Can't-miss Czech experiences, Part 2

The second half of a post on things that will spark your senses in the Czech Republic!

6. Mix beer and history in Pilsen

In the General George S. Patton Museum

If the first pilsner ever to be created is still going strong worldwide, you can assume the formula is a winner – but you'd better have a taste for yourself! Visit the Pilsner Urquell Brewery in the Bohemian city of Pilsen for a tour on the history and production of the golden brew, and then polish off a few samples straight from oak barrels at the end.  Check for tour times in English.

Pilsen is also brimming with other types of history; it has one of the largest synagogues in the world, a heady gothic cathedral, and the unique George Patton Museum, which documents Czechoslovakia's liberation from the Nazis by US troops. And back to beer; Pilsen also has a charming and informative Brewery Museum in a 15^th century house that documents beer brewing and drinking over the centuries. 

7. Skip between chateaus in South Moravia

The magnificent Chateau Lednice

Two chateaus and their captivating landscapes in grapevine-rich South Moravia are not only mere kilometers apart, but they’re also both UNESCO world heritage sites. In the grandiose Chateau Valtice, one can make like Liechtenstein aristocracy by sampling the vibrant wares of an award-winning wine salon. Learn about Czech viticulture here and then meander through the showy halls and gardens.

Neighboring  Chateau Lednice is where the Liechtensteins spent their summers. The stunning interior drips with ornate wood carvings, and the English park outside is dotted with whimsical monuments, such as a Roman obelisk and an Islamic minaret. Rent a bike to cover more ground and pack a picnic to eat with your newly-purchased Moravian wine. For more information, visit Czech Tourism.

8. Hike like a Czech

Hiking signs in the woods

 Avoid the tourist crush and go where the Czechs go – into the woods. There is an extensive network of 40,000 km of color-coded trails throughout the country, with every meter marked on easy-to-read maps available at knihovas (book stores). The trails are maintained by Czech Tourist Club volunteers who clear obstructions, pick up waste and lovingly paint strips of red, yellow, green and blue on trees, posts and rocks so you won’t get lost. There’s no better way to find quaint villages and crumbly castle ruins, and hikes are available for every level of ability and fitness.

While there are endless options for stellar hikes, two particular areas offer very different flora and fauna. The Trebon region is flatter and full of picturesque woods and peat bogs, and has been named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its rich marshes and water birds. Hikes can be found at the webpage for the city of Trebon. In contrast, the environs of Cesky Raj have hillier hikes that wind through thick conifer forests and volcanic sandstone pillars, not to mention peaks capped with medieval ruins. For more information, visit the official Cesky Raj tourism website.

9. Follow Kafka’s footsteps in Prague

Kafka hung out here

Franz Kafka may have been a blip on the literary scene when alive, but posthumously, he’s been recognized as one of the paramount writers of the 20^th century. In fact, a handwritten manuscript of his novel The Trial was purchased for almost 2 million dollars – not bad for a guy plagued with worry over being mentally and physically repulsive. You can trace his peculiar story with tour guide Ivan through Prague’s Old Town buildings, cafes and the Jewish cemetery where he was laid to rest. 

In addition, the Kafka Museum conveys how Prague, which he called a “little mother with claws” affected his prose, as well exhibits the city’s topography as presented in Kafka’s writing.

10. Enter the mouths of the Moravian Karst

from Prazak / Wikimedia Commons

Straight out of a Jules Vernes novel, you can float down a subterranean river and weave through a toothy  labyrinth of dripstone stalagmites in the caves of the Moravian Karst. While these spectacular geological features extend about 92km, five caverns are currently open to visitors. Having been discovered in early 20^th century, they are remarkable well-preserved.

The karst are popular with locals, so be sure to reserve tickets ahead of time in the summer months. A cable car and two trains are available to assist people in getting around the region.   

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Lost in the night

Even through a subpar phone camera lens, Prague nights really grip you. BW, J-dog and I took a walk 'round the center as it was getting dark, which is usually about 4 p.m.(or, er, 16:00) these days, and drank in its dark beauty. The people-watching is better in the shadows, too; it's not so hectic and the bodies darting around seem to be more of an enigma. Are they late to a first date? Did they just finish yoga? Or shoplift? Or polish off a pint? Do they want to make it home before "Velky Bratr" (Big Brother) starts?

I love this prose by Franz Kafka, son of Prague and reported insomniac. It's called "At Night."

Deeply lost in the night.
Just as one sometimes lowers one’s head to reflect, thus to be utterly lost in the night.
All around people are asleep.
Its just play-acting, an innocent self- deception, that they sleep in houses, in safe beds, under a safe roof, stretched out or curled up on mattresses, in sheets, under blankets; in reality they have flocked together as they had once upon a time and again later in a deserted region, a camp in the open, a countless number of men, an army, a people, under a cold sky on cold earth, collapsed where once they had stood, forehead pressed on the arm, face to the ground, breathing quietly.
And you are watching, are one of the watchmen, you find the next one by brandishing a burning stick from the brushwood pile beside you.
Why are you watching?
Someone must watch, it is said.
Someone must be there.

In the dusk, Prague Castle glows

Trams snake through murky streets

Czech glass glitters in a storefront window

Windows wink when a room lights up on Old Town Square

Cartier looks quite Film Noir with a black-and-white filter

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