CZECH REPUBLIC 2010 part 2/2

The first was a baroque palace of the Chotek family from the mid-18th century in the Empire style in Veltrusy . Park with romantic buildings. To see it in all its glory, you had to go for a long walk, but - what can I say - it was worth it. It is true that the security guard did not let us in, but the views from the outside were satisfactory enough.

In Nelahozeves we saw the late Renaissance palace of Florián Gryspek of Gryspach, from 1623 until today (except 1950-1992) owned by the Lobkowicz family, which houses a gallery of Spanish portraits from the 16th and 17th centuries, the largest private collection in the Czech Republic.

The castle of Budyne nad Ohri is an originally Gothic water fortress from the end of the 13th century, rebuilt in the Renaissance period, with elements of the romantic style added in the 20th century. A tiny town, no tourist traffic, but the castle and surroundings are in a perfect condition.

Libochovice is a Renaissance chateau from the second half of the 16th century, decorated in the Baroque style, built on the site of a Gothic fortress. Behind the palace is a French garden, an English park. There are also very few tourists here. It seems that the famous places are occupied by tourists from all over the world, and the less known ones are forgotten. However, it is cared for. Traveling in a motorhome or caravan gives you the opportunity to see everything that is on the way, moving from one known point to another. Often by accident ...

In the village of Duchcov , we can see a baroque chateau built on the site of a Gothic fortress, rebuilt in the classical style. Prince's Garden and English Park. Unfortunately, we saw little here and we were surprised by the condition of the building ... And we thought that all castles and palaces were looked after.

After a long night, it's time to explore one of the most important holiday destinations in 2010, the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague . As you will see in the photos selected below, we walked around the city from south to north, from west to east, in a word: it is possible to visit (very briefly, of course) the whole of Prague in one day. But it makes you want to go back there. It is difficult to describe all the places of the Old Town here, the more that we divided into two groups. Let me just write a practical note - we were looking for a free parking space for about an hour. Unfortunately, most parking spaces in the streets of Prague are reserved for institutions located there. I recommend that you immediately go to the slightly more expensive underground car park located near the market square - signposts lead to it. You will save time and nerves. And if the sun shines beautifully, it's just a waste of the day. The photos show the rest.

Monument to the victims of communism in Prague

Anyone know what THIS is ?:

Farewell to the Czechs ...

One would like to say that after a week of blissful laziness, we finally come home. And it was not like that at all! It was one of the most interesting weeks in our life ... Moreover, it was very active.

On the way to the border, the last Czech stop on the agenda - Nachod - a vast palace complex. Originally a Gothic castle from the 13th century, rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau, and in the 16th century expanded in the Baroque style by Octavia Piccolomini. French garden and park. Palace bear room (there was even one bear).

We entered Poland and after "anchoring" at the campsite in Kudowa Zdrój we went to visit the Skull Chapel in Czermna - it is one of the greatest attractions of the region and the only such monument in Poland. The chapel is lined with the remains of human bones and about three thousand skulls, the remaining 21,000 skulls are in the crypt below the Chapel.

On the way to Kielce, there is only Moszna Castle , which is one of the most beautiful castles in Poland. The name of the village comes from the word scoszna - in the topography meaning a valley. Its construction began in the 17th century, in the past the Moszna Castle belonged to the Tiele-Winckler family, today it houses the Neurosis Therapy Center.

It is worth visiting the country of our neighbors - beautifully preserved cultural treasures, castles, palaces, gardens ... Some places are difficult to reach with a caravan (but it is not impossible). I think it's a country for a couple of trips. The Czech Republic has not yet introduced the euro, so it is not that expensive. We often look for beautiful places far away in the world, and do we know places that are so close to us?