Vrtbovská zahrada

Together with three other Baroque gardens (Vratislav, Schönborn and Lobkowicz), the Vrtba Garden is situated on the slope of Petřín Hill and is one of the most precious and beautiful of Prague's Baroque gardens. The creation of this magnificent palace garden is associated with the construction boom around 1720. The garden was designed by František Maxmilián Kaňka, who first renovated the palace for Jan Josef, Count of Vrtba and then created the garden. 

Unlike the garden which retained its Baroque style without any significant changes, the Vrtba Palace underwent radical changes during the following centuries. The statue and sculpture decorations were created by Matyáš Bernard Braun. In addition, painter Václav Vavřinec Reiner was involved in the masterpiece. The interior decoration of the Sala Terrena has survived in its original designs until today. The fresco on the vault depicting Venus and Adonis was painted by Václav Vavřinec Reiner. 

In 1990 - 1998, the Vrtba Garden underwent overall reconstruction, following previous static reinforcement. The renovated garden was opened for public on 3 June 1998. The garden is owned by the City of Prague and managed by Casus Direct Mail a.s

Kostel svatého Cyrila a Metoděje

Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius (Czech: Kostel svatého Cyrila a Metoděje) is a Roman Catholic church in the Karlín district of Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the largest religious buildings in the Czech Republic. It was constructed in the mid-19th century and remains one of the most important architectural landmarks from that period in the country.

The church was built in 1854-1863 by architects Karl Rösner, Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann. Several Czech artists contributed to decoration of the church. It was consecrated on 18 October 1863, on the anniversary of coming of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the Bohemian lands.

The church in constructed in the style of late Neo-Romanesque basilica with highly elevated main nave and two towers. Ground plan is divided to entrance hall, three naves and presbytery, which is ended by apse.

Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station

Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station is a former station of the Viennese Stadtbahn. The buildings above ground on Karlsplatz are a well-known example of Jugendstil architecture. These buildings were included in The Vienna Secession, as they followed many of the artistic styles of that movement. They were designed by Otto Wagner, adviser to the Transport Commission in Vienna,^[1] and Joseph Maria Olbrich and are, unlike the other Stadtbahn stations, made of a steel framework with marble slabs mounted on the exterior.^[2] These stations allowed Otto Wagner to achieve his goal of creating two modern axes of architecture in a city that was becoming one of the most modern cities of its time.^[1] These buildings went on to become the most modern monument of the modern city.^[2] Architectural critic and poet Friedrich Achleitner commented on the Stadtbahn stations as follows "...In these two station buildings Wagner reached a highpoint of his dialectic (in his planning of the Stadtbahn) between function and poetry, construction and decoration, whereby a severe rationalism engages in competition with an almost Secessionist kind of decoration." ^[3]

The station was opened as Akademiestraße in 1899. When the Stadtbahn line was converted to U-Bahn in 1981, the original station was scheduled to be demolished. However, as a result of public outcry, it was decided to keep the station buildings. Both buildings were disassembled, renovated, and then reassembled two metres higher than their original location after completion of U-Bahn construction. One of the buildings is now used as an exhibition space by the Vienna Museum and the other is used as a café.

Karlskirche

The St. Charles's Church (German: Karlskirche) is a church situated on the south side of Karlsplatz, Vienna. It is located on the edge of the 1st district, 200 metres outside the Ringstraße. It is one of the most outstanding baroque church structures, and boasts a dome in the form of an elongated ellipsoid.

Ever since Karlsplatz was restored as an ensemble in the late 1980s, the Karlskirche has garnered fame due to its dome and its two flanking columns of bas-reliefs, as well as its role as an architectural counterweight to the buildings of the Musikverein and of the Vienna University of Technology.

The church is cared for by a religious order and has long been the parish church as well as the seat of the Catholic student ministry of the Vienna University of Technology.

Secession Building

Located in Vienna, The Secession building was built in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich as an architectural manifesto and exhibition hall for the secession group.  Secession refers to the seceding of a group of rebel artists from the long-established fine art institution.

Model of the Building

The motto of the Secessionist movement is written above the entrance of the pavilion: "To every age its art, to art its freedom" (German: "Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit"). Below this is a sculpture of three gorgons representing painting, sculpture, and architecture.

The building features The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt., one of the most widely recognized artworks of Secession style (a branch of Art Nouveau, also known as Jugendstil). 

Section of the Beethoven Frieze

The building was selected as the main motif of one of the Austrian gold collectors' coins: the 100 euro Secession commemorative coin, minted in 10 November 2004. On the obverse side there is a view of the hall.

The building also appears (from a different perspective) on the regular €0.50 Austrian coin. A detail of Klimt's work is featured on the reverse side of this coin.

Hundertwasserhaus

The Hundertwasser-Haus is an apartment house in Vienna, Austria, built after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser with architect Joseph Krawina as a co-author. This expressionist landmark of Vienna is located in the Landstraße district on the corner of Kegelgasse and Löwengasse. 


The house was built between 1983 and 1985 according to the ideas and concepts of Hundertwasser with architect Univ.-Prof. Joseph Krawina as a co-author and architect Peter Pelikan as a planner. It features undulating floors ("an uneven floor is a divine melody to the feet", a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. Hundertwasser took no payment for the design of the house, declaring that it was worth it, to prevent something ugly from going up in its place.

Within the house there are 52 apartments, four offices, 16 private terraces and three communal terraces, and a total of 250 trees and bushes. The Hundertwasser House is one of Vienna's most visited buildings and has become part of Austria's cultural heritage.

Genius at work here. 

Upper Belvedere

The extensive Belvedere complex consists of two nagnificent Baroque palaces the Upper and Lower Belvedere, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the 3rd district of Vienna, south-east of the city centre. It houses the Belvedere museum. The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy

David's Napolean

Emperor Joseph II decided to transfer the k.k. Gemäldegalerie (Imperial Picture Gallery) from the Imperial Stables—a part of the city's Hofburg Imperial Palace—to the Upper Belvedere. Inspired by the idea of enlightened absolutism, the intention was to make the imperial collection accessible to the general public. The gallery opened five years later, making it one of the first public museums in the world. A series of eminent painters served as directors in charge of the imperial collection in the Upper Belvedere up to 1891 when it was transferred to the newly-built Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) on Vienna's splendid Ringstrasse. While the Upper Belvedere was transformed into a picture gallery at the end of the eighteenth century, the Lower Belvedere served chiefly to house family members fleeing from Napoleon

The Upper Belvedere underwent a period of reconstruction and modernisation from 1897, based on plans by the architect E. von Förster and commissioned by the Austrian crown prince Franz Ferdinand, so that the imperial family was able reside there from 1899. After the crown prince and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, the palace stood empty.

In 1919, the Belvedere passed into the ownership of the Republic of Austria and was successively adapted as a museum. Bomb attacks in 1944 and 1945 did great damage to both palaces, which were carefully restored after the war. The most important event in Austria’s post-war history was the ceremonial signing of the Austrian State Treaty on 15 May 1955 in the Marble Hall of the Upper Belvedere, restoring sovereignty to Austria. The Marble Hall is the central ceremonial room of the Upper Belvedere and is open to the public.


Incredible history here.  I enjoyed the museum. The highlight was for me the Napolean painting.  Fine collection and well displayed.  The gardens were nice, though they are not connected to the palace (for tourist management reasons).       

Český Krumlov and South Bohemia

Great photo from wiki

Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district.


Truly an authentic medieval town with a very labyrinthine layout.  Krumlov is a major stop on the ancient pilgrimage route westwards towards Spain through Austria.  I decided to walk a portion of this route through the Sumava National Park and had a very interesting adventure. The first segment of my route consisted of Krumlov to Kajov and back to Krumlov.  Kajov has a unique pilgrimage church with a sundial calendar. 

 Back in Krumlov on the second day I took the bus to Frymburk, another town on the pilgrimage route on the Lidna.  I really enjoyed Frymburk.

About as peaceful place as you can be.  The weather was outstanding.  I walked the 5k north to Vrasna and back to Frymburk along the lake.  The third day was a mission to say the least. This is my route.

I walked about 45k, from Frymburk to Lidna to Predni Vyton to Sv. Tomas to St. Oswald to Haslach an der Muhl. 
Following the pilgrims path was a unique adventure. 


My route went across the "abandoned zone" that was formerly the guarded border between Austria and Czechoslovakia.  Navigating was quite challenging and fun.  There are no roads that go directly from St. Thomas to St. Oswald, and in fact, many of the original pilgrim's paths had been destroyed intentionally. 

This is Vítkův Kamen at Svatý Tomáš.  At this point, I realized that I had no choice but to continue on to Austria for accomodations.  There is a nice lodge here, but it is a seasonal hunting retreat. I arrived at Sankt Oswald bei Freistadt at dusk.

St. Oswald

There was unquestionably a feeling of relief on seeing the steeple of the church here.  Though on entering the town, I realized that there were no services.  So, I pressed on to Haslach in the dark.  I arrived there at 21:45, nearly 11 hours after starting in Frymburk.  

Pilgrim's path marker in Haslach an der Muhl.  

Kostel Nejsvětějšího srdce Páně (Vinohrady)

Sacred Heart Church is located at Prague's náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad in the district of Vinohrady.It is a modern construction of the famous Slovene architect Josip Plecnik was carried out between1928 and 1932 .

In 2010 the church was identified as a national monument.

In the shadow of Zizkov Tower, this church is graced by its own náměstí (square) that emphasizes its distinctive, albeit oft ignored and possibly scorned design.  

Picture of church from Zizkov Tower.

Vyšehrad

Vltava River from Vysehrad

Vyšehrad is a castle located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was probably built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River. 

Sunken tennis court with amphitheater seating

Situated within the castle is the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, as well as the Vyšehrad Cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from the Czech history, among them Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Karel Čapek, and Alphonse Mucha.