My Travel and History Blog, Focussing mostly on Roman and Mediaeval Times
22 Apr 2019
Kraków and Wrocław - My Spring Journey 2019, Part 2
The second post of my Travel Return Booty will present the places I visited in Poland.
Krakow, Easter market on the Market Square, seen from the balcony of the Cloth Hall
(St.Mary's Basilica in the background)
It was Palm Sunday in Kraków, an important day for Catholics in Poland, and the weather was fine to boot, so the town was rather crowded, not only with - mostly Polish - tourists, but with pretty much all inhabitants of the city and surroundings. The women and some children were carrying bouquets made of evergreen and spring flowers. It was a pretty sight.
Kraków, Cloth Hall and belfry (left)
Since there were services and prayers going on all day, I didn't have a chance to seen any of the churches from the inside, but I didn't mind - I got plenty of church photos in my collection. There was much else to see, after all.
Kraków, view from the Barbican to St.Florian's Gate
Like the remains of the town fortifications, the Barbakan and St.Florian's Gate. Not many people purchased a ticket for the tour of their interior, so I had some quiet moments doing one of my favourite things: photographing Mediaeval military architechture. *grin*
Kraków, Wawel Castle in the evening sun
Wawel Castle had been the main seat of the Kings of Poland for centuries and thus has been altered and enlarged several times. The inner yards are open to the public, but access to the rooms is limited to 30 people per hour, so it is a bit tricky to get tickets for the tour (though I approve such precautions to preserve valuable items). Since photographing is not allowed inside, I skipped the Flemish tapestries and pretty furniture.
Kraków, the Wawel Dragon
Outside I met with a fire breathing dragon. The beastie haunted a cave under the castle until a shoemaker - a poor one, of course - fed it with a lamb skin full of sulphur and the dragon exploded, whereof the shoemaker married the princess. Though he never appears in the geneaolgies of the Piasts and Jagiellons. The statue dates to 1972 and does indeed breathe fire now and then. I was lucky to catch on of those bursts (though you can obviously trigger them via SMS, how mundane).
Street Café in the Jewish quarter
Kazimierz, the former Jewish Quarter, is a very different part of Kraków. Less frequented by tourists, but popular with young people. Some houses have already been restored and look as pretty as in the Old Town, but others still need new paint or a sandblasting. It gives the place a slightly rundown, but charming atmosphere.
Ogrodzieniec Castle
I also got yet another castle for my collection. There are several castles not far from Kraków; the so called Eagle Nest Trail, a series of castles situated on lime stone cliffs. They were built mostly in the 14th century to protect the border to Silesia which then belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. Ogrodzieniec is the most spectacular of the lot.
Ogrodzieniec Castle, the main hall seen from one of the towers
The castle is a veritable labyrinth since the various levels have been made accessible by stairs and metal bridges. I didn't even notice the school class who visited the place at the same time until we met back at the entrance.
Wrocław, gabled houses at the market square
Wrocław (Breslau) was much quieter and relaxed; a nice final part of my tour. The market square (rynek głowny) is one of the finest in Europe. I've seen some pretty ones, esp. the one in Bruges, but I like the market square in Wrocław best.
Wrocław, well in the market square
Even the modern well, the Zdroj Fountain from 1996, which sparkles so prettily in the sunshine, fits. And for one there was no need to photgraph around tourists and Easter market booths. *grin*
Wrocław, the Cathedral Island with the St.John's Cathedral
The second historical centre of Wrocław is the Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski) in the Oder river. It is the eldest kernel of the town, dating to the 10th century. The island was given to the Church in 1315. The most famous - and architecturally outstanding - building on the island is the Gothic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Blooming magnolias in the Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden is also situated on the Cathedral Island. It was a lovely, quiet and restful place filled with the flowers and scents of spring.
Read more! ¶ April 22, 2019 0 comments
The second post of my Travel Return Booty will present the places I visited in Poland.
(St.Mary's Basilica in the background)
It was Palm Sunday in Kraków, an important day for Catholics in Poland, and the weather was fine to boot, so the town was rather crowded, not only with - mostly Polish - tourists, but with pretty much all inhabitants of the city and surroundings. The women and some children were carrying bouquets made of evergreen and spring flowers. It was a pretty sight.
Since there were services and prayers going on all day, I didn't have a chance to seen any of the churches from the inside, but I didn't mind - I got plenty of church photos in my collection. There was much else to see, after all.
Like the remains of the town fortifications, the Barbakan and St.Florian's Gate. Not many people purchased a ticket for the tour of their interior, so I had some quiet moments doing one of my favourite things: photographing Mediaeval military architechture. *grin*
Wawel Castle had been the main seat of the Kings of Poland for centuries and thus has been altered and enlarged several times. The inner yards are open to the public, but access to the rooms is limited to 30 people per hour, so it is a bit tricky to get tickets for the tour (though I approve such precautions to preserve valuable items). Since photographing is not allowed inside, I skipped the Flemish tapestries and pretty furniture.
Outside I met with a fire breathing dragon. The beastie haunted a cave under the castle until a shoemaker - a poor one, of course - fed it with a lamb skin full of sulphur and the dragon exploded, whereof the shoemaker married the princess. Though he never appears in the geneaolgies of the Piasts and Jagiellons. The statue dates to 1972 and does indeed breathe fire now and then. I was lucky to catch on of those bursts (though you can obviously trigger them via SMS, how mundane).
Kazimierz, the former Jewish Quarter, is a very different part of Kraków. Less frequented by tourists, but popular with young people. Some houses have already been restored and look as pretty as in the Old Town, but others still need new paint or a sandblasting. It gives the place a slightly rundown, but charming atmosphere.
I also got yet another castle for my collection. There are several castles not far from Kraków; the so called Eagle Nest Trail, a series of castles situated on lime stone cliffs. They were built mostly in the 14th century to protect the border to Silesia which then belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. Ogrodzieniec is the most spectacular of the lot.
The castle is a veritable labyrinth since the various levels have been made accessible by stairs and metal bridges. I didn't even notice the school class who visited the place at the same time until we met back at the entrance.
Wrocław (Breslau) was much quieter and relaxed; a nice final part of my tour. The market square (rynek głowny) is one of the finest in Europe. I've seen some pretty ones, esp. the one in Bruges, but I like the market square in Wrocław best.
Even the modern well, the Zdroj Fountain from 1996, which sparkles so prettily in the sunshine, fits. And for one there was no need to photgraph around tourists and Easter market booths. *grin*
The second historical centre of Wrocław is the Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski) in the Oder river. It is the eldest kernel of the town, dating to the 10th century. The island was given to the Church in 1315. The most famous - and architecturally outstanding - building on the island is the Gothic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
The Botanical Garden is also situated on the Cathedral Island. It was a lovely, quiet and restful place filled with the flowers and scents of spring.
Read more! ¶ April 22, 2019 0 comments
21 Apr 2019
Prague and More - My Spring Journey 2019, Part 1
I'm back from my tour through the Czech Republic and Poland, and I did indeed manage to visit some other places, besides the major towns. Here is part one of the customary overview posts.
Prague seen from the Hradčany
Prague was of course the highlight. The town is beautiful, but also pretty stuffed with tourists already in April. I wouldn't want to travel there in summer; you'd probably have to ride a Nimbus 2000 to get any photos without peoples' heads in the foreground, and the queues in front of the Hradčany ticket office will wind down halfway into the Lesser Town.
View to the Hradčany and St.Vitus Cathedral, with the Charles Bridge in the foreground
As it was, I managed enough decent pics to give you a tour of the town in another post or two. I was told that November is a quiet month ... so if you want to get Prague with fog instead of tourists, travel in November. *grin*
Vltava river and Old Town, seen from the Lesser Town
The photo above is a fine example for the reason Prague is called the Golden City - it does have a golden shine in the sunset gleam.
The weather was sunny most of the time, though the temperature couldn't decide whether it was spring already or still winter, it tried something different every day.
Prague, Easter market in the Old Town Square
What I had not counted on was the Easter markets being held in pretty much every square shaped place, which added to the crowded feel. But they were a pretty sight nevertheless. (Note to self: don't travel the week prior to Easter.)
Cheb, the market square
The Mediaeval town of Cheb (Eger) is a much smaller town close to the German border, with a charming old market square plus some other pretty old houses, and an interesting castle.
Cheb castle, the chapel (left) and Black Tower (right)
The castle - then an Imperial palatine seat - dates back to the time of Friedrich Barbarossa. The chapel and the Black Tower are remaining features of that earliest construction from the 12th century. At that time, Cheb belonged to the German Empire.
Loket Castle
Another castle near Cheb is Loket (Elbogen). Its origins date to the 13th century, but it was enlarged in the 1520ies, thus displaying Romanesque and Gothic architectural features. As border castle between Germany and Bohemia, it was the place of several historical events.
Loket castle, inner yard
The castle fell into disrepair after the Thirty Years War; some parts burned down a century later. The remains were used as prison in the 19th century. The castle was eventually restored when it came into possession of the town of Loket in 1993.
Karlovy Vary, timber colonnade
Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) is a spa town in the same area as Cheb and Loket Castle. It once was one of the most popular spa town in Austria-Hungary (and Germany). Famous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe went there several times during his life (he'd been to Loket as well, where he got a statue on the main road of the village).
Karlovy Vary, view from the Teplá river to the houses uphill;
with the Mill Colonnade to the right
Until the end of WW1, most of the inhabitants of Karlovy Vary were German speakers. Today, the language I most prominently heard during the few hours of my visit was Russian - they have replaced the German spa visitors, it seems.
Karlštejn Castle
The other Czech castle I visited is situated close to Prague: the iconic Karlštejn. It was founded by Charles IV (of House Luxembourg), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, in 1348. Charles was also responsible for several of the buildings on the Hradčany in Prague. The castle was intended to protect the crown jewels of Bohemia, and did so for several centuries.
Karlštejn, the outer bailey
Due to its historical importance, the castle has been restored in the late 19th century. Some neo-Gothic fake elements, like the timber battlements on the towers, have been added in the process. Some important rooms can be seen on a guided tour which I took.
Bone decorations in the Sedlec Ossuary
Sedlec (about an hours drive from Prague) was a 13th century Cistercian monastery which became attractive as burial site when one abbot brought back some earth from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the cemetery. A Gothic chapel was built over the churchyard in 1400; with the cellar used as ossuary for the mass of bones found in the cemetery. The site came into possession of the Schwarzenberg family who employed the woodcarver František Rint to sort the heaps of bones (1870) - the result was that he used a bunch of them for decorations.
St.James Church and Italian Court in Kutna Horá
Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg), the town near the Sedlec monastery, was one of the wealthiest towns in Bohemia in the 13th - 16th centuries due to the nearby silver mines, competing even with Prague. The city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Italian Court during that time included the main mint of Bohemia.
Prague, the Čertovka canal
A quiet spot in busy Prague: The Čertovka canal separating the Kampa island from the Lesser Town.
Read more! ¶ April 21, 2019 0 comments
I'm back from my tour through the Czech Republic and Poland, and I did indeed manage to visit some other places, besides the major towns. Here is part one of the customary overview posts.
Prague was of course the highlight. The town is beautiful, but also pretty stuffed with tourists already in April. I wouldn't want to travel there in summer; you'd probably have to ride a Nimbus 2000 to get any photos without peoples' heads in the foreground, and the queues in front of the Hradčany ticket office will wind down halfway into the Lesser Town.
As it was, I managed enough decent pics to give you a tour of the town in another post or two. I was told that November is a quiet month ... so if you want to get Prague with fog instead of tourists, travel in November. *grin*
The photo above is a fine example for the reason Prague is called the Golden City - it does have a golden shine in the sunset gleam.
The weather was sunny most of the time, though the temperature couldn't decide whether it was spring already or still winter, it tried something different every day.
What I had not counted on was the Easter markets being held in pretty much every square shaped place, which added to the crowded feel. But they were a pretty sight nevertheless. (Note to self: don't travel the week prior to Easter.)
The Mediaeval town of Cheb (Eger) is a much smaller town close to the German border, with a charming old market square plus some other pretty old houses, and an interesting castle.
The castle - then an Imperial palatine seat - dates back to the time of Friedrich Barbarossa. The chapel and the Black Tower are remaining features of that earliest construction from the 12th century. At that time, Cheb belonged to the German Empire.
Another castle near Cheb is Loket (Elbogen). Its origins date to the 13th century, but it was enlarged in the 1520ies, thus displaying Romanesque and Gothic architectural features. As border castle between Germany and Bohemia, it was the place of several historical events.
The castle fell into disrepair after the Thirty Years War; some parts burned down a century later. The remains were used as prison in the 19th century. The castle was eventually restored when it came into possession of the town of Loket in 1993.
Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) is a spa town in the same area as Cheb and Loket Castle. It once was one of the most popular spa town in Austria-Hungary (and Germany). Famous German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe went there several times during his life (he'd been to Loket as well, where he got a statue on the main road of the village).
with the Mill Colonnade to the right
Until the end of WW1, most of the inhabitants of Karlovy Vary were German speakers. Today, the language I most prominently heard during the few hours of my visit was Russian - they have replaced the German spa visitors, it seems.
The other Czech castle I visited is situated close to Prague: the iconic Karlštejn. It was founded by Charles IV (of House Luxembourg), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, in 1348. Charles was also responsible for several of the buildings on the Hradčany in Prague. The castle was intended to protect the crown jewels of Bohemia, and did so for several centuries.
Due to its historical importance, the castle has been restored in the late 19th century. Some neo-Gothic fake elements, like the timber battlements on the towers, have been added in the process. Some important rooms can be seen on a guided tour which I took.
Sedlec (about an hours drive from Prague) was a 13th century Cistercian monastery which became attractive as burial site when one abbot brought back some earth from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the cemetery. A Gothic chapel was built over the churchyard in 1400; with the cellar used as ossuary for the mass of bones found in the cemetery. The site came into possession of the Schwarzenberg family who employed the woodcarver František Rint to sort the heaps of bones (1870) - the result was that he used a bunch of them for decorations.
Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg), the town near the Sedlec monastery, was one of the wealthiest towns in Bohemia in the 13th - 16th centuries due to the nearby silver mines, competing even with Prague. The city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Italian Court during that time included the main mint of Bohemia.
A quiet spot in busy Prague: The Čertovka canal separating the Kampa island from the Lesser Town.
Read more! ¶ April 21, 2019 0 comments
4 Apr 2019
Eastward Bound - My Spring Tour 2019
I'll be off until Easter visiting Prague and Cheb (Eger) in the Czech Republic, and Krakow and Wrocław (Breslau) in Poland, plus some planned detours to castles and other sites of interest. Let's see what fun places I can squish into my schedule.
The three larger towns each have their river: the Vltava (Moldau) in Prague, the Vistula (Weichsel) in Krakow and the Oder in Wrocław. So there may be a river boat tour in there as well - you know I like those.
Gdańsk, the Motława river with the Crane Gate
I left plenty of reading material in the posts below to tide you over the break. You'll have to get used to some names with odd letters in the time to come, since I'm going to post more about Polish and Czech history in the future. *grin*
Gdańsk, the 'Milk Can' Gate seen from the river
On another note: I have disabled anonymous comments again. I get a dozen spam, troll and just plain silly comments every day, and I don't feel like sorting through several hundred of those upon my return. I apologise for the inconvenience that may cause those of my readers who don't want to register with Google in order to comment on my blog.
Read more! ¶ April 04, 2019 2 comments
I'll be off until Easter visiting Prague and Cheb (Eger) in the Czech Republic, and Krakow and Wrocław (Breslau) in Poland, plus some planned detours to castles and other sites of interest. Let's see what fun places I can squish into my schedule.
The three larger towns each have their river: the Vltava (Moldau) in Prague, the Vistula (Weichsel) in Krakow and the Oder in Wrocław. So there may be a river boat tour in there as well - you know I like those.
I left plenty of reading material in the posts below to tide you over the break. You'll have to get used to some names with odd letters in the time to come, since I'm going to post more about Polish and Czech history in the future. *grin*
On another note: I have disabled anonymous comments again. I get a dozen spam, troll and just plain silly comments every day, and I don't feel like sorting through several hundred of those upon my return. I apologise for the inconvenience that may cause those of my readers who don't want to register with Google in order to comment on my blog.
Read more! ¶ April 04, 2019 2 comments
