From Vienna to Prague

Despite our initial plans to return to Prague on the very night of the 31st, sensibleness prevailed over unreasonable optimism, and we decided to get a good night’s rest before driving. We woke up at eight o’clock on a sunny morning and departed directly in the direction of Prague. The fog was thick that day, requiring us to strategically tailgate behind the locals. Sometimes, it lifted ever-so slightly and offered us glimpses of hilly vineyards washed by white rivulets of mist.

The sun came out by the time we arrived in Znojmo, an important Moravian town known for its pickled cucumbers. Due to its position on the border, it was known during the communist era as a “dam against imperialism.” Nowadays, Znojmo attracts visitors with its viniculture and historical sights. Its rotunda dates to the 11th century and the massive Church of Saint Nicholas, which dominates the city’s skyline, was built up between the 14th and 16th.

Our next stop was the beautiful UNESCO-listed old town of Telč. Its most picturesque sight is the town square, a long triangular forum lined by colourful baroque buildings with stucco decorations and arcades. The facades of some houses have sgraffiti, while others bear sun dials or paintings. These were built by wealthy burghers whose business first began to flourish in the 16th century.

Finally, we made a quick stop in Pelhřimov, a town known for records and curiosities, all of which are quaintly pointless. For example, Pelhřimov can boast of the smallest equestrian statue of first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The local museum, which we did not visit, houses a replica of the Golden Hind made of 11,554 matchsticks or the Mona Lisa made of roughly 45,000 grains of rice. 

The Church of Saint Nicholas towering above the Dyje river
The Church of Saint Nicholas
The Church of Saint Nicholas as seen from Kravín Hill
The Church of Saint Nicholas as seen from Velká Mikulášská street
The Church of Saint Anthony on the right and the Monastery of the Knights of the Cross with a Red Star on the centre-left
The Znojmo Rotunda
A statue in front of the Church of Saint John the Baptist
Vlk Tower
The same
Vlk Tower and the city's fortifications
The Municipal Theatre
The Church of Saint Michael Archangel in Želetava
Zachariáš of Hradec Square in Telč
Several burgher houses
More burgher houses
A view down the square
A painting on the façade of  a house in Telč
Sgraffiti
More sgraffiti
Another collection of houses
The Lower Gate in Telč
Arcades along the town square
A building with a sundial
The Church of the Holy Spirit in Telč
The State Chateau of Telč on the right and the Church of Saint Jacob on the left
A painting on an arch at Saint Bartholomew's Church in Pelhřimov
The Church of Saint Bartholomew
A look down Masaryk Square and Palacký Street
Jihlava Gate

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