I headed out of Prague this morning to see more of the country, and another castle. I told my guide yesterday that I didn’t want to see any more Catholic Churches, but we will see if that holds. (The churches are beautiful, but honestly, how many saints do we really need?!?)
Czech people actually aren’t very religious. Estimates are that maybe 75% of the population are atheists. They say they’ve spent so many centuries killing in the name of god, they’d rather stop believing so they can stop killing.
Stop 1: Koněprusy Caves
These caves are southwest of Prague and are the largest underground cave system in Bohemia (Bohemia is a region of Czechia). On the tour, I learned about some Celtic settlements which existed there, and then saw a ridiculous amount of stalagmites and stalactites and wandered through some crazy limestone domes and halls. This time, I just walked, and did not climb any walls or belly crawl through any holes. (I should have been taking daily photos of my bruises, they’re quite lovely)
23 different types of bats live in the caves. They have to be very careful about adding lights; the bats know the caves so well they don’t use their ears to find their way around in the cave.
1cm takes 100 years to grow on a stalactite. Remember, stalactites hold tight to the ceiling, and stalagmites “might” reach the top?
The floors are wet as you’re walking through, and at one point something dripped on my head. After a rain above ground, it takes 3-7 days for water to move through the ground, to come out in the caves. So the rain I drove through on my way to Prague Wednesday night just dripped on my he head in this cave!
Roses of the cave – only cave in the world with this growth. Took about 2.5m years to grow. there are actually opals inside of them.
This is the management/monitoring system. It reports movements. The guide said, with the system, “We should be safe.” This is not the same thing as “we are safe.”
There was an old story/fable about a boy discovering a bandit in a cave. The bandit gave the boy money to keep quiet- but the boy ran into town and told everyone. The bandit of course didn’t trust the boy, so meanwhile he covered the entrance to the cave. The townspeople came, there was no cave, and they beat the boy for lying.
The cave was “discovered” around 1950 – they started mining, and wound up finding an opening to it. Inside the cave, they were able to date coins, cooking tools, etc back to 1467. So the kid was telling the truth.
Stop 2: Karlstejn Castle
Next up, I went to the city of Karlstejn, and took a horse drawn carriage up the hill to the castle itself, which was the 14th century residence of medieval Bohemian kings, and protected the Crown Jewels and other royal treasures.
It was built in 1348, built by Charles IV.
Biggest secret on the castle is the well tower. They dug a tunnel to the well tower, to a stream, because they could t find it underground. Orphans were taken from Prague, to dig the tunnel. Once they were done digging the tunnel, soldiers killed the orphans. Then the king hired bandits, to kill the soldiers, to keep it completely secret; otherwise, the steam would have been too easy to poison.
The castle features the remains of a dragon.
Stop 3: Velká Amerika (Big America)
After a traditional Bohemian lunch in a bar (they call them taverns, which does make it feel fancier), we headed to the Big America quarry.
Referred to as Czech Republic’s Grand Canyon, Velká Amerika is the largest of three quarries in the area: Malá Amerika (Small America) and Mexiko (Mexico) are both connected to Velká Amerika via a labyrinth of caves.
What was once a working ground for political prisoners is now mostly abandoned. Divers love the lake with crystal clear water, and apparently filmmakers love using the cliffs as a picturesque backdrop.
After that, we headed back to Prague. (And talked)
Babies.
The average is 1.4 children per couple. But they get THREE YEARS of maternity leave. Paid. This is in addition to free healthcare and free college. Our guide joked that they get 6 week off for a puppy. At least, I think he was joking?
Also, baby names in Czech are very traditional – if you go rogue, then your kid won’t get a name day and they’ll hate you.
Also if your baby is fat the doctor will call them a bratwurst.
SHOPPING
Krtek
It’s a mole. They love him. He’s everywhere. I’m told he’s better than Tom and Jerry.
GARNETS
Czech garnets—also known as Bohemian garnets or Prague garnets—are deep red gemstones.
Czech garnet jewelry is traditionally characterized by many small garnets packed together so that the garnets cover the piece.
As early as 1598, the emperor gave permission for gem cutters to export Bohemian garnets.
The practice of Bohemian garnet mining drew prospectors from around the world, with many of them coming from Venice and other parts of Italy. During the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, the right to cut and drill Bohemian garnets was confined exclusively to Bohemia, a practice which lasted until the late 19th century.
MONTHS
The names of their months are completely different. They’re basically names that describe the month. For instance, the name for the month we’d call January basically means “ice.”
What Else?
I spent the afternoon wandering, just enjoying more of the city, without a purpose which was nice, and then went back to the hotel to change for my dinner plans. This area of the world is known for their classical music, and I hadn’t taken any of it in yet, so I booked a dinner concert. Held in the historical Boccaccio Ballroom, I had a 3-course Czech and Austrian dinner as I listened to arias and duets from operas such as ‘The Magic Flute’ and ‘Don Giovanni,’ performed by two singers and five musicians from Czech opera houses. I think I am a better fit for the lunch in the tavern earlier, but this was nice too.
Then back to the hotel and packed up, as I leave tomorrow for Berlin.
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