Mount Klet, Česky Krumlov, Czechia

September 20, 2026Czechia, TravelMount Klet, mushroomskarenfranza

Sep 15 – Today you get a story, told at length to tickle my dear friend Tom. It’s a beautiful fall day, and we are going to the top of the mountain! Jim found directions online: take a local train to a nearby town with a ski lift, take the lift to the top of Mount Klet, and enjoy the gentle wooded walk back to town. Sounds lovely – let’s go!

In the fairytale town of Česky Krumlov there are no intercity trams, trolleys or buses – if you want to go somewhere, be prepared to walk! The walk to the train station took 45 minutes, all uphill.

When we arrived, there was no one to sell us a ticket, and Google didn’t know anything about this train. Luckily, a lone student was sitting outside, and he said we would be going on the same train as him and could buy a ticket onboard. Nice person of Czechia!

Twenty minutes later we hopped off the train at the Holubov station, and started to walk. And walk. How far was this ski lift? Another 45 minute walk! Now it was midday and getting warmer. After a while, Jim stuck out his thumb and a young man pulled over and drove us to the ski lift. Another nice person of Czechia!

We encountered a couple at the ski lift office, knocking on the door and then calling on their phone. The ski lift is closed today. The man said according to the internet it should be open, but the internet is often wrong.

Now what? Back the way we came? Who knows when there will be another train? We asked Google Maps for the shortest way home and, you guessed it, it told us shortest route was up and over the mountain.

A young lady jogging down said yes, there was a path straight up the mountain. Just follow the ski lift towers. She assured us it was doable. From the lips of a twenty year old!

The path started off gently, but the higher we climbed, the bigger the rocks got, until we were scrabbling instead of hiking. Three hours later, we scrabbled to the top. The restaurant? Closed. The observation tower? Closed, of course, so no scenic view. Luckily, Jim had packed sandwiches. What we thought was a soda vending machine turned out to be a beer dispenser, so at least we weren’t thirsty!

Our nice student made sure we got off at the right stop

The deserted Holubov station – nothing to do but walk

A nice young man drove us to the ski lift

Ski lift closed? Let’s just walk up the mountain! How hard could it be?

The higher we climbed, the bigger the rocks got

Is this a smile or a grimace? Jim kept saying, “I see the top! You’re almost there!”

A memorial on the rocks, presumably for all those who died trying to hike to the top!

At the summit, a closed restaurant, and a closed Josef’s observation tower behind it. No scenic view for us today!

No food available, but there was a beer vending machine, so at least we were not thirsty.

On the way back down, we encountered a big silver worm unlike anything that we’d seen before

Kinds of mushrooms we don’t see back home

Back to town! And for those who count steps, I walked 29,000 steps today, and lived to tell the tale!

The Castle, Česky Krumlov, Czechia

September 18, 2026Czechia, Travelbears, castle, castle garden, Cesky Krumlov, Plague towerkarenfranza

Sep 13 – This little fairytale town was built around a medieval castle on the bank of the Vitava River. No battles were fought here – it’s just a castle that was owned by one rich family after another, and is now the property of the state.

The Industrial Revolution passed by this place. Since becoming a World Heritage site in 1992, the town has revolved around tourism. Bus loads of tourists arrive every day to wander the cobblestone streets and take selfies with the castle tower in the background.

The Castle Tower dominates the landscape

Pretty pastel buildings house restaurants and tourist shops. In the square is another Plague Tower, erected in the 1700s giving thanks to the Virgin Mary for the end of the plague.

The castle,s outer walls are painted to appear three dimensional

A view from the Cloak Bridge that connects the lower and upper castles

This rider doesn’t fear falling off his horse!

Yes, three bears occupy what once was the moat – a sign assures us that these bears are not being exploited, but have been in the care of the state since the circus closed.

An art supply shop where all the paint tubes look like fingers!

The castle garden hedges are precisely trimmed

…and a display of historic beers of Česky Krumlov

For our midday meal, we found a mouthwatering Czech restaurant – Jim had the aromatic goulash with red cabbage, and I had a dish worthy of my German Oma: pulled pork and onions over a mound of sauerkraut with potato dumplings. Heaven!

Česky Krumlov, Czechia

September 17, 2026Czechia, Travelnice people of Czechia, Cesky Krumlovkarenfranza

Sep 11 – When Jim planned this trip, he booked us into cities in a circle around Prague, and we figured we would travel around the circle. Turns out that you can’t get anywhere in this country without going through Prague, so our travel days will be like spokes of a wheel, going back to Prague every time before advancing to the next place.

So we spent this whole day traveling from Olomouc back to Prague by train, then onward to Česky Krumlov by bus. (The little karat above the Č indicates a Ch sound, so CHESky.) We met a young family in the train station who said they shared our sadness on this anniversary of 9/11, which we thought was so sweet. Nice people of Czechia!

On the (free!) trolley in Olomouc going to the train station

Our very comfy 2nd class seats on the train – half price for seniors

Looking out the window of the bus to Česky Krumlov

So now we are in Česky Krumlov, high in the hills and away from the city – the weather is a little cooler here

This town is full of pensions attached to private homes. We are staying at Pension Klima, in an efficiency studio with a full kitchen. Our host has a face collection at our door that made me smile.

Jim has some hiking planned for us this week – oh boy!

From Medieval to Modern, Olomouc, Czechia

September 16, 2026Czechia, TravelMuseum of Modern Art, Olomouc, Olomouc Castle, Our Lady of the Snowskarenfranza

Sep 10 – For our last day in Olomouc, we went back to the historic square.

Part of the castle walls that once surrounded the city

We ducked into Our Lady of the Snows, which was closed the other day.

You don’t often see angels giving communion

A docent let us into the sacristy behind the sanctuary

From there we moved on to Olomouc Castle, where we saw ruins of the original foundation

I like this one the best – very peaceful and natural looking

A marvelously embellished rococo carriage

…and the ornate outfit of the horse who pulled it

Outside the Modern Art Museum hangs (literally) another work by David Cerny, this one depicting a thief making off with an artwork hanging out of his backpack. The robber inches along the balcony, trying to escape.

The featured artist was Maria Bartuszova, who worked mainly in white

…and a collection of photographs by Jindřich Streit that reminded me of the American Appalachian photos from the 1930s, although these are of Czechs in the 1980s

Thank you Olomouc – we had a great time!

Basilica of the Visitation, Olomouc Czechia

September 14, 2026Czechia, TravelBasilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, Olomouc, wall art, Way of St Jameskarenfranza

Sep 9 – Today we traveled an hour by bus out of the city and up to the top of a hill. We are visiting the Basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, a pilgrimage site and Czech beginning of the Way of St James that goes to Santiago. We’re not hiking this time, just paying a visit.

Here’s the story. In the early 1600s, Jan Andrýsek, a wine merchant, vowed that if he ever became wealthy, he would build a chapel to the Virgin Mary near Olomouc.

When he inherited a fortune, and didn’t follow through on his promise, the Virgin Mary appeared to him twice in dreams, reminding him of the vow. The dreams showed a radiant forest and the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child.

In 1629, Jan was riding east of Olomouc in a blizzard. He suddenly saw a brilliant light, in exactly the place he had seen in his dreams. Thus reminded, he built a chapel, which was enlarged several times as more pilgrims visited each year.

The bus let us off a short walk from the basilica

The altarpiece contains some bones of St Pauline, the patron saint of Olomouc. The small stone relief of Mary in the silver frame survived a fire in the original chapel in the 1600s and is considered miraculous.

An angel holding dice – referring perhaps to the soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ cloak?

This one reminds me of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Whoa! Isn’t this the best reaction of St Thomas that you’ve ever seen?

The basilica is also part of the Camino Santiago, and we looked at several pics of locals walking the Way of St James. I don’t think this bunch is going all the way to Spain.

Horni Namesti, Olomouc, Czechia

September 12, 2026Czechia, Travelastronomical clock, fountains, Holy Trinity Column, Marian Column, Mozart, Olomouc, St Maurice Cathedralkarenfranza

Sep 7 – Olomouc advertises itself as the place that has everything that Prague has, except the crowds. It has a huge historical central square. The Czech word for square is Namesti, so wherever we go, we are reminded that the light in me honors the light in you (this is a yoga joke).

There are so many things to see here!

The Holy Trinity Column is the tallest monument in Czechia and the biggest group of statues in Central Europe

The top depicts the Holy Trinity, accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Looks pretty crowded up there

Like Prague, there is also an astronomical clock! Instead of apostles, this one shows working people.

Unlike the clock in Prague, these figures aren’t rotating, ( I think it is in need of repair?) but we can see musicians, miners, athletes…

Not only can you see the time, but also the current astrological sign

…and the current constellations in the night sky

There are also many fountains – here is the fountain of Caesar

The fountain of Hercules, holding his cudgel and smiting the hydra

There is the Marian column, erected in the 1700s to thank the Virgin Mary for saving the city from the plague

There is a (temporary) sculpture of Mozart here, made of sand. When Mozart was performing in Europe as a 5 year old prodigy, his father brought him here to Olomouc to escape the plague.

Unfortunately, Mozart contracted the plague anyway, but he recovered right here in this palace

A modern artist with something to say to the pope

St Maurice Cathedral – too big to see in one photo

Inside, we heard the most beautiful organ music. There was a concert that evening, and we got to hear the world famous organist Jean Baptiste Robin practicing! A fine day.

Olomouc, Czechia

September 9, 2026Czechia, Travelnice people of Czechia, Olomouckarenfranza

Sep 5 – Time for a Nice Person story. Today is a travel day as we set out for the city of Olomouc (OH lo mootz) about three hours away. Google Maps has been giving us fits, telling us to walk 5 minutes to the bus stop, then changing it to 15 minutes. As Jim and I sat side by side this morning, it gave us totally different routes!

Following one of Google’s suggestions, we walked not to a bus stop, but to an old train station we didn’t even know was there. We bought tickets to the next town, where we could get a train to Olomouc. Waiting with us in the nearly deserted station was a young woman named Klara, who was going to Olomouc as well. What luck! We rode with her to the main station at Kolin.

Klara showed us where to buy tickets at the big station, then told us she’d be waiting up on Track 2. The ticket seller had no English, but wrote on a piece of paper 2 – 11:32. We thanked her and went up the stairs to sit with Klara at Track 2. A minute later the ticket seller rushed up the stairs, waving another piece of paper on which she had written 2 – 11:38. It turns out that the 11:32 train was going to Poland, and she was afraid we’d get on the wrong train! Two Nice People of Czechia in one day!

We rode in fine style in our half-price-for-old-people seats and enjoyed the spicy chicken sandwiches we had purchased for our lunch. When we got off the train in Olomouc, Klara found us again, handing us a piece of paper containing the trolley number and the name of the stop closest to our hotel. Thank you Klara and train lady!

So now we are in Olomouc, staying at the historic Lafayette Hotel (yes, our Lafayette, from the Revolutionary War, and, of course, Hamilton!)

It turns out that after Lafayette returned to France, he was captured by the Prussians and imprisoned right here in Olomouc from 1794 – 1797. He is a hero of this place.

We are staying in the room called Virginie, Lafayette’s youngest daughter. His wife and two young daughters were imprisoned with him here for two years.

George Washington presides over our breakfast buffet

Lafayette’s pretty wife Adrienne in the courtyard. They fell in love when he was 14 and she was 12.

Weddings are held in the courtyard, and the happy couples exchange vows under the likenesses of Lafayette and Adrienne. What a love story!

The Church of the Bones, Kutna Hora, Czechia

September 8, 2026Czechia, TravelChurch of the Bones, Kutna Hora, Legos, Sedlec Ossuary, St. James, wall artkarenfranza

Sep 3 – Today we bade farewell to our modern apartment in Prague, and set out to see more of Czechia.

About an hour’s train ride east of Prague is the lovely village of Kutna Hora. We are only here for a short time, and we are here to see one thing: the Sedlec Ossuary, otherwise known as the Church of the Bones.

Legend says that in the 1100s, a monk brought back some soil from Golgotha in the Holy Land, and spread the soil in the church cemetery. That made this cemetery a very desirable place to be buried, and people brought their family corpses from all over Europe to be buried here.

During the Black Death and the Hussite Wars of the 1400s, the church was overwhelmed with bodies, and devised an ossuary system of temporarily burying, then exhuming and stacking up the bones. It is estimated that between 40,000 to 70,000 bodies were interred here.

In the 1600s a monk was tasked with finding creative uses for the bones. Hence, the Church of All Saints became the Church of the Bones.

Down we go into the ossuary, beneath the church

The space is not large, and you get to spend no more than 30 minutes

Jim managed to sneak a few photos, but most of the pix below are courtesy of the Internet. The church decided a few years ago that people were not being sufficiently respectful of the bones, and banned photo-taking.

This chandelier is said to contain every bone in the human body

The coat of arms of the Schwartzenbergs, the rich family in the region

The ossuary theme carried over to the Lego Museum next door with this Lego skeleton

We also visited the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

It was pretty empty inside, but filled with light

For lunch Jim had a meat sandwich (shredded beef covered with cheddar, and I had the veggie sandwich (little tomatoes and white cheese). Very yummy. Cheese is a big thing here!

In the afternoon we spotted the Church of Saint James,, and went in to visit our favorite apostle

Over the altar was a painting of the slaying of the Moors, which we thought was an odd choice. See the shells over the heads of St Peter on the left and St Paul on the right?

We all have our burdens to carry. A fine day.

Botanicka Zahrada, Prague, Czechia

September 7, 2026Czechia, TravelBotanicka Zahrada, Praguekarenfranza

Sep 2 – For our last day in Prague, we treated ourselves to a quiet day at the botanical gardens, the Botanicka Zahrada Praha.

The tropical plants in the greenhouse were lush

Jim chased down this bird that made much more noise than its size would indicate

Did you know that the oldest land plant, Cooksonia, was discovered right here in Czechia? Wow!

Dancing House, Fortress and Basilica, Prague, Czechia

September 6, 2026Czechia, TravelBasilica of St Peter and St Paul, Dancing House, Prague, Vysehrad Fortresskarenfranza

Sep 1 – No trip to Prague is complete without a visit to the Dancing House, a modern construct erected in 1996 on the site of a building destroyed by US bombing in 1945.