Switzerland in Czech

This is a long overdue  post.  Been busy with other things lately that I haven’t found the time to pen down my thoughts.

Anyhow, I mentioned in a previous post about Decin, one of the beautiful places that we visited this past summer.  It was actually a side trip for our actual destination – Czech Switzerland.

Before we got here, I initially thought that Czech is a boring place since it’s too far away from the sea, and it is relatively small.  But after living here for 3 years now, its diverse topography really impressed me a lot.  What do you know, they actually have miniatures of famous countries all within this small state.

Czech Switzerland is the youngest among CZ’s national parks.  The Elbe river, which separates Czech and Germany splits the park as well.  Hence, it is both called Czech Switzerland and Saxon Switzerland.  It’s romantic name can be credited to Adrian Zingg and Anton Graff, two Swiss painters and teacher that the Dresden Academy in the mid-18th century.  As they were travelling to places close to the Elbe, their painting gained popularity and became the basis for the promotion of the beauties of nature.

Since my daughter is still too young to do any serious hikes, we were only able to visit the parts with easy trails.

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This was the landscape that greeted us on our way to our hotel in Tisa.

We did a short hike on paved road, and everyone enjoyed it immensely.

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Although there was a time when our little man had a temper tantrum.

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But there’s nothing that can’t be fixed by a small joke, a hug and a kiss.  And he’s a happy trooper again.

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The walk was all worthwhile after we saw the view that awaited us.

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Out here you can see the key cities in the region.  Even Mr. Grumpy enjoyed the sight.

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The area that we visited is just a tip of the iceberg.  There are still far more beautiful sights in this national park.  But I’m glad we were able to visit the place, so then we can come back for more.

If you would like to know more about Czech Switzerland, you can visit their site here.

Destination: Javoříčko Caves

During a recent trip to my husband’s hometown in Moravia, we decided to visit one of the more popular caves in the area, the Javoricko caves.  Now you might wonder how we are able to do it with a baby in tow?

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Well, one of us has to be left behind.  This time it was my husband.  Since he is from the area, he has been to the cave several times.  So it was my turn to bring Jakub with me on this exploratory journey.  So off I went with my sister-in-law and her two boys.

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The path to the entrance of the cave will lead you to a memorial honoring those who were killed during the end of the second world war.

As we entered the cave, this was the sight we saw.

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The terrain was composed of several uphill and downhill trails.  We chose the tour that was child-friendly, so all the roads were paved.

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It was interesting to see several rock formations.

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There were stalactites…

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… and stalagmites.

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According to information found on-line, the discovery of these caves started way back in 1938.  In 1950, the search has widened and more and more floors have been found and developed.

Although the hike was quite strenuous for this unfit mama, I really enjoyed the trip.  So did my boy who had to drag his mama along when the going went rough.

Anyhow, if you are ever in Moravia, this is one nature spot that you may not want to miss.

More information about the cave can be found here.

 

A Typical Czech Weekend for an Atypical Mama in Czech

Last weekend, we went to the mountains and spent our weekend in a cottage with some friends.    We were blessed with perfect weather, so we spent a lot of time outdoors.  The scenery in the meadows was very beautiful.

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My son had a lot of fun even with very simple things.

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We went to a little village close to Broumov, on the other side of Adršpach.   In one of our hikes,   we came very close to Poland.

I’ve never seen border markers other than the actual borders with guards and everything.  It was the first time I ever saw a border marker in the forest.  Here is one of them.

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Our friends chose  easy hikes since we were there with children.  It was also meant to accommodate my capabilities.  I’m glad that despite the heaviness in my belly, I still managed to walk and enjoy it.  Albeit, I didn’t make it through everything.  Plus, at this stage of my pregnancy, frequent bathroom visits is another big obstacle.

My son and my husband had a lot of fun though.  My husband found his little treasure – a mushroom.

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On the next day’s hike, I decided to sit it out.  I just couldn’t manage to jump off rocks anymore.

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I just busied myself with capturing images of my loved ones.

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Anyhow, everything went well and I’m glad we made that trip.  It was one very typical Czech weekend and one worth remembering.