Berlin to Prague

Hassenstein Castle

The trip north to the Hassenstein Castle is a pilgrimage for Jane. Most of her family has been to this castle up by the border with Germany, the first we know of was her great-grandfather and great-grandmother with her grandfather in 1912. He must have been told by his family where it was because it is remote even by today's standards.

Entrance and tower

Artillery Bastion

Entrance to the keep

Chapel diagram

Smaller south tower has a spiral staircase

North Tower from the parking lot

Misto is a small village east of the larger industrial town of Chomutov

The basin is missing today, but it was there in 1912

Freeway sign on the road from Prague

This is the ticket you get after you pay the small fee to get in.

Artists rendition of what the castle might have looked like in 1550

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasi%C5%A1tejn_Castle

Prague, Czech Republic

Karlov Most, Prague, by Yuriy Shevchuk

Early in the morning we left the ship and boarded our bus for the trip to Prague. We had early departure for several reasons, 1. We had a walking tour of Old Town Prague coming up 2. Viking had to get the boat ready for the trip back to Wittenberg, presumably with new passengers. Our bags were to appear in our rooms at our hotel after we returned from our walking tour, and that was were they turned up (we put them outside of our cabin door on the Viking Astrild at 7 AM).

The bus drove us the the most prominent landmark in Prague, St. Vitus Cathedral inside the Palace.

Your first view is from the city below but when you get up to it, well, it's beautiful.

Security is tight because this palace is the home of the President of the Czech Republic as well as the Crown Jewels.

The largest castle in the world dating from the 9th century and home to Holy Roman Emperors and Hapsburg Princes.

Detail above the front door of St Vitus Cathedral

Inside is dramatic and impossible to describe, just as it's builders intended.

Door to part of the Prague Castle

St George is the statue in front of St Vitus Cathedral

St Vitus Cathedral is so big, that one photo is not enough

Last photo of St Vitus Cathedral

Charles Bridge in Prague

one of the many statues on the Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge looking up to St Vitus Cathedral

View toward the Rudolfium Theatre

One of the many Kings of Bohemia named Charles

One of many churches in Old Town Prague

The Church of Our Lady before Tyn (or Tyn Church) in Old Town Square

Lots of police in Old Town Prague Square - that statue is Jan Hus

Jan Hus was an early reformer, but it cost him his life.

I bought one for my sister

End gate of the Charles Bridge on the Castle side of the river

Detail of the top of the Charles bridge gate

This is on the other side of the river and is called the "Powder Tower" and was part of the defensive wall of old Prague

You don't have to walk, as there are many similar tour vehicles

Jan Hus and his tormentors

Photo of the "Powder Tower" taken by Jane's Great Grandfather in 1912

Photo of the Charles Bridge and St Vitus Cathedral taken in 1912 by Jane's Great Grandfather

Another photo of the "Powder Tower" taken in 1912

Both photos taken from the same spot, but 100 odd years apart!

Decin, Czech Republic

After leaving the "Saxon Switzerland" and crossing the border (I saw it out the window, but it was just a few flags - German, Czech and European Union), we docked in Děčín, Czech Republic, at dusk. No time for any tours, just a few photos.

See the castle on the top of that rock?

Bridge over the Elbe at Decin

At Decin, we have our last dinner and spend our last night on the Viking Astrild. Great food, great views, new friends, and spectacular service. And by the way, I need a Gluten-Free diet and at every meal, the Maitre d' would tell me which course of the meal was safe for me to eat. Kudos to Vladimir! Even Gluten-Free croissants for breakfast!

Saxon Switzerland

From Dresden we continue south on the Elbe River for our day trip at Bad Schandau, the gateway to the Saxon Switzerland - so called by a couple of poets who were much impressed with this area (this is why we left Dresden so early in the morning).