Czech Republic

*Evening light on the Charles River in Prague*

The Czech Republic was an architectural smorgasbord. Towns and buildings were picturesque, full of character and history. We spent our time wandering the streets of some of the most iconic cities and villages. It was a country we loved exploring but not one that highlights the advantages of living in a camper truck. However, basic camping sites were readily available and allowed us to take advantage of the sights and culture of this magnificent place. We were glad to be over the hump of being on vacation with the rest of Europe as the bulk of the fellow travelers vanished from the roads and backstreets.

*Our six day route working our way north*

HIghlights:

Český Krumlov - beautiful architecture on the river bend in Bohemia- including a castle and medieval cobbled streets.

Telč - colorful and ornate Italian Renaissance architecture

Karlštejn Castle - excellent guided tour included with admission, founded in the 14th century

Prague - elegant city

Český Krumlov, founded in the 13th century, UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its well-preserved Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Unfortunately the light was not with us on our day to visit, it was grey and drizzly.

*Český Krumlov, tucked along the bend of the Vltava River*

*Narrow shopping streets - always fun to explore*

*Andy’s favorite snack- the chimney cake, he hadn’t had one since we left Romania.* *The last taste of sweets is sweetest last.*

We did a variety of free walking tours and reading on the history of the Czech Republic and absorbed the basics of occupation and division from the Holy Roman Empire in 1002, to a brief occupation by the Ottomons in the 17th century and then over to Austria and the Habsburg family in 1806. Nazi Germany took control of what was then Czechoslovakia during WWII and finally the Soviet Union occupied following the war. Czechoslovakia separated from the Soviet Union in the Velvet Revolution of 1989 (because it was so smooth), then the Czech Republic and Slovakia separated from each other in the Velvet Divorce (same reasoning for the name) and the Czech Republic was formed in 1993 under the leadership of revered first president, Vaclav Havel. A new country but with a lot of history.

*Reached our two year anniversary of living full time in the truck! Our inside sticker wall- 44 US national parks and 23 countries. And growing.*

*Telč central square - known for its Italian Renaissance architecture*

*Andy inspecting the restoration in progress*

Apparently we took no pictures of campsites as none of them were memorable or interesting. But the architecture along the way more than made up for it.

It was interesting to us that despite the ever present beautiful churches and religious monuments, the Czech population is currently one of the least religious peoples in the world - with 80% claiming not to believe in any religion. One of our guides speculated that this was likely in part to enforced religious changes through the millennium. The country was converted to Christianity in the 9th and 20th centuries, initially adopting Catholicism. However, one of the first protestant reformists to go against the Catholic Church, Jan Hus (he took issue with the church accepting payments to absolve wealthy constituents of their sins) was from the Czech Republic and his followers started the Hussite wars in the 15th centuries. The 17th century brought the 30 years war against Catholic and Austrian control but eventually the Austrian Habsburgs won and forced the country back to mandated Catholicism. When the Soviet Union moved in religious believers were oppressed.

*Central square in Olomouc with the Holy Trinity Column*

*Statues along the walkway to St. Barbara’s church in Kutná Hora*

*Gothic St. Barbara’s church in Kutná Hora*

Adventures with the Truck

Always trying to make this blog more useful to travelers out there, it has been suggested that we add a section about the ongoing issues/challenges or maintenance requirements for our home on wheels. In the Czech Republic we noticed a slow leak in one of the tires. While Andy drove the between tourism points, Dawn Googled (assuming that is indeed a verb now) “tire repair near me.” We chose the one with the highest ratings combined with a high number of reviews and pulled in. Andy is the tech guy and Dawn is the communicator. So Dawn used Google Translate, typed in “we have a slow leak in our rear passenger tire” and walked in and showed the kind gentleman behind the counter the translation on her phone. He grinned and followed her out where Andy took over.

The generosity we have encountered on the road has been incredible. In Bulgaria, the UK and the Czech Republic, auto shops have squeezed us into busy schedules and helped us get back on the road. Ten minutes later, tire was fixed and payment was refused.

*Tire fixed immediately, no cost, thank you thank you!*

*Karlštejn Castle, founded in 1348 by Charles IV*

Tire fixed and back on the road, next stop was Karlštejn Castle. Founded by the Czech Republic’s most renowned king, the castle was another fantastic history lesson. Charles IV was not only the King of Bohemia but also the Holy Roman Emperor, setting the power of the entire empire in Bohemia. The Gothic castle was designed to keep the Bohemian crown jewels safe.

Our final stop on our quick Czech Republic tour was Prague. We had magical memories of the city when we visited shortly after the Berlin wall fell in 1989. Back then tourists were scarce on the streets and we crossed the Charles Bridge with a few locals. People were still lining up on street corners for fresh fruits and vegetables and shopping was limited to a few tourist centered stores. Newly married and with stars in our eyes, we bought some crystal champagne glasses, most of which we have broken through the years. But we enjoyed using them and thought of Prague every time.

Despite the crowds in the squares and on the bridges, the city still retained much of its fascination for us. We booked into a campground on the outskirts, figured out the public transportation system (Google maps is fantastic with giving specific bus, tram and train routes to a given destination), and spent a couple of days wandering the sights. As elsewhere in the Czech Republic, the architecture reigned supreme.

*View across the Charles River to Prague Castle, built over the years starting in the 9th century*

*It doesn’t always work out to visit a favorite place 33 years later, but Prague still brought the twinkle*

*Exploring the complex at Prague Castle*

Changing of the guards at the castle. Uniforms designed by Czech Hollywood costume designer, Theodor Pistek II, who received an Academy Award in 1984 for Best Costume Design for his costumes in the movie “Amadeus.” He was commissioned by former Czech President Vaclav Havel to design new castle guard uniforms after the country returned to democracy in 1989.

*The famous John Lennon wall, focus for artistic resistance to the Soviet occupation, now with an art exhibit focused on support for the Ukranian people.*

*A moment to rest after two 10 mile days of wandering the city*

It was a gorgeous visit, next stop Berlin then into Poland. The journey continues, we feel like we are living a history lesson! Thank you for reading. As always questions or advice is always welcome.

Slovakia

Northern France