicycles and cars with the brand names of Hercules, Mars, Victoria, and Zandapp. The extensive lower floor provided a look at other industries, and of life in the city in the 19th and 20th centuries--machinery, printing press, movie theater, pharmacy.  And finally a room devoted to current industries such as Quelle (a German Amazon?--not doing well apparently)

I finally felt I had reached the end of my museum attention span for today and went outside to read, but Rob persisted for another hour, including sitting through a 40 minute film in German about the history of Nuremberg, without falling asleep.  At 5:30 we started our one hour ride to Bad Windsheim, where we settled at the Hotel zu Storchen, and saw the stork family on a nearby roof.  We walked the town and through the gardens of the Clinic where we caught some evening entertainment.  Tomorrow it's back to Heidelberg.

Nuremberg

Ludwig II train carriage

This city has much to offer--too much of course for our brief stay.  Today we hoped to see the enormous German National Museum with a special exhibit on native son Albrecht Durer as well as art, cultural history, archaeology etc.  But we arrived at 10:30 to see a line that would have meant a considerable wait.  Seeing no one in the "online ticket" line, we decided to order tickets tonight and see the museum tomorrow.


Rob had noticed the nearby DB Railway Museum--another fantastic find.  We spent almost 3 hours learning about the history of the German railroad starting with the first train, the Adler, which was shipped in sections from England and reassembled in Nuremberg in 1835 for its inaugural run to Furth, 7k away.  The museum contains several historic trains including the lavish coach of Bavarian King Ludwig II and another used by Bismarck, the earliest existing coach, and the modern streamlined ICE 3.  The audio guide helped since most captions were in German.  Excellent  detailed exhibits covered the development of railroads in Germany through the 19th and 20th centuries, the war years, comparisons between DDR and GDR railroads, etc.  Finally at 2, exhausted and hungry, we found a Thai restaurant and sat and ate.

Rob remembers these Meccano sets

The meandering walk back to our hotel took us into three churches, through several squares and the outdoor market, past numerous towers (the walled city boasts many of these) and fountains.  We noticed the Toy Museum and decided to spend a few minutes there.  here too was a wonderful collection of all variety of toys from 1800 onwards--dolls, dollhouses, trains, mechanical toys, soldiers, and so on.  Many were made in Nuremberg which historically has been a center for toy manufacturing including Bing, known for its model trains.


Lastly a market stop for tomorrow's lunch supplies, and back to hotel at 6.  We will need to leave tomorrow afternoon and make some headway towards Heidelberg so that we can arrive Monday afternoon in time to pack and prepare the bike for storage.  We did check online for GN tickets but those were sold out for tomorrow, so we will try to arrive at 10 and see what the line looks like.  Perhaps we will visit the castle instead and leave the Museum for another visit.

Glass

some historic glass at the Frauenau Glass Museum

We actually succeeded in reaching the Frauenau Glass Museum at 9 when it opened.  We walked the grounds along the stream where various glass pieces were installed and then attacked the museum.  Opened in 1975, the museum moved to its current building in 2007.  The extensive exhibits include a history of glass from Roman times onward, installations showing the process of glass-making, and an extensive collection of modern art glass from Europe and the US.  The Bayern area around  Frauenau and the nearby town of Zwiesel have been a center of glassmaking since the 14th century, and we later passed a number of glass galleries and one large "shopping mall" for glass.  We took many photos, so check Picasa if you want more.

glass for the home and garden for sale here

At 10:30 we headed for Zwiesel to see the Bavarian Forest Museum which actually has much besides forest information and includes more glass, musical instruments and furniture, dollhouses, a model of an 1800s town, weaving and other crafts, etc.   Then we were on the bike and headed north.  We noticed a parking lot filled with cars and stopped to observe.  This turned out to be a huge glass-related garden and shops (we are on the official Glass Road).  It sure was a popular place, with mostly German clientele. 

We rode until 3 with the weather threatening and chilly before stopping for our lunch.  We had to make a decision about where to spend the night and weekend--to stop in Altdorf (two stars) or continue to Nuremberg.  We stopped at 7 at a McDs to access the internet and Rob booked a hotel in Nuremberg where we arrived 30 minutes later.  For $90 (without the pricey breakfast) we seem to have nabbed a suite.  There is much to see here and we will squeeze in whatever we can in the next two days.

Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov Castle

The one major attraction that we had missed in the Czech Republic was the town of Cesky Krumlov south of Prague.  Since that site was in our path towards Heidelberg, it became today's main focus and proved to be well worth seeing.  We did leave our hotel as planned at 9--quite a feat for us--but took some back roads which delayed our arrival until nearly noon.  The charming town is surrounded on three sides by the Vitala River, filled with kayakers and rafters,  with the castle perched above.  The first castle was built in 1240, and changed hands from the Rosenberg family to the Eggenbergs, who made the baroque changes and expansions in the late 17th c.  Later it passed to the Schwarzenberg family and was finally declared a national monument in 1989.

We signed up for the 1:40 English tour and spent the intervening hour wandering through the town while the rain came and went.  There are more crowds here than we have seen since Prague.  The castle tour covered numerous baroque-style rooms and furnishings, and ended with the amazing concert hall, whose walls are painted with amusing figures.  The famous baroque theater is on another tour, so we missed seeing that.  Following the tour we walked through the castle gardens and then returned to the bike, hungry and ready to find a dry seat for our picnic.  The nearby cafe offered more delectable fare so we once again enjoyed a cooked meal.

figures on the concert hall wall

We finally got underway at 4:15 and needed to get some miles under our belt, so it was north into Germany along some lovely roads that included the  Bavarian National Park--very woodsy with inviting trails.  We were headed for Z… but stopped in Frauenau 7k short to check the map and noticed a new glass museum.  This appealed as a morning diversion so we looked around for lodging, checking first the **** hotel which wanted 114E (a little pricey for us).  Two other hotels were closed, so we started for the next town and almost missed a pension off the road.  So here we are enjoying a large room with balcony and good internet for 55E.

Esterhazy Palace

July 18 (posted a day late):  Breakfast was fine, though perhaps not 4-star.  We walked the town, which has some interesting buildings and churches to offer.  Sopron has a Roman as well as medieval past.  Both are visible in one archaeological area with a Roman road and building outlines adjacent to a medieval wall.

Sopron--Roman ruins with the medieval wall above

We hopped on the bike at 11:30 heading for nearby Eisenstadt AU and the Esterhazy Palace there.  The first available tour (in German) was at 1, so we spent the intervening time in the handsome Haydn Concert Hall.  Haydn lived there off and on for 30 years as a guest of Prince Nikolaus II, and many of his compositions were first performed in the hall.

Haydn Concert Hall at Esterhazy Palace

The tour covered the rooms used by three Esterhazy women during different periods.  They have been restored and include bedrooms, sitting rooms, dressing rooms, lady-in-waiting bedroom, servants quarters, and the chapel. An English guidebook helped us somewhat.  Following the tour, we ate our picnic lunch in front of the palace and then picked up free audio guides and viewed other staterooms and some of the many fabulous valuables acquired by the family. The Esterhazy family was close to the Hapsburgs from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and intermarried with many of the European nobel houses.

Restoration is ongoing and discussed in some detail where parts of earlier wall and floor sections are laid bare. One room is devoted to Melinda Ottrubay, a classical dancer who married Paul Esterhazy V in 1946.  She eventually inherited all the E. estates, and in the 1990s set up a trust to provide funds to restore this and other properties.

We finally had to leave at 3:45, not having time for the surrounding gardens. Our original travel plans have changed, since we are unable to meet our friends in Vienna (they had to cancel) and our rear tire is asking for some attention. Turns out, Rob says, that we're exceeding our planned 4000 miles by a bit, and so it's questionable whether the tire will make it to Heidelberg. So today we wanted to put some miles on the bike (better now than on the weekend), and spent the next 4 hours, through quite pleasant Austrian hills and later along the Danube, to our current location of Mauthausen AU, right on the Danube.

Tata and Sopron

Tata's Old Castle, with a restored tower and wing

Our target for tonight was Sopron, near the border with Austria.  We noticed the town of Tata which was on our way and seemed to be interesting enough to warrant a stop.  Two lakes--large and small--provide the centerpiece of the town.  The ruins of the Oregvar (Old Castle) dominate the large lake and date from the 12th century, with one tower and a wing restored in the 19th c.  A small palace built by the Esterhazy family (much more about them later) in the mid 1700s is nearby.  The small lake is bounded by the Anglo Garden, built by the E. family.  We walked through the castle grounds and then made our way through town to the small lake and gardens, getting our exercise with a 30 minute walk around the lake.  

Esterhazy Palace in Fertod

A stop at the local Spar Market provided lunch fixings which we ate next to the large lake.  Then 90 minutes on the autoroute and a back road to Fertod and another, grander Esterhazy Palace, built by Nicholas in the mid-1700s.  We had not intended to try for a tour here (hoping instead to see the prime palace in Eisenstadt tomorrow), so we arrived about 6 and walked through the grounds.  The palace looked to be in prime condition, and includes a hotel in one wing.  Thirty minutes later we were in Sopron.  Our first hotel choice, a Great Western, was fully booked with a conference, so we headed to the second **** hotel in town and are comfortable and satisfied after a beer in the courtyard.  This hotel is apparently a restored Baroque building.  We'll judge it by the breakfast.

Danube Bend

interior of the Basilica

July16:  Today's update will be brief, since the computer swallowed the nearly-finished one last night.  Esztergom seemed to be a good base from which to explore the other towns of the Danube Bend, so we signed up for another night and spent the morning at Castle Hill and the Basilica that dominates the town.  This was built in the mid 19th century on the site of the earlier church which had been mostly demolished by the Turks.  This is the historic and ongoing center of Hungarian Roman Catholicism and thus attracts tour groups, many of whom arrive by boat.

We left town at noon and rode a pretty route along the river through Visegrad with its castle ruins on the hill to Sentendre, the most popular town on the Bend.  Numerous churches, shops, and galleries fill the old town.  We ate our meager lunch fixings supplemented with a pizza on a bench along the river.

In late afternoon we headed south again, crossed the river with a brief view of Budapest in the distance, and headed north to Vac through much congestion.  We did stop to see the plaza and walk along the river.  The town has a Roman past and remnants of the walls in the square.

The Danube from Visegrad

Rob had planned a longish excursion through the countryside which eventually brought us to a dead end.  We don't have good road maps of Hungary and the GPS has been notoriously untrustworthy.  We retraced our way back to Vac and then to Esztergom, arriving at 8.  It was overcast for much of the day, but no rain and pleasant riding temperature.

A Four-Country Day

July 15:  After a first class breakfast in our $50 Penzion Solnice in Znojmo (including eggs and ham cooked to order) we departed at 10 for the ride south and east.  The day was overcast but the rain held off until we were ready for lunch, when a convenient bus stop provided shelter and a bench.  Today's ride took us from the Czech Republic into Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary to the town of Esztergom on the Danube, across the river from Slovakia and in the area known as the Danube Bend.  

This town has a long history as both a political and religious center.  Hungary's first king, Stephan I, was crowned in the Basilica in 1000.  It was the royal seat for 300 years and has been the center of Roman Catholicism for over 1000 years.

Thanks again to LP for suggesting our hotel near the river.  It is showing its age, but with this excellent location and a tab of 55E, we are happy with our choice.  We took our usual evening walk--partway across the bridge to view and photograph the castle and Basilica on the hill--and then through town.  Another dead town--really no activity in the square or bars.  We stopped to enjoy a beer before returning to the hotel. Tomorrow we attack the hill, and then explore more of the towns along the Danube Bend.

(can't seem to insert the Picasa photos into the blog--so check out Picasa if you are interested.)

What?! Another rainy day?

Asian military collection in the South Moravian Museum

Rain was predicted, the local music festival might be even better today, and a nearby scenic loop ride beckoned, so we once again decided to spend a second night in our lodging town--these two-night stops are becoming a comfortable habit.  In the morning we spent a couple of hours walking around the quiet town, finding more of the old fortified walls and towers, and ending up at the South Moravian Museum, housed in a former monastery.  There were no collections of particular interest--some archaeology and flora and fauna (well displayed) plus some wrought iron pieces and one room of Asian military items spanning several centuries--Samurai swords, Indian rifles etc.  A strange collection, but the most interesting in the museum.

Lunchtime was approaching so we returned to our room for that and a brief nap.  At 3 a knock on the door from the Pension owner informed us, apologetically, that our room had been reserved and was not available.  The morning assistant (who did seemed confused and didn't speak English) had made an error.  So we packed up and he led us to another pension where we settled ourselves.  We had originally planned a longish afternoon ride, but the rain started as we changed abodes and kept up through the next several hours.  And the music festival was a non-starter today. At six we ventured out for a walk and later a beer at the local pub below our window, where we are the only customers. The town is definitely dead tonight, after that spurt of music and wine-tasting last night.

We realized too late that we really should have hit the road this morning and moved on to our next destination.  Tomorrow we will take that advice and head for Hungary, with a target of either Gyor or the Danube Bend above Budapest, depending on the weather and how much riding we want to attempt.

Znojmo

St. Nicholas Church, St. Wenceslas Chapel to the right.

Rain was forecast for the day and made an appearance early on.  But we decided to move on from Telc and, since the rain was light and intermittent, we suited up and headed south.  Pleasant back roads and only occasional rain until we neared our destination: Znojmo. Our LP had recommended Residence Zvon, with six rooms and a fine location, and luckily room no. 6, two flights up, was available.  


The town is perched high on a rocky hillside overlooking the Dyje River.  It is on the historic road between Prague and Vienna and thus has a historic center. We happened to arrive on the opening day of a two week annual music festival and have been treated to several musical events, mostly free. No crowds to speak of, but perhaps they arrive for the second weekend.  

Czech group performing

After checking in at our Pension and drying off, Rob suggested lunch in a nearby restaurant, so once again we indulged.  Next we looked at Gothic St. Nicholas Church next door to our Pension and nearby St. Wenceslas Chapel where a choral group was performing.  We slipped in (small chapel and small attendance) and stayed through the next choral group as well.  We'll revisit this chapel in the morning since it apparently has a second chapel below (visible in the photo above.)


We explored the town a bit and found another musical event in the main square--a very loud band playing American music of an earlier era--Moon River etc.  (I should mention that the music piped into our restaurant was Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong).  We walked a bit more and returned to the square to drink our evening beer.  A group playing more authentic Czech folk music was performing indoors and we decided to experience that instead.  Finally, at 10:15, fireworks--perhaps kicking off the festival.

Telc

Telc Chateau and church

It seemed reasonable to stay another night in Telc so that we could see the town and chateau and then take a ride in the neighborhood.  And, luckily, one room was still available in this comfortable 12 room hotel--our room.  So we signed up, and then signed up for the 11:30 English tour of the chateau.  We had expected more tourists in town, but saw only one Japanese group.  


We were the only people on our tour.  The rather plain exterior of the chateau is a contrast to the remarkable interior.  The ceilings were especially interesting, including elaborate painting and carving.  Renaissance furniture was original to the chateau and in good condition.  Some renovation to the ceilings and floors has been done, but much is untouched.  Sadly (as usual) no photos, though I have included one from our guide book.

(photo from our guidebook) The Golden Hall

A brief history of the chateau and town:  The town, established in the 13th c was purchased in the mid 14th c by the Hradec branch of the Vitkovci family (in a land swap with the Luxembourgs).  After the town fire in 1530 and led by Zacharias of Hradac from 1550 on, the town and chateau were rebuilt in the Renaissance style which is evident today.  In 1681 the estate became the property of a branch of the Liechtenstein family, who lived here until 1945, when ownership passed to the state.


We returned to our room for lunch (getting a bit chilly out there) and relaxation.  At 3:30 we departed for a three hour ride.  Again Rob found some delightful back roads, dipping south into Austria briefly.  We noticed the abundance of ponds and small lakes throughout the area, including one large lake with extensive camping facilities.  Somehow we avoided the dark clouds and potential rain, and returned dry to Telc at 6:30.

Litomysl to Telc

paintings by Josef Vachel in the Portmoneum

We are clearly slowing down (though that seems to be our general mode of travel).  We've decided not to attempt Budapest, and to concentrate on this lovely area of the Czech Republic.  We will eventually head for Vienna to meet friends, and then return to Heidelberg.


Litomysl took up most of our day.  We walked the town square again, looked at the strange Portmoneum with its wall paintings by Josef Vachel,  checked out local gardens, purchased lunch supplies, and then watched the dark clouds gather.  At 1:30 we headed back to last night's restaurant for a dry meal--again two fine 2-course lunches, including some delicious gaspacho and drinks ($29 for all, tip included in CZ).  

The Bonnie in Telc Square

3 pm approaching, the skies had cleared in our intended direction so we headed out for more of those lovely back roads for three hours--including an unexpected (and frustrating to Rob) construction detour--and arrived in Telc at 6.  Rob found lodging on the huge main square and we stopped for a beer before walking past the chateau and through the gardens.  This is another Renaissance town, having burned in 1530 and been rebuilt in that style.  The town is surrounded on three sides by medieval fish ponds that served as protective moats.  We'll check out the chateau and several churches tomorrow before an afternoon ride.  Who knows where we will end up!

Litomysl

Litomysl Renaissance Chateau

On the road at 9:45, we headed east out of Nachod, wanting to see the green hills along the Czech/Polish border.  This is pretty countryside with some farming and small towns, heavily wooded in parts, and even a ski resort.  Very little traffic on the mainly well-maintained roads, though we did encounter a difficult stretch under repair. Looked like a semi-major tourist destination site for east europeans, without the tourists.

evening performance (with an interesting alterpiece)

Our destination was Litomysl, a smallish town touted by Lonely Planet for its Cultural Heritage components--Renaissance Castle, large town square and other historic buildings.  Arriving at 1:30, we found a hotel (which turns out to be not as comfortable as we would like for the inflated price we are paying), ate lunch on a bench nearby along the stream, took our afternoon nap, and set out to see some of the town in late afternoon.

The town's claim to fame is a striking Renaissance chateau, built in the mid-16th century.  It is currently undergoing extensive renovation, so was not available for tours.  The large main square and several churches also caught our interest.  One church was the site of a concert, and we stopped by for the first (classical) half--Corelli, Vivaldi, Purcell.  Wonderful!  We left at the break and headed next door for a beer.  This was the hotel/restaurant touted in the Lonely Planet, and for once we opted to have dinner!!!  What a fantastic meal (please forgive our food photos--these are for ourselves as we remember the trip years from now).  Two fine meals, and two large beers--tab: $28.

Nachod (continued)

Nachod's main square from our hotel room

Rob is improving but still not back to normal, so we stayed around Nachod for another day. By mid-afternoon he was feeling well enough to suggest a few hours on the bike.  We headed for an area called the Ardspach-Teplice Rocks, which is popular with hikers.  The rock formations visible from the road were similar to those we saw on the German/Czech border north of Decin.  We didn't do any hiking, but noticed a number of camping sites and pensions.  Good riding weather--it's cooled a bit and no sign of rain.  Tomorrow we will move south, perhaps to Olomouc, though that city may be too large to tackle.  We hope to reach Budapest in the next couple of days.

Ardspach-Teplice Rocks from the road

I've been reading Madeleine Albright's book Prague Winter which provides a history of Czechoslovakia during the years 1937-1948, including the Czech Government-in-Exile in London, for which her father worked.  It's a personal view but gives many insights into the war years, personalities, and decisions that affected the Czechs and their country.

A Day of Rest

Rob woke up feeling under the weather, so we are taking a break today--mostly sleeping and reading.  We're staying in Nachod tonight and will see how things stand tomorrow.  We're thankful for our air-conditioned room since the weather is still hot and muggy, but nothing to what is going on in the US apparently. No photos today.

Sedlec Ossuary

There were several attractions in Kutna Hora and nearby Sedlec that we wanted to see before leaving town.  We started walking towards St. Barbara's Cathedral and came upon the Stone House which we had read about.  It is an important example of patrician architecture of the 15th c., and has gone through many reconstructions and renovations.  It is now a museum and houses furnishings and exhibits from various eras.  Then on to St. Barbara's (patron saint of miners), begun in 1388 and not completed until 1905! Very impressive, of course.

We rode to the nearby town of Sedlec with its famous ossuary and Cistercian Church.  The history of the ossuary, as briefly as possible:  In 1278 some earth from Golgotha in the Holy Land was sprinkled on the existing cemetery, making it a popular burial ground for Central Europe.  During the plagues and later Hussite wars, many burials took place.  When bones were removed to build a chapel above, they were piled together in the ossuary below.  Later they were rearranged into the existing "bone exhibit".  Here is the Wiki description:

The chandelier

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps into order. The macabre result of his effort speaks for itself. Four enormous bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. An enormous chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vault. 

Quite an amazing place!  We next viewed the Cistercian Church nearby--very plain but impressive.  Departure at 1:30 and rode to nearby Kolin for a picnic lunch in a park.

After lunch we decided to head north to visit the Cesky Raj and its "spectacular landscapes dotted with castle ruins," as described in our Lonely Planet travel bible. But when we arrived in nearby Jicin we could see a thunderstorm hovering over our target, and so we decided to take a pass and turned east. Good move. That led us to Trutnov (ice cream break) and then Nachod, where at 6:30 we decided to call it a day. Arriving at the town square, we spotted a fine hotel and decided to inquire. And so here we are in an upscale room (with air-conditioning!, and breakfast and Bonnie parking in their garage) for $70. We're really getting to like the Czech Republic.

Konopiste Castle to Kutna Hora

Some of Franz Ferdinand's trophies.

We headed up the hill to Konopiste Castle and signed up for the 11AM tour number III, the one most highly recommended by Lonely Planet.  This tour covers the private living quarters of Franz Ferdinand, his wife Sophia, and their three children. 

The tour was in Czech, with just two young women and us taking it.  We were provided with audio guides which worked well, providing information on the rooms and some historical background on the family.  Franz Ferdinand bought the property in 1887 and extensively remodeled the residence as well as developing the grounds with gardens, statues, and greenhouses.  FF was an avid hunter, and many of the rooms and hallways are lined with his trophies--many goat antlers--each labeled with the date of demise.  FF married Sophie in 1900 against the wishes of the Hapsburg clan and the Emperor, his uncle Franz Joseph, since she was not of noble birth.  They had three children and an apparently happy family life, spending much of their time at Konopiste rather than their palace in Vienna.  This came to an end in 1914 when FF and Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, igniting WWI.

Heading underground

Back at the bike by 12:30 we took a leisurely ride to our lunch stop in Sazava overlooking the muddy river busy with canoes.  Then on to Kutna Hora, a city famous for its medieval silver mines.  We walked towards the large St. Barbara's Cathedral, but stopped to view the Gothic St. James Church first, and then came to the Silver Museum which we had decided not to see.  However it looked more interesting than expected so we joined a Czech tour in progress (with printed English guides in hand), donned coats and helmets and, provided with flashlights, descended into the mines narrow, low and dripping passageways.  An American tour group was following us and we asked if we could join them.  Sure!  They turned out to be an independently traveling 3-generation family group of 12, taking their 18th annual vacation together.


Rob went out for his evening walk, and returned just as the rain started.  If it only rains at night (as has been the case for several days) we really can't complain.  And it does cool the hot humid air.  We will see the other local sites in town tomorrow and then head further east.

Karlstejn Castle

Karlstejn Castle and the road up to it.

We actually were packed and on the road by 9:30--rare for us.  We didn't encounter too much traffic on our way out of Prague, heading southwest to Karlstein Castle.  Since today and tomorrow are Czech holidays, we were a bit concerned about housing, so Rob had planned to secure that first in Beroun.  But the Pension that LP recommended didn't answer the doorbell (a stroke of luck as it turned out), so we headed for the castle.  To get to it one parks in the town center and hikes a kilometer up a steep road, past numerous restaurants and gift shops.  


We got tickets for the 12:40 English tour and wandered around unit then.  Our "senior"ity has saved us a good deal of money so far.  Senior tickets are usually 1/2-2/3 of regular.  The tour encompassed the main living quarters, with very limited furnishings but much interesting history dispensed by our guide.  The castle was built by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (of bridge-building fame) between 1348 and 1365, though much of the current castle dates from reconstructions in the 1890s.  The large tower housed the crown jewels for 200 years and was considered impregnable, surviving even the Swedish assault in the 17th century.

Our Bonnie in the Jawa Motorcycle Museum

On our way back down we decided to sample one of the restaurants.  Is this getting to be a habit?  Finally departing the town of Karlstejn we  traveled through pleasant countryside to Konopiste, site of tomorrow's visit to the Hunting Lodge of Franz Ferdinand.  Again Rob had read enough to find us a pension near the lake, with a two room apartment (no kitchen, but breakfast is included).  An additional attraction is a Jawa motorcycle museum within the building.  We looked around and talked to the owner who encouraged us to park our Bonnie in the museum tonight, which we have done.  That will probably never happen again.


Though rain threatened we took the chance and started an evening walk at 7, only to be hit by light rain and then a downpour with much nearby thunder and lightning.  We almost made it back to our pension but had to duck under some cafe overhang when the storm intensified.  Twenty minutes later we managed the final 300 meters.

Municipal House and Mucha Museum

We started our day with a visit to our local Church of Our Lady before Tyn, built in the 15-16th c.  It houses the tomb of Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer who died here suddenly in 1601 while working for the Emperor Rudolph II. His death is somewhat controversial (check Wiki if you are interested).  Next the Municipal House which we had stumbled upon during our first evening walk.  We took the 11AM tour of this amazing Art Nouveau masterpiece.  Normally the tour is given in English and Czech, but there were no Czechs among us, so it was English-only, a time saver.

Detail from the Municipal house

Built between 1905 and 1912 as a cultural institution and symbol of Czech nationalism during the period prior to 1918 when they were ruled by the Hapsburgs, it includes the work of the major artists of the country.  The largest room is Smetana Concert Hall, but many of the smaller rooms rival it for elegance.  The building has political significance too, since the Czechoslovakian Declaration of Independence was announced from here in 1918.  The building includes a restaurant and three cafes.

A rare lunch out.

At noon we headed for the nearby Mucha Museum.  No photos allowed there unfortunately.  Allphonse Mucha is the most popular Czech artist.  His fame began with a poster of a Sarah Bernhardt performance in 1895. She was so pleased that she hired him for future posters as well.  His work included paintings, designs for jewelry, book illustrations, walllpaper etc.  His most famous work is the monumental 20 canvases of The Slav Epic on view in the town of Moravsky Krumlov.  Mucha's Art Nouveau style is not to everyone's liking--lovely women with flowing hair surrounded by flowers.  But we both enjoyed it and this small museum, including a 20 minute movie in English.


Hungry now, we returned to the Municipal House cafe to enjoy a relatively authentic meal out--the food and venue were quite a treat.  We wanted to squeeze in one more museum today, so a 20 minute walk brought us to the City Museum.  Actually there was not too much of interest here except for the model of Prague in the 19th century.  A McDOnald's coffee break and then back to our apartment for a needed rest.  We have bought tickets to a concert at the Smetana Concert Hall for 8PM--an unusual evening event for us.

Museum of Decorative Arts

model showing the building of the Charles Bridge, 15th c.

Cooler today and we were slow to get out of the apartment.  Our first stop was St. Nicholas Church in nearby Old Town, with it's Baroque facade and sumptuous interior. We located the Clementinum, formerly a Jesuit College, which now houses the National Library.  We were looking for the entrance to the tower but were unsuccessful.  On to the Charles Bridge (once again), and the related Museum which provides a history of the building of the bridge in the late 14th century.  Quite an amazing feat, and most of the original bridge still stands.  Information on recent renovation of the roadway and some of the arch supports was included.

Harrach Glasswork vases from 1900

Our main destination for today was the Museum of Decorative Arts.  Perhaps we should have known better than to undertake this major exhibition at 12:30, but we did our best to see both the special exhibit of Glass from the Harrach Glassworks, and the main collections which included more glass, porcelain, metalwork, jewelry, clocks, books and posters, clothing, and desks and cabinets.  We broke away at 2:15, picked up some lunch supplies at a slightly larger market (we have been buying beer and milk at Mini-markets which certainly meet the definition of mini.) and returned to our room for lunch.  Then a rest until the rain struck. If the rain eventually stops, Rob may head out for a walk, but I'll take the night off.

Prague Castle

St Vitus Cathedral

We spent the entire day at Prague Castle, getting the full value of our "senior" half-priced tickets which covered nearly all the attractions.  We started by walking over Charles Bridge, then up to the castle--a fair hike.  The imposing St. Vitus Cathedral is the center point of the extensive castle grounds.  It's the largest cathedral in the country and was mostly built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, on the site of an early church, and incorporating some earlier sections.

A strange suit of "bird" armor

Next was the late-Gothic Old Royal Palace, one of the oldest parts of the complex, with the coronation hall and various exhibits.  Further churches, exhibits, towers, etc. filled the day, with a brief break for lunch in the courtyard cafe.  One interesting area that we managed to squeeze in before closing was the George Street, with tiny, colorful cottages built in the 16th century for castle guard and later used by artisans, and even later by artists and writers, including Franz Kafka.  At 6 we headed for the castle gardens whose terraces drop down the hillside. These gardens received extensive reconstruction and replanting in the 20th century and are a lovely quiet complement to the busy castle area above.  


The weather today was perfect--cooled by last night's thunderstorms.  We expect more storms tonight.  Meanwhile Rob is out enjoying music in the Old Town.  Amazing how his energy level holds up.

Litomerice and on to Prague

A well decorated building in Litomerice

Though our destination was Prague, we wanted to see one more town recommended in the Lonely Planet--Litomerice.  We walked the attractive town square and checked out the imposing cathedral (closed) and its tower, which Rob climbed.  Though the time suggested lunch, we decided to hop on the autoroute to Prague. (rde: without a vignette, and therefor subject to a $100 fine. But I judged that the odds of being caught on our 45 minute 120kph blast were infinitesimal, and the penalty was affordable.) 

Prague crowds waiting for the Astronomical Clock to perform at  7 pm

We had checked various hotel possibilities and noticed two sites with apartments listed.  Since we hadn't booked ahead, we wanted to arrive early enough to arrange accommodation.  After sorting out some confusing addresses (rde: # 22 and 30 are west of the bridge, but #24 is east of it, one km away!?) we eventually found the booking agency and secured an apartment.  The online price had been a surprisingly low 78E, but the agent said the centrally located apartment that we selected was 110E.  Rob talked her down to 80.  We are amazed by our luck, and would gladly have paid the 110, given the great location and comfortable rooms.  An unexpected bonus was a washing machine--just in the nick of time.


After a much-welcomed short rest-nap (rde: agreed), at 6:30 we headed out for a two hour walk through the Stare Mesto (Old Town), just three blocks from the apartment.  The architecture here is stunning.  Nearly every building  has an elaborate facade.  The crowds were thick in the central square and near the famous Astronomical Clock which did its (very limited) thing at 7.  We ended our walk near St. Wenceslas Square and wended our way back home.  We have booked the apartment for three nights, and can extend that if we need to. 


You may have noticed the abundance of photos.  In order to make viewing them more manageable, I've added a second Picasa album for July.  So photos from today through our July 24 departure can be found there.  

"Little Switzerland"

Looking down from Dochin Castle

We were greeted by a brief thunderstorm this morning, but the rain cleared after breakfast, allowing us a walk up to the castle, via the "Long Walk", with its high stone sides.  No English guide (either human or written) was available for the castle, so we settled for the Rose Garden instead.  Walking back to the hotel we shopped for lunch supplies, and then an 11AM departure for the area north of Decin (including parts of Germany and the Czech Republic) called "Little Switzerland"--forests and rocky pinnacles, many hiking trails, and a river that offers boating excursions.  The back roads were lovely, and not as crowded as we had expected, given the weekend and good weather.  We took two nice walks, and noted a large number of hikers and bicyclists.  

Yet another picnic

We found an agreeable lunch spot--having searched for a roadside table for 30 minutes--and then continued on to explore the German part of this park, which lies east of Bad Schandau. Upon reentering CZ on our way back to Decin, we noticed again the large number of factories that look derelict.  If they are still active, they certainly need extensive reconstruction.