A trip to the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria

In this topic I would like to share about our recent journey to the country of the Châteaux of the Czech Republic, and Germany and Austria ...

Text will abound, the photos will be 129 pieces.

All statistics (prices, kilometers, and so forth.) Write in the end.
After the photo report for dessert will be a short video.

The end of fasting certainly let you know, do not break compilation



As often happens, it all started innocently enough ... In the nearest plans of the trip was a little weekend in Prague, Czech, day or 3-4 ... A breath of fresh air, drink beer and admire the beautiful architecture ...

Beforehand it must be said - the whole trip my wife and I formed independently. No travel agents and tours. First of all, when you book a flight, we are faced with a situation where at the convenient date we have very high prices. I had some time pomuchat sites "scanners" and come to the conclusion that the appropriate price for our tickets, were slightly at odds with the planned dates of the trip ... "Was not" flick of the wrist had booked tickets to Prague as much as 10 days . Since then, the purpose of our trip a little change ...

Instantly there was a question - what do we do in Prague 10 days? Of course, I agree with the opinion that sometimes this is not enough time for a visit of this magnificent city, but in the face of looming start of the opportunity to see much more in the most Czech Republic, and next to her country.

Once received the visa, print the ticket and received confirmation of the reservation of the chosen hotel, I left for a couple of nights on the internet, in order to build our route.
Articles, forums, endless reviews and stuff, helped build in his head exemplary guidance of our movement in the Czech Republic.

A couple of days prior to departure from Moscow, the local office of the Prague was ordered to rent a car, which was supposed to meet us at the airport Ruzyne. Honda Civic sedan with a hybrid engine. The room we had included a GPS navigator, an ordinary card and stamp paid roads in the Czech Republic.

The plane sat in Prague on 40 minutes before the appointed time. Before meeting with the representative of "rentakara" I was still an hour and we went slowly to drink coffee.
Soon after the meeting took place, and, to our surprise, we saw a very different car ...

Alex, a spokesman for the rental company apologized, and explained to us the situation:

 - Customers are stuck in Vienna! Must have been returned to us Civic afternoon we zarezervilovali it under you, but unfortunately they did not return in time to a car, make a slip ... we decided to spend an extra night in Austria ... but in return we give you this (approach to the car), for the same money, though on the price it is more expensive, but that's our fault ...

After a few minutes of inspection, the signing of the contract, and a little coaching from Alexis, we got into our new car, drove these away in the navigator, and went to our new residence ... By the way, later this "exchange" auto played us arm speed on the track on the second day of our "shed" was a name "Martin" (invented wife just came to mind) and plenty of rolled us beautiful open spaces.

Below his picture taken somewhere on the track. Honda Accord 2.0.



The story I want to start directly from Prague. This is the first thing we rushed to learn the next day, after being woken up. (Nuuuu, not counting the nearest supermarket in search of beer on the first night after arrival))))

Prague - beautiful. Very beautiful. Despite the bad weather (on arrival we were met with cloudy skies, windy day, and 7), it is very charming and clean. I do not remember when I last saw a major city, the center of which day and night for the entire trill birds sing.

Prague has a great number of churches and cathedrals of different eras. All of them are untouched by time, and most importantly - have not suffered during the war.
Slight disappointment was that due to the large influx of tourism in the city, almost all the churches in the city center ... Pay input price variable between 40 to 120 kroner (65-200 rubles), hidden fees, for example for the use of the camera - no, This raduet.No in some places shooting photos / videos is strictly forbidden (here sometimes helps phone that without the pale can be something pofotkat)))

Our hotel, the standards of Prague is located on the outskirts of the city, the city center was already 15 minutes by tram. It is far. Generally trams in Prague - it is a separate issue ...
The tram network is very highly developed, they are simply the sea. Almost all of them go around the clock (!). The park has a great variety, then it goes like the old Soviet "Tatry" and the new "Skoda" (Yes, yes, "Skoda" collects trams). Any tourist will immediately notice that the trams in Prague - noiseless. The question is why the old Soviet "Tatra" thunders in Moscow as a tin can, and in Prague as the boat rolls - peace and quiet? It's all in the rails. In this wonderful city you will not find on the tracks no seam.

By the way, the tram for the whole holiday, we ride a couple of times in the evening from the city center, the rest of the time - moved to "Martin».
As in any normal European city of Prague paid parking. Everywhere. Price policy, we are not fully realized in every Czech city parking prices are different. In Prague itself - different prices in different parts of the city. The only way to avoid paying for "tachkomesto" - find a quiet courtyard in a residential area, stop the car there, and peshochkom stroll to the center, as we do.

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By the standards of the European Union, the Czech Republic - relatively poor strana.Bolshoe number of the population is engaged in agriculture, so food in this country is worth a penny. For those who want a quick and tasty it is necessary to go to get better here, for example a hefty veal steak cooked on the grill with salads, potatoes and beer will cost 200-300 rubles. Normally a decent place you will always be served a huge portion. This thing we prosekli day on the third and began to order one portion for two, because it was impossible to eat.
In Prague, the most beer - thousand. You can eat on every corner, but a lot of people everywhere. In the field of cultural tourism and an influx of you nice served, but in the usual and ordinary eatery away from the center you can feel nedolyublivanie Russian people. Soviet times, it has fraternal people completely repulsed all the love to Russia. Almost every generation still remembers 1968. (Who does not know and who are interested - google)
It is safe to assure that a good attitude to the Russian side Chekhov - a myth. Departing from a large city 50 kilometers away, and feel the difference. At the gas station, somewhere in the field, he heard Russian speech you will be served with such a person, as if you need them money. In this regard, for example, in Germany the same attitude towards our fellow tour much better. Paradox.

On arrival in the Czech Republic do not need to deceive ourselves with the thought that you are in the European Union, and here - is safe. Alex, who gave us the "Martin" immediately warned - anything valuable in the car do not leave here as well as elsewhere calmly hit the glass taschyat navigators and so on ... Taking a walk in the evening in the park, you can pay attention to that and then have enough drunk rednecks. Czechs drink all without exception. Someone makes it culturally, and someone spends night under the bench Plus - in this country legalized soft drugs. Closer to the night, you can safely go in the city center to any black guys, and buy "bumps." Also, apparently there are no problems with the girls. And not only in Prague. Returning to Prague from Austria, on the roads, in small villages can be found, "butterflies", whose services are likely to enjoy the truckers.

In general, I want to reiterate - Prague clean city. Sometimes you can find overflowing trash cans of beer in the center, but no more. The streets are clean, the air is spectacular, even in the city center.

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Cathedral of St. Nicholas

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The dome in the cathedral of St. Nicholas

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There

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If you look - someone stuck his legs out of the window))

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Sekas

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And this is the church of St. Nicholas, not to be confused with the cathedral. This chandelier temple gave Nikolai 2nd

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Caught the local child baptized

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Beer lighthouse. As I understand it - a clock delivery service beer

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Prague metro.

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These people are there too

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Our first trip was a trip from Prague to Germany. Final destination for us was Leipzig, that's where we wanted to get. On the road on our way it was also a city of Dresden, and we had already decided at the same time Poses and

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Well, what you can tell about Dresden ... The first thing to be noted that during the war the city was all-out bombardment, and by 80% in ruins. Then came the era of the GDR, where he was a Soviet scheme totally built up with Khruschev. Well, what do you have to live somewhere. In the center, leaving only a small island of history and old architecture, with a pair of Lutheran Cathedral, the theater area, in fact the very theater, and the beautiful bridge over the Elbe. On inspection of the central part of the city we spent probably an hour in the area, bought chocolates at a local shop for souvenirs, and went to Leipzig.

Below - a picture on the way to Dresden.

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On the way to Dresden.

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We arrived in town.

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Inside.

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Monument to Martin Luther.

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Leipzig proved to be a much more beautiful city. This "European", clean, tidy and beautiful. Pile velosepidistov sometimes enrage started when riding next to you on the next page and begin to comply with traffic rules, stop at traffic lights, do not call in on the sidewalk, and even stand in traffic jams!

In Leipzig, many shops with things. For shoppers the most it. But at the same time, we note - all more or less well-known brands are as well as in Moscow. No difference. Exceptions are unknown to us and brands, of which in Germany is complete, it is for this you need to go shopping in Europe. Prices are much lower than those of well-known brands, but the quality at times even better. The same goes for other things ... such spirits "Hugo Boss", which would seem to be cheaper in Germany - are also in Moscow. My wife and I thought that having a fairly good discount card shop in Moscow, buy a bottle of spirits even cheaper from us than they have.

Hospitality in Germany is no different from Czech. Huge portions of food, for a relatively small fee ... more expensive than in the Czech Republic, but cheaper than in Moscow. But gasoline - my mother dear. In the area of ​​60 rubles per liter. Although diesel is significantly cheaper, I do not remember how much, but it is profitable. Therefore, in Germany, you can find a large number of cars with TDI, turbo-diesel engine.

The immediate objective of our trip to St. Thomas Church in Leipzig was, under the altar is the tomb of Johann Bach. Unfortunately organ of the maestro to the present day has not lived, but inside the church there is another, which is a copy of it. In the church almost every day from 9 to 6, you can hear the amazing organ music. Entrance to the church free, anyone inappropriately to pay anything, come in, sit down and listen. My wife and I have stayed in about half an hour, in silence, without saying a word to each other. Who will go to Germany - be sure to visit this place.

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Inside.

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Street Leipzig.

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Strange fountain.

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Our next route will be a trip to the town of Kutna Hora, that in 85 kilometers from Prague.

Kutna Hora is a small beautiful town in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. In the Middle Ages this place was the center of European production of silver. From the total volume of silver production throughout Europe, this town gave a third of that in ancient times, allowed him to become a very rich place. But, as often happens, all the good finishes and the 16th century serebrishko mines over ... half the people immediately left, the rest probably zabuhal with grief, and the city went into decline.

Now the city lives off tourism, tobacco factory "Philip Morris" and if I am not mistaken, Glass-blowing production. The center of the city leisurely pace, you can get around 20 minutes in a circle.
The most important thing for all tourists in the city is the Cathedral Sv.Barbary.
Absolutely stunning building, which was built as much as 500 years (!). The reasons for this are many long-term construction - primarily it is the Hussite wars, and most importantly - the lack of permanent financing. That silver is over, then God knows what. But by the end of the 19th century (and the first stone was laid already in 1388) after the cathedral finally found its final form.

The cathedral is under the protection of UNESCO, and every day dozens of people come here to admire them. Do not stay and we reversal. Next - a photo of the cathedral and the city.

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The road leading to the Cathedral Sv.Barbary

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View of the Cathedral from afar.

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Inside.

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The cathedral was built on the money of miners. Which subsequently captured on the walls inside the cathedral.

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View of the city from the Cathedral.

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Just a few kilometers from the town center is suburb called Sedlec. In the neighboring topics of travel, this is the place to Yap has repeatedly surfaced, so I will not do the volume description, just tell us briefly:

In Siedlce is "The Chapel of All Saints," with the most famous in Europe Ossuary. Popularity Meston cemetery in the Middle Ages was high due to the fact that once a monk brought back to earth with a quiet peaceful Golgofy.Voobschem all lying in their graves, as long as Europe is not covered ... a plague of bodies became so much that they became nowhere to do with, and that was the local people to dig up the cemetery quietly and put the bones in the basement of the chapel. As a result, by the end of the 19th century the bones accumulated around 40 000 thousand, and local owners of the land they have hired a woodcarver to it with all this farce understood ... In turn, Frantisek Rint (the name of the uncle) went to work creatively and blind IT:

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View of the chapel itself.

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On the way home from Kutna Mountain Navigator he began to joke with us, get directions and literally "garden". As a result, about 5 kilometers from the city, we stopped at a village, where they found a very nice (but unfortunately at the moment closed) position. Cathedral of the Virgin Mary.

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Returned to the day we're not too late, and we had the opportunity to finally did humanly relax ... ie go to bed early!)) Especially in front of us waiting very long and intense way in the time of our holiday. The trip to Austria, with a stop at al., No less interesting city in the south of the Czech Republic.

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At around 9 am, we moved away from the road. After 160 km from Prague, our first stop was the city of Ceske Budejovice.

Budejovice for conventional modern Everyman is best known for ... beer! This city is the birthplace of beer "Budweiser", and this is where the true brew beer under this name. A couple of small facts - mark "Budweiser" (a word that comes from the proper name of the city) is molded on beer produced here since at least the mid-16th century. In the 19th century, with the development of the industry, and legal rights, the American company «Anheuser-Busch» under the guise of acquiring a patent for the use of the name "Budweiser" and becomes the main holder. Estesstvenno gos.korporatsiya «Budejovicky Budvar» start this business challenge ... Actually, dispute so far, and a lawsuit between the two giants can be called one of the longest in history.

However, many ordinary people are still confused American "Bad" and Czech "Budweiser" - a 2 totally different beers that do not have to do with each other in any way. By the way - the name change from the Americans to "Bad", a relatively recent change, which followed right after the next trial, the Americans made concessions, and replaced the name on his red label with the "Budweiser" to "Bad» (Bud)

With beer like understood (by the way, really gorgeous Budweiser) now move to the city. Ceske Budejovice throughout its history has always been significant, economic development, and the largest city of the Czech Republic. But there are few attractions. (compared to dr.gorodami Czech Republic). Cathedrals that can be counted on the fingers, several monuments and the famous square area, that's all ... We were in the city in the morning on a weekday. People in general anyone! Half-empty streets, leisurely pensioners and lazy waiters in cafes. In the main square of the city it can be found a few stray tourists, but young people with books.

We did not spend a lot of time to look around Budejovice, and within an hour moved to continuing our route. Next, some photos of the city.

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