St Wenceslas

This lovely Gothic statue of the Good King of Bohemia (the king who in the carol looked out on the feast of Stephen) is to be found in the Gothic art gallery in Jindrichuv Hradec District Museum. The gallery has some beautiful examples of Czech Gothic woodcarving.

A view of the Alps

This is a view from the hill above Olsina across to the Sumava National Park. One clear days, such as those you can get in Winter, one can see for miles. Look closer and you will see a blue line on the horizon. Obviously it was much more noticeable from the hill, so here is a zoom photograph to show just what you would have seen:

Yes, they are mountains - the Alps to be precise. As you come south through South Bohemia you begin to rise, until in the Sumava you are in the foothills of the Alps, which means great air quality and great skiing.

Another winter scene

Cesky Kumlov in the snow. In the winter the town loses the hundreds of visitors that rightly throng the streets in the summer and the town takes on a very different air. In the winter it is much easier to feel the past in its streets, easier too to see all the architectural features, before wandering into one of the towns cafes or bars to drink hot mulled wine, grog or hot medovina (honey wine). For ski enthusiasts a bus can take you from the town to the nearby Lipno ski resort.

Winter in South Bohemia

Winter has arrived in South Bohemia. The country is covered with snow and it will stay until March. The snow-covered landscape is stunning, especially as the sky is often blue and the sun brilliant.

Cesky Krumlov Roofs

One of the joys of UNESCO World Heritage Site Cesky Krumlov is the views down on to the ancient town from the hills around. We are not the first generation to be inspired by the contrasting slopes, textures and materials of the roofs. In 1911 the artist Egon Schiele moved to the town and whilst there painted some remarkable studies of the townscape. The Egon Schiele Centrum, in the town centre, includes an exhibition about the ill-fated artist. For more see http://czechproperty.blogspot.com/2009/12/egon-schiele-and-cesky-krumlov.html 

All our 2011 tours include a visit to Cesky Krumlov. 

Fish Harvest in The Czech Republic

In October/November all over South Bohemia fishponds are being drained and the resident carp are harvested. These harvests make for fascinating viewing and the tradition goes back to the Middle Ages, as indeed do some of the ponds. This is a short video we made of one such harvest at Lake Olsina, near Cesky Krumlov.

If you want to see a similar event next year, just let us know and we will arrange it.

PS When we say fishponds we actually are often talking about man-made lakes.

Cottages in the Sumava National Park

These are pretty typical cottages from the Sumava National Park, made of wood and stone with a typical half hip roof. The photograph was taken close to the Schwarzenberg Timber Canal.