Kutna Hora

I can't remember when the idea of meeting up with Matthew and Kristyna in Prague was first mooted, or whose idea it was. Arrangements must have been firmed-up up by late April because we booked our ferry crossing on the 24th, two days before we flew to the Far East. We agreed that we would all meet in Karlstejn, Matthew and Kristyna staying in a chalet in Krystyna's Mum's garden and we would book into a campsite nearby. Prague was only a 40 minute train ride away so it all made sense.

However, we agreed that it might be nice to explore somewhere else in the Czech countryside. Matthew came up with two suggestions. A couple of years ago he attended a film festival in Karlovy Vary, a spa town north west of Prague, he remembered it as an attractive town with nice cafés. The route home would take through Saxony and Thuringia, new territory for us, but in all honesty not places we had any particular desire to visit.

His other suggestion was a little more left field. He wondered about visiting Kutna Hora, an ancient town about 100kms east of Prague. Matthew likes historically based computer strategy games. Kutna Hora featured in a recent favourite, 'Kingdom Come, Deliverance II, where as fifteenth century peasant, you are tasked with making your way in life, challenged by the machinations of late medieval Bohemian politics and the ever present hazards of plague and famine or being denounced as a heretic. 

We went for this option, partly because it was the quirkiest, but also it meant we would leave the Czech Republic by a southerly route that skirted the Austrian border and took us back home through Bavaria. Lake Lipno in southern Bohemia has a clutch of campsites around it, some bike tracks around the shoreline and many of opportunities for me to fall off my paddleboard. We had a plan!

We stayed at Camping St Barbara on the outskirts of the town; it's about a 10 minute walk into the centre. The Search for Sites app had pre-warned us of the somewhat convoluted entry system. On arrival you are faced with a solid steel security gate with a big yellow sign on it giving a mobile number.

Thankfully the person who answered it spoke English, and gave us the entry code, explaining they would call around at 8.30am the following morning to collect the fee - they accepted euros or Czech krona. At €40 per night it's one of the more expensive places we have stayed in Europe.

It's an attractive small site, a little idiosyncratic, but the pitches are a decent size and hedged to give privacy.  

Trees are dotted about here and there to give shade and in the middle there's a communal firepit encircled by stone benches. The place feels like a big garden, which I suspect it was originally. 

You needed a token for a shower, which seemed a bit steep given the price of the place. Obtaining the token involves a trip down memory lane. Attached to the wall next to the shower block is a small, vending machine, familiar, I suspect, only to people aged over sixty. I am struggling to describe it exactly - I wish I'd taken a photograph - the best phrase I can come up with is 'vintage gob-stopper auto-vendor'. About 40cm high, with red metal top and a glass box below, back in the day the machine would have been packed full of garish coloured gob-stoppers,. When you placed an old penny in the slot on the top of the grey metal knob on the front, and twisted it anti-clockwise, in went the penny and out popped a giant globular gob-stopper from a shute below covered with a handsomely engraved silver coloured flap. Suddenly I had become the seven year old me! Repurposed in rural Czechia the contraption worked identically, though the coin was now a 20kr piece and what popped out was a zinc shower token contained within a clear plastic sphere. 

Gill showered first and was happy to give a debrief afterwards. Yes the token worked once you figured out how to open the plastic sphere with wet fingers. The slot on the shower was above her eye level, so for anyone shorter than 1.7m proved a challenge as the grooved token can only be inserted one way. The water was warmish eventually and lasted just about long enough for a hair wash. When the flow pulsed the water is about to stop...and the thing that looks like a birdbox on the wall next to the shower entrance is a receptacle for your spent plastic token holders.... Really, taking a shower should not be this intricate!

Though Camping Saint Barbara is somewhat idiosyncratic it is worthwhile putting up with its peculiarties because Kutna Hora itself is a truly delightful place to visit.

 

There had been a Celtic settlement here in the first century BCE, but it was in the late thirteenth century that the town grew in importance when its silver mines developed. Fifty years later Kutna Hora had developed into the second most significant place in Bohemia after Prague when the royal mint was established in the town.

It's signicance as a financial centre waned during the seventeenth century as the mines became unviable. However, the town continued to flourish as a seat of ecclesiastical learning with the growth of a significant Jesuit college. 

By the nineteenth century Kutna Hora had become something of a provincial backwater and because of this there was little development. Consequently the town retained a magnificent collection of buildings ranging from the medieval period to the early modern Not just signature buildings but entire streets and squares that are historically significant, including rare examples of seventeenth century houses decorated with murals featuring scenes everyday life. 

It was about a fifteen minute walk from the campsite to the historic centre. We headed for a spot on Google maps marked 'gothic fountain' which we figured must be in the ancient bit. 

It was, but the streets around it were a bit of a maze and it was difficult to find the centre of the old town. I had spotted a tall church tower and decided that it may be in the central square. It wasn't, but in the process of not finding it we did stumble upon the market place.

The square is lined with substantial houses from the Renaissance and early modern eras. The best example of a painted facade is located here, the mansion of a former mayor Google informed us dating from the middle of the seventeenth century.

Wandering further we happened upon the church with the tall tower which we had spotted in the distance. The church of St James is situated next to the 'Italian Court' - site of the ancient mint. 

The area attracts two kinds of tourist. People with a keen interest in the heyday of the kingdom of Bohemia and gamers. The church of St James features in 'Kingdom Come, Deliverance II' depicted with a wooden crane on its roof as almost complete in the early 1400s, the era featured in the game.

Matthew Whatsapped us to say that they had settled into their hotel and wondered about finding somewhere to eat in the early evening. Gill checked her phone and found 'Restaurace V Ruthardce' nearby, the place had good reviews and a menu that included lighter dishes as well the more robust, meaty offerings usually found on a traditional Czech menu. I can't recall what we all chose, but everyone found something to their liking. 

The only photo I took was of my beer illustrating how Czech drinkers appreciate a big foaming head. Something back home which would be interpreted as being seriously short-changed!

Kutna Hora is a hilly town, but not a classic medieval hill-town with a castle at the top with a walled city beneath it. Here the old town meanders along the contours of a steep valley. The view from the area around the restaurant illustrated this with a prospect of one of Kutna Hora other famous monuments, the startlingly Gothic St Barbara's Church.

The vaulted roof of St. Barbera's church is very eye catching. In Western Europe the style would probably be described as 'flamboyant', but the same timelines don't really apply here, so I was somewhat flummoxed.

Another striking aspect of Kutna Hora is pastel coloured stuccoed houses.

When I mentioned this to Kristyna she speculated that this may be relatively modern because when she came here as a child many of the buildings were dull concrete coloured. It's a trend we've noticed elsewhere, when we first visited the villages in l'Aude in the early 1990s they were dour looking, twenty years later they'd assumed a Provencal look with dusty pink and ochre toned facade.

Our plan for the following day was to visit the part of the town that we'd admired from afar today - the area in the vicinity of St Barbera's church. 

It is a startling looking building, it looks too perfectly Gothic to be true, almost a pastiche of the style. Matthew and I bought tickets to see the interior.

A section of the gallery had a series of information boards outlining the development of the building. Due to political instability work on the building was intermittent, it took over two centuries to complete the work. During the seventeenth century the unusual vaulted roof was replaced by a more stable conventional ridged design, only to be replaced in the nineteenth century by something approximating to the original. The church was substantially remodelled at this time, so in a sense what we see today is to some extent a pastiche.

There were some interesting frescoes in one of the side chapels. One depicted the town's silver miners acknowledging their contribution to the Kutna Hora's prestige and wealth. Another painting included an African and an 'oriental' figure. Judging by the style they looked to be seventeenth century additions.

By this time Kutna Hora had become an important centre for training Jesuit priests whose missionary work reached out across the globe. One interpretation of the scene is that is an assertion of the church triumphant, reaching out across the continents.

One of the delightful discoveries of the trip has been Czech wine, similar in style to German, but maybe less flowery. The valley next to St Barbara's church is covered in steeply terraced vineyards. A booth sold wine by the glass which you could drink amongst the vines.

 The tables and chairs were somewhat precariously positioned, but it was fun, and the wine was excellent.

It had been threatening rain all day and in the early afternoon it started to drizzle. We found a traditional tavern that was still serving food - robust Czech fare - dumplings with everything.  The decor definitely had a medieval vibe, lots of suits of armour and weaponry.

It also had a ball pool, Jesse's first encounter with one. He loved it.

Matthew, Kristyna and Jesse headed back to their hotel, we returned to Camping Gob-stopper. We've had a great time together, on almost all of our motorhome travels it's just been the two of us. However, over the previous two decades we travelled as a family; it's fun experiencing places with children. They always have a unique take on places. A quote from the American poet, Louise Gluck, popped into my feed a couple of days ago, "We look at the world once, in childhood. The rest is memory".

Prague - day 2

Next day - back to Prague. Kristyna had planned things well. Yesterday we explored the old and new towns on the east bank of the Vitava, today we were heading for Mala Strana and Prague castle on the opposite bank. On paper it looked like a more compact area, and it is, however the west bank of the river is much hillier, so no less exhausting.

 We got off the train at the stop before Prague's main station. Compared to Prague's stylish main terminus, Smichov station is  more utilitarian. 

Built in the mid-fifties it reflects the solid, functional ethos of a socialist state. The fate of Czech mid-century buildings is controversial, some people, seeing them as symbols of authoritarianism, are happy for them to be demolished, others assert their intrinsic architectural merit or extol their workaday functionality. I lean towards the latter point of view. 

This debate is not confined to the former Eastern block. In the UK, as the shopping malls, civic buildings and tower blocks of the 50s and 60s reach the point of needing major refurbishment there is limited enthusiasm for saving them, most are dismissed as 'carbuncles'. However, they do have a story to tell about a time that looked to the future with a degree of optimism and espoused more egalitarian values, This can be discerned in buildings on both sides of the 'iron curtain'. Owen Hathersley's 'A New Kind of Bleak' and John Grindrod's 'Concretopia' are both great reads about British post- war public architecture. I realise, my enthusiasm for the subject is a bit niche, Sadly I could only glance at the proletarian delights of Smichov station as we dashed for the tram that would take us to the more conventional architectural wonders of old Prague's medieval core.

Most of the Prague's trams are modern, quiet and smooth, similar to those you might find in Manchester or Sheffield. However there are a few older ones with a mid-century vibe, sporting a more 'ovoid' styling. 

They rattle and shake around the network, tourists clinging on, locals swaying like old salts. As we passed through one of Prague's older residential areas Kristyna caught our attention, "I grew up around here," she explained. 

One of the delights of cities on the continent compared to the UK is that many of them retain vibrant neighbourhoods close to the city centre. This is only possible because the majority European city dwellers live in apartments. This is not what British people prefer, we want a house with our own outside space.

Consequently our cities sprawl outwards creating encircling suburbs and a 'commuter belt' of satellite towns.  What is true, however, is that having a small 'weekend place' in the countryside is popular amongst continental Europe's city dwellers, we've come across this in Spain, Sweden, Italy and France. I was surprised to learn from Kristyna that this was commonplace in the Czech Republic too, even during communist era. She mentioned her mother had only sold their family's place in the country when she moved from her apartment in Prague to her house in Karlstejn.

We headed for Prague Castle. If your inner seven year old yearns for turrets, crenulated walls or a portcullis then you are doomed to disappointment. There hasn't been a proper castle here for at least 300 years, fragments of the medieval structure remain in the courtyard of the Old Royal Palace but most of the impressive buildings date from the Renaissance or Baroque era.

The hourly changing of the guard in Hradcany Square is a popular spectacle, we learned this by accident as we just happened to arrive at midday. There was lot of barking orders and marching about, Gill had to be ushered out of the way by a policeman sporting a sub-machine gun as she inadvertently wandered into the path of a phalanx of overdressed soldiers crossing the square with the involuntary determination of steampunk automatons. 

This momentary flurry of activity was followed by statuesque calm, blue uniformed guards standing stockstill beneath the glowering gaze of Baroque statuary. I can't really be doing with military displays, whenever I see them their absurdity reminds me of the Monty Python fish slapping sketch. 

The location of the Royal Palace became a magnet for other members of the aristocracy to build magnificent mansions, their style runs the gamut of uniquely Bohemian renaissance edifices....

to grandiose Baroque concoctions...

As well as a seat of political power the area contains a clutch of important ecclesiastical monuments - not only churches but sprawling monasteries and grim looking seminaries. 

Many of the buildings date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when Prague was a key city within the Counter-Reformation Habsburg Empire.

Not everywhere in Hradcany and Mala Strana is built on a grand scale. Here and there patches of more modest buildings remain, handsome burghers houses and old inns. It's a pleasing mixture, old Prague has corners of charm and grace as well as grandeur.

The afternoon turned showery and we headed to the National Gallery's cafe for a late lunch. By the time we finished the sky had cleared. We made our way back towards the castle area, pausing to look at St Vitus cathedral. It would have been interesting to peek inside but the only tickets on sale covered all the big monuments of the Prague castle area. Not an option with Jesse. 

The Gothic style spread into central Europe two generations later than when it first developed in France. Consequently the earlier stages of the style's development is missing, you get the full-on spiky splendour of the Perpindicular. If late Gothic was a  music style I think you would be talking the OTT hi-jinks of Iron Maiden metal.

Beyond the Cathedral is an earlier Romansque church dedicated to St. George. The towers and the apse survive from the twelfth century, but somewhat incongruously a Baroque facade was constructed later, then in the reign of Marie Theresa a classical style portico added.

It was time to head back to the station. As we walked down the hill we came across a short stretch of the original castle wall, so my inner seven year old did get its fix of turrets and crenalation. 

There's a fabulous view of the city from the rampart too..

 Time to take a photo of Matthew, Kristyna and Jesse who made our two days in Prague wholly delightful. 

Prague - day 1

I guess that conversations praising the under appreciated benefits of forty years of communist rule are not a popular amongst Prague's chattering classes. However they exist. In fact we are travelling on one right now using the half hourly train service from Prague back to Karlstejn. The train itself is not a product of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic - it's modern, comfortable and well designed. However the rail network itself has been maintained much as it was before 1989 and remains under public ownership. Even more impressive is the way local bus services have been integrated with the train timetable, and within Prague itself the well used tram network reduces traffic in the city, making it one of the more walkable capitals we have visited.

We've spent the last two days walking around Prague, the experience made much more meaningful because we had Kristyna on hand who grew up in the city and could plan an interesting itinerary and explain what we were looking at.

Yesterday we took the train directly into Prague's main station. Like many European cities Prague developed along the banks of a major river, in this case the Vitava, a tributary of the Elbe. We spent most of the day wandering around the east side of the city. It's about a 15 minute walk from the station to Wenceslas Square. 

It's more of a sloping oblong than a square, nevertheless it's an important hub lined by grand fin de siecle, Art Nouveau and Art Deco edifices.

More importantly it is a culturally significant place with a statue of St Wenceslas at the top end of it. This tenth century duke is a foundational figure for Czech people, cementing Latin Christian doctrine to the polity that later became Bohemia. Though neither a saint nor king in his lifetime his influence was such that he was canonised and conferred with regal status soon after his death in 935.

Wenceslas Square is significant in modern Czech history too. During November 1989 persistent anti-government demonstrations, faced down the violence of the riot police and helped topple the communist regime.

 The entire area is being pedestrianised, it will be a great social space when the work is finished, sadly at the moment it's a bit of a mess. 

Wenceslas Square connects the 'new town' (which is quite old) to the 'old town' (which is very old). Some of Prague's most celebrated historical monuments are to be found hereabouts.

We marvelled at the ingenuity of the Old Town Hall's late fifteenth century 'astronomical clock' peeking over the heads of everyone else. 

The area's popularity with organised tour groups is understandable as there is a lot to see.The slightly menacing silhouette of Tyn church's twin spires -

Saint Nicholas's Baroque splendour -

...and my favourite monument in the square - the art nouveau memorial to the proto-Reformatiom martyr, Jan Hus. 

During the early of the fifteenth he openly criticised orthodox Roman Catholic belief and practice. Though widely supported in his native Bohemia he was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake in 1415. Over the next two decades his supporters waged war - the so called 'Hussite Rebellion', I vaguely remember the name from school history lessons but had forgotten the details. Kristyna reckoned the the reason why Jan Hus's ideas were successfully suppressed

but Luther's prevailed is that the printing press was developed during the intervening century. Hus's supporters depended on word of mouth, Luther and Calvin's ideas spread across northern Europe in a matter of months through printed pamphlets. 

Like most fluvial cities as Prague spread along both banks of the river numerous bridges were built. The oldest and most famous is the Charles Bridge. The bridge itself dates from the fourteenth century and was commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IVth.

The somewhat startling Baroque religious statuary that decorate it are later additions, added piecemeal from the Seventeenth century onwards. They are somewhat ghastly in my view.

The old town hall had been somewhat crowded, Charles Bridge was packed solid, so much so that it was a struggle to take a photo that was not a random snapshot of total strangers, at least this one included Matthew and Krystyna leading the way.

We turned left on the far side of the bridge, the side streets were a little less busy. Time for a caffeine fix, as well as coffee the place also sold Trdelník or 'chimney cakes'. These are tubular cakes filled with creamy concoctions or ice cream.

They are sold as 'traditional' desserts, but Kristina who was born in Prague in the eighties doesn't remember them from her childhood. It seems they are an 'invented' tradition driven by Prague's popularity as budget airline short break hotspot during noughties. Trdelnik may be no more authentic than a 'ploughman's lunch' but they are scrummy.

We headed towards 'Vrch Petřín' a hilly green space southwest of Charles Bridge. It has a funicular up to a radio tower on the top of the hill. It's a bit of a Prague landmark as it resembles a mini Eiffel tower. It's original purpose was a little darker, erected by the Communist regime in the late eighties to block radio transmissions from the West, such as the BBC World Service, the regime collapsed before it could be used.

Our aim was less ambitious, even using the funicular to the top of the hill felt like a step too far. Where we were headed was a play area near the park entrance. Jesse had been in a buggy most of the day and though he hadn't grumped about it a grub about in the sandpit seemed in order. 

He can crawl, pull himself upright but is a couple of months away from walking independently. I think it was his first encounter with sand. He was a bit unsure about the texture to begin with, but at least he didn't try to eat it.

We crossed back over the Vitava downstream from the Charles Bridge, stopping halfway across to take a panoramic shot of the oldest part of the city. It was a couple of kilometres from here to the station. The area we walked through seemed more residential than  touristy bits we'd visited.

Quieter, and looking lovely in the soft light of late afternoon, Prague has to be one of Europe's most attractive capitals. It's compact, has a beautiful river frontage and the residential streets built in the 18th and Nineteenth centuries are graciously proportioned, their stuccoed frontages decorated in pastel shades.

Of course tranquility is not really the city's USP. Ever since the early noughties when budget airlines connected Prague to the UK the city developed a reputation as a party place, associated particularly with hen and stag dos. The streets near Wenceslas Square are full of pubs, clubs and Irish bars. The party was only just getting going when we passed through the area in the late afternoon. Groups of lads hung about awkwardly wearing tee-shirts sporting a variety of overtly misogynistic messages. Maybe the ubiquity of the 'stag do' in an age of increasing gender equality is living proof that Newton's third law - for every 

action there is an equal and opposite reaction - applies to sociology as much as physics.

Our first day in Prague had been great, made extra special from being with Matthew, Kristyna and Jessie.

However I was glad to reach the station. According to Google Fit we had walked 11.7kms, not an exceptional total for a city visit, but Prague has cobbled streets and that made it particularly hard going.