(Above: Český Krumlov. Click on any image in this post to enlarge.)
Although I grew up spending almost every summer of my youth in a small town outside Salzburg, Austria and traveled to many European cities during those years, I'd never been to Czechoslovakia. I've never been to the Czech Republic as an adult either. So, one of the highlights of my recent trip was a day in Český Krumlov. We were up before 6:30 AM. Sara Lechner drove....the five Swedish embroiderers and me. It was a true delight.
The city is old......a UNESCO World Heritage Site...with over 300 protected medieval buildings. The architecture is a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque.
The town is dominated by a grand castle complex complete with a bell tower...
residential rooms...
...several interior courtyards with 16th c. murals...
...a royal theater and an outdoor stage with a massive rotating tier of seats for the spectators...
...floral gardens...
...with sculptures and fountains and a lily pond...
....subterranean areas (might have been a dungeon but is now an art exhibition area), and a moat with live bears.
Of course, I took the complete tour....climbed all the steps....read all the signs...etc. It was great! I love these sorts of tours and the guide spoke absolutely excellent English....loudly enough that even I could hear every word.
The views were also spectacular.
The weather was perfect. Money was easily exchanged, very pretty, and simple to spend.....and I'm really not much of a "shopper".
Although I resisted everything in the (above) Koh-i-Noor store (Yes....my beloved rapidographs for French matting come from this Czech art supplier!), I couldn't resist the perle cotton threads in the (below) local embroidery shop. (By the way, Sara Lechner purchases much of her thread here....the ones she dyes all sorts of beautiful, variegated colors for hand-stitching.)
There were plenty of shops in which to spend time and money....some even sold interesting textile arts....
...or fine art (several nice galleries)....
...puppets! (Marionettes seemed to be following me on this trip! What's up with this and dolls?) I, however, handed over almost all my Korun on vintage buttons from an antique shop....the beautiful, black glass kind....which I can't resist. (Images in a coming post!)
Deliveries in all these quaint shops has got to be a major nightmare. The streets are cobblestone and narrow. Pedestrians are everywhere. Somehow, this truck got through...
....without damaging the painted facades of the ancient buildings.
I love architecture, especially the ornate surfaces of mural paintings, frescoes, and faux stone or marble surfaces. Český Krumlov is almost too beautiful to describe.
Some of the painting accentuated the windows with elaborate decoration.
Some of the painting emulates a fortification....making a structure imposing and weighty.
Some of the painting told the history of the place.
Some of the painting simply made otherwise flat surfaces look varied, interesting, and as if made from some other material.
It wasn't just the walls that were beautiful....the window treatments were also creative!
Wrought iron artwork hid otherwise first floor security measures....
...while advertising the business inside....
...or providing the time of day...
....or suggesting a pastime....
....or a good way to recycle!
Even the older windows were magnificent....with the patina of age and lace and ornamentation.
I also went the 15th c. built St. Vitus Church. It was beautiful and included some interesting graves. (I'm always on the lookout for new epitaphs and inspirational images!)
Even the "little details" were beautiful...and everywhere....like ancient hinges....
....and doorknobs (NO! I didn't position the pinecone for this picture! It was there!
Even the manhole covers were pretty!
Český Krumlov was most definitely a great place to visit. I'd love to go back....it's easy to find on the Internet....and I think the people living there are quite aware of the outside world's interest!
There are plenty of nice places to relax.
By the end of the day, our group reassembled on the banks of the meandering river for some local beer (also a Czech specialty) and good food. (PS....I couldn't get my "signs" into this blog post so will be creating one just for them!)
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