Ceský Krumlov Love - Czech Republic

I had to start out this post with a photo. Cesky Krumlov was so unexpectedly beautiful. So quaint. So perfect after a hot, crowded day in Prague.

Cesky Krumlov is located about 160 kilometers south of Prague in the Czech Republic, not far from the Austrian border. When we did our reading about Prague, my good friend Rick Steves informed us via his book that close to 90% of visitors to the Czech Republic see only Prague and never venture out into the countryside. Wanting to break the "tourist mold," we got in our car and drove the two hours to see this village on the Vltava River in the rolling hills of the Czech Republic.

During our time in the Czech Republic, I kept slipping up and saying Czechoslovakia, a country that no longer exists. Czechoslovakia was a country that I learned about in high school. It's strange to travel Europe with the map of my childhood in my head, a map of areas that go by different names now.

Cesky Krumlov is known for being a picturesque town built on a bend in the Vltava River. The town also has a large castle, a fact that is unusual for a town as small as Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov has been settled since the late 13th century. It was an important stop in the trade routes of southern Bohemia.

I love history. When we go places like this, I love seeing the sights, but also knowing the "why" behind the sights. Why was this place special? What caused people to settle here? I was especially fascinated with the history of the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was formed from the remains of the fallen Austro-Hungarian Empire that collapsed at the end of WWI.

Cesky Krumlov (pronounced Ches-key Kroom-luv) was full of little cobblestone streets and alleys like this one. Even though it's a small town, we spent hours wandering its winding streets that climb towards the castle on the hill.



The exterior of the castle. The Cesky Krumlov castle is highly decorated with paintings and murals. Some of the exterior artwork is actually carved into the different layers of the stucco like cement that cover the castle.

Many people have remarked to me how lucky we are to travel and what a great experience this is for us and for my children. A fact that I won't dispute. In our pictures we are all usually smiling and happy and the sun is shining. That's because I don't usually take pictures of the bad moments. Take this photo here. At this exact moment we are all happy. But what you don't see is that about five minutes after this photo one of my children threw a major tantrum (read tired, hungry, and sick of waiting for the castle tour to start). To save this child embarrassment I won't name them, but this child was acting like a complete butthead (they were probably calling me some choice names in their head too) and I wanted them to go sit in the chairs off to the left to separate them and let them cool down. They didn't want to sit in the chairs and they let me know it. What followed was a scene where this child and I had a battle of wills. It was great fun. I was mad and the child thought I was "The meanest mom in the whole wide world." Which at that moment, may be true.

But then I started thinking. Would the meanest mom in the world take their child to such a beautiful place? I don't think so. I'm not saying that I'm not mean, but meanest in the world? I believe that's up for debate.

The castle tour is offered in Czech and English. For some reason the English tour is almost twice as much as the Czech tour. I guess English demands a higher rate because it's harder to speak or something. Rick Steves recommended if you take the tour, just take the Czech one and get the English brochure. So that is what we did. We met at the tour starting place and the tour guide started rattling facts off in Czech. After about three minutes the other family leaned over and asked "Excuse me, but do you guys speak Czech?"

"No," we answered. "But it's okay. We just want to see the inside of the castle."

"We don't speak Czech either!" She went on to convince our tour guide to give us the tour in English. So we got an English speaking tour for the price of a Czech tour. Not a bad deal. I felt bad for the guide though. His English was good, but you could tell he was extremely nervous speaking English to us. We kept reassuring him, "Your English is really good!" Really good may have been a stretch, but it was a heck of a lot better than our Czech.



Here Aidan is trying lift this stone sphere off of the wall. Good luck son.

View of Cesky Krumlov from the castle.

The willingness of our tour guide to give us our tour in English was just another example of the friendliness of the Czech people that I felt we experienced while we were here. Everywhere we went, from the apartment we rented in Prague to this little hilly town, we were impressed by their kindness.



Interior of the castle courtyard.

The Czech people have always been a peaceful people it would seem. They rejoiced when the Nazis left in 1945 and had one day of their own government before a government influenced by communist Soviet Union came into power. They existed as a satellite state of the Soviet Union. On November 17, 1989 a student demonstration in Prague started what is known as the Velvet Revolution. With the collapse of other Warsaw Pact nations and increasing protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced that they would relinquish power. It was called the Velvet Revolution because it went so smoothly. So smoothly that not one Czechoslovakian died or was injured during the coop. Not even a broken window to speak of. I think that is just a testament to the attitudes of peace that the Czechoslovakian people have.

Outside the castle in the moat area, there are bears kept in pits. The bears are said to be directly descended from bears put there by the ruling families of ancient Bohemia.

Czechoslovakia split peacefully into the separate nations of the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1,1993. The Slovakian areas which had a different language (Slovak) and demographics than the rest of the country, felt that they would be better served and represented by their own government. The country divided itself along language and cultural lines.

The breezeway on the castle grounds. 



After walking up hills, and touring the castle we ate ice cream on the banks of the Vltava river, cooling our feet (and my temper) in the cold water. Andre really got into the ice cream eating, as you can see.

We finished out our day by having a traditional Czech dinner in restaurant built in old catacombs under the town square.

They cooked the food right in front of us at this rustic little kitchen complete with open fire pit. It however wasn't complete with the bodies that used to be entombed here. I asked our server what was done with them, but my question was only met with nervous laughter and the word, "Yes." Having had my own foreign language struggles, I knew that he had no idea what I asked so I let it drop. I guess the missing body mystery will stay just that. A mystery.

The restaurant, called Katakomby, was clean and the food was great. Plus, there was the added benefit of wondering if a ghost would sit down next to us. We left disappointed that no non-earthly specters joined us, but not disappointed that we had spent our time in this unique and tasty restaurant.



The door down to the restaurant was tiny and led to a small, stone stair way leading down to the catacombs. Matt stands here showing how small it was. 

The entrance for the restaurant is hidden. If you want to eat here, you have to work for it. The restaurant is located on the west side of the main town square underneath a Chinese restaurant.

It was starting to get dark when we drove out of Cesky Krumlov. But there was just enough twilight to enjoy the hills of the Czech Republic as we drove back to Prague. We had such a great time (except for the scene in the castle grounds) that this trip has been elevated to one of my favorites. If you have the chance, you should definitely Czech it out.

Na shledanou,*

Kelly

*Czech for good bye.

Old Prague - Czech Republic, Part 2

Our trip around Prague continues...

Click here on Prague, Castles And Cathedrals to read about the first part of our Czech adventure.

Prague is a gorgeous city in ancient Bohemia and in the current Czech Republic. Every corner we walked around we were so excited for the surprise that awaited us.

Streets like this, with little gas-lit lamps and flower boxes on the windows.

And streets like this, where the buildings have meticulous works of art on them.

The biggest must see of Prague is the Old Town Square. And located in the Old Town Square is the Prague Astronomical Clock, or Prazský orloj. The clock was first put up in 1410 and it is the oldest astronomical clock still working.

We decided that was something we really wanted to see, so we headed over to the clock at noon to watch it chime.

It was a little bit of a let down. These doors open up and statues of dower apostles file past. And then the doors shut. Matt and I looked at each other and we said at the exact same time, "That was it?" Oh how I love that we are both unimpressed by the same things.

The clock was made even less impressive by the fact that at least half of Europe and a third of America was visiting Prague this weekend. I stood in the square and more than once uttered, "Who in the heck are all these people?!"

I may have also thought, "What made them think they could come to Prague the same time I did?" I'm kind of a snot, huh?

You see, I feel like Europe is mine. Like mine personally. Like I'm the first American to come to Europe and to fall in love with it. We've lived in Germany for 10 months now and other than our first trip to Paris in August, 2012, we've done all our traveling off season. With the arrival of June and higher temperatures and sunshine, tourist season is upon us. Prague had also flooded the week before so Matt and I were sure that people would have cancelled their trips and we would have Prague to ourselves. Nope. Maybe all these people thought the same thing. Boy, we were all in for a surprise. I guess I'm going to have to learn to share Europe with the rest of the world.

At the center of the Old Town Square is a memorial to Jan Hus, a Czech priest who lived between 1349-1415. He thought all the same things as Martin Luther did, only a century earlier. He was burned at the stake for heresy against the Catholic Church. He is considered the first church reformer. Why was Jan Hus burned at the stake and Martin Luther heralded as a reformer? Mostly because Jan Hus was Czech and Martin Luther was a German. The Catholic Church thought it was a lot easier to make an example of Hus. Burning a German at the stake would have caused much more of an uprising. 

Every which way you turn in the Old Town Square gives you glimpses of the true beauty of Prague.

St. Nicholas church.

Prague can trace it's beginnings to a Celtic settlement that started in 6th century AD. Prague flourished during the 1300's as capital of Bohemia. It was an important city for the Habsburgs (those guys in charge of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The city became an economic powerhouse in 1771 and rich merchants filled the city with churches and palaces. They gave Prague the Baroque architecture that it is known for around the world. 

This church looming like a specter from behind the jaunty pink and yellow buildings is the Týn Church, or Church of Our Lady before Týn. It was built in the 14th century. It gave my husband, Matt, the willies. He said it looked just like that place in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where the guy with the big nose took the children. He kept giving the church sideways glances. I think he was having memories surface about nightmares he had as a child about being stolen away by a man with a big nose. I stroked his arm and told him that nobody was going to steal him away now.

We followed the crowds over to the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge connects the two halves of Prague over the Vltava river. It is the oldest stone bridge surviving and still in use in Europe today. 

Here we are walking over the bridge with all the other tourists. It wasn't just the fact the Prague was crowded that we were having a hard time with. It was also really warm and we were totally unprepared. We brought shorts and T-shirts so clothes weren't the problem. We just really weren't ready mentally to battle that kind of heat. After the cold temps and rain we had just had on our trip to Berlin, the heat and sunshine were a shock.

This is King Charles who laid the first stone on July 9,1357 for the bridge. Prague is really into statues. They are in the squares. They are on the bridges.

They put statues on the tops of their buildings. 

They even stick them on the sides of buildings. Heck, if you hold still long enough they might put a statue on you.

Not that I'm complaining. Prague is a breathtakingly beautiful city. One of the reasons that Prague is so beautiful is because it suffered relatively low bombing damage during World War II. Hitler entered Prague in 1939 and claimed it to be part of Germany. Prague was liberated from Nazi Germany by the Soviet Red Army in 1945.

After seeing the main sights and attractions in Prague, I just aimlessly wandered around the Old Town. Aimless wandering is one of my favorite things to do in a new city. You never know what you are going to come across or discover when you turn the corner.

I love walking along the streets, mixing with the locals, finding little shops and eateries. And mostly just seeing the city. Marveling at the architecture. Unfortunately, my children tire quickly of aimless wandering in crowded hot cities so there often has to be promises of ice cream to be eaten in the shade.

But after all the aimless wandering and scoops of ice cream and pastries eaten, what I'm really hoping is that these trips, this time in Europe changes them. Like it's changed me. I hope they realize how big the world is, yet small at the same time. How beautiful it is. I hope they learn that you don't need to be scared of cultures or people that are different from you. How beauty is in the differences. I hope they learn to act local, but think global. I hope they learn that with all the history out there that they are a part of it. No matter how small, we are all a part of it.  I hope as adults they will sit around in some cafe in Paris or Madrid and have a sibling reunion and remember their childhood in Europe. I hope that after all the hot car rides and miles walked and shoes worn out and strange beds slept in, that they will still have a love of new places, languages, and stories. I guess I hope that by showing them the world they will want to make it a better place.

Na shledanou,

Kelly

Prague, Castles And Cathedrals - Czech Republic, Part 1

We are home from our time in Prague and the Czech Republic. Prague was amazing! I will definitely be going back. 

We planned our trip several weeks ago, but then cancelled upon seeing the news that the Vltava River that runs through Prague was flooding. I was so disappointed. The Czech Republic has been high on my list of must sees for awhile now. We watched the Central European weather reports and even got some Czech news translated for us. Right before we needed to leave we heard that the river had returned to near normal levels and that travel to Prague was fine. Prague was a go!

We rented an apartment in Prague 2. Prague is broken up into numbered neighborhoods (much like Paris with it's arrondissements). The historic old city is located in Prague 1 and that is where the majority of the sights are. The name of our apartment was the Residence Bêlehradská. Find their website here. It was a 2 bedroom apartment with a kitchen that slept six. Perfect for our family. It was clean and well decorated and the staff was kind and spoke great English. It was located right on the Prague 22 tram line which takes you through the old town and to the castle. We used the tram for all our travel in Prague and found it a great way to get around. Warning - The Prague 22 tram line is known as the "tourist line," and also, as the "pick-pocket line." All the travel books I read on Czech and Prague (Lonely Planet and Rick Steves) warn you about pick-pockets on this tram line. There are even signs in the tram cars alerting you. So consider yourself warned.

Our first stop in Prague,or Praha in Czech, was the Strahov Monastery and the castle on the hill. The skyline of Prague is dominated by these two buildings.

See? Here we are on the banks of the Vltava River looking up.

Next, on to the castle.

Prague Castle, or Prazký hrad, is the largest ancient castle in the world. Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have all ruled from here. My kids were really excited to see the biggest castle in the world. As we walked around the castle squares they kept asking, "Where is this huge castle?"

"You see those buildings? That is the castle." The castle is a winding, long series of buildings built in different styles of architecture. My kids were expecting a castle like they've seen in Germany. If that is what you are looking for, you're not going to find it here. Even though it isn't a castle with soaring spires and towers, it's still impressive.

The castle gardens with a view of Prague in the background.

The castle is still the working office of the Czech Republic and it is heavily guarded. 

The castle might be less than impressive, but this surely isn't. This is the St. Vitus Cathedral, or Katedrála svatého Vita in Czech. It is situated entirely in one of the main squares of Prague Castle. 

The cathedral was started in 1344, but wasn't finished until 1929. That is a span 585 years. And you thought road construction took a long time. The cathedral holds the remains of St. Wenceslaus of the Christmas song, Good King Wenceslaus, who was a prince of ancient Bohemia in the 10th century. The land of former Bohemia lays almost entirely in the eastern two-thirds of the current Czech Republic. So if something is described as Bohemian, it's really Czech.

I was reading about how the Catholic church is struggling in the Czech Republic. After the communist rule of Czechoslovakia from 1948-1989, the church has struggled to gain a foothold back in this part of Europe. Most priests in the Czech Republic aren't even Czech. They're Polish transplants. I don't know too much about this, but maybe they could get donations and attendance up if their cathedrals looked a little, I don't know, less freaking scary? Look at this guy on this church! I feel like his stony gaze sees right through me.

And look at this! Upon seeing this, I immediately thought of this guy here. Our stone friend above may not have the wings, but you can't doubt the resemblance. He looks like he is going to leap right off the building. Yikes...

And look at these flying buttresses. I get the whole "Gothic architecture" thing, but this just looks like overkill. And no doubt the whole building could use a good power washing to take off the 700+ years off black film which just makes the cathedral look not only a little scary, but a little depressing. Just a suggestion from me to you, Prague.

Speaking of scary, the same travel books (Lonely Planet and Rick Steves, again) also warned us about travel in and around Prague and the Czech Republic. My husband Matt was telling me that several car rental companies in Germany don't allow their rental cars to be driven over the border into the Czech Republic. Our friends who have driven to Prague all gave us good recommendations on where to park our car so it wouldn't get broken into, or even worse, stolen. So I started thinking, was there really a dangerous element about traveling to Prague? Here is what I found out-

1. Prague has a high rate of car break-ins and car theft. Our fix - We parked at a secure, well lit parking lot provided by the Residence Bêlehradská for €10,00 a day. It had a person there 24 hours a day watching the cars. We also emptied our car of everything not permanently attached to the car.

2. Prague has a high rate of pick-pocketing and muggings. Our fix - Matt carried his wallet in his front pocket and I wore a cross body bag that I could drape in front of me for more protection. Matt often wears a back-pack with water, books, snacks, and our iPad when we travel. We left the iPad back at the apartment and put nothing of value in the backpack. The manager of the apartment that we rented also suggested just carrying photo-copies of our passports, not the actual document, when traveling out in town. We also left a few credit-cards in the apartment so we would have access to money just in case anything did happen.

3. Prague has a high rate of hotel and apartment burglaries. Our fix - Our apartment we rented actually had a hidden safe that we used to store our items we left in the apartment. We also hid items in the apartment that we didn't want stolen just in case someone did manage to get in and do a quick sweep.

4. Prague has a high rate of restaurant bill padding. We read that many restaurants will make a bill for tourists higher or give them an unfair currency exchange. Our fix - We memorized the current exchange rate of 20 Czech Republic Koruna (CZK) to 1 US dollar and made sure all our bills added up to what we actually ordered.

5. Prague has a high rate of credit card number theft. Our fix - We only used cash in all of our transactions. There were plenty of ATM's around and it made it much easier to take out some CZK to use for food and purchases rather than worry about anyone with our credit card. The travel books warned us not to let anyone out of our sight with our credit card. 

In spite of all these "warnings," we found Prague to be a delightful and beautiful city to visit. We felt safe the whole time and never had a problem. 

Don't we look happy? Well, most of us look happy. My son, Aidan, on the right looks extremely pouty. Maybe he was tired of hearing me say, "Let's go Czech. Czech. Czech. Czech it out!" Coming up next, our time in the historic old city of Prague. Stay tuned!

Na shledanou*,

Kelly

*Na shledanou is Czech for good-bye.