Křivoklátsko

I wrote about my visit to Křivoklát Castle in October, but what I neglected to mention is that the castle is at the heart of an eponymous protected landscape area nestled between the D5 and the D6 highways, which lead from Prague to Pilsen and Karlovy Vary, respectively.

This Saturday, we made a trip through this area, stopping at the most interesting places on the way. Our first stop was Nižbor, where we took pictures of Nižbor Chateau, a sight whose history stretches back to the reign of Ottokar II, who originally built the structure as a castle. Nižbor passed through many illustrious hands, including those of the Schwarzenberg and Valdštejn families, who are perhaps better known for their palaces in Prague.

Only a few kilometres later, we made a stop at Křivoklát, where we saw not only the castle, but also a few more remote sights, like the Chapel of Saint Eustace above the castle, and a gloriette overlooking the river Berounka.

Our final stop was in Lány, the chateau which has served as the Czech President’s summer residence since the days of the First Republic. Besides the chateau, which is closed in the winter, the town’s attractions include a museum dedicated to the first president of Czechoslovakia Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, and the Garrigue Masaryk family tomb. 

Nižbor Chateau
Nižbor Chateau
Nižbor Chateau from the side
Nižbor Chateau from the side, further away
The Church of Saint Peter in the town of Křivoklát
The same church
Křivoklát Castle
The same
The Chapel of Saint Eustace above Křivoklát
A wooden gloriette near Křivoklát
The river Berounka as seen from above the gloriette
The gate to the Lány game reserve 
A deer mount on the gate to the Lány game reserve
The main entrance to Lány Chateau
Lány Chateau as seen through the gate
A pretty tree
A statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk outside the TGM Museum in Lány
The same
A cross at Lány cemetery 
The Masaryk family tomb
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk's tombstone
The Church of Saint Martin in Zbečno

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Southern Delhi and Other Bits and Pieces

Image
On my last day in Delhi, I managed to cross off the last few items on my sightseeing list. I began by packing my luggage, all the while congratulating myself on having remembered to ask the hotel to do my laundry in advance. That finished, I ordered an Uber to Akshardham, a massive Hindu temple east of the Yamuna River. The opening hours of the temple are not well advertised, and when I arrived by the front gate, I learned it was still closed. For a few minutes, I took pictures of the temple from afar, when suddenly an autorickshaw driver approached me. He reasoned with me that since the temple would not open until ten, I had better come with him and see other sights. I had to admit the soundness of his reasoning and gave him my next address.
Read more

Ireland: Day 8 – County Louth

Image
My plans for my last day in Ireland came together in a very ad hoc fashion. Having seen everything I wanted to see, I searched for interesting sights close to the highway between Dublin and Belfast. These did not include – though I found it the most interesting sight of all – the modest highway sign saying “Welcome to Northern Ireland” painted over with several streaks of dark red paint.
Read more

When the Cows Come Home: The Désalpe in Saint-Cergue

Image
Towards the end of September and beginning of October, many Swiss villages celebrate a tradition known as the Désalpe (or Alpabzug in German-speaking Switzerland and Almabtrieb in Germany and Austria). The tradition celebrates the return of the cows from their summer pastures in the mountains: the more touristy Swiss villages deck out their cows in towering flower crowns and put on shows to fill in the time between the descent of various herds. In Saint-Cergue, for example, the entertainment during these pauses was provided by alpenhorn players, yodelling choristers, an orchestra band, and a singular man cracking his long, supersonic cow whip. There were also two other processions: one composed of cart-dragging Saint Bernards, and another one of men carrying cowbells.
Read more