Ústí nad Labem
After a guarded but enjoyable time in Paris, we continued our insane trek back across France and Germany to reach Ústí nad Labem an industrial town on the Elbe River in Czech Republic. I initially resisted the idea of all of us going to Ústí. Going directly to Prague and only Randy going to Usti alone for his meetings sounded like a much more interesting option. A friend of mine used to live in Prague for several years, and she couldn't think of anything of interest in what she called a coal-mining town. But Randy believed we'd be able to find something memorable about Ústí nad Labem.
The train tracks leading south out of Dresden followed the Elbe River as we crossed the Czech border. What glorious country! The river carved such a stunning path, leaving high, rounded, rocky cliffs above. The riverside was dotted with postcard-picture towns clustered around a single steeple. I wish at least one of my pictures snapped from the moving train was in focus.
At first Ústí seemed like I imagined it, a dingy post-communist industrial town, the streets between the train station and hotel were full of Sports Bars and gambling parlors. However, when we started exploring, we were surprised at every turn.
More after the jump
In the center of town stands Assumption of Mary Church. This church was reconstructed in the 1880s in the place of the original 14th century building. The bombings of World War II shifted the ground and the foundation, giving the 65 m tower a permanent 2 m lean.
From this angle we could not see it.
Or this one.
But later in the day when we crossed the Elbe on a walk, we could absolutely see it.
According to the tourism flyers at the hotel, this is the second-most leaning tower in Europe, after Pisa. Everything's got to be something!
I did get a picture of inside the church through the locked glass interior doors.
On thing I found particularly touching was that the wooden doors still bore the Epiphany blessings. One side read "CMB 2011" and the other read "KMB 2011"
This is only one of several churches in Ústí, but, because of time, one of the only ones we got to see.
Our next destination was perfectly suited for us---Střekov castle. A real, bona fide, 14th century (and later) castle!
What better place to take Myles, who is obsessed with knights, and Brigid, who, for better or worse, has recently learned there is such a thing as princesses?
I could bore you with some more Wow's, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. For more historical information, the castle website has quite a bit. It's in Czech, but Google Translate helps.
One piece of the history that was particularly interesting to us was that Richard Wagner was one summer a guest of the Castle. He was seeking inspiration for his next opera, and afterwards composed Tannhäuser. Yes, that opera is set in the more famous Wartburg Castle, but Střekov castle is where he originally conceived of the poem that became the libretto.
I could not have asked for a better day, even with the drizzle. Instead of wanting to skip Ústí and be in Prague an extra day, I found myself wishing we had extra time to wander around this Elbe valley area.
The train tracks leading south out of Dresden followed the Elbe River as we crossed the Czech border. What glorious country! The river carved such a stunning path, leaving high, rounded, rocky cliffs above. The riverside was dotted with postcard-picture towns clustered around a single steeple. I wish at least one of my pictures snapped from the moving train was in focus.
At first Ústí seemed like I imagined it, a dingy post-communist industrial town, the streets between the train station and hotel were full of Sports Bars and gambling parlors. However, when we started exploring, we were surprised at every turn.
More after the jump
In the center of town stands Assumption of Mary Church. This church was reconstructed in the 1880s in the place of the original 14th century building. The bombings of World War II shifted the ground and the foundation, giving the 65 m tower a permanent 2 m lean.
From this angle we could not see it.
Or this one.
But later in the day when we crossed the Elbe on a walk, we could absolutely see it.
According to the tourism flyers at the hotel, this is the second-most leaning tower in Europe, after Pisa. Everything's got to be something!
I did get a picture of inside the church through the locked glass interior doors.
On thing I found particularly touching was that the wooden doors still bore the Epiphany blessings. One side read "CMB 2011" and the other read "KMB 2011"
This is only one of several churches in Ústí, but, because of time, one of the only ones we got to see.
Our next destination was perfectly suited for us---Střekov castle. A real, bona fide, 14th century (and later) castle!
What better place to take Myles, who is obsessed with knights, and Brigid, who, for better or worse, has recently learned there is such a thing as princesses?
I could bore you with some more Wow's, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. For more historical information, the castle website has quite a bit. It's in Czech, but Google Translate helps.
One piece of the history that was particularly interesting to us was that Richard Wagner was one summer a guest of the Castle. He was seeking inspiration for his next opera, and afterwards composed Tannhäuser. Yes, that opera is set in the more famous Wartburg Castle, but Střekov castle is where he originally conceived of the poem that became the libretto.
I could not have asked for a better day, even with the drizzle. Instead of wanting to skip Ústí and be in Prague an extra day, I found myself wishing we had extra time to wander around this Elbe valley area.
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