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onoce happy easter april 1 2026 by kevan v this coming weekend is the easter weekend one of the bigger holidays in the czech republic many places have easter markets and brno is no exception here s a small gallery of pictures form this year s easter market in brno to learn about easter in the czech republic and traditions follow this link to my existing article on the subject tagged brno central europe czech holidays czech republic easter europe south moravia leave a comment zetor hits 80 march 18 2026 by kevan v 2026 is the 80th anniversary year of legendary czech tractor company zetor zetor started as the tractor building division of the zbrojovka brno company in 1945 but became its own company in 1946 i ve taken the opportunity to revisit my existing article about zetor and make some improvements on it i ve removed some outdated sections and improved the flow of text as well as update the list of links i hope you enjoy the updated article as much as i enjoyed updating it https beyondprague net made in the czech republic made in the czech republic zetor tagged blog updates brno czech history czech republic history made in the czech republic tractors transportation zetor leave a comment vranov chateau baroque on the border february 15 2026 by kevan v vranov chateau seen from the vranov townsite a bastion in the valley vranov nad dyjí is a small town in the south moravian region that shares its name with the picturesque baroque chateau perched on a rocky promontory approximately 80 metres 262 feet above the townsite the town lies along the dyje river roughly 3 kilometres 2 miles from the austrian border the dyje river valley is a protected natural region forming the heart of podyjí national park the river itself constitutes part of the czech austrian border and is known as the thaya river on the austrian side together with thayatal national park in austria podyjí forms an international park that straddles the frontier and is popular with visitors from both countries the chateau and its surrounding parkland complement one another remarkably well and both are exceptionally photogenic with that setting in mind the story of vranov chateau unfolds the dyje river seen from the chateau remnants of the medieval walls are visible in the lower right corner through much history and many hands the current chateau stands on the site of a medieval fortress that once formed part of a border defence system the earliest written records of the fortress date to around 1100 over the centuries the fortress passed through many hands the most significant owners were arguably the althann family an ancient noble house of bavarian origin their tenure at vranov spans two distinct periods encompassing both the original fortress and the later baroque chateau althann ownership began in 1617 when wolf dietrich von althann 1576 1623 purchased the fortress his tenure proved short lived in 1619 he participated in the moravian estates rebellion when protestant landowners in moravia rose against the catholic rule of the habsburg dynasty this uprising formed part of the broader bohemian estates rebellion which began in 1618 and culminated in the battle of white mountain near prague in december 1620 the catholic victory at white mountain led to widespread confiscations of protestant owned estates including the seizure of the fortress from the althann family during the thirty years war 1618 1648 swedish troops looted the town and damaged the fortress during an unsuccessful siege a major fire in 1665 later gutted the structure leaving it effectively in ruins the althanns returned to vranov in 1680 when michael johann ii von althann 1643 1702 a loyal supporter of the habsburgs purchased the remains of the fortress he intended not merely to restore it but to transform it into a residence befitting contemporary noble taste the hall of ancestors to realize this vision he commissioned johann bernhard fischer von erlach 1656 1723 one of the most influential austrian architects of the baroque era fischer von erlach played a central role in shaping baroque architecture in the habsburg lands and his work at vranov reflects that sophistication the heart of the baroque reconstruction was the monumental hall of ancestors begun in 1687 built on an oval floor plan the hall features sculptures of prominent members of the althann family set within alcoves around the perimeter above a grand cupola crowned with frescoes completed over the course of eight years dominates the space fischer von erlach also designed the chateau s chapel and althann family vault beneath it after michael johann ii s death in 1702 his heirs continued to develop the estate as baroque tastes gradually gave way to classicism elements of the newer style were introduced the althann chapter of vranov s history came to an end in the late eighteenth century when financial difficulties led to the estate s acquisition in 1793 through bankruptcy proceedings by joseph hilgartner of lilienborn 1763 c 1811 a view of the chateau with a portion of the gardens and the chapel visible hilgartner built upon the foundations laid by the althanns focusing particularly on the gardens and parkland his contributions included the addition of stables a carriage house and a summer hunting lodge his ownership was brief in 1799 he sold the chateau and town to the polish noble mniszek family in 1876 ownership passed to the related stadnicki family under polish stewardship alterations to the chateau were largely decorative rather than structural the legacies of the mniszek and stadnicki families are perhaps cultural as much as architectural both were ardent patrons of literature and the arts and their presence brought concerts and theatrical performances to the chateau along with the creation of an extensive library the town itself prospered during the nineteenth century in 1816 stanisław mniszek 1774 1846 purchased a small local pottery works and invested heavily in its expansion the enterprise grew into a respected manufacturer of pottery and porcelain earning a reputation at home and abroad polish ownership ended abruptly in 1938 with the german annexation of czechoslovakia the chateau and its lands were confiscated from the stadnicki family following the second world war properties owned by individuals of german nationality in czechoslovakia were seized by the state and vranov chateau remains in state ownership today entrance hall take a look inside while the exterior preserves its baroque character the interiors reveal the influence of classicism most clearly two guided tour options are available the first lasting approximately 45 minutes includes the state rooms and the hall of ancestors and focuses primarily on the althann period the state rooms provide an excellent introduction to the principles of classicist design in contrast to the excess of the late baroque classicism favoured restraint cleaner lines balanced proportions and decoration inspired by the architecture of ancient greece and rome like the hall of ancestors the entrance hall is imposing in scale and crowned with a frescoed cupola illusionistic paintings of columns and classical motifs adorn the walls and lower portions of the dome the furnishings are refined and luxurious without appearing excessive other rooms on the basic tour that illustrate the spacious and orderly qualities of classicism include the dining room and the drawing room both feature wall coverings in muted colours restrained decorative detailing stucco accents and finely crafted wood mouldings at the tops and bottoms of the walls the second tour lasting approximately 50 minutes explores the private apartments and the chapel interiors with emphasis on the mniszek and stadnicki eras tours are conducted in czech only however printed materials in other languages are available upon request to assist non czech speakers the drawing room paying a visit and learning more vranov nad dyjí and the chateau are accessible by road if travelling by bus from elsewhere in the czech republic you will likely need to transfer in znojmo the bus from znojmo stops at vranov nad dyjí zámecký hotel where you can connect to another bus that continues to vranov nad dyjí zámek adjacent to the chateau visitors arriving by car should note that the main parking lot is located in the town approximately 800 metres 0 5 miles downhill from the chateau limited bus service operates from the parking area to the vranov nad dyjí zámek stop alternatively a walking path runs roughly parallel to the road ascending through forested terrain to the chateau the route is uphill and suitable footwear reasonable physical fitness and tick appropriate insect repellent are essential as part of podyjí national park the surrounding area offers numerous hiking and cycling trails some of which provide scenic approaches to the chateau for current information on opening hours and admission fees the chateau s official website is the best starting point vranov s appeal extends beyond the chateau itself as part of a national park region rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage the broader vranovsko region offers much to explore for those willing to linger tagged central europe chateaus chateaus and fortresses czech history czech republic europe history south moravia tourism travel leave a comment november 17 struggle for freedom and democracy day november 12 2025 by kevan v velvet revolution prague 1989 photo peter turnley public domain students and solidarity november 17 is a national holiday in the czech republic commemorating two student led protests against tyranny the first in 1939 was a demonstration against the german occupation that followed the killing of a czech student by german troops fifty years later on the same date in 1989 czech students once again protested tyranny this time against the communist regime sparking the velvet revolution the date s current national holiday status is more closely associated with the 1989 events november 17 1939 on this day the dormitories of prague s charles university were stormed by nazi forces following student led protests against the german occupation of czechoslovakia nine students identified as ringleaders were executed without trial more than 1 000 others who participated in the protests were sent to concentration camps and all czech universities and colleges were closed for three years a detailed account of those events can be found here the 17th of november remembering jan opletal martyr of an occupied nation radio prague international november 17 1989 students in czechoslovakia once again rose against oppression in 1989 this time against communist rule after decades of authoritarian control the decline of the eastern bloc led to widespread unrest and demonstrations throughout central and eastern europe in czechoslovakia the november 1989 protests culminated in the fall of the communist regime new political parties were formed and legalized the communist party was stripped of its powers and václav havel 1936 2011 was appointed president thousands of political prisoners were granted amnesty these events became known as the velvet revolution for more information see 1989 the velvet revolution in context or how november began in january radio prague international freedom week for many czechs november 17 is simply a public holiday however those who wish to commemorate the day can attend various events in the week leading up to it collectively known as freedom week the largest celebrations take place on prague s národní třída a major site of the 1989 protests freedom week is organized by the non profit group díky že můžem thanks that we can their flagship event in prague korzo národní offers a wide range of activities in both czech and english smaller freedom week events may also be found in other locations across the country tagged central europe communism czech history czech holidays czech republic europe history 1 comment visiting the neighbours slovenia travelogue october 28 2025 by kevan v the church of the assumption of mary located on lake bled south slavic splendour towards the end of october 2025 we spent a week in slovenia this article offers an example of what you can do in this small but vibrant country in five days it was our first visit and slovenia left an excellent impression on us we d happily return to see more although the country covers only 20 271 square kilometres 7 827 square miles there s an incredible amount packed into that small area from a tourism perspective slovenia truly is the definition of good things coming in small packages our hotel was in the capital ljubljana and our trip was a mix of business and pleasure for the first couple of days my girlfriend jana attended business meetings which gave me the opportunity to visit a few places she wasn t particularly interested in by mid week her meetings were done and we were officially on holiday together excluding travel days we had five full days to explore here s what we managed to do in that time the una class submarine is an example of the former yugoslavia s ability to develop its own military gear day one the founding of a nation after breakfast at our hotel i made my way to ljubljana s train station and boarded a train for pivka a small town about an hour and a half southwest of the capital my destination was the military history park park vojaške zgodovine the park features a well organized collection of military vehicles and artefacts spanning from the second world war to slovenia s independence in 1991 more than just a military museum the park offers an engaging way to learn about the yugoslav resistance during the war the rise and fall of yugoslavia through the cold war and the emergence of modern slovenia after its dissolution one of the most fascinating exhibits is a walk through timeline that illustrates these events in context the park also presents the non aligned movement a nuanced element of the cold war that yugoslavia helped pioneer this movement provided countries seeking self determination with an alternative to strict alignment with either the eastern or western blocs offering greater flexibility in trade and development the french designed gazelle helicopter is an example of western technology that yugoslavia could access due to its non aligned stance many gazelles were license built in yugoslavia the collection includes equipment from both sides of the iron curtain along with a significant amount designed and built in yugoslavia itself the main complex consisting of three display pavilions a central building and an outdoor area easily warrants two or three hours of exploration a walking trail also leads to remnants of the alpine wall a line of fortifications built by italy before the second world war according to the park s website the walk takes about 40 minutes but i didn t have time to include it in my visit before catching my return train to ljubljana that evening at ljubljana castle we ...