Kutná Hora and Sedlec

When I first started thinking about accompanying Laura on this trip, I was amazed by how many friends of mine have been to Prague! I quickly found at least 10 people who I know fairly well who have visited the Czech Republic in the past few years. Who knew it was such a popular destination?! So naturally, you ask for everyone's ideas on what you should see and do, and what not to miss. It seems most had the same suggestions for day trips- Český Krumlov and Kutná Hora were the two places that kept popping up in conversation. Both were highly recommended in my guidebook as well so they quickly went on my

Cemetery Church of All Saints, atop the Ossuary

"Must Do" list... Laura was also told by a co-worker who grew up in the Czech Republic that she must see "the Bone Church", so Kutná Hora was our destination on our last Saturday. Nina from Denmark who was on the course with Laura came along with us. It was an extremely hot day - 37C (98.6F) and the next day was to hit 40C (104F) so we were happy that we had decided to do this trip with a group tour rather than trying to do it by ourselves - easier to "blindly follow" than navigate when you're so hot!
We travelled east by train, about an hour, first to Sedlec (Sed-lets) (a "suburb" of KH) and then on to Kutná Hora. This area was once very wealthy because it sits on what was Europe's largest silver mine. In its heyday, much of Europe's coinage was minted here, and Kutná Hora was Bohemia's second most important city, after Prague. In the 14th century, five to six tonnes of pure silver were extracted here each year, making the king the richest ruler in Central Europe. The mining and minting petered out in the 1600's, but the area is popular once again, thanks to tourism.

The "main attraction" in Sedlec is the Ossuary which is a small Roman Catholic chapel beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints. An ossuary is a building or site which serves as a final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are used when burial space is limited. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some time, the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary. The greatly reduced space taken up by an ossuary means it's possible to store the remains of many more people in a single tomb, than if they were left buried individually in the ground.





One of the most visited attractions in the Czech Republic, the Sedlec Ossuary contains the bones of more than 40,000 people. Here's the story of how it came about: In 1142, a Cistercian Monastery was founded in Sedlec. In 1278 the abbot of this Cistercian monastery was sent on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by the King.







When he returned, he brought with him a small amount
of earth from Golgotha, and sprinkled this holy soil over the abbey's cemetery. Word of this act spread, along with the belief that bodies would decompose in three days because they were buried in holy ground. This legend promised avoidance of the lengthy process of gradual decomposition, thereby causing even higher interest in burial there.










Before long, people from all over Europe wanted to be buried in this very holy place. The demand for burial space grew and the cemetery needed to expand.











Then the plague and Hussite wars added many more bodies and in a relatively short amount of time, thousands of bodies were buried at Sedlec. Thus came the idea of creating an ossuary. The task was given to a half-blind monk to gather the bones from the excavated ground when the Gothic church was built near the cemetery, and an ossuary was created in its basement. This solved the "space" issue, creating more room for the newly dead.











The bones remained piled in the ossuary for several hundred years, before a woodcarver by the name of František Rint was employed in 1870 to artistically arrange the thousands of bones. He created a chandelier made from at least one of every bone in the human body, the Coat of Arms of the aristocratic Schwarzenberg family, and other wall and ceiling decorations. Rint's "signature" remains on one of the walls - in bone, of course...









So, what do you think? Would you be a little "creeped out"?

We were... "just a little".....

This Ossuary has been the inspiration for more than a few movies, and has also been a "location" on The Amazing Race...

Laura and Nina in front of St. Barbara's Church

After leaving Sedlec, we made our way to the nearby town of Kutná Hora. Silver mining is in the past here now and tobacco is king - the town is now the Philip Morris
headquarters for Central Europe. (You could smell tobacco as you walked down the street.) After the "Bone Church", the huge Church of St. Barbara was an amazing sight! Our guide told us the original plan was for it to be twice as long!











Its three massive tent-like spires soar above the many flying buttresses, a wonderful example of Bohemian Gothic. This cathedral was founded by miners - St. Barbara is their patron saint.












The interior celebrates the town's source of wealth (silver), and frescoes portray scenes of mining and minting of coins. Even the stunning Renaissance vault is decorated with miners' coats of arms. Photos just cannot do these massive churches justice...













Our last stop was the Italian Court on the site where Czech currency was once made. It was Europe's most important Mint and the main residence of Czech kings in the 1400's. Today it is a museum on minting and local history.

Despite the extreme heat, we enjoyed our visit to this area. I think we might have seen a few more sights had it not been so hot, but we had to hurry to catch the last train back to Prague. We were "done in" at this point. A cool hotel room sounded real good.... So we said goodbye to Kutná Hora and Sedlec....

Peace,
Linda

"Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey." ~ Pat Conroy

Day Trip to Český Krumlov

I have never been one for totally pre-planning a trip. I like to "go with the flow", depending on weather, mood of the day, etc. So I was hesitant to pre-book too much for this trip, other than my Photography Tour... and I am SO glad I did it that way. I did do lots of reading and research beforehand, so I had  a very good idea of what I wanted to do and see. I had several day trips I wanted to do for sure, and several others on a "possibilities list"...

Overlooking Český Krumlov

Unfortunately the heat played a major role and we did not do one day trip we had both really wanted to do. We had to cancel our visit to Terezin Concentration Camp as the heat was just too intense. We knew the bus connections would not be good and we would have to wait for several hours for a bus back. Being a small town with not much else there, we knew finding water and shelter from the heat would be an issue and after our extremely hot and exhausting trip on Saturday, we gave up the Terezin trip which was planned for Sunday. (My Mum always said you should never do everything there is to do in a new place because then you have no reason to return... maybe that's good advice.) So we'll leave Terezin for our next Prague visit....

Plague Column in Town Square

I did go to Český Krumlov on Friday and then Laura and I both went to Kutná Hora and Sedlec on Saturday. Český Krumlov (Chess-kee Kroom-lov) is a charming little Czech town in the southern Bohemian region, about 3+ hours from Prague by bus. The "milk run" bus ride gave me the opportunity to see a little of the countryside; it was what I expected- gently rolling hills, and farmland - fields of corn and wheat mostly. I thought a few of the fields might be tobacco but not sure on that. I was curious to see if I might spy some different wildflowers along the roadside but all I saw were very familiar - goldenrod, Queen Anne's Lace, daisies, chicory, buttercups... just exactly what we would be seeing here at this time of year. (I was a little disappointed - I was hoping to see something different!) I also took note of backyards and gardens as we passed through small towns and villages.

More of Town Square

I deduced that gardening is not a "big thing" in the Czech Republic. I did see a few that were nicely tended, but many looked neglected and overgrown. Rose bushes seemed to be the most common choice, although I did see a few marigolds, petunias and the odd hosta. Window boxes seem to be the "garden of choice" with geraniums the usual planting.

The Vltava River surrounds the town.

Dating from the Middle Ages, Český Krumlov is described as "an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town". It was built around a 13th century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements, and like Prague is situated on the banks of the Vltava River. Český Krumlov roughly means "Czech bend in the river" and the river actually surrounds the town with an almost circular path, providing a wonderful opportunity to jump into a canoe or raft to go for a 30 minute "float around town"...

(I resisted this cooling temptation as I worried about getting my camera wet.) Instead I just enjoyed strolling the narrow, winding cobblestone streets. Had there not been any tourists visible, you could almost imagine that you were back in the 15th or 16th century. The streets almost had a fairy-tale like quality. The Adventures of Pinocchio was filmed here in 1995, and I could just imagine him trotting down any one of  these streets... Any of the shops could have belonged to Gepetto.... Charming is the word that keeps coming to mind.... Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


I did not tour the castle as English tours were infrequent and I did not want to miss the last bus back to Prague - I was keeping a close watch on the time. The Round Tower marks the location of the first castle. It's 16th-century paint job has been colorfully restored and it looks exotic with its fancy astrological decor and symbols of the zodiac. Church steeples and towers seem to make excellent reference points and you can always get your bearings by

just looking around to find a tower or steeple. There are two bridges in town and they too were good reference points. You really can't get lost... I find when I travel I become more acutely aware of my surroundings.. I notice things I would not normally "see" at home...I take note of things along the way so I can find my way back... I guess that must be a survival strategy of sorts? Like an animal in a new territory and he's being extra careful and vigilant..
Anyway, it was a great day. At this point the heat was starting to really "get to me"... This was the beginning of the last weekend  - the "heat wave" with temps of 38C and 40C - just too darn hot!! At the end of a long, hot, tiring day, one tends to flake out on one's bed in as few clothes as possible  and just try to soak in the cooler air... No Friday night "Night Life" in the big city for this chickie....
Tomorrow would be higher temps and another Day Trip... I had to cool my footies...

Next- our visit to Kutná Hora and the creepy Bone Church...


Peace,
Linda

"Not all those who wander are lost." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

You just never know....

..what you're going to see when travelling...  Here are a few "interesting" things we saw in Prague.. thought you might get a chuckle out of some of these. This will be a short post. I am still working on several longer posts to "finish things up"... still want to tell you about my two day trips, the creepy "Bone Church" and the many other beautiful churches we saw. Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to this. I took a bit of a blogging-break this weekend, and today I've been "otherwise occupied"...  Laura accepted a full time job today, in a small Nova Scotia town, working at a weekly newspaper, so we have been very busy trying to find out what's available for accommodations.... I bet I've sent 50 emails today, not to mention numerous phone calls. She will finish her current job at end of August, have a couple of days to get moved and settled, and start work there asap... I think I feel a road trip coming on for next week... we'll be apartment hunting.




Anyway, back to Prague. Our first day there, we happened upon this fountain.. we both did a double take... yes it's just what it looks like - two (anatomically correct) men peeing....

Here's a statue of Sigmund Freud.. just "hanging' around".... it's a rather eye-catching, if not disturbing image. Freud apparently had a great fear of his own death, along with a number of other phobias... So, here he is, just hangin' on with one hand, perhaps pondering whether to hang on or let go...

I have mentioned previously about the number of newly-weds we saw. Ivan told me that all these couples are Russian - they come here to Prague to be married. I suppose it is a wedding and honeymoon all in one...? Anyway we were a little surprised to see newlywed couples strolling the streets or Charles Bridge, still in their wedding garb. This couple was in Wenceslas Square, and stopped for a photo with "Shrek" who was advertising for a Thai Massage Parlour- you know- the type that has the foot massages where you put your feet in  a tank of water and little fishies nibble away the dead skin... No, I did not try it out... no sirreeee... much as I would have loved a foot massage, I wasn't putting my little footies in that tank of hungry fishies...

This building, Tančicí Dům, has been nicknamed the "Dancing House". It is actually an office building, with a fine French restaurant on the top floor. Designed by architect Frank Gehry (who designed the equally striking Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain), it reminds many of Fred and Ginger- see her wispy dress and Fred's metal mesh head? So modern after all the other architecture we have seen...














This last shot was taken in a shopping mall off Wenceslas Square that Ivan led me to, I would never have found it on my own....   hmmmm... interesting.. looks like a bit of a snafu to me.....



Stay tuned for a few more posts on our Prague trip...

Peace,
Linda

Above all else, when one is travelling, one has to maintain a sense of humour....

Karlův Most - Charles Bridge

When you travel to a new country where the language has NO resemblance to your own - none at all- it is always a bit of a challenge at first to "find your way". Czech certainly does not sound at all like English, although they do use the same alphabet we do. You feel totally at a loss to read street signs, directions, names on buildings... But it doesn't take long to start picking up a few words here and there. I had done a good deal of reading and some online research before our trip, and most of all I had studied the map of central Prague so I knew what was where, which was very helpful. Most of our exploration was on foot, so you quickly start to recognize the words for bridge (most), square (náměstí), castle (hrad) and other "landmarks". Before long you are recognizing those key words on signs and the "announcements of stops" on the tram.

As there are a number of bridges over the Vltava River ( 8 in central Prague, a few more further out), the word "most" (bridge) was one of the first we learned. The Karlův Most - Charles Bridge - is undoubtedly one of the most famous landmarks in the city. It is for pedestrians only and offers an entertaining 500 yard stroll across the river. Morning, afternoon or night, it is always crowded in the summer. Bridges had been built on this same spot previously but all had been destroyed by floods. After a major flood in 1342 Emperor Charles IV decided against repairing the old bridge yet again, and commissioned an entirely new bridge to be built. It was Prague's only bridge across the Vltava for over 400 years!

Originally known as the Stone Bridge, it soon became known as the Charles Bridge. Charles IV is not only on the 100Kč bill, but also gave his name to Charles University, Charles Square, the bridge and several more prominent spots around town... Charles was the Holy Roman Emperor who chose Prague from which to rule his vast empire during the 14th century. At the Old Town end of the bridge sits his statue, holding a contract establishing the university, the first in Northern Europe. Charles IV was responsible for laying out the plans for the city, and also built many churches and monasteries.
The Czech people love their legends and of course there are legends around the Charles Bridge. Charles IV was known to have a love of numerology and astrology, and according to legend, the first foundation stone for the bridge was laid early in the morning of July 9th in 1357.   Written out in digits - the year, month, day, hour and minute, it's a numerical palindrome - 135797531. Coincidence? A later discovery that the end of the bridge on the Old Town side aligns perfectly with the tomb of St. Vitus (in the cathedral) and the setting sun at summer solstice, leads one to think that Charles definitely "had a plan."

The bridge is anchored on both ends by Gothic bridge towers; the Old Town tower features sculpture showing the 14th century hierarchy of kings, bishops and angels. Today the bridge is lined on both sides with sculptures, but in the 17th century there was only a cross (which is still there.) The gilded Hebrew inscription celebrating Christ, was paid for by a fine imposed on a Prague Jew - the result of a rivalry within the Jewish community - fellow Jews turned him in for mocking the cross.








The other statue of great interest is that of St. John of Nepomuk - the national saint of the Czech people. I mentioned earlier how the King had him tortured and eventually murdered by being thrown off the bridge for refusing to divulge the Queen's confession. A bronze plaque marks the spot where he was "thrown overboard" (photo below).  Supposedly when he hit the water, five stars appeared, so all his statues include five golden stars around his head. At the base of his statue are two bronze plaques, polished brightly by the caresses of passersby- touching one gives good luck and touching the other ensures you will return to Prague one day. (Yes I touched them both! Not taking any chances!!) The other bridge statues date for the late 1600's and early 1700's. Some today are replicas.

Looking downriver towards Old Town and Jewish Quarter

Looking downriver from the Charles Bridge, you see wonderful views of the Castle Quarter, the giant metronome at Letna Park which replaced of the 50' statue of Stalin, more bridges and river traffic and Old Town. The beige building with green roof is the Rudolfinum, home of the Czech Philharmonic.

Looking upriver towards National Theatre

Looking upriver you will see icebreakers which protect the bridge abutments from ice damage, weirs and locks, the National Theatre, the Kampa Museum, many tour boats, paddle boats and canoes,  and more of the city (and yes, more bridges). The weir you see here stretching across the river was built during the 1800's to make the river navigable for ships.





Besides all the pedestrians on the bridge there is no shortage of  "entertainment"- musical and otherwise. The bridge is lined with vendors selling sketches, paintings, photography, jewellery and other crafts, musicians, puppeteers, and artists who will sketch your portrait or caricature. There is no shortage of spots to part with your Czech crowns.











Speaking of money, that's another thing
that takes a little concentration at first... There are about 18 Czech crowns to the dollar. It takes a while to get used to what seems like a high price on items, but you soon learn to do a quick conversion in your head. 100Kč is just a little over $5.00. 70Kč was a common price for a bottle of water- that's about $4.00. A cone of gelato was usually 30Kč- almost $2.00 We quickly learned an easy way for

a rough conversion- drop the last digit and cut the rest in half- so if something was 650 Kč - drop the zero and halve 65 - roughly $33.00 (actually $36.00) so that worked well to give us a quick idea of the rough price of something. Their bills are the same size as ours. Coins were for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 crowns. Although this looks like a very large amount of money sitting on my bed, it's actually just over  $100.00.

On the bridge, looking to Old Town 

As you can see it was impossible to get photos on the bridge without lots of other tourists and visitors in the photos.... Everyone loves walking the bridge.... Day or night, you always have company...

On the bridge, looking to Mala Strana and Castle Quarter

As I strolled along, I could not help but wonder how many thousand or million feet had walked right where I was walking... Had Charles IV himself stepped where I was stepping.. or Jan Hus, or St. John of Nepomuk... It is so incredible to be in a city with such history, I was totally in awe.... Our country is a mere babe in comparison...

Good Night, Charles Bridge

Peace,
Linda

"I love to walk a city, whether I've been there once or a hundred times
before. It's amazing what sort of
inspiration you'll find when you
steal a second glance."
~ Erin Hiemstra

Prague - City of Music

The Obescní Dům 

Prague has many nicknames and one of them is "The City of Music". That it is! There is music on every corner. Well.. almost every corner. From string quartets to jazz bands to.. well you name it. There is "something for everyone" as the saying goes. For a music lover, this is definitely a destination city. And particularly if you like classical music. There are literally many classical concerts to choose from every night! 

 

I treated myself on the Wednesday evening to a wonderful concert in the stunning Smetana Hall at the Obescní Dům (Municipal House). It is a sumptuous building.. I felt like I should be wearing an evening gown and jewels... or at the very least a little black dress. (I did wear black so at least I got one thing right!)
I later learned Smetana Hall is the largest concert hall in the city, so I made a good choice.

Looking up at the box seats

There are so many concerts to choose from, but I decided if in Prague, I should be hearing some Mozart, and since Pachelbel's Canon  and Vivaldi's Four Seasons are two of my favourites, this concert was the perfect choice for me! Pragues' Royal Symphony.. Smetana Hall... Pachelbel, Mozart AND Vivaldi... how could I go wrong? It was heavenly! The acoustics of course, were exceptional. I hardly moved a muscle for the hour plus performance.



This is what was directly overhead....

Such beautiful music in such a beautiful setting...

I don't think there were many more than a hundred in the audience (sadly). So if you ever go to Prague, be sure and check into attending a concert, chances are it will not be sold out. The tickets were very reasonably priced... Go for the least expensive seats - they were just fine. I had front row...



But there is lots of free music to be enjoyed too. As I said there are often musicians of various ages and genres performing for free (or for donations) on the streets... we saw them everywhere- in Wenceslas Square, in Old Town Square, on the Charles Bridge, on Kampa Island...

Some young.. some older.. but all very good musicians...

 Other than the Royal Symphony, I think the group I enjoyed the most was the "Bridge Band", a group of five who played great Jazz on bass, trumpet, clarinet, banjo and washboard (on the Charles Bridge, of course!) I listened to them for a good 45 minutes on the bridge one hot afternoon, and brought home their CD so I could continue to enjoy their music. They were all excellent musicians, but I so loved watching the guy on the washboard - he was really "into" the music....
Yes, City of Music indeed!

Peace,
Linda

"Travel doesn't become adventure until you leave yourself behind." ~ Marty Rubin

Pražský Hrad - Prague Castle

Prague Castle extends the full width of this photo- all you see "above the upper trees"

The history of Prague begins with the castle from which Czech leaders have ruled for more than a thousand years! I know many of you are picturing a Disney castle, or the German Neuschwanstein and you're wondering why you haven't glimpsed this fairy tale type castle in my photos. Prague "Castle" is actually a bit misleading, I think, because in this case the term actually refers to a Cathedral and a large group of buildings that surround it high on the hill overlooking the Vltava River and the city. There is no one castle....

The Castle Gate, crowned by fighting giants, and flanked by guards

Founded in the 9th century, at that time the buildings enclosed by the castle wall included only a palace, three churches and a monastery. It has grown and seen many changes since then, due to fires and changes in power, among other things. The entire area is referred to as the "castle" and today includes the

towering St. Vitus Cathedral, seven palaces, several royal gardens, several other churches, and just above the castle area, a monastery. Some of the palaces are open to the public, others are not.
Some are galleries containing valuable art collections, others are in use as residences (the Archbishop, for example) or offices (the Czech President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.) Like many castles there is a Changing of the Guard each hour at every gate, with special fanfare and a parade at noon at the top gate.

I won't bore you with a lot of the historical details, but I will share a few of the interesting tidbits I learned while touring the Castle area... The Old Royal Palace, for example, was the seat of the Bohemian princes, starting in the 12th century. Its Great Hall was designed as a multipurpose hall and is large enough for jousts- the staircase by which we exited is sloped to allow knights on horseback to gallop in.... Now that's planning! It was filled with market stalls, allowing the nobility the chance to shop without having to go "into town".

Plague Column in Castle Square

Castle Square contains a plague column, commonly found in many Czech towns. They were erected after the plague as a token of gratitude to the saints who saved the population from the epidemic. Castle Square was the focal point of medieval power - the King, the Archbishop and powerful noblemen lived here. Currently the Archbishop still does, and the Czech President has his offices close by but lives a mile or so away.









Of all the buildings I toured, I thought St.Vitus Cathedral was the most impressive. (I kept thinking of Ken Follett's book Pillars of the Earth.) Started in 1344, but stalled by wars, plagues, and changes in power, it was a very long "work in progress" as it wasn't finished until 1929! It houses the Crown Jewels and contains the tombs of  many important kings and local saints (including St. Wenceslas and St. Vitus).

The shiny tomb of St. John of  Nepomuk supposedly contains
more than a ton of solid silver.  John was a 14th century priest to whom the Queen confessed all her sins. According to legend, the King wanted to know his wife's secrets, but Father John dutifully refused to reveal them. He was tortured and killed by being thrown off the Charles Bridge.





The sheer size of the interior, the soaring height of the chancel vault and the ribbing which supports the arches are all so amazing - I had a hard time keeping my jaw from dropping. I have been in many European cathedrals but this was definitely among the most impressive I have seen.














I was amazed by the beauty of the stained glass windows, considered superb examples of 20th century Czech stained glass. Although they all were incredible, my favourite was the Mucha window (by Alfons Mucha). I wished I could have seen more of his work...
Stained glass windows are not easy to photograph. This photo is not too bad, but it doesn't come close to the actual beauty. The color, the detail, the sheer size... the windows in St. Vitus were SO amazing. (Perhaps they deserve an entire post of their own...?)

The exterior is equally impressive, with its twin Gothic spires, the gargoyles, the flying buttresses at the back (which support the vaulted interior), and the Golden Portal which was originally the main entrance. It is almost hard to comprehend how they could complete work like this hundreds of years ago, without any of the tools and equipment we have available today. I guess those were truly the days of fine craftsmanship -  it seems buildings today rarely last even 50 years....  I think I could have spent an entire day just in the Cathedral. (I visited it 3 times over my 11 days in Prague.)







This church is so large, it is difficult to get a good photo of the exterior. You cannot get back far enough from it to get a good overall photo. Because it is surrounded by other buildings, and because I don't have a super-wide wide angle lens... well, you'll just have to believe me, and be satisfied with these "bits and pieces" photos...









The other area of the Castle Quarter which I really liked (and visited twice) was the Strahov Monastery. It sits higher on the hill than the Cathedral and is easily recognized by its twin spires with Baroque domes. A medieval monastery was a mix of industry, agriculture and education, as well as worship and theology. Today it is once again a working monastery with an active vineyard, brewery and beer hall.

It is most famous for its library of 10th - 17th century volumes, housed in two rooms with elaborately painted ceilings. I'd never get anything accomplished in these libraries - I'd be staring at the ceilings all day...  Just downhill from the Monastery, one gets a fine view over the city from the monastery garden and restaurant.

Walking downhill, you next come to the Loreto, an important place of pilgrimage. The peaceful Loreta Church cloisters enclose the Santa Casa (Holy House), considered by some to be part of  the house of the Virgin Mary from Nazareth. Generations of believers have considered this to be the most holy spot in the country. Upstairs in the Loreta Church you can view the Loreta Treasury and gaze upon many jewelled worship aids, including a monstrance (Communion wafer holder) from 1699, set with more than 6,000 diamonds. As I continued downhill I enjoyed the hourly carillon concert from the bell tower.
Having visited Prague Castle three times during our stay (first with Laura, then with Ivan, then more thoroughly on my own) I think I managed to hit all the highlights. The last stop was Golden Lane, a short narrow street named for the goldsmiths who lived there in the 1600's; it's an interesting stroll - its tiny buildings (you have to stoop to enter) nestle along the back castle wall, and were once occupied by castle servants as well as goldsmiths. Today the dwellings are a mix of souvenir shops, crafts shops and several which house re-creations/displays of medieval life on the lane.

There are several streets which lead up to or down from the castle. Nerudova Street is one which leads from the castle to Little Quarter Square. It is lined with tourist shops, foreign embassies and offices of the Czech Parliament. What is most interesting on this steep cobbled street are the old doorway signs that once served as addresses: the Three Fiddles, the Green Lobster, the Golden Horseshoe, the White Swan, etc. The surviving signs are now restored and protected by law. They represent the family name, the occupation or the interests of those who once lived there. (Makes you ponder what your sign would be if you had to replace your street number with a sign...) In 1777, Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa decreed that numbers be used instead of these house "names" so that taxes could be collected more easily. (Things haven't changed, we're still plagued with political leaders wanting more tax dollars...lol)

Peace,
Linda

Life's a climb, but the view is great.