Posts Tagged ‘Czech Republic’
Views from on high – atop Prague’s Old Town Clock Tower
I was back in Prague, Czech Republic earlier this month. I lived here in this fairy tale city many years ago, and enjoy returning when I can. On this visit, quite a few years had gone by since my previous visit. The weather was a bit hit-and-miss during our stay here (par for the course…
Read MoreThe final resting place of writers, artists and musicians at Prague’s Vyšehrad Cemetery
This famous cemetery was built in 1869, at the edge of the site of the Vyšehrad castle – where legend has it the first settlement was created that would later become Prague. The first Czech kings ruled from this spot, before the more well-known Prague Castle was constructed. Legend has it that Princess Libuše founded…
Read MoreCoffee and people-watching in Prague’s Obecní dům cafe
I moved to Prague right after graduating from university – ions ago. I used to work as a journalist and between interviews and my shifts at the radio and television stations where I worked, I used to come to this fabulous cafe and write up my stories, slowly nursing a coffee and admiring the faded splendor…
Read MorePrague’s Wallenstein Garden
Prague’s beautiful Wallenstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) has always been one of my favorite hideouts in Rome. This beautiful Baroque garden, tucked neatly behind a high wall, was created alongside construction of the Wallenstein Palace, built from 1623-1629. The pavilion, with its impressive views behind it up to the striking Prague Castle, is often the site…
Read MoreAdmiring Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
The Hluboká nad Vltavou is a very pretty castle in southern Bohemia. The town itself is situated on the Vltava River, very close to the Czech city of České Budějovice. This castle was built from the medieval Froburg castle, perched above the Vltava river. It once belonged to the Přemyslid king Ottokar II of Bohemia. Later it passed…
Read MorePrague’s Old Town Square clock
Every hour on the hour in Prague’s historical center, Town Hall’s historic, astronomical clock chimes the hour as the crowds below watch. The astronomical clock, on Prague’s Old Town Square (Staromětske naměsti) stands at the base of the 14th century Town Hall. The clock itself was constructed in 1410, making it the third oldest astronomical…
Read MoreVisiting the idyllic Rožmberk nad Vltavou Castle, Czech Republic
The little town of Rožmberk nad Vltavou is a small down in southern Bohemia, close to the Austrian border and situated along the Vltava (Moldau) River. It is only a few kilometers of the pretty town of Český Krumlov, and looks like a miniature version of that town. The most famous monument in the town –…
Read MoreKafka’s castle? Frýdlant, Czech Republic
If you’re in northern Czech Republic, just beyond Liberec and close to the Polish border, you’ll want to see the dramatic Frýdlant Castle in the little town of Frýdlant that is dominated by its hilltop castle. This is said to have been the castle that inspired Franz Kafka’s famous novel The Castle. Following the Battle of…
Read MoreMacabre memories in Sedlec, Czech Republic
Close to the pretty town of Kutna Hora, an oft-visited town close to Prague and famous for its spectacular Gothic church – Svata Barbora (Saint Barbara), see my earlier post – lies another impressive must-see. Only two kilometers northeast of Kutna Hora lies the suburb of Sedlec. While the town is nothing special, it’s a destination…
Read MoreThe view from the top of St Vitus’ bell tower, Prague
Admittedly, I may have a problem. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, when I visit a city, I always want to make a beeline to the highest vanatage point to enjoy the views from a bird’s eye perspective. This includes skyscraper tourism in modern cities, and – most commonly- church bell towers…
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