Memorable places of the Czech Republic. The most interesting sights of the Czech Republic
It is known that all the great civilizations of antiquity developed in a warm climate, in river valleys, whose annual floods increased soil fertility and created favorable opportunities for agriculture. So it was everywhere - in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, China, but not in northern Guatemala. The ancient Maya, defying fate, built their white-stone cities in the impenetrable jungle.
Fifteen centuries before Columbus, before the Hindus and Arabs, the Maya used the concept of zero in mathematics, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, and calculated the paths of Venus with an error of only 14 seconds per year. The Maya achieved amazing perfection in architecture, painting, and sculpture. At the same time, the ancient builders did not know metals, had no idea about the wheel and the potter's wheel. The Maya, in fact, lived in the Stone Age.
The entire culture of the ancient people was created by the muscular strength of man. Graceful temples, palaces and pyramids grew like mushrooms. This continued until the 10th century AD. After a sudden catastrophe, all construction stopped, people left their habitable places and cities plunged into the green abyss of tropical vegetation. By the time the conquistadors arrived, only a vague legend remained from the golden age of the Maya civilization in the memory of its Indian descendants. However, life in these places has not completely died out.
A 30-minute drive from Tikal, the most significant ancient Maya monument in Guatemala, is Lake Petén Itza. There is a funny story associated with it. In 1525, the punitive expedition of Hernan Cortes passed through these places. The conquistadors were heading to Honduras to put down the rebellion of the rebel lieutenant Cristobal de Olida, who refused to obey the governor Cortes. Exhausted by the march through the jungle, the governor did not conquer the Indians. Before moving on to Honduras, the conquistador asked the local chief Kanek to look after his horse Morsillo, who had injured his leg while making his way through the green hell of the jungle.
On the way back, the conqueror promised to take the horse. However, he did not get to do this. After the departure of Cortes, the leader placed the horse in the temple and began to feed meat, revering the animal as a god, for the Indians believed that the roar of Spanish cannons comes from the neighing of horses. Morcillo's horse did not eat meat and soon died. Frightened by the wrath of Cortes, the leader ordered to make a life-size statue of a horse. He named the new god Tsiminchak, or Thunder Tapir. The statue was broken by the Franciscan monks, who came here in 1618 to convert the Indians from the lake to Christianity. Lake dwellers say that the wreckage of the horse god still rests at the bottom of Lake Peten Itza.
But back to one of the 18 capitals of the ancient Mayan kingdom. The discoverers of the ruins of the city in the 19th century gave it the romantic name Tikal, which means “The place where the voices of spirits are heard,” according to local Indians. At least 10 thousand people lived here. The total area of the complex is about 160 square meters. km.
What explains the unprecedented rise of the greatest of all pre-Columbian civilizations in America? Many scientists attribute this phenomenon to the advanced Maya farming system. In ancient times, the life of the population, especially farmers, was strictly regulated. The order of all affairs, including agricultural work, was provided for by their calendar up to the day. The priests made prescriptions for the inhabitants in accordance with the occupations of the gods in one or another period of time.
Ordinary Indians could only follow the example of their gods. Any violation of the order was regarded as blasphemy. The violator without much talk was laid on the sacrificial altar. The most revered of the deities was the lord of rain and wind Kashesh. He was portrayed as a character, with a long hooked nose and crooked fangs. In his hands he held an ax, a torch and a digging stick - for conducting slash-and-burn agriculture. Later, Kashesh became known as Chak. He was the lord of the sixth of the 13 heavens of the upper world.
Oddly enough, but the marshy jungle of Guatemala could feed 2-3 million people. Soil fertility quickly recovered after harvesting. In the 80s. With the help of aerospace surveys, scientists discovered that the territory of the Indian settlement was covered with a huge network of channels that removed moisture from marshy soils. As a result, the wild jungle turned into blooming gardens. The Maya from Guatemala were active in trade with the Mexican Indian tribes, which influenced the culture of the inhabitants of Central America. Some architectural structures Tikal are like buildings in Teotihuacan.
Under the stairs and floors of temples, under the foundations of stone altars and stelae, caches are still found in which the Indians hid objects that were dear to them: jade jewelry, vessels, shells, objects made of obsidian. In the temples, not only magnificent religious ceremonies were held. Under the pyramidal foundation of religious buildings were the burial places of rulers and the most prominent members of society. The tombs were usually connected to the vaulted temple above by a special conduit for the soul of the deceased ruler, a psychedelic. The main element of the entire complex was precisely the tomb under the floor of the temple, and not the temple. The temple itself served as a place for the priests to communicate with the spirit of the deceased ruler. I must say that mere mortals, following the example of the nobility, buried their dead under the floors of ordinary dwellings.
An indispensable attribute of the city-state was the presence of palace premises in it. Researchers do not have a common opinion about the purpose of these buildings. Some believe that there were priestly rooms for religious worship, others consider these buildings as purely administrative buildings. Still others are convinced that representatives of the ruling dynasty and their numerous retinue lived in stone chambers.
By the 9th century AD, city-state life in northern Guatemala is either ending or reduced to a minimum. The builders stopped erecting temples, stelae and altars. Crowded markets froze, luxurious palaces were empty. The cities remained untouched, as if their inhabitants were about to return soon. But they didn't return. Silence enveloped the city. Yards are overgrown with grass. According to some scientists, at least one million people died in the northern territories of Guatemala in just one hundred years. Many associate this with strong earthquakes, drought, even epidemics of fever and malaria. But such hypotheses do not stand up to scrutiny.
At one time, the version about social upheavals was popular. During excavations in Tikal, archaeologists were surprised to find that many stone sculptures were deliberately damaged, although it was believed that in the entire 600-year history of Tikal there had never been foreign conquerors. This allowed scientists to conclude that something like a revolutionary situation was brewing in the Mayan kingdom, which escalated into riots. When the success of the uprising became obvious, the rebels, as archaeologists suggest, attacked the stone sculptures, and at the same time cut all the members of the royal family. But this version did not find its confirmation either, since it is unlikely that several dozen large city-states were empty only because of the indignation of the lower classes.
Recently, researchers are still inclined to think that aliens still reached the Mayan kingdom. And the Teotihuacans were the first to visit here. Following them, the jungles of Guatemala were visited by the bloodthirsty Mexican Pipil tribe. It was to him that the laurels of the winners of the warlike Maya-Kiche were attributed. However, this version of the death of a great culture also turned out to be not indisputable, since the pipil appeared in Guatemala after the sunset of the golden age of the Maya.
In the 90s. American scientists have found a connection between the cycles of changes in solar activity and the periods of rise and fall of civilizations. It turned out that the sunspot activity of the sun changes after 3744 years. This number was known to Maya astronomers. It is curious that the next decline in solar activity will coincide with the date of the end of the last era, the collapse of which the Mayan priests predicted, that is, from December 23, 2012. Modern researchers have found that the peak of the lowest solar activity coincided with the period of decline of the Indian civilization. The reduction in sun activity affected the hormonal activity of Indian women, and consequently, their fertility.
As a result, the population of city-states began to decline rapidly, and infant mortality reached unprecedented proportions in the entire history of the existence of city-states. Maya began to leave the north of Guatemala to the south, to mountainous areas, to where they actually came from.
Be that as it may, but scientists continue to speculate and hypothesize about the death of the once powerful kingdom. However, until today, none of the versions of the researchers is perfect.
Today, the ancient city of Tikal is part of one of the national parks of Guatemala, which are included in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve. Tikal National Park, which occupies a significant part of the Peten province located in the north of the country, was created in 1979, but was opened only in 1990. The city itself covers an area of 16 thousand square meters. km, on which about three thousand various structures were discovered.
The most famous of the palace buildings is the Jaguar Great Claw Palace. The building was built in 360 AD. e. ruler, whose name translates as "Claw of the Jaguar". Apparently, this building was the residence for the ruling dynasty ("Claw of the Jaguar" and its descendants). The palace was so sacred and important for the Indians that in the future no one dared to rebuild it.
To the north, where, according to Maya legends, their ancestral home was located, the souls of the dead were sent.
Therefore, "stadiums" for ball games were often located to the north of the administrative and ritual center. In Tikal, between the Central Acropolis and the Temple of the Giant Jaguar, archaeologists have cleared a ball court from centuries-old sediment, as it turned out - one of several arranged in the ancient city. The site was a long and narrow alley, framed on both sides by low stone structures.
Findings corresponding to the nature of the game were made by archaeologists on the so-called Northern Acropolis. Here, various structures were erected over the course of eleven centuries. As a result, a complex complex of buildings appeared, in which 12 temple buildings stand out, located at different levels, but based on one artificial platform. The earliest buildings appeared in the 3rd century. Later in the neighborhood there were many buildings for various purposes. The northern acropolis is often compared to a layer cake. True, it has a peculiar “stuffing”: for 500 years, the rulers of the city were buried here. In front of the acropolis, along the edge of the square, there are many stelae resembling tombstones.
As a result of excavations in Tikal, seven more administrative and ritual complexes were discovered (in the scientific literature they are designated by the Latin letters N, O, P, R, Q, etc.), which are squares with pyramid temples standing opposite each other, but they are all much smaller than the complex around the Great Square. Built in the 8th century small complexes are distinguished by one curious feature. All of them were built at intervals of 20 years, i.e. the construction of each group of structures marked the end of the Katun, a special 20-year period in the life of the Maya. The Maya used a vigesimal system of calculation (perhaps based on the number of fingers and toes). Apparently, each new dynasty erected its own complex in order to worship in it one of the deified ancestors, from whom power passed to the respective rulers.
Among the many pyramids, experts distinguish, in addition to the Temple of the Giant Jaguar and the Temple of Masks, the sanctuary of the complex " lost World”, Pyramid IV with the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent and the “Temple of Inscriptions” (Temple VI). The Lost World complex is one of the oldest in Tikal. His pyramid, more precisely, the first version of the pyramid, later completed, was erected in the 7th century. The height of the structure is 32 m, and the length of the side of the base is 80 m. Four stairs lead to the top of the pyramid.
Presumably, the building served for astronomical observations. Pyramid IV, also known as the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent, is the tallest building in Tikal (64 m). The temple was built in the middle of the 8th century near the so-called Palace of the Bat. The "Temple of the Inscriptions" attracts attention by the fact that traces of an inscription made in antiquity have been preserved on its crest.
In addition, the ruins of the so-called "small palaces" were found in Tikal - one-story houses with stuccoed and smartly decorated rooms, and many relatively nondescript simple houses in which ordinary citizens lived. Like many other Maya architectural structures, the houses were built on a platform, possibly to protect against floods and floods during the rainy season.
On the inner walls of buildings, on door frames, on lintels and ceiling beams, graffiti are often found - drawings drawn or less often painted with black paint. Many of them are made unprofessionally, although sometimes the hand of the master is guessed. According to the researchers, Tikal, depicted in graffiti, exactly corresponds to the real city of its heyday. Based on the drawings, you can tell a lot about social organization, about holidays and rituals, about the deities that the townspeople revered. The most "popular" plots of images were rituals dedicated to the celebration of the new year or associated with the confirmation of the power of the ruler, ritual ball games, sacrifices and dances.
It's hard to name another ancient civilization so highly developed and powerful for its time and at the same time mysterious and mysterious, as Mayan tribe. Why outstanding mathematicians and astronomers, enlightened priests and fearless warriors turned out to be completely unprepared to resist more aggressive peoples to resist the onslaught of natural elements, why they endlessly fought among themselves. When and where did they appear? After all, their solar calendar, calculated with exceptional accuracy, fantastic for their contemporaries, begins long before the ice age. What did they know about the distant past, why did they suddenly leave their magnificent cities, significantly superior to European ones at that time, why did they degenerate and lose over time the richest knowledge that came to them from the depths of millennia? And, finally, what does their prediction about the sunset of the “Fifth Sun” and the change of civilization on December 23, 2012 mean.
Having previously met the Incas and Aztecs, having looked at the ancient Mayan cities in Mexico and, I wanted to continue my acquaintance with the history of Mesoamerica. Scientists argue that the formation of the Mayan civilization began in the province of Peten, on the territory of modern Guatemala and Honduras, significant monuments have been preserved in the territory of El Salvador and Belize, there are traces of the Maya in and. Rounding the mountain range with extinct and active volcano blowing a cloud of smoke from time to time in Guatemala, we are heading towards the border with El Salvador. It's about four hours drive from Antigua. Here is the border post. While passports are being issued, you can wander around the border area. Money changers ran up with colones - Salvadoran money, but nobody needs them. In El Salvador, all problems are easier to solve with the help of dollars. It's hot in the sun, but instead of ice cream, they sell orange juice on the same familiar cart. Oranges are stacked in a pyramid. A barely perceptible wave of a machete and another orange is divided strictly into two halves. The seller carefully squeezes the juice into a tall faceted glass with his hands, and adds a raw chicken egg on top. The cocktail is not stirred, it is already ready, you need to pay a dollar. Trade is brisk, but the passports have already been issued, and you can go further.
El Salvador is mainly located on a volcanic highland - 600-700 meters above sea level. The highlands are crossed by numerous rivers and spurs of mountains, ending in steep ledges to the ocean. There are quite a lot of lakes in the intermountain depressions filled with volcanic ash. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur here. Rivers that dry up during the dry season turn into muddy streams during heavy rains and often overflow their banks. This happens from May to October, when heavy precipitation falls throughout the country, brought by winds from Pacific Ocean. Oak and pine forests alternate with grassy savannahs and shrubs. There is only one good road in El Salvador - Pan American Highway that runs along the entire continent.
We turn off the highway and drive on a two-lane road. Per openwork bridge and finally the destination. This is the ancient Mayan settlement of Joya de Seren, which is located 15 km from the capital of San Salvador near the village of Santa Tesla. At the turn of 600 AD. it was buried under the ashes volcanic eruption. This is the "American Pompeii", only in this case, the entire population of the village managed to escape. The layer of ash and volcanic slag reaches six meters. Clearing work is being carried out in several fenced areas at once, and you can see the ancient settlement in its original form. Under the ashes, houses, streets and even household items of the Mayan tribe were preserved intact, which significantly distinguishes these excavations from other larger ones. historical monuments plundered over the centuries by vandals.
Five kilometers from here is San Andres - one of the largest monuments of the Mayan civilization in El Salvador. It covers over three square kilometers. Here is an ancient Mayan city. According to scientists, in 650-900 AD, when the city reached its peak and was the capital of a fertile valley called Zapotitan, about 12 thousand people lived here. So far, only a small part of the structures on the hill has been opened, and only the side walls, and the buildings themselves resemble rather hills or mounds overgrown with lush grass. Here, a flock of sheep grazes completely freely and indifferently plucks grass on ancient relics. Among the buildings stands out the Acropolis with adjoining quarters of the nobility. The southern square is quite significant - a paved stone platform, on which various pyramids and turrets are placed. There is no observatory typical for some Mayan cities. On the south side of the platform there is a temple with an altar, on the east - funerary pyramids, on the north - market Square. From the height of the city, a magnificent view of the neighboring valley and hills opens up. The territory of the complex is all in greenery: trees, bushes and tall grass.
The Maya made great strides in mathematics. For the first time in the history of mankind, they applied the idea of taking into account the location of numbers when writing large numbers, almost a thousand years earlier than in Europe. For the first time in the world, the concept of zero was introduced, without which it is impossible to operate with large numbers, which in itself was a brilliant discovery, inaccessible to other peoples for a long time. They had a vigesimal number system, on which the Mayan calendar is based. The literature says that Mayan astronomers determined the length of the year at 365.242 days, much more accurately than the creators of the Julian and modern Gregorian calendars managed! The Maya determined the cycle of rotation of the Moon around the Earth with an accuracy of: 29.53059 days. They also studied other planets: Mars, Venus, paid special attention to the constellation Gemini. They calculated the phase of the revolution of Venus around the Sun with an error of only 14 seconds per year. And this is all a few hundred years before they only learned in Europe that the Earth is round, that it rotates, and did not immediately want to believe it. The last known Mayan calendar dates back to 903 AD.
The Maya were not only mathematicians and astronomers, but also astrologers. Even by modern standards, they determined certain astronomical events with amazing accuracy. The Maya believed that the universe exists within the framework of great cycles and argued that before our civilization there were already four such cycles. Now the fifth cycle, and humanity lives in the era of the "Fifth Sun". All previous cultures died during the great cataclysms, and only a few people survived and told about what happened. The first civilization died due to earthquakes, the second - catastrophic cyclones, the third - from volcanic eruptions, the fourth - from floods. Our civilization, in their opinion, should perish due to the "movement of the Earth", which will be accompanied by a severe flood.
In the northern and eastern regions of El Salvador, the places are quite wild and sparsely populated. Even the conquistadors did not particularly want to come here: on the one hand, because of the numerous volcanoes in the east across the Rio Lempa, on the other, deserted hilly pastures in the north. The people in these areas traditionally lived in poverty, the events of the recent civil war. Partisans were especially active in these places, and the local population is still not friendly enough to any "pale-faced", so it's too early for tourists to come here. Even in fairly quiet areas of El Salvador, many men carry weapons: rapid-fire rifles, pistols, or at least a formidable machete. What they have in store at home is anyone's guess.
As a result of backwardness, many years of civil war and other circumstances, the tourism business in El Salvador is still underdeveloped, few tourists come here, so we go to neighboring Honduras in search of traces of the Mayan civilization.
Passports at the border are issued for quite a long time, even a small queue is built. While we are waiting, you can still have time to photograph the muddy stream of a mountain river from the bridge along which we drove to the border. Light rain falls. Passports are issued, we cross the border, but the men on the opposite side are shouting something to us and waving their hands animatedly. Probably we were not expected in Honduras. However, carefully looking at the road in front of us, we notice a thin light green snake that has fallen from a tree. She quickly glides over the gravel and after a while hides in the bushes. Obviously, this is a tree snake and it is poisonous. Everything happened unexpectedly, only then we realized that we were lucky with the delay at the border. If we had passed this place a minute earlier, she might have hit someone by the collar.
High mountain ranges, rise from the very border with El Salvador, reaching over 2700 meters in the west of the country. A deep tectonic valley cuts through the highlands from north to south. It is a little cooler in the mountains, pines and oaks grow on the slopes. Honduras is often hit by severe hurricanes, causing many casualties and disrupting the economy, especially Agriculture. Honduras is unusually rich in the diversity of flora and fauna. Here you can meet: bears, monkeys, tapirs, coyotes, jaguars, cougars, lynxes, crocodiles, iguanas and many other animals. Even compared to El Salvador, Honduras looks more exotic. The road leads along a serpentine, along steep slopes on one side and a jungle-covered valley on the other. Rain and cloudy. Clouds creep below and the jungle is visible through the gaps. At times the road becomes dangerous. Due to heavy rains the day before, there are many landslides that clutter up the highway. Road workers try to remove them, but new ones appear, the rock crumbles from the slopes. From the window of the bus you can see how small pebbles slide and roll down. A rather weighty piece of rock breaks down right behind us. Jumping up and falling on the asphalt, it splits and litters the road. Probably, it will not be easy to remove this one, but if he hit the bus, rescuers would also have to be called.
The Maya hunted using arrows and spears with flint and obsidian tips, set traps, used trained dogs, but, despite the richness of the surrounding animal world, agriculture was the main source of food. In the lagoons along the coast, they hunted manatees with harpoons, caught iguanas, turtles, and fish. The skins of larger animals killed during the hunt were not as important for making clothes as among other peoples. The hot and humid climate dictated its fashion. Hunting scenes are practically not reflected in the numerous drawings on archaeological sites in Mesoamerica.
The most famous and unique archaeological site in Honduras is Copan - old City Mayan. It is located in the west of the country, near the border of Guatemala. This city arose at the turn of our era, and its heyday falls on the 7th-8th centuries. After the decline of the Mayan civilization in the 9th century, the city was abandoned and almost completely hidden by the earth and the jungle. Copan area 24 sq. kilometer, where numerous architectural and sculptural monuments of the classical Mayan period and the Archaeological Museum are located. Copan was the main center for the development of Mayan science and, above all, astronomy. The astronomical tables found in Copan surpass all other Mayan calendars in their accuracy.
Unfortunately, even at the entrance to this unique place, we are caught by rain, and during the tour it turns into a downpour. Raincoats and umbrellas are sold at the entrance. An umbrella can be rented for a dollar. On the main square ancient city"Place-Principal" between the majestic stelae depicting the rulers of Copan, a huge puddle has formed, through which you have to walk. The famous hieroglyphic staircase descends to the square, covered with a continuous strip of pictograms carved on its seventy-two steps, telling about the history of the reign of the kings of Kopan. This is the longest "inscription" of the Maya in Central America, numbering 1250 hieroglyphs continuously replacing each other. It has been partially destroyed and is currently being restored. The staircase is under a canopy and at its base, there was an opportunity to shake off the water and listen to the guide's explanation.
Further, we climb the pyramid along the steps slippery from the water in the middle of the jungle, and from its top a magnificent panorama of the square with steles buried in water, with a small pyramid in the center, on the Mayan ball game field, temples and other buildings opens. It is felt that in its heyday it was a rich city. There are about 200 buildings throughout Copan, including 38 carved stelae scattered throughout the complex. The main temple stands out, with large bas-reliefs carved on its walls, the Sacred Stone, on which sacrifices were made, the Acropolis. Basically, the buildings are built of greenish volcanic stone, and the stucco decorations are made of a special plastic mass, which included gypsum, lime, sand and water. Traces of paint are visible on the walls and sculptures. The underground part of Copan is dotted with numerous tunnels and trenches. On them you can get to the inner temple. About 1,300 years ago, Mayan builders carefully covered the small temple with sand, and built another iconic pyramid over it. Work on clearing the underground part of Copan has just begun, and there are still many discoveries to come.
Nature in its original form, clean air, healing springs, magnificent architectural monuments - all this is the Czech Republic. List all Beautiful places this country is simply impossible, each region of the Czech Republic has its own history, its own unique architectural structures and its own picturesque places.
Czech Switzerland
Czech Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places in the world. national park located in the north of the Czech Republic. it real paradise for lovers of nature and hiking. On the vast territory of the park you can find many beautiful places: small rivers, high steep cliffs, old houses, observation towers medieval era, magnificent castles, picturesque waterfalls and dense forests. Here Czech nature appears in all its glory.
When visiting Czech Switzerland for the first time, one gets the impression that this is the only place not affected by civilization. However, in every local village there is sure to be everything necessary for tourists: a small hotel or hotel, a cafe and an information center.
About the sights of the "Czech Paradise" you can talk endlessly, from all the variety amazing places In this area, one can distinguish the arch of natural origin "Pravcicka Brana" and the river Kamenitsa, rafting along the routes of which will delight anyone.
Lednice-Valtice complex
The Lednice-Valtice Complex has been recognized by UNESCO as the most beautiful garden in Europe. It is located near the border with Austria and includes two towns Lednice and Valtice, surrounded by delightful parks. The central attractions of this complex are, of course, the Valtice and Lednice castles.
The Lednice Castle impresses not only with its external, but also with its internal beauty. All corridors, rooms and flights of stairs of the castle are decorated with military trophies and all kinds of decorative elements. The representative halls stagger the imagination, distinguished not only by luxurious pieces of furniture, but also by the unique decoration of the walls and ceiling.
The castle is surrounded by English and French parks. It is said that the Liechtenstein dynasty set up two different parks near their castle for a reason: English reminded of the connection with ancestral roots, and French was associated with progress. Thus, they expressed their philosophy: progress must be carried out without breaking away from its roots.
Although the Valtice Castle is inferior to the Lednice Castle in terms of the beauty of its interior decoration, the Mirror Office and the Marble Hall will be remembered for a long time. Valtice Castle is famous for its ornate labyrinths of the dungeon, in which wine cellars are located.
Karlovy Vary
Perhaps everyone has heard of Karlovy Vary, and the majority, when they are mentioned, have associations with the resort and mineral springs, but this is only one of the advantages of this town. This small and cozy city is not only perfect place to improve health, but also a collection of historical monuments of the Czech Republic from different eras.
The mill colonnade is a kind of symbol of Karlovy Vary. It was built at the end of the 19th century by the famous architect Zitek. Here is the most healing, according to local residents, a source, the water from which can help with many diseases.
In addition to the Mill Colonnade on the territory of Karlovy Vary, there are such attractions as: the Church of Peter and Paul, the Moser Factory Museum, where the world-famous Moser glass is produced, the Becov Fortress and the Loket Castle.
Aggregate healing springs, beautiful gardens and parks, historical monuments make Karlovy Vary the most visited tourist city in the Czech Republic.
Prague
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and, concurrently, one of the most beautiful places in this country. In fact, Prague is two different cities, separated by the Vltava River. The city on its right bank is the personification of history. Here you can see the Powder Tower, the royal court and the City Hall.
The city, located on the left bank of the Vltava, is a unity of the past and the present: buildings and structures inherent in any modern capital (presidential palace, state institutions, the Seimas building, etc.) are perfectly combined with an abundance of historical monuments.
The most beautiful place in Prague and the pride of its inhabitants is the Vysehrad Fortress. For several centuries this historic district Czech capital rises above the city. The local population is sure: you can’t say that you were in Prague if you didn’t see Vysehrad.
Modern Czech Republic is rich not only in history, with a large number of cathedrals, monuments, museums, theaters and buildings of medieval times, but also beautiful modern cities, picturesque villages, developed infrastructure, economy, transport interchange, friendly people, unique culture and traditions, varied and incredibly delicious Czech cuisine. So, if you have never been to the amazing Czech Republic, but really want to get there, we offer you the ten most famous and interesting places this country.
Of course, any excursion around the country does not pass without visiting its capital. All tours to the Czech Republic necessarily include a visit to Prague. The history of fabulous Prague dates back to the 13th century, from a small medieval settlement called “Star? M?sto", which, as a result, received the status of a city. Today, this city is not only ancient architecture, but also fashionable hotels, cozy cafes, luxurious restaurants, well-groomed sidewalks, huge squares, friendly townspeople and many, many others. Charles Bridge connecting Old city and a new part of Prague - like a thin thread between the past and the present of this city.
This magnificent snow-white castle was built in the 8th century and is considered one of the most beautiful in the Czech Republic. Once, it was built in the original Gothic style, but over time, due to numerous restorations, Baroque and Renaissance elements were introduced into its architecture. The castle is located on high mountain which is over 80 meters high.
This unusual scarlet medieval castle is located in the south of the Czech Republic. It was built in the 16th century on the site of a Gothic citadel. The castle is located on a rocky island. A stone viaduct bridge adjoins it. Around this unique structure, there are many legends that tell about the true origin of the name and the unusual color of the castle.
It was built in 1348 by the Czech king and ruler of the Roman Empire - Charles IV. Initially, royal treasures were kept here. The castle is located on a high hill, next to the river Berounka.
The Czech Republic has one of the largest karst massifs in Europe. Their length reaches 25 km. The river Punkva flows through the caves. Tourists are happy to go on an excursion to this place also because as many as 18 species of bats live here, as well as invertebrates that have not yet been studied in detail.
The famous Czech spa town called Karlovy Vary was founded in 1350 by the Czech ruler Charles IV. It is located in the west of the country, in the lands called Bohemia, where 3 rivers converge - Rolava, Ohře and Tepla. Karlovy Vary is famous for its hot mineral springs with healing properties.
7. Bohemian Paradise (Czech Paradise)
it fabulous place, truly can be called the "Czech Paradise". The magnificent reserve, located in the north-east of the country, cannot but please the eye with its amazing flora and fauna. The Jizera River flows through the territory of the reserve. The landscape of this area is characterized by great amount sandstone rocks. In 2005, the reserve was included in the list of European geological parks.
This beautiful castle located in Prague was built in the 10th century. The peculiarity of this castle is that it houses the so-called "invisible church". This church, the Beheading of John the Baptist, cannot be seen at first sight. Such an architectural feature was created specifically in order to protect it from the attack of enemy invaders.
The Czech Republic is rich in a huge variety of castles. Konopiste is one of them. It is located southeast of the Czech capital. The castle was built in 1280. Bishop Tobias. Initially, it was originally Gothic, but over time, during the reconstruction, other architectural features were added. The castle houses a large collection of works of art from different eras.
Prague is beautiful at any time of the day. Day and night, the magnificent singing fountains of Krzhizhikov are in full swing here. This splendor, in 1891, was built by the Czech inventor Frantisek Krizek. In the evening, the fountain is illuminated by spotlights with multi-colored glasses. Thanks to computer control, an ensemble of several fountains presents a real show to all passers-by.
