The Versailles of Southern Moravia

Lednice is a Summer palace which is known as the Versailles of Southern Moravia. The palace is built in an English Neo-Gothic style and dates, as it looks today, from 1846-1858. However, its roots date back much further. The first record of Lednice dates back to 1222, when a Gothic fort with a courtyard stood...

Czech Republic, PLACES

September 25, 2019

The Ride of the Kings Festival

The Ride of the Kings has been inherent in folklore since time immemorial. But the Ride in Vlčnov is extraordinary and the most famous one and has existed for hundreds of years. According to extant records, the ride of the kings has been in the village since 1885. Ten years later the boys from Vlčnov...

Czech Republic, LIFESTYLE

September 22, 2019

Zbiroh – Mysterious Castle of Three Emperors

The Zbiroh Chateau was built upon a glistening rock overgrown with jasper. Care was taken to ensure that it was abundant with unique and mysterious spaces. Nearly 800 years later, Zbiroh still stands. It is home to one of the oldest castle chapels in the Czech Republic, which is adorned with Gothic frescoes. Here, Charles...

Czech Republic, History, PLACES

July 30, 2019

Poledník Lookout Tower – Then and Now

This wooden lookout tower in the mountains is known as Poledník. It is a Cold War secret surveillance tower which was used to spy on radio communications. An odd structure, right? The Poledník lookout tower is situated in the Šumava National Park near the Czech-German border, approximately 5 kilometers southeast of Prášily. Today, the lookout...

Czech Republic, PLACES

June 11, 2019

Purdue University’s Study Abroad: Annual Tour of the Škoda Factory in Mladá Boleslav

For the past three years, students from Purdue University have traveled to Prague along with faculty member Jim Tanoos as part of a Study Abroad program entitled “Purdue Polytechnic’s Central European Multinational Automobile Organization Supply Chain Experience”. Purdue University offers move than 200 majors and specializes in agriculture, engineering, and technology. It has an enrollment...

Czech Republic, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE

May 7, 2019

Visiting a Czech Family

Survival Guide for Foreigners in the Czech Republic Teaching Czech for Foreigners and meeting people from different cultures has inspired me to start writing this survival guide. If you want to live in a foreign country, learning the local language is never enough. You need socio-cultural skills to understand the mentality of the people, behave...

Bohemians, Czech Republic, PEOPLE

December 9, 2018

Apple Commercials Filmed in the Czech Republic

Apple seems to have a love affair with our beautiful Czech Republic, choosing it as a location for many of their holiday Apple commercials. In 2016, a 30 second spot entitled Romeo and Juliet it shows two young actors reciting Shakespeare’s dialogue for a school play. When filmed through the lenses of the iPhone 7,...

Czech Republic, ENTERTAINMENT, Movies

August 8, 2018

The Beautiful Caves of The Moravian Karst

The Moravian Karst is a beautiful protected nature reserve covering an area a little under 100 square kilometers with a collection of some of the most explored limestone caves in all of Europe. With over 1,100 caverns and gorges (4 of these caves are open to public) it is the ideal location for hikers and...

Czech Republic, PLACES

July 9, 2018

The Story of the Czech Stonehenge

You’ve all heard about the famous Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, right? Well guess what… There is a Czech Stonehenge as well! In a pleasant environment surrounded by nature, a stone circle of giant stones was built in August of 2008. The stones were placed according to expert series of famous psychotronics by...

Czech Republic, PLACES

June 11, 2018

Šumava National Park (The Bohemian Fairytale)

“Not all who wander are lost” J. R. R. Tolkien There are so many places to explore, there are so many places to adore. Yet again, I have failed time and time again to discover a part of the world which instills a greater sense of tranquility in me than the Šumava National Park. Source:...

Czech Republic, PLACES, Wanderlust

June 10, 2018

Memorial to Lidice by Bohuslav Martinů

On an unforgettable night in June 1942, the peaceful village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, ceased to exist. It was neither earthquake nor flood that wiped this town from the verdant hills west of Prague; it was the dark evil of man’s nature. Nazi troops swept through the village as it slept, killing the men, deporting the...

Czech Republic, History

June 4, 2018

American Students from Purdue University Enjoy Themselves in Prague

Dr. James Tanoos recently finished up a Study Abroad to Prague, Czech Republic with 30 students from Purdue University, USA. The trip was entitled “Purdue Polytechnic’s Central European Multinational Automobile Organization Supply Chain Experience”. Hearing from Dr. Tanoos, the students loved the beautiful city of Prague and thanks to his comprehensive report at his blog, today...

Czech Republic, LIFESTYLE

May 14, 2018

The Old Town Hall of Prague by Count Lützow

What I am sharing today was a published extract from the speech delivered by Count Lützow (Lützow) W, D. LITT. OXON. PH.D. PRAG., at the Old Town Hall of Prague on the occasion of the visit of the Lord Mayor and Deputation of the Coronation of the city of London on the 18th of September,...

Architecture, Czech Republic, History

Býchory_Chateau_aka_Castle_of_the_Stradivarius_Violin

April 23, 2018

Býchory Chateau, Castle of the Stradivarius Violin and Jan Kubelík

Near the city of Kolín lies a small village known as Býchory (only 7 km northeast). In this village, sits a unique a Neo-Gothic castle chateau estate. Today we are going to call the Býchory chateau, the castle of the Stradivarius violin because it was once owned by world famous Bohemian violinist and composer, Jan Evangelista Kubelík. I suggest that...

Bohemians, Czech Republic, ENTERTAINMENT, History, Music