There is so much to update you all on... my trips to Český Krumlov, Lobkowitz castle and Mělník winery, my weekend in Moravia and my Czech language course. Please forgive me for the delayed posts!Expect to be caught up on my travels by the end of the week. I promise to never go this long without blogging again!
I visited Český Krumlov two weeks ago with the Eastern and Central European Studies department of Charles University. The castle is about three hours outside of Prague and the second largest castle in the Czech Republic. The 13th century castle was never defeated and stands in good condition today.
At Český Krumlov we attended a lecture on the castle’s architecture. The combination of gothic, baroque and renaissance style architecture make this castle unique. It is hard to believe that in the 19th century the owners contemplated demolishing the castle, now a UNESO World heritage site, as they wished to turn the fortified/medieval structure into a more open structure (think D.C.). Luckily the owners decided to restore the architecture instead of making a completely new castle. What I really liked about Český Krumlov is the way it is a built in a circle with the castle on top of a hill and the town spiraling down below. According to the lecture, this is very medieval in nature and protected the castle from intruders. In case you are building a castle anytime soon, this seems to be a good defense tactic. With thick walls, steep hills, a rocky river below the castle and a moat filled with bears it is no wonder the castle is still standing. Now the town is a haven for the romantic lives of artists and authors. The average Joe’s of Czech Republic have moved away because of the increased tourism and the German population was kicked out after WW2. This twist makes for an interesting dynamic in town. I am lucky to have visited on a snowy winter day, as the town was abandoned and I took great pictures of the snow capped castle.
The following day I visited day Lobkowitz castle and Mělník winery. The Lobkowitz castle is preserved as a pseudo museum on the royal life of Bohemian nobles. The castle holds the second largest private library in the Czech Republic and is famous for its rare books, musical instruments and scientific equipment. The Lobkowitz family was extremely loyal to the Austrian Hapsburg Empire, reaching the highest rank of nobility possible. Therefore, the castle contains a great deal of art and home décor from Vienna. There was an entire room dedicated to pictures of the Hapsburg rulers sent directly from the Hapsburgs as gifts marking special occasions. What I found to be the most interesting facet of the Lobkowitz castle is how the history of the property mirrors that of the Czech Republic. As faithful servants to the Hapsburgs, the Lobkowitz family sent soldiers to fight Austrian wars. During World War II, the Germans assumed control the castle and turned it into a hospital for wounded Nazi Soldiers. In communist times, the state held the castle. Rights were finally granted to the Lobkowitz family in the restitution process following the velvet revolution of 1989.
After our tour of the Lobkowitz castle, we headed to a winery in the town of Mělník and took a break for lunch. Mělník is20 minutes outside of Prague and sooo different. It is quiet, tourist free and nobody speaks English. It is a great example of Czech suburbia. I loved it there. It felt like home. While the rest of my group ate lunch I skipped out and headed to a local café. I had a delicious cake for only 16 kc and scoped out the scene. I saw a grandmother getting ice cream with her granddaughter, mothers gossiping over lattes and rowdy school children getting an after school snack. It is fascinating to see how similar some things are between the Czech Republic and America. I could have been in Edison observing the same interactions.
I was surprised to discover the Mělník winery is small and not known for high quality wine. The wine we tasted on the tour seemed okay to me, but I’m not exactly a professional and the sample they gave us was barely a sip. It was hard to get a good read on the taste of the wine; however, I was still pretty jealous upon hearing that when a member of the Lobkowitz family turned 18 they received a 6,000 liter barrel of wine. The interesting history of the winery made the tour of the cellars worth the 200 kc entrance fee. The tour guide educated us on the different time periods of the winery. Not surprisingly, the Mělník winery saw the greatest changes during the reign of Charles IV. The guide also explained why the growth of the winery mirrored the growth of Christianity in Bohemia. The growing number of Christians meant a growing demand of wine for services. It is funny that now, even though atheists make up 80%of the country, Czechs can buy the same Mělník wine formerly used in church at their local Tesco *. Overall the tour of the cellars was damp, cold, smelly and boring. I kind of wish I stayed at the café.
*Tesco is Czech’s version of target. More on that later….
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