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Despite all the far flung places I've visited, I had never been to the Czech Republic. So, I've finally joined the millions of other Brits who fly over every weekend.
During my brief stay I visited Prague, Ceské Budejovice and Český Krumlov.
The tourist centres of Prague and Český Krumlov were packed with tourists. I was impressed by the fairytale beauty of the buildings and landscapes.
Whilst spending a whole day walking around the ground of Prague castle I was forced to queue on many occasions. One of the queues I joined stretched up a long flight of steps and didn't appear to be moving.
St Wenceslas and the Crown Jewels
Finally and hour and a half later I got my reward when I finally entered the Palace building. I had arrived in the week when the Bohemian Crown Jewels had been put on display.
The last time the jewels were put on display was 2003. The crown jewels are only removed from the Crown Chamber in St Vitus Cathedral on special occasions. In this case it was the re-election of
President Vaclav Klaus.
The coronation crucifix comes from the second half of the 14th century...
New studies of the sword have dated the blade to the 10th century, thus confirming the possibility that it could have actually belonged to St Wenceslas.
But perhaps the richest story belongs to the crown itself , which is one of the oldest surviving royal crowns in Europe..
Charles IV had the current crown made for his 1347 coronation, then decreed it be 'given' to St Wenceslas and placed on a bust of the saint.
The Prague Post, April 23rd-29th. After 4 months on the road, I flew out of the
Czech Republic and returned to the UK. I've just spent the past week getting the backlog of blogs on-line.
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