Czech Republic First Stop Olomouc
- Train into Olomouc: A
very interesting city to visit and easy to get around walking and
travelling on the light rail. An ecclesiastical metropolis
it was once the historic capital of Moravia until being
sacked by the Swedish army during the 30 years war in the early 15th
century. It is also the sixth largest city in the Czech Republic.
Archeological excavations date a Roman military camp near the city
to 2nd century. A very mixed history over the centuries including
the Bishopric of Olomouc in 1063 and a visit by King Wenceslas
III in 1306 on his way to Poland. You can still see parts of the
medieval city walls as you walk through the city parks. Notable
landmarks are the Holy Trinity Column a Baroque monument built 1716 to
1754 to celebrate the faith in the Catholic Church and the ending of a
plague. Saint Wenceslas Cathedral a gothic cathedral founded in
1107. There are some beautiful baroque buildings and apartments
throughout the city. Lots of other places to see including the
university, theatres and museums just a lovely city.
- Next Train into Cesky Krumlov via Cesky Budejovice: Quite
an involved rail trip to get here as Krumlov is off the main train
lines. A UNESCO world heritage site since 1991 it is just a
beautiful city dominated by its 13th century castle. We
stayed in a lovely B & B in the old town for 3 nights and still
could have stayed longer, so much to see. Fairly expensive place
and always full of tourists but just a lovely place to visit.
After the communist era the city was restored back to its
original German / Austrian heritage. The whole old town area
consists of mainly historic buildings with some modern ones added but
similar in design to the original ones. The castle, gardens and
tower reflect the bygone eras of Czech, German and Austrian origins and
the royal and aristocratic families who lived there. The moat is
also home to rescued bears originally because of an association with
the powerful Orsini family, Orso meaning bear. The city also
houses the Minorite Monastery and the Pivovar Eggenberg Brewery and
several museums and the castle theatre.
- Next Train into Beroun: A
very quiet and pleasant place to stay and a short train ride to the
historic Karlstejn Castle and also to Prague. We didn't take a
lot of photos here but the Beroun Bear Sanctuary is worth the walk to
the Medvedarium and the lookout has some good views of the area.
- Take a train to the historic Karlstejn Castle:
A short trip on the train from Beroun or Prague takes you to
Karlstejn Castle originally the home of the Bohemian/Czech crown jewels,
holy relics and other royal treasures. Founded in 1348 by Charles
IV, Holy Roman Emperor elect and king of Bohemia. Lots of
history here and a variety of tours available within the castle.
The town and the castle are a great place to wander.
- Next Train into Prague: Easy
train ride into Prague from Beroun. One of the best public
transport systems we've seen. Free transport for seniors on
buses, metro and trams. At the main train station we queued up at
the ticket booth. You will need a passport photo and some very
small change and they will issue you with a seniors travel card for
whatever period you need. In the case of EU citizens I believe
all you need is your passport or EU ID card. Then you're ready to
go with any transport within the city. A very popular destination
so be prepared for crowds of tourists everywhere. So many
historic monuments, palaces, churches, cathedrals and some wonderful
buildings in the old town areas we walked and walked for 6 days and 7
nights. You can catch a tram up to the base of the castle and
take your seniors travel card or ID and you get into the castle at a
discount price. We spent at least half a day wandering around the
castle and hopefully saw most of what we wanted to see. A number
of the places that do charge for entry offer various discounts for
seniors and others.
We
also spent a day out with a driver and guide visiting the Ruckl Glass
Factory and the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. You can arrange this
through your hotel or just look up the tours on the internet like we
did. A great day out with lunch provided. The Ruckl Glass
Factory has been operating since 1903 and is a great experience in
seeing the art of crystal and glass blowing. The Pilsner Urquell
Brewery opened in 1842 and is quite a massive operation. The tour
takes in the history and the changing environment of beer making since
its inception showing the different stages, raw materials,
fermentation, storage and bottling etc.
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