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The next morning after your hangover has subsided and you’re having indigestion problems from the free "breakfast" at the hostel, your traveling companion looks for Jindrichuv hradec on a courtesy map at the hostel desk and asks you why would we go to Jindrichuv hradec when Cesky Krumlov is closer and easier to get to? You reply that Jindrichuv hradec is almost as beautiful as CK but with cheaper prices and without the tourists. And just because everyone is doing something doesn’t mean we have to also. Your traveling companion rolls their eyes at you but doesn’t protest further because they know your mind cannot be changed. So, before you go, here’s some information you might find helpful as well as something to beat off those CK diehards who will come after you with everything they‘ve got. First, tell them that Jh is one of South Bohemia’s finest jewels. Prices are a third of Prague’s and for those sick of crowds, everywhere we went seemed to be empty on a Saturday with beautiful weather. As I mentioned before the castle in CK is great but Jh clocks in at number three and doesn’t disappoint. If you’re a Czech resident, you know that it’s not necessary to visit all the great places in the Czech Republic when the weather is warm, but this is one to save for the late spring or summer. While some castles are open year-round, Jh is not one of them and most of the beauty of the city is gone in the winter as the town sits between a river and a lake with a castle garden, grounds tucked in between and Husovy sady to the northwest. And no matter where you go, flowers in bloom make everything better, especially when they’re hanging over bridges and lakes. With as many bridges that were in the city, I would think that the town name would have bridge in it, as there are many names of places with the word for bridge (‘most’). After you’ve spent a few hours in Jh, you might not be able to tell that it’s the 21st century, and I mean that in a good way. The problems of your life and the world never make it past the old town walls and Nezarecka Gate. The feel of the cobblestone streets under your feet and the not quite restored buildings keep the city from looking like a museum exhibit and maintaining a realness that’s missing from many of the renovated places around the country. I particularly liked the streetlights, which thrust out of buildings offering each passer-by a piece of its brilliance. The feeling of time long past is even apparent in the main square until your eye catches Bata, the shoe giant. Now that you know where you are again and aren’t thinking the Absinthe from last night is still affecting you, you can admire the main square, namesti Miru, with its unusually impressive stone Plague column. The second nicest building in the square, after the sgrattifoed Langruv dum, is the police station that looks like it has freshly laid red and tan paint over the Renaissance architecture. The mirror image lions holding a king’s crown over the arch to the entrance is a nice touch. It might be worth getting arrested just to see the interior, but good luck holding out for an interpreter. On a nice day I recommend spending part of the day relaxing in the square, enjoying an ice cream or whatever you fancy. There’s no shortage of sweet shops, or cukarnas, right on the square itself. To the west of namesti Miru are the main churches of the town but they’re nothing to brag about, at least in comparison to other Czech towns. The Gothic church is quite nice as far as Gothic churches are concerned, although it’s not dripping with gold, as many around the country seem to be. That’s okay because the white pillars and the high arches stand out more, allowing one to appreciate the architecture instead of wondering how much you could get for a hawked gold-trinket. A fresco of Jesus on the altar and the long windows behind it round out the attractions of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. If the doors are open, you probably won’t be able to do more than stick your head through the gate. But folks, this place isn’t about the churches. You came here for the castle. This is the Mother Goose. The architecture is rapturous in its Romanesque-gothic style and the Renaissance and Gothic buildings snuggling against the castle will leave you only half a roll of film left. It’s not quite as big as CK but they both offer three different tours. As you can probably guess, the tours in Jh are cheaper. We went on Tour "A", which covered the baroque and neoclassical sections as well as a piano once played by Mozart and one of Napoleon’s beds. They’re not so interesting in themselves but compliment that part of the chateau nicely. Even if you only go on one tour, you’ll need at least a few hours to explore the castle grounds. If you have some time to kill before the tour starts or for a final goodbye of the town, there’s a tower you can climb. However, because of the beauty of the castle, I’d recommend going up one of the church tours so you can get the castle in the shot. But don’t press your luck with your traveling companion who isn’t quite sold on Jh yet. That’s okay because there’s still much to be seen. There are two courtyards to stroll through, with arched floors and bricks aligned so tightly you feel as safe as in a bomb shelter a kilometer below ground. There is a small entrance in the second courtyard that leads to an Italianate garden pavilion, fountain and rotunda. I believe all tours take you this way and it’s better to go with them because you’re able to go inside Rondel. If your companion is still harboring any animosity towards you for refusing to go to CK, those thoughts will evaporate in moments. As many tours do, they saved the best for last. The Rondel sits on a circular stone tower that’s one of the most apparent parts of the chateau. In the interior, gold ornaments and decorations run all the way to the ceiling in an intricate network that works its way around narrow frescoes, stuccos and circular windows embroidered with pink flowers. There are regular windows at eye level that, on one side, look out over the chateau into the river down below. Everything on the wall leads to a coat-of-arms in the center of the domed-ceiling. If you stare at it long enough, you may imagine it pulsating, pumping life into veins of gold running down the wall. And the purpose of such an expensive room? Why, classical music concerts of course. They happen much more frequently than in the past and it puts a smile on my face thinking that the aristocrats who paid for its construction are spinning in their graves as common people such as myself can stroll through freely and take photographs. Now your traveling
companion is on your side and your better judgment has secured a victory.
The ball is in your court so you can move in for the score once you have
had enough of the interior of the chateau because outside the walls there
is beautiful scenery to walk through. On the west side of the castle grounds
is a river to walk along which I don’t want to imagine during winter without
the lovely trees and flowers and the warm breeze helping me in my stride.
To the east of the castle is maly Vajgar and there is even more enchanting
places to walk around. What makes it so nice is all the bridges, especially
the little ones (mustek) I passed over anticipating the sound of boards
knocking against each other underneath my feet.
By now you’re excruciatingly hungry from all the time spent in and around the castle. Jh offers an array of eateries so you might spend some time narrowing down your options. While your stomachs are growling, your traveling companion can’t believe how insanely inexpensive some of these restaurants are. If you live in the Czech Republic, you know that you must be weary of Asian food and if you don’t know, this is your warning. I remain as skeptical to unknown Chinese restaurants as the average Czech person is to the European Union. I was sold when they had tofu in stock and I paid a measly 85 crowns for vegetables, tofu, and rice (less than $4) and not only was it okay, but it was pretty damn good. It had a little bit of kick to it and was more filling than most Chinese food I’ve had before. A lucky find. Those wishing for pizza, on the other hand, better put their Italian cravings in check unless they want to have the worst pizza I’ve had ever had in the Czech Republic. This was the only negative of the whole trip. The crust literally crumbled on the first bite and tasted like there were two or three missing ingredients. The toppings were vegetables that tasted like they’ve been in cans for two decades. Thankfully, I had plenty of Krusovice beer to wash it down with at only 15 crowns a pop. The cukarna in Masarykovo namesti was a rebound that had excellent cinnamon and ginger cake. The day is almost gone but if you’re in no rush to leave, stay a night in Jh at one of their great pensions. Pension U Tladlen is situated along the Nezarka river but you better book a room in advance. If it’s full, go to Hana Klub which overlooks Vajgar lake and is quite cozy whether it’s hot or cold. If you still have time in the evening and don’t want to do anything on your feet, go to Strelnice cinema in Masarykovo namesti. North of the city center, this movie theater was the best I’ve seen in the Czech Republic. And the price? Seventy-three crowns ($3). That’s less than HALF the cost of one of the multiplexes in Prague and this theater was an ancient relic of a time when you could sit in a balcony, the wooden arm rests wouldn’t let you get too comfortable and the theater held more than thirty people. All this should have warmed over your traveling companion and they’ve conceded that you were right and the next time you demand visiting somewhere, they’ll probably heed your advice. That is, unless they’re in the mood for a good pizza. The following are Matthew's previous articles for the magazine:
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