3390 CZECH REPUBLIC (Vysočina) - Jewish Quarter and St. Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč (UNESCO WHS)

The historical treasury of Třebíč, a town located in western Moravia, on the Jihlava River, includes the old Jewish Quarter (former ghetto) the Jewish Cemetery and the large Romanesque St Procopius' Basilica, which incorporates some later Gothic features, including a rare example of a ten-part (also known as 'botanical') rose window. The ensemble provides an exceptional testimony to the peaceful coexistence of Jewish and Christian communities and cultures from the Middle Ages up to WWII.

3382 CZECH REPUBLIC (Ústí nad Labem) - Drinking beer in Žatec

Žatec is famous for an over-700-year-long tradition of growing Saaz noble hops used by several breweries, produces its own beer and hosts Dočesná, its (hops related) harvest festival every year on the town square. As a result, what can be more natural than drinking beer in this town.

3360 CZECH REPUBLIC (Ústí nad Labem) - Žatec, the Hops Town (UNESCO WHS - Tentative List)

3360 The Hop Museum in Žatec

Located in the northwest part of the Czech Republic, the historic town of Žatec is famous for an over-700-year-long tradition of growing Saaz noble hops used by several breweries. The natural conditions of the site are significantly influenced by the nearby mountains. Their slopes form a natural barrier against the western winds, and create what is called rain shadow, which markedly influences the climate in and around the town. The dry and relatively warm climate, combined with plenty of ground water, was found to be very favourable to the growing of hops. Žatec produces its own beer and hosts Dočesná, its (hops related) harvest festival every year.

2868, 3345 CZECH REPUBLIC (Prague) - Charles Bridge - part of the Historic Centre of Prague (UNESCO WHS)

3345 Charles Bridge and city skyline in the morning

Charles Bridge is an historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. It is 621m long and nearly 10m wide, following the example of the Stone Bridge in Regensburg, and was built as a bow bridge with 16 arches shielded by ice guards. Protected by three bridge towers, it is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, originally erected between 1683 and 1714. They depict various saints and patron saints venerated at that time. Beginning in 1965, all of the statues have been systematically replaced by replicas.

2868 Charles Bridge and city skyline on sunset

The construction of the bridge started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. It  replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158-1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge but has been Charles Bridge since 1870. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau) until 1841, it was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas.

3320 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Bohemia) - Postcrossing Meetup, České Budějovice, 4 November 2017

Located in the center of a valley of the Vltava River, at the confluence with the Malše, České Budějovice, the political and commercial capital of the South Bohemian Region, is famous for Budweiser.The beautiful Otakar II Square, named for the Czech King who founded the city over 750 years ago, is famous for its regular square shape (133m by 137m). Around are 48 historical buildings, including the 3-spired Town Hall, and in the centre is the baroque-styled Samson's Fountain, built between 1721-1726 by Zachariáš Horn, with biblical sculptures were created by Josef Dietrich.

3306 CZECH REPUBLIC (Vysočina) - Postcrossing Meetup, Jihlava, 27 January 2018

Masaryk Square in Jihlava, with Saint Ignatius Church and City Hall

Situated on the Jihlava river, on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia, Jihlava is the oldest mining town in the Czech Republic, approximately 50 years older than Kutná Hora. Among the principal buildings is the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, built in the years 1683-89 by Jacopo Brascha, an Italian builder. This single-bay church with three pairs of side chapels and a flat chancel termination is a typical early Baroque structure, and formerly belong to the Jesuit Order.

3144, 3294 CZECH REPUBLIC (Prague) - Prague astronomical clock - part of Historic Centre of Prague (UNESCO WHS)

3144 Prague astronomical clock (1)

Posted on 07.09.2017, 17.12.2019
The Prague astronomical clock, mounted on the southern wall of Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square, was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating. Its oldest part, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, then later a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Charles University. Later, presumably around 1490, the calendar dial was added and the clock facade was decorated with gothic sculptures.

3294 Prague astronomical clock (2)

The clock mechanism itself has three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures - notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to local legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy.

3234 CHRISTMAS (Czech Republic) - Veselé Vánoce

"Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok" means in Czech language "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" For many Czechs, December 24 (Štědrý den) is the most enjoyable day of Christmas holidays. Its Czech name literally means "Generous Day", probably for the wealth of food that is traditionally served then. It is also Adam and Eve's name day. The Christmas tree is decorated with traditional ornaments in many households and preparations are made for the most festive dinner of the year.

3108 CZECH REPUBLIC (Zlin) - Hody in Moravian Slovakia

3108 Stárci with Rights in Kostelan village,
near Uherské Hradiště

Centre of the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century, the Moravian Slovakia (Slovácko) is in nowaday a cultural region in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic, on the border with Slovakia and Austria, known for its characteristic folklore, music, wine, costumes and traditions. Due to the cultural and linguistic links to Slovakia, many ethnographers consider Moravian Slovaks as a people which politically belong to Czech lands but ethnographically and culturally to the Slovak ethnic group. Its most important center is the town of Uherské Hradiště, founded in 1257 on the Morava River by the Czech king Otakar II.

0913, 2039, 3105 CZECH REPUBLIC (Zlin) - The traditional clothes in Haná region

0913 Children from Haná in traditional clothes

Posted on 24.12.2013, 15.11.2015, 03.07.2017

In addition to its agricultural productivity, Haná (or Hanakia), an ethnic region in central Moravia, located mainly in the lowlands of the Morava River and the Bečva River, is known for its costumes, traditional customs, and Hanakian dialect, still spoken nowadays. The traditional clothes fully correspond to the character of the region, i.e. are dignified and attractive. The male attire can give the impression of being too opulent and boastful, but it's very beautiful, and has the most varied accessories.
 

2039 Little girl from Haná in traditional clothes

The Haná costume is distinguished according to individual localities, particularly through the color of the trousers - gate - and the tunic or the shape of the hat. For example, a Haná native in Kroměříž, Holešov and Prostějov would have red leather trousers (bane) tied under the knees with tassels. The calves from the knees to the ankles are clothed in linen leg wraps, or velický. These cover about a third of the boots, which are high, and shiny with a woollen rosette on top at the front. The Haná waistcoat is green, colorfully embroidered around the holes and adorned with bright (often silver) buttons.

3105 Peasants from Haná on wheat harvest
at the end of the 19th century (reconstitution)

There is a leather, nicely embroidered belt, about as wide as a palm, around the body. The most interesting are the belts made in the vicinity of Litovel, which were adorned with fine metal strips hammered into them and often combined with embroidery of very narrow straps of multicolored leather. Typical women’s folk dresses consist of petticoats, mudflaps, embroidered bodices, embroidered lace shirts, collar, main trimmed skirt, folk shoes, wreaths, scarves, and caps.

3082 CZECH REPUBLIC - The map and the flag of the country

Located in Central Europe, between Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland, the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, includes the historical territories of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. The capital and largest city is Prague, on the Vltava river, the main residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, and an important city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its rich history and its cultural attractions makes it a popular tourist destination, with more than 6.4 million visitors annually (2014).

2991, 3000 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Moravia) - Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (UNESCO WHS)

2991 Palace of Lednice (1)

Posted on 20.03.2017, 25.03.2017
Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their domains in southern Moravia into a striking landscape. It married Baroque architecture and the classical and neo-Gothic style of the castles of Lednice and Valtice with countryside fashioned according to English romantic principles of landscape architecture. At 200 km2 , it is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe. It is described by UNESCO as "an exceptional example of the designed landscape that evolved in the Enlightenment and afterwards under the care of a single family."

3000 Palace of Lednice (2)

The Palace of Lednice began its life as a Renaissance villa; in the 17th century it became a summer residence of the ruling Princes of Liechtenstein. The estate house - designed and furbished by baroque architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Domenico Martinelli, and Anton Johan Ospel - proclaimed rural luxury on the grandest scale. In 1846-1858 it was extensively rebuilt in a Neo-Gothic style under the supervision of Georg Wingelmüller.

2988 KINGDOM OF WALLACHIA

The Kingdom of Wallachia (Czech: Valašské Kralovství) is a micronation founded in 1997 by the writer and photographer Tomáš Harabiš as an "elaborate practical joke". It was named after the region of Moravian Wallachia, a mountainous region located in the easternmost part of Moravia in the Czech Republic, near the Slovakian border. The name originated in the Vlachs, a historical term used for  Eastern Romance-speaking peoples in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. They migrated up along the Carpathians to Moravia between the 13th and 18th centuries.

0367, 2986 CZECH REPUBLIC (Prague) - Old Town Square - part of the Historic Centre of Prague (UNESCO WHS)

0367 Prague - Old Town Square

The Old Town Square of Prague and the surrounding quarter is lined with wonderful buildings in different architectural styles, from Gothic to Baroque. The Church of Mother of God before Týn, probably the most recognizable church in Prague, dominates the square. Its construction started in the 14th century in the late Gothic style, but the spires were finished in 1511. In front of the church is the historic Týn School, an arcaded Gothic building that gives access to the church.

2986 Prague - Church of Mother of God before Týn

 

To the left of the church can be seen the House At The Stone Bell, built in Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century, and rebuilt later into Baroque and Neo-Baroque style. A difficult reconstruction in the 1980s return the Gothic image to the house. Its front face is considered one of the most beautiful ones in Europe, illustrating the magnificence in the times of Charles IV, who transformed Prague into an imperial capital, the third-largest city in Europe, after Rome and Constantinopole.

2228, 2905 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Bohemia) - Jindřichův Hradec

2905 Images from Jindřichův Hradec

Posted on 18.01.2016, 17.12.2016

Located near the Austrian border, between Bohemia and Moravia, in a countryside that gradually turns from the ponds of the Třeboň Basin into the hilly horizons of the Křemešnická Highlands, Jindřichův Hradec is a town with rich history, first mentioned in 1220. In the census following the Thirty Years' War, it was the second largest city in the Kingdom of Bohemia. A geographical attraction is that the fifteenth meridian goes right through the centre of the town.

2228 Jindřichův Hradec Castle

The oldest part of the town with the castle is reflected in the waters of two ponds called the Vajgar and the Malý Vajgar (Small Vajgar), which are fed with water from the Hamerský brook and from the left tributary stream of the Nežárka River, which flows through the town. The castle (Gothic at the beginning, then gradually rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau in the 16th century) is the third largest in the country, after those in Prague and Český Krumlov.

0884, 2847 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Moravia) - Tugendhat Villa in Brno (UNESCO WHS)

0884 Tugendhat Villa in Brno (1)

Posted on 02.12.2013, 31.10.2016
Built between 1928 and 1930 in the wealthy neighbourhood of Černá Pole in Brno for the Jewish factory-owner Fritz Tugendhat by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), subsequently the last director of Berlin's Bauhaus (1930-1933), Villa Tugendhat is a masterpiece of the Modern Movement in architecture. Its design principle of "less is more" and emphasis on functional amenities created a fine example of early functionalism architecture. Mies used the revolutionary iron framework which enabled him to dispense with supporting walls and arrange the interior in order to achieve a feeling of space and light.

2847 Tugendhat Villa in Brno (2)

There are no decorative items in the villa, but the interior isn't austere due to the naturally patterned materials such as the onyx wall and rare tropical woods. The villa suffered considerable damage at the end of WWII and later, when it shortly served as quarters and stables for the Soviet military. Greta Tugendhat returned to the villa in 1967 with a senior architect from Mies's Chicago studio and filled him in on the original design. Restored after 1980, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, and again restored between 2010 and 2012.

2317 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Bohemia) - Červená Lhota Castle

Located at the middle of a lake, on a rocky island, in south Bohemia, Červená Lhota (Red Lhota) is a castle that gracefully maintains the balance between a representative aristocratic residence and a simple Renaissance fortress. The four-winged two-storey château, with a small courtyard in the center, occupies the whole rock and juts into the fishpond. A stone bridge, built in 1622, links the castle with the banks of the pond. On the northern side is a park where the Renaissance Chapel of the Holy Trinity is situated.