In the Bohemian town of Jindřichův Hradec, a castle of the same name is located. Its former German name was Neuhaus (New House). The literal translation of the Czech name means Henry Castle. Worth seeing is the roundel from the year 1596, which is counted among the major works of the Bohemian Renaissance.
This manhole cover on a platform of the main railway station in Prague (Praha hlavní nádraží) shows the historic station building. The structure was designed by Czech architect Josef Fanta in the years 1901/09. The entrance hall of the building is now off the beaten track and forms an oasis of Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau hall in Prague’s main train station (Praha hlavní nádraží) is a bit hidden. Once it represented the splendour and glory of the Habsburg Empire. Today it is located away from the streams of rail travellers and only fanciers make their way to the hall. The structure was built in 1902/12 according to the plans of Josef Fanta (1856-1954).
Plaque to the 28th President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, seen at the main railway station of Prague. During the First Czechoslovak Republic and from 1945 to 1953 the largest station of the capital city was named Wilson Station (Wilsonovo nádraží).
Thoughtful monument to Nicholas Winton located at the platform 1 of Prague main railway station. 669 Jewish children were rescued by trains organized by him in 1939. These trains brought the children to London just before World War II started.
When I was a child I used to watch fairy tales on TV every Christmas season. Generally these movies were taken in Czech Republic. Many years later I still remember the plots of these tales like ‘Three hazelnuts for Cinderella’, ‘Pan Tau’, and ‘Arabela’. What about your memories?
View of a Christmas market in Brno, the 2nd largest city of Czech Republic. In the background one can see the tower of the old town hall.
4 days before my visit in Brno the essayist and politician Václav Havel died. Many places in the city were covered with candles, photos, letters and even drawings. It’s impressive to see that a person has found its place in the hearts of the people, isn’t it? It reminds me of we all should do something to find our place in someones heart.
Even though many people call this an astronomical clock, it is just a clock. The clock reminds of an episode of the Thirty Years’ War, when people of Brno ended a siege by pretending a wrong time of day. Every day at 11:00 am a marble emerges from one of four openings and can be caught by a lucky spectator.
If one dare to look through open doors of buildings built in 19th century one often get awarded by seeing wonderful ceilings and staircases. For example I saw this wonderful ceiling behind a door in Brno, Czech Republic.
Some facades I came across near the railway station of Brno. In cities with railway stations built around 1900 one can see a lot of fascinating architecture near these stations. Therefore I love to stroll around these quarters and to take photos like these ones.
Having lunch at a Czech dining car: Marinated Beef Sirloin served with bread dumplings (‘Svíčková na smetaně s houskovými knedlíky’).