After spending three nights in Vienna, we reluctantly said goodbye to this wonderful city and headed to the Czech Republic.
Our first stop is Český Krumlov, a small well preserved medieval city in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. The distance between Vienna and Český Krumlov is about 130 miles and it took our bus more than three hours to get there.
On our way to Český Krumlov, we saw the Melk Abbey from a distance. Melk Abbey is a major tour stop for Danube river cruisers. Our tour regretfully didn’t go into Melk.
(Click on each picture to get the full-size view)
The old town of Český Krumlov is a pedestrian zone so our bus dropped us off at the city outskirt. Immediately we were captivated by the incredible beauty of the city.
We started the city tour from the Inner Town (old town). Later we would proceed to the new town area before reaching the castle.
There is greenery everywhere. The scenery is very tranquil and relaxing.
The tower of St. Jošt Church is in the foreground. The Castle Tower is in the back.
One of our tour members, Paul from Orange County, is charmed by the scenery too.
This map shows that the Vltava River loops around the Inner Town of Český Krumlov; thus the old town area is surrounded by water on three sides. The castle area is across the river on the upper right.
Streets of Český Krumlov are paved with cobblestones.
The Main Square in the Inner Town of Český Krumlov.
The stairs leading to the St. Vitus Church.
The Vltava River, under the bridge on which we stood, is a natural moat for the castle.
After the bridge, we entered the new town area. This uphill street leads to the castle.
Entering the castle complex.
At the main courtyard of the castle.
The Castle Tower
View of the Inner Town of Český Krumlov from the castle
A postcard view from an arch window at the castle.
One of many inner courtyards in the castle.
A living bear in the Bear Moat
One of our tour members, Harvey from NoCal, told a story about the bear in the Czech Republic. The majority of the inhabitants in Český Krumlov used to be Germans. A German landowner employed many Czech farmhands to help to harvest the truffles in the forest. One day a Czech worker was attacked and dragged away by two bears, a male, and a female. To rescue the missing worker, the rest of the workers went searching for the vicious bears and managed to capture the female bear. They cut open the belly of the female bear and found its stomach empty. So the workers turned to the German landowner and asked: “what do you think”? In response, the landowner said: “The Czech is in the male”.
After leaving Český Krumlov, our final destination for today and for our entire trip is the city of Prague. Prague is about 110 miles away from Český Krumlov. We drove through Bohemian regions. Our bus took more than 2 hours to get to Prague and we arrived in late afternoon. We would stay two nights in Grand Majestic Plaza Hotel, a 7-minute walk from the Old Town Square.
We were on our own for our first dinner in Prague. Our tour director suggested a restaurant near the Old Town Square. We decided to take a walk and checked out the place. Walking around Prague in the evening is safe. The street scene at night in Prague is lively, and there are many pedestrians on the street.
The Gothic Powder Tower in Prague is one of the original city gates dating back to the 11th century. It separates the Old Town from the New Town. Our hotel is in New Town. In order to go to the Old Town Square, we passed through this gate.
After the gate, the Old Town Square is just a short walk away.
The Old Town Square has many historical buildings around its perimeter.
This is the Old Town Hall with the Astronomical Clock Tower.
On the opposite side of the square is the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, with soaring twin towers and numerous spires.
St. Nicholas' Church, with modest twin towers, sits at one end of the Old Town Square. The statue in the middle of the square is the Jan Hus Memorial, commemorating a Protestant martyr and the spirit of dissent.
We found the restaurant, Mlejnice (https://www.yelp.com/biz/mlejnice-praha), in a narrow alley near the Old Town Square. We shared a big table with our tour members, Linda & Paul from OC, Rowena & Philip from DC.
Rosaline and I ordered a roast pig hock and a grilled fish. They are very good and inexpensive.
After dinner, we decided to walk to the Charles Bridge, which is about 10 minutes' walk away. Along the way, there were many tourists on the street too. Although it was getting late we were never alone.
At the start of the Charles Bridge is a tower, called the Old Town Bridge Tower. This is the tower seen from the Old Town (the front side).
Old Town Bridge Tower, seen from the Charles Bridge (the back side).
Next to this tower is St. Francis of Assisi Church.
The church also runs the Charles Bridge Museum.
The Prague Castle at night, seen from the Charles Bridge. We would come back to visit the Charles Bridge the next morning.
Today we covered a lot of ground. We traveled for over 250 miles on a bus, driving through the countryside of the Bohemian country. Český Krumlov and Prague are truly fantastic. Both cities are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for very good reasons. As Prague is called the City of One Hundred Spires, I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow to start counting those spires in daylight.
What a fantastic journey in the land of Bohemia.
Majestic castles, sprawling squares, and a living bear.
Hock, fish, and beer are all priced affordably to sell,
There is really no excuse to say “the Czech is in the male”.
-Joe
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