Czech this out!

February 19, 2021

We left Bucharest with Tarom (Romanian Air Transport) and recalled on the way our first visit to the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic was Anna’s first trip by plane, back in 2006. Here we are now in 2019 after hundreds of flights together and so many memories that we gathered in the meantime. Every time we end up in CZ, we are actually in transit to another destination, The first time we were on our way to Ireland, and now the second time being on our way to Denmark.

Both dates were special, the first because it was our first trip abroad by plane, and the second because we were going to Copenhagen where the embryo obtained in the laboratory would be placed. This way we got Annia.

We had some emotions on that morning because our departure was delayed due to some tehnical problems of the plane, and we had to arrive at the clinic before lunch, the embryo had already been thawed, we could not miss this opportunity. Finally the plane was repaired after an hour of waiting and we arrived on time. Thanks God for that!

When it comes to saying something about Prague, it’s hard to choose your words because you know that whatever you will say, someone before you has already said that.

Not without reason, it is an extremely loved and blessed city, a photogenic and bursting city with wonderful sights. But it’s one of those places that seems to know how to cope with all the attention and fame.

Prague has the ability to make you feel good, that ability which not many cities have, to make you feel that you belong to. Even from the first visit, you have the impression that you are not just a tourist, that you are somehow a local.

And someone once said about Prague that: “If European cities were a necklace, Prague would be a diamond among the pearls.”

At that time we didn’t have GPS or smartphones, we used maps (2006)

My purpose with this post is not to talk about Prague, but to say that the Czech Republic is so much more than that.

True being told is that I have heard too little about the other places in the Czech Republic and too much about Prague. On our second visit we wanted to discover other places, to see what the Czech Republic has to offer.

So we took a car and left on the road, first we chose to explore Moravia and then return to the Bohemian side where Praga is situated and see more from Bohemia.

Here we are in Moravia, our first stop was Brno -the 2nd largest city in the Czech Republic. A nice city, not very touristy, but it does not pretend to be, the truth is that it would be difficult for anyone to stay in the shadow of Prague, just as for Bratislava is not easy to stay in the shadow of Vienna.

We enjoyed exploring the capital of Moravia on foot, majority of the main sights of Brno are situated in its historical centre and the city’s higher concentration of pedestrians are on Masarykova Street

We must admit that it was not very clear to us why “Villa Tugendhat” is a Unesco monument, this is an architecturally significant building in Brno, and one of the pioneering prototypes of modern architecture in Europe.

The best views of the towers of Katedrála sv. Petra a Pavla (Cathedral of St Peter and Paul)

We continued our journey through Moravia and arrived in the city Kromeriz. This charming Moravian town, first mentioned in 1110 is famous for the castle and its gardens which are located there. The Gardens and Castle at Kromeriz were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1998, as the 7th site from Czechia.

Kromeriz has a large square. In fact, in the picture below you can see how small Anna looks in such a big square.

We had an amazing meal here, meat is an important element of Czech cuisine. In fact, most of the traditional dishes are based on meat, with pork being the most popular.

A typical Czech meal includes soup as a starter followed by a hearty meat dish as a main.

Then we chose to visit the city of Olomouc. Here the Holy Trinity Column is the imposing element in the central market. This ornate column stands prominently in the town square. It was built in the 1700s to celebrate the end of the plague that had devastated that part of Europe.
We only heard about the city because of their football team that sometimes plays in European cups, but it seems to us that this place is somewhat underrated.
Its well-preserved Old Town boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be easily explored on foot. Its central point is the impressive Upper Square (Horní náměstí).

Here I met this wonderful lady who offered to hire me in her shop, of course, if I learned Czech.

While in Olomouc we said that is worth it a visit to Bouzov castle (Hrad Bouzov), located at a distance of 35 km from the city. Good choice to end our trip on the Moravian side this way. Bouzov is one of the most visited castles in the Czech Republic

A romantic castle built at the turn of the 13. and 14, an impressive story, the local guide provided valuable information. For almost 9 Eur, it is a perfect example of a medieval castle, equipped inside with the highest comforts of its time.

And driving back to Bohemia was so relaxing that I can’t even explain. The Czech Republic is extremely relaxing to drive through. We had at least 2 more cities to see before returning to Prague.
Telc is perched on the border between Bohemia and Moravia, and of course, another city we hadn’t heard much about, but it’s funny how often the smallest destinations can be impressive. The small town of Telč is definitely underrated

We so much loved the town square with its renaissance and baroque colorful houses, all the great restaurants alongside. Then the Church of St. James and on top of that, we enjoyed such a beautiful view of the historical center of Telč. You will go there through a very thin spiral wooden staircase, On way to the top, you will see two bells. On top of the tower, you will be rewarded with a nice view.

Admiring the pretty town of Telc from above

And the last stop was Cesky Krumlov, a place where you can easily spend a week without getting bored.
Cesky Krumlov is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen and with that I said it all

If you haven’t seen the Czech Republic yet, put it on the list, but not only for their special beers and beautiful capital Prague.

From the heart of Moravia to Bohemia, from the south to the north right at the foot of the Ore Mountains, the Czech Republic abounds with medieval cities unchanged for centuries with a special architecture and an authentic vibe, giving the feeling of going back in time.

I hope you already agree that there’s more to the Czech Republic than Prague, and we have not seen it all, there’s more to be seen and discovered.

For now: Sbohem (Good bye), Česká republika and see you again one day!