The Vltava

The Vltava River runs through Praha. (It is no coincidence that large rivers run through the main cities of Europe.) This is a view from the Charles Bridge across the river to the castle and cathedral. Americans know this river by its German name: the Moldau.

The Charles Bridge was commissioned by Charles IV in 1357. It was damaged in 1648 during the 30 Years War and by a flood in 1900 but, unlike most of the major bridges in Eastern Europe, it survived WWII unscathed. It is said to be the oldest medieval bridge in Europe (I know that it is not the oldest bridge in Europe because I can think of at least one Roman bridge that survives without ever having been rebuilt.)

Cesky Krumlov

Two hours south of Praha is the little medieval town of Cesky Krumlov. It sustained damage during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) but that was repaired and some new buildings were built. Not much has happened since. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. October was a good time to visit. The weather was cool. There were other visitors but it was uncrowded. I'm told that in summer it can be a madhouse.

There is a very interesting art center which has a permanent exhibit of Egon Schiele drawings and memorabilia. Egon lived in Cesky Krumlov for a while, but when the citizens learned about his nude drawings of the pubescent young girls of the town he was asked to leave.

Praha

We call it Prague, but the czechs call it Praha and the road signs in Austria point to Praha. So, I'll call it Praha. At first glance the city is like a fairy tale castle. If it did not exist, Disney might have decided to invent it.

This photo was taken from in front of our hotel the afternoon that we arrived.

Vienna

We have just returned from Vienna. This is typical of what much of the city center looks like - grand eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings, automobiles, signs, and people.