Cesky Krumlov, and Lower Austria

Hello everyone

Cesky Krumlov was beautiful – so good in fact, we stayed there 4 days, and it ranks very high in our favourite places list. The castle complex is huge – built on rock and towering over the River Vtlava which twists through the town. The narrow streets are mainly cobbled leading to small courtyards and restaurants. A month of music festivals was due to start, so entertaining buskers followed one another on the main bridge. The local Eggenberg brewery was founded in the 1600s and our guided tour would imply that not a lot has changed since then! But the beer was delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive through South Bohemia towards Austria was beautiful – rolling hills with lush green pastureland and areas of dense fir trees. Once in Austria, we headed towards a free stellplatze at Arbesbach for the night – a pretty spot to sit and relax in the afternoon heat.

From here we headed to Ardagger Markt – a small village 5km from Grein which lies on the Danube. We cycled in to Grein – a small town where the old town house has a tiny theatre inside dating from 1791. The wooden seats had a flip-up bottom because you bought a key (rather than a ticket) which would lock your seat in an upright position preventing others from sitting in your spot. It was very well preserved, and still puts on shows every summer.

 

The following day we cycled a 34mile round trip to Ybbs along the Danube, which looks more green than blue – but is pretty with small villages perching on the steep sided river valley.

We’re heading west to Hallstatt near Salzburg, before returning to the Danube towards Melk and Vienna.

Will post again next week - love to all

Czech Republic

Hello everyone

Well we didn’t post  last Friday due to our short trip back home – it was fantastic to see so many of you and sorry we didn’t get chance to see everyone. It was a lovely holiday within a holiday and great to catch up, and thanks to all those who put us up at short notice. Our flight from Prague was delayed 8 hours (our refund claim has been submitted) but the flight back was uneventful and it was great to be back in the van.

 

From Prague we headed south to the town of Ceske Budejovice which was lovely – uncrowded but full of interesting buildings around the huge town square. We visited the Motorcycle Museum housed in the former salt house – a collection of old Eastern European bikes and a couple of old BMW, Harley Davidsons and Indian motorcycles at the bargain price of £1.47 to visit.

From there we drove through Cesky Krumlov – a UNESCO listed preserved medieval town - on our way to a campsite 2km away. After a day catching up on chores (!), chilling and sunbathing, we plan to explore the town and castle later today. After a couple of days here, we’re heading south into Austria and Vienna.

 

 

We’re about a third of the way through our year out and having such a great time – we’ve travelled 9,744 miles and visited 11 countries and our map on the van door is filling nicely!

Will post again next week - love to all

Poland

Hello everyone

Gdansk was lovely. We chanced upon a car park with security at the music centre, so parked up for 7 hours which cost less than £3. It was right in the centre a few hundred metres from the waterfront. The oldest largest medieval harbour crane in Europe is here –a huge structure amongst the picturesque harbour buildings and city gate.  

 

From here we headed south to Malbork Castle which was excellent. It was home to the Teutonic Knights and was the largest fortress of its time. We took an audio-tour and spent 4 hours in there – many parts have been restored and it is beautiful. Other parts are awaiting restoration, and show how the place had fallen into disrepair. We stayed overnight on the adjoining campsite with views of the castle – an unbelievable £11 with electric and all amenities. We dined in the local restaurant trying out a couple of Polish dishes (and beer, of course!).

Warsaw was our next stop – a sprawling city whose roads were being dug up with confusing diversions in place. We stayed on the city camp about 6km from the old town – unfortunately, it was the least welcoming and most expensive site we’ve encountered so far. However, the old town is lovely. Almost completely destroyed in World War II, it has been completely rebuilt and gained a unique UNESCO listing for a restoration success. We checked out the old town via a street train, and then ambled around on our own.

From there we continued south to Krakow. The nearby Wielizcka Salt Mines are excellent, and well worth a visit. We descended 64 metres via staircase to the first level where tunnels lead to huge underground chambers where the salt has been mined. We saw a chapel (apparently there is one on each level), wall carvings (pictured) and a beautiful grand hall with salt crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Less than 1% of the total mines are open to the public.

 

Krakow was heaving with people – something we realised we hadn’t encountered for a while! The castle and cathedral stand on Wawel Hill a short walk from the old town with the magnificent St Mary’s Basilica church and its gilded interior (pictured). We mooched around taking in the sights, and then retired for a couple of beers in the sun before the 6km trek back to the van. Today, we are off to visit Auschwitz before crossing into the Czech Republic.






Will post again soon - love to all