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Published: December 31st 2006
Castle in Lednice
Right part of the castle-main residence.Left Vienna early this morning. Crossed the Danube River which is Mississippi River in size. Got outside of town and drove by a gladiola field. Our tour director said that there are cash boxes in the fields and people can go and cut flowers and drop what they owe in the cash box. They use the honor systerm and much cheaper than buying in the city. That is very cool.
As we headed toward the Czech border, our director gave us an extensive background on the Czech Republic. Czechoslavakia was only formed in 1918 and was put together by political force which is is why later it was divided back into the two countries after the end of the Cold War. Very bohemian origins. Very pretty countryside again as we drove; green, green grass. The area is starting to be more rolling hills again versus mountains. The Czechs were one of the first victims of the Nazi takeover because the country was predominantly German speaking. Finally, in 1990, the first free elections were held. In 2004, the Czech Republic was accepted into the European Union which was a big economical boost for them. They are still moving in various stages
Statue in the back gardens
You can see a part of the glass structure in the back. to becoming a full member. As we drove through "lower Austria", saw lots of signs for "sturm" which our director told us was one of the stages of fermenting grape juice. Sturm is very green, very sweet and very healthy. Saw a lot of the big windmills for power.
Crossed the Czech Republic border and had a quick passport check and got some funds exchanged into Czech. Since CR is not a complete member of the EU, they still use their crown for money so euros not quite used by everyone yet. Very colorful money. As we made our way through the country, have the rolling hills like back home but many more trees.
Made a stop in Lednice for lunch. Lednice is home to a Liechtenstein (Austrian noble) family castle. I believe it was a summer residence for them. According to our tour guide, it is no longer owned by them because they lost it when the communists took over. It is mentioned in books going back to 1222 but has had several reconstructions over the years. According to our guide, the Lichtenstein family is trying to get it back into family hands because it is kind
Backside of Castle
Massive gardens which lead down to a lake. of rundown and in disrepair and no one is taking care of it properly. It's an amazing structure and you can see signs of the lack of upkeep. The size is incredible. The main residence (see photo) is very striking and only part of the massive structure which also attaches to another living section and the stables. There are also extensive gardens in the back, a massive glass structure where they grew flowers indoors year round and they have their own lake as well. Several statues are located in the gardens, mainly of animals/hunting related.
As I said earlier, it's in need of repairs. As a result of donations, repairs appear to have been made on the back which faces the gardens/lake. The front, though, you can see lots of chipping and lack of repair. Incredible detail on the tudor construction. I am once again amazed at how people can think of these incredibly detailed structures. A storm was starting to roll in so you'll see pretty grey skies in the pictures. Beautiful residence on many acres.
I found out later that it is registered on the World Cultural Heritage List through UNESCO. It's something that if I
Castle Front
As you can see, in need of repair but check out that detail! ever come back again, I will want to go inside and explore but, again, no time for that. The bus keeps moving...on to Prague!
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