Back in the Czech Republic – An Excursion to Nymburk

The last few weeks were a whirlwind in all the wrong ways. After coming back from Vietnam, I immediately started my new job, which I was to do remotely until receiving my visa in May. I quickly found out, however, that I did not like the position at all, and decided to quit only three weeks in. Since then, I have been looking for other opportunities in a state of anxiety and benefitting from only occasional bursts of enthusiasm. Amidst this hassle, it did not feel very responsible to go on any trips, seeing as I spend a lot of time afterwards writing about my experiences and sorting through my pictures. One of my sisters did, however, manage to persuade me to visit the Botanical Garden in Prague one weekend, and to drive to Nymburk the next. I decided to view these trips as favours to her.

A trip to Nymburk usually raises eyebrows, as very few Czechs know anything about the town. Nevertheless, Nymburk has a relatively long history dating to its founding as a royal city by Přemysl Otakar II. As its name indicates, it was initially a German and Dutch settlement, and was later dubbed Svinibrod (Swineford) by neighbouring detractors. Among Nymburk’s most interesting sights are its brick City Walls, with the nearby Church of Saint Giles being one of very few examples of Brick Gothic in the Czech Republic (the style is much more typical in the Low Countries, northern Germany, and Poland). We also stopped by the so-called Turkish Tower, which dates to the sixteenth century and used to serve as a water tower.

An aloe capitata at the botanical garden
Cherry blossoms
Flame-coloured tulips
Saint Giles Church in Nymburk
A derelict townhouse
The city walls of Nymburk
The same
The city walls again
The Turkish Tower

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