This is the chateau we stayed at over the long weekend.
http://www.hrubaskala.cz/anj/index.htm . We took a train from Prague to Turnov in the Cesky Raj area (2 hours in a train described by N as straight out of Harry Potter - to the rest of us a dog box). Cost for all three of us on the train 200Kc/AUS$10. The castle was at Hruba Skala.
The chataeu stands on the site of the original castle which was built around 1350, by Hynek of Valdštejn. The owners of the castle changed quite regularly, but were on the whole the most prominent Czech noble lines or religious institutions, eg. the Archbishop of Prague from the year 1371-1396; the Valdštejn family took the castle as confiscated property after the Battle of Bílá Hora; and Count Aehrenthal, who bought the castle from the Valdštejns in 1821 and whose family continued to live here until 1945. It was he who gave it its modern-day appearance of a Romantic chateau during the middle of the 19th century. It belonged to the Aehrentháls until the May Revolution of 1945. The castle burned to the ground three times (in 1525, 1710, and 1714) and once only partially (in 1804).
There are many walking and bike tracks. We walked around the rock formations in the area and watched the climbers. Friends, pitons and rocks are banned; the alternative, knotted ropes, seems a very scary alternative.
The abseils' seemed a bit scary too.
On Sunday we walked 7km to Trosky Castle(C14th). It was a really enjoyable walk. The walk was relatively flat until the last kilometre or so.
It was beautiful walking through the pine/birch forest, with the birches pale green leaves and the flowering undergrowth of white,yellow and purple.
Then the fields of huge dandelions just ready for chaining. We even saw a huge hare romping up the hill.
Then through the apple and cherry orchards all in bloom...just magically beautiful.
Until eventually reaching Trosky castle. Built on shiny, black, volcanic basalt rock. The two towers that elevate from the mountain can be seen for miles and draw to them any traveller for a closer look.
There are a few restaurants near the top, but they only sell the Czech staples.. beer and parky(skinny/boiled)/ Koblasy(fat/grilled)/frankfurts to the rest of us. I don't know how M will survive when we come home?
Inside the Mirror Maze at Petrin is a diorama depicting the battle at the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648, when the Swedes tried to advance into the Old Town and the heaviest fights spread out right on the bridge.
Phil having fun in the mirror maze.
We checked out the view from the top of Petrin tower. The tower in the far right is near to where we live. The bridge on the left is Charles Bridge.
