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.