the second layer - gallery

czech republic

prague, plzen, cesky krumlov

Prague is an amazing city. I came by train from Vienna, passing through the Moravian countryside and into Bohemia, where gypsies once roamed the hills and forests and now roam the train and bus stations looking for tourists to pickpocket. Prague or Praha has a sort of magical feel about it, kind of a fantasy land appeal -- rows and rows of baroque palaces and houses, red tiled rooves, fantastic carvings and statues, cobbled streets and bridges -- there's no other city like in the world. Apparently, the Czechs are terrible at giving directions, or take pleasure in leading tourists in the wrong direction. I wandered back and forth, up and down streets in the east of the city in search of my hostel, the Elf Hostel. I stopped in bars and cafes, restaurants asking for directions, sometimes someone would wave their hand or growl at me or rub their chin and then look away...it was as if I was a leper and asking if I could borrow their hand or foot as mine had fallen off. It was raining and my pack was heavy and the Czech system of adresses was even more confusing. The same street has the same address on either side but at opposite ends. Directions to the hostel: Take a train in the drection of Skalka Jiriho Z Podebra to Husinecka, then take the first right on Krasova to Borivijova in Vysehrad on Husitska 11. I could hardly pronounce the names let alone find them. In then end, I did find the hostel, it was awesome and I had a great time. Prague rocks!

weblog

Prague

(Above) Looking west from the clocktower in central Prague towards Prazky hrad (Prague Castle) and (right) looking downward at one of the alleyways off the Staromestske Nam (the Old Town Square).

Staromestske Nam (the Old Town Square) is the highlight of the city. A giant cobbled plaza encircled by gorgeous baroque architecture and dominated by the two Gothic spires of Tyn Church (1365). In the centre of the square stands a striking sculpture, in memorial of Jan Hus, a religious reformer who was executed at the stake. The monument was erected in 1915, on the 500th aniversary of his death.

A giant astornomical clock with two faces sits at the bottom of the Gothic tower of Old Town Hall. The clock was installed in 1410 and entertains crowds (and I mean CROWDS) on the hour with a parade of apostles and a bell ringing skeleton who come out of small doors at the top of the clock.

Crowds of tourists gather to watch the clock strike. This is prime pickpocket territory...watch your wallets!

Just off the alleyway (behind the crowd above) is Prague's Sex Machines Museum, which was fascination. All kinds of masturbatory devices and strange contraptions from turn of the century brothels can be found here. It draws in the crowds with a recording of a moaning woman played towards the street.

I liked this sculpture of a person draped in a long cloak, like the Grim Reaper, just off Staromestske Nam.

More churches, rooves and buildings as wiewed from the clock tower of the Old Town Hall.

In the Jewish Quarter, Josefov, are several old synagogues and a Jewish History Museum museum. In 1942, the Nazis brought objects here for a 'museum of an extinct race', which was to be opened once their planned extermination was complete. Unfortunately everything was closed, being Saturday and all.

Some of the classic architecture in the streets around Josefov, the old Jewish Quarter.

Me on top the clock tower of the Old Town Hall, with the spires of Tyn Church in the background.

Nesting dolls fill the tourist shops along with all kinds of absinthe, the hallucinogenic wormwood distilled alcohol which is famous in the Czech Republic. (Right) This unique building, the Dance House, was designed by a Californian architect, probably while using some sort of hallucinogenic substance himself.

Sculptures and statues are all over the streets leading up to Wenceslas Square (bottom right). This area is Prague's main boulevard, and lined with shops and cafes. At the top of the street is a statue of King Wenceslas, aka "Good King Wenceslas," murdered over a 1000 years ago by his brother and now a Czech national hero.

(Above) Musicians entertain the hordes of tourists in the streets around the Old Town Square and (left) bridges and old stately houses line the Vltava River.

Looking over the Vltava River at Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) and Prazky Krad (Prague Castle) on the hill in the background.

(Above left) Barely a tourist in sight crossing the bridge towards Prague Castle and (right) yep, there they are -- making my way through crowds of tourists on the streets leading up towards the castle.

One of the first, foremost and unmistakable buildings in the courtyard of Prague Castle is St. Vitus' Cathedral. The castle was founded in the 9th century and is still the official residence of the president. It's hard to look around though, everywhere are crowds of tourists snapping pictures. There are several different tickets offering combination entry to different buildings on the castle grounds. I had to line up to find out where to get tickets, then line up to get a ticket and then line up to get into each diferent buidling. It was exhausting.

St. Vitus' Cathedral has several spires, many of which are accessible. I climbed the south spire up about twenty flights of a stone spiral staircase...it's a claustrophobics worst nightmare. There is a person every step of the way in front of you and behind you, the entire way up and down. The only way to get out is to go all the way to the top, then turn around and go all the way back down again. Be forewarned! There are incredible views from the top though, over the whole city and surrounding areas, so if you can bite the bullet, it's definitely worth it.

(Above) One of many stained-glass windows in the cathedral and (left) looking back across the river and towards the city of Prague from the south spire of St. Vitus' cathedral. (Below) A cool sculpture of a skull resting on a crouched man in the courtyard of the castle. I don't know who that strange man is. Everyone and their dog were posing with it, so if I wanted a picture, someone was going to be in it.

(Left) The 16th-century Golden Lane is the tradesmen's quarter of the castle. Here, you can find old armouries, blacksmith's shops and craft shops. The blue building (below), No. 22, was where the famous author, Franz Kafka, was born and wrote many of his books.

I'm a big fan of Pilsner-style beers (Kokanee, too, is a Pilsner-style lager) and so this little city, birthplace of the Pilsner brewing method and home to Pilsner Urquell, the world's only true Pilsner beer, in Western Bohemia was a must-see. Beer has been berwed here for over 700 years.

Plzen

An advertisement for Pilsner Urquell painted on the wall of Plzen's Brewery Museum. The museum is in an authentic medieval malt house and displays hundreds of items related to brewing.

(Above) The famous gate to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. The gate is featured on their label and around the brewery, see the logo on the right.

(Left) A collection of old beer bottles marks the entrance to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery and (Below) a giant chess set with beer bottle pawns, beer drinking bishops and brewery tower rooks on the grounds of the brewery.

(Above) On the tour of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery we got to see the copper brewing tanks and the oak storage caskets in a cold cellar deep beneath the ground. The Brewmaster tapped a keg and poured everyone some fresh Pilsner.

(Above) The church in the centre of town has the largest tower in Bohemia. Around the back is an iron grille. Each bar has the head of an angel on it. You're supposed to touch the angel and make a wish.

A traditional Czech snack, the Langose (langoshe). A deep fried pastry topped with tomato sauce and cheese.

(Above) Pivnice U Salzmannu is a Plzen institution known for its good quality food and cheap beer. The restaurant has been around for almost a 100 years. (Right) A police station in Plzen.

(Left) The neo-Renaissance Great Synagogue is one of Europe's largest.

(Right) I wandered into an old cemetery on the way to my hostel. It was kind of creepy. I took this photo of a headstone. Suddenly, a weird gypsy jumped out from behind and tried to bum a cigarette off me. He was kind of creepy. What was he doing in the cemetery all by himself?

Cesky Krumlov is a small town in the far south of the Czech Republic close to the Austrian border. Although, it's quite touristy (nothing like Prague though) the medieval town has remained fairly unchanged architecturally since at leas the 18th century. There are winding cobblestone alleyways and a sprawling chateau high on a hill. The town itself sits on a twisted bend of the Vltava river. It was one of my favourite places in all of the Czech Republic, I met a lot of cool people here, had a really great hostel and just loved wandering the old town at night. I stayed at 'Hostel 99' right near the entrance to the town, overlooking the river and valley. It was run by a weird Czech pothead, who spent most of his days stoned running around trying to collect rent money from everyone. You sort of paid based on the honor system for everything because the guy had no idea what was going on. It was sweet. Every Wednesday there was a free keg for everybody, so I stayed extra long just for that. I ended up getting wasted with a bunch of people from my room, partying at a bar in town all night, hooking up with some English girls and then sleeping in the fricken freezing cold night of the Czech Republic on a hard wooden bench outside the door to my hostel because they had locked it. I will NEVER forget that night...

Cesky Krumlov

In Eastern Europe, they love their porn. Here's 'Erotic City' near my hostel. They have 'sandwich porn'! What the heck is 'sandwich porn'?

How could anyone not have a good time in a place like this...fantasyland!

(Left) The bend in the Vltava River and (Above) river kayaking for adventurous travellers.

(Above) Nam Svornosti, the old town square, is a beautiful cobbled plaza lined with fantastic old buildings and pleasant outdoor cafes. A memorial to the victims of the plague as a baroque column, erected in 1716, dominates the center. (Right) Just across Lazebnicky Bridge, looking back towards the tower of the hill chateau.

Bridges galore! Looking at Na Ostove, a small footbridge crossing the Vltava River at Most Na Plasti, a giant bridge connecting the hill chateau to the theatre across a deep gorge.

On Most Na Plasti (as seen above) looking over the town. You can clearly see the huge Church of St. Vitus in the background.

Within the first courtyard of the hill chateau and its wonderfully decorated tower.

(Above) Again in the courtyard of the hill chateau looking at the tower in the background. You can see a handblown glass sculpture in the foreground. Many artists have made the buildings on the grounds of the chateau into studios and shops. (Right) A strange sculpture up the steps to an artists studio.

(Left) A beautifully carved puppet hangs in one of the rooms of the chateau and (Below) the town's emblem on the sewer drains.

My first view of Cesky Krumlov coming across the Vltava River from the Spicak bus-stop. I had just arrived from Plzen through Cesky Budejovice.

The towering Church of St. Vitus near the outskirts of the town.

The mountain range around the border of the Czech Republic taken from a train as I headed back towards Austria, to Salzburg.

...