Hrádek nad Nisou & Liberec (31/08/2024)

On a long day trip from Berlin, Ania and I decided to head to visit a couple of places in Czechia. Thanks to the Deutschlandticket, we were able to cross the border and reach the Czech town of Hrádek nad Nisou without paying any extra ticket. Once there, we exited the train station and headed on foot to the small old town. We first passed by the Church of Peace, built at the beginning of the 20th century by the Lutherans, and then reached the main square. Small but pretty, it was surrounded by some historic houses and held the plague column of St Anne at its center. Nearby, we tried visiting the church of Saint Bartholomew, originally dating to the 13th century but refurbished in its current baroque form in 1764. The church was closed, but at least they had left the main door open, and we could enter the foyer and admire the interior from the glass doors. At that point, we left the old town and started walking eastwards, leaving the town behind. A little over half an hour later, we came upon the Grabštejn castle, which we proceeded to visit after buying an entrance ticket and joining a Czech guided tour. We were provided papers with English information about what we were visiting. Originally dating to the 13th century, it was rebuilt in a Renaissance style and later had baroque and neoclassical refurbishing. We started the tour by heading through the inner courtyard and then through the rooms of the ground floor. They mostly featured hunting decorations, as was typical of the 19th century, but with some traces of sgraffito from the Renaissance here and there. Then we passed through the Great Hall, which featured paintings of the Gallas family, including the first member who purchased the castle in 1704. The family traced its origin back to Trento in Italy and was in the service of Austria-Hungary. Next up was the chapel of St Barbara, dating to 1569 and considered one of the Renaissance and early mannerism pearls in the country. It was lavishly painted and decorated, but we could only see it from the balconies, as going inside required a different tour. Upstairs were more rooms, including one with beautiful rococo frescoes and furniture, and a room with a Renaissance fireplace similar to those designed by Giulio Romano and Sebastiano Serlio. Our tour then ended with the climb of the tower, from which we had a great view of the surrounding landscape. Once back down, we left the castle and hiked down to reach the nearby train station of Chotyně, from where we got the train to the city of Liberec. This time, as we were fully in Czech territory, our ticket wasn't valid anymore, and we purchased another one for just a couple of euros. Once there, we left the train station and started heading towards the city center. The city seemed quite large, and at just over 100 thousand inhabitants, it's the fifth largest in the country. We passed by a large mall set smack in the center and then followed a main street through the historic town. The street was lined by tall, slim, colorful buildings mostly dating to the 19th and early 20th centuries. A beautiful mix of Neoclassical and Art Nouveau, which gave the city a really nice look. This is probably how many German cities looked like before the WW2 destruction. Liberec was also once home to a thriving textile industry and hence nicknamed the Manchester of Bohemia. We then reached the main square, where a food and music festival was taking place. There were tents and a lot of people eating and drinking, but we still managed to see the main sights. At its center, a little covered, was the Neptune fountain dating to the early 19th century. Once, right in the middle of the square, stood the old town hall in a Renaissance style, which was demolished in 1894 because it was dilapidated. Nowadays, where it used to stand as its plan is indicated in the paving of the square. To the north side stands the imposing new town hall, a beautiful neo-Gothic building with tall spires, built right before the demolition of the old town hall. After walking around admiring the rest of the square's architecture, we decided to find someplace to eat. We took a side street and opted for a place called Plzeňka - Dul,  which had typical Czech food. I took duck with red cabbage, mashed potatoes, and the typical bread dumplings, knedlíky, while Ania had fried mushrooms with potatoes, and of course, both of us got some local beer too. After eating at the restaurant, we headed back through the main square and passed the Anthony the Great church. This was originally built in the late 16th century in a Gothic style but refurbished in a Neo-Gothic style during the 19th century. The church was closed, but one was allowed to look through the glass door of the interior. We continued on through the square in front, sided by nice colorful tenement houses, while in a side alley, we saw the Valdštejnské domky. These were three timber-framed houses built in 1678, 1680, and 1681 and are considered the oldest in town. Nearby, in the western end of the old town, we reached the church of the Holy Cross, built in a nice baroque style but unfortunately closed. Heading back through town, we then passed by the large theatre built in a Neo-renaissance style at the end of the 19th century and largely reminiscent of the one in Krakow. Once around the building, we passed a curious bus stop created by Czech sculptor David Černý called Feast of Giants. It is considered a work of art and represents how larger nations have always decided about the Czechs and their future. A bit further, on the eastern side of town, we then approached the city's castle.  Originally dating to the 16th century in a Renaissance style, it was expanded and refurbished, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries, when it took its majority baroque form. An additional late 18th-century classicist building was built next to it, becoming the so-called new castle. After falling into disrepair following WWII, it was refurbished and used by a glass manufacturer until nearly the 21st century, while nowadays it is partly used as a school, restaurant, and small museum. From that point, we started walking northwards to reach the new town, formed as the city expanded during the 19th century, particularly due to its textile industry. Here were wide streets, beautiful romanticist villas, and buildings. Among them was the North Bohemian Museum was founded in 1873 as the first arts and crafts museum in the Czech lands and held in a building dating from 1898, which features a tower replicating the town hall tower. The museum was free to enter, and a donation could be given instead. Inside were objects and other exhibits from the area and beyond, dating from the Middle Ages to modern times. The exhibits were nice and informative, and the building itself was a beauty to see. In front of the museum was another museum, the Liberec Regional Gallery, hosted inside the former city spa. This beautiful neo-renaissance building was constructed around 1902 and served as the municipal pool and spa. Nowadays, it holds a nice collection of local paintings, and as the other museum was free to enter with just a donation suggested. Once we had visited it, we headed out and walked back to the old town. After a final round, it was time to head to the station and eventually get our ride back home. 

St. Bartholomew Church in Hradek nad Nisou

The main square of the town

The inner courtyard of the Grabštejn Castle

The chapel of St Barbara

The main keep tower

One of the castle's rooms

Another room

The view from the top of the keep

The main street in Liberec

Another view of the main street

The city's main square

The new town hall

Another view of the main square

Some nice tenement houses

The 17th century Valdštejnské domky

The theatre

The castle

The North Bohemian Museum

View from the museum's terrace

Strausberg (29/08/2024)

After work, I decided to go on a hike somewhere not far from Berlin. I took the S-bahn and reached the station of Strausberg Stadt. Once there, I got off and continued on foot, heading towards the city center of Strausberg. This town featured a small but nice old town, having been founded around the 13th century. Walking around town I noticed some traces of its history spanning from the surviving medieval walls on the eastern edge of town, to the nice timber-framed houses or tenement houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. At one point I reached the Marienkirche, the town's main church dating from the 13th century and a mix of Romanesque and Gothic also considered one of the largest fieldstone churches in Brandenburg. The church was unfortunately closed so I just walked around it admiring it from the exterior. Nearby I then walked through the main square and headed out of town walking northwards. I started walking along the shoreline of the Straussee, a large lake in the form an S that borders the town. The first part, close to town was packed with people, especially the tiny beaches found here and there. The northern side which I reached after a bit of walking had no one as it was out of the way and without a real beach or cove. However, as I continued further walking through the forested western side of the lake I found again more people as there were larger spots of grass or sand and probably easier to reach. I found a spot with not so many people and decided to stop and have a quick swim as it was quite warm still. I then laid down on the sand and enjoyed a short break. Continuing onwards I then found another spot and had another swim. Here I met a guy who after talking about the water quality and weather asked where I was from and what I was doing. I told him about my hike and was surprised I was walking all around the lake as people usually do it by bicycle only he told me. After saying goodbye I walked on, finally getting to the opposite end of the lake from the town. Here, at its narrowest point, I was able to take some good photos of the old town with the light approaching sunset. After some more walking, I had completed the loop of the lake and was back in Strausberg, going to catch the next S-bahn home. 

Strausberg's old town

The church of St Mary

A street in the old town

A busy beach on the northeastern shore of the Straussee

A small beach

A zoomed in view of Strausberg's old town from the western shore

The old town on the lake

Pfaueninsel (28/08/2024)

After work, Ania and I decided to head to visit the Pfaueninsel, or Peacock Island, an island in the River Havel close to Potsdam. After reaching Berlin Wannsee station we got off and hopped on a bus that took us to the northern edge of the Westlicher Düppeler Forest where we were then able to take the little ferry that in just a few meters took us to the island. The ticket included both the ferry and the entry into the island which is part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a a nature reserve. Once off the ferry boat, we started walking along the island's perimeter, passing by the first building of many, the frigate boathouse built in 1833 specifically to hold the miniature frigate gifted by the British King George IV to the Prussian King Frederick William III to commemorate the victory over Napoleon. Nowadays only a copy of that original, which was scrapped after WWII, survives and is held there during the winter months. Nearby we then walked through a nice small garden with plants, herbs, and some vines. Next up we passed the Maschinenhaus, a steam engine built in 1822 to bring a regular water supply to the island by pumping the river's water uphill and then through the rest of the island in pipes. Walking further we then reached the Beelitzer Jagdschirm, a peculiar bark-covered building that served as a hunting cabin. The interior of the first floor had a salon for the hunting party with curtains and wallpaper while the basement had holes from which the hunters could shoot aquatic birds. Continuing along the perimeter we reached the northern part of the island where a gothic-like structure was set. Looking like a church this is actually a dairy farm built at the end of the 19th century and still has sheep roaming around. As we continued on we noticed a small pond and saw something move it in. As it was in the shadows and the figures dark we couldn't make out what it was until we saw one of its horns move. They were water buffaloes just enjoying a nice cooling bath in the muddy pond. After this incredible sight, we then walked over to another building, a Greek temple built as a grave monument for Queen Louise. Heading then to the core of the island we found a large aviary with birds of all kinds, many of which exotic. Once the whole island itself was a mix of architecture, nature, and animals with many people from Berlin coming specifically to see the king's menagerie that held alligators, buffalos, kangaroos, monkeys, chameleons, wolves, eagles, lions, lamas, bears, beavers and peacocks. The number of animals peaked at over 900, from over 100 species, while today only the aviary is what remains of that menagerie. Not far from there we then passed by another building, the Kavaliershaus built at the beginning of the 19th century and expanded a couple of decades later by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Interestingly an additional tower-like structure was added to its side by using a Gothic house from Gdansk. This structure actually had a long history. It is said that the bricks for the façade of the house were made in Venice around 1360 for parts of a palace in Nuremberg and in 1480, the late Gothic façade was transported to Gdansk for a house there. The gothic house was crumbling and in need of repair and being too costly was thus dismantled and sold at auction, being then bought for the King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm III and eventually brought to the peacock island. Moving onwards we reached the western part of the island where the Schloss, or palace was set. It was the first structure to be completed, built in 1797 as a summer residence for the king and to be seen from his Marmorpalasi in Potsdam, across the water. The palace was under refurbishment and so we continued on to reach the last structure on the island, the Schweizerhaus. This was a representation of the romantic ideal of closeness to nature as Swiss houses were widely used in European landscape gardens during the Romantic period in the 19th century. Finally after our walk we were back at the start and we waited then for the ferry to take us back to the mainland and from there head home. 

The short ferry to the Pfaueninsel

The Maschinenhaus

A view of the Havel from the island

The Meierei

Another view of the dairy farm

The structures around the farm

The Kavaliershaus

Flowers around the island

The Pfaueninsel Schloss

The Schweizerhaus

The facade of the Swiss house

Vetschau (27/08/2024)

After work, I decided to visit a town and hike a little outside of Berlin. I took a train and headed southeast reaching the town of Vetschau near the Spreewald, the cultural landscape area and large inland delta of the river Spree. Once there, from the station I headed on to the old town on foot. I reached the main square, the Markt, surrounded by a mix of older and newer buildings, and then walked over to the nearby parish church. Called the Wendish German double church, it consists of two single-nave church buildings set side by side. Originally dating to the 13th century, during the Christianisation of the Wends living in the area, the church burnt down in the 17th century. It was then rebuilt, most probably after the Thirty Years' War, and came to be known as the Wendish church. Slowly, while the surrounding countryside remained largely dominated by the Wends, the percentage of Germans in town started to increase and thus a new church was built attached to the first shortly after. The church though featured a single bell tower, built at the beginning of the 18th century. As I got there though I found the building closed and thus could only admire it from the outside. Not too far from there I then passed by the oldest house in town, a nice timber-framed building dating to 1710. A short walk then led me to the castle, built in a Renaissance style in 1538 over a previous Slavic ring wall and refurnished in the 19th century. It now functions as the town's administration building so I couldn't visit it but I walked around the surrounding park admiring the views. At that point, I left town and started walking westwards taking a minor road through the open countryside. I passed several fields, including some dry and wizened-looking sunflowers. Continuing on I then reached the shore of the Bischdorfer See, an artificial lake made up from the filling of a lignite open-cast mine closed in 1996. I walked along the eastern shore and after a bit reached the Slawenburg Raddusch, a largely faithful replica of a Slavic fortress from the 9th century built between 1999 and 2003 and used as a museum. As it was past closing time I could not visit it but instead walked around it to admire what many fortresses in the area would've looked like. Eventually, after a bit more walking I reached the train station of Raddusch from where I took my ride back to Berlin.

A street in the old town of Vetschau

The Wendish German double church

A street in the old town

Schloss Vetschau

Another view of the castle

The Bischdorfer See

The Slawenburg Raddusch

Freyenstein & Meyenburg (25/08/2024)

On a day trip from Berlin, I decided to head to northern Brandenburg and visit a couple of towns. After taking the train and then a bus I arrived in the town of Freyenstein. Here I first headed to visit the town's main attraction, the castle. The castle actually consists of two castles, the new and the old. The Neues Schloss located on the main road, originally started as a small house in the 15th century and then rebuilt in its current style in the 17th century. It was built next to the medieval Wittstock gate, once part of the walls encircling the town. Around the castle was a nice park and at the other end of the Altes Schloss, the old castle. This originally dated to the 14th century and took its current renaissance style in the 16th century. It was once much larger and with a moat around it but it was heavily damaged during the Thirty Years' War and partially ruined leaving only the southwestern wing. From the castles, I then walked westward to reach the Archaeological Park. This used to be the site where the town of Freyenstein, once called Vrigenstene, was located and founded in 1263. The town was destroyed several times during military conflicts and eventually, in 1287, it was decided not to rebuild the town on the old site, but to relocate it to the adjacent lowlands to the north-east, where it is set nowadays. What remained of the old settlement was abandoned, its buildings and stone used for construction, and the foundations covered to be used as arable land. The place is now a rare and important archaeological site as it allows unique insights into the former appearance of a medieval town that didn't develop like other towns throughout the centuries and stayed as it once was in the 13th century. I didn't go inside the park but still managed to see it from the outside. Then I walked back into town and walked the main street until I reached the main square. There was also the parish church of St Mary, built in a Gothic style in the 14th century. Unfortunately, it was closed so I continued on my visit to the rest of the town. Once I was done, I left Freyenstein heading westwards through the countryside. I followed a partly paved road with thick stones lined by so many apple trees. As I walked I picked a couple of apples to eat on the way. Then I came across a rapeseed field in bloom with its bright yellow color, quite surprising at the end of August, especially as nearby was an already cut field of wheat and a fully ripe one of corn. I then reached the village of Schmolde with its small nice church built in a timber-framed style in 1730. After some more walking, I passed through another village, Penzlin, with the Guthaus, a manor house, originally dating to the 16th century but refurbished during the 18th and 19th centuries. A bit more walking eventually led me to the town of Meyenburg. Here I walked through the old town, admiring the nice architecture. The town was damaged during the Thirty Years' War and also in 1795 when a great fire largely destroyed it. The houses were then rebuilt after the fire and there are still some nice timber-framed ones from that period. On the northern end of town, I reached the nice castle, originally dating to the 14th century but refurbished in the 19th century in a neo northern German Renaissance style. It holds a fashion museum nowadays so I skipped visiting the interior. In the nearby park, I then sat on a bench and ate my sandwich while enjoying some sun. Next to it I then passed the parish church, with the main building dating to the 18th century that had survived the fire and the bell tower rebuilt in a neogothic style in 1850. Finall,y after one last round of the town admiring the rest I then eventually reached the train station from where I took a ride back to Berlin.

The Neues Schloss in Freyenstein

The Altes Schloss

View of the complex

The pond just outside the old town

The church of St Mary

A rapeseed field

The church in Schmolde

The Guthaus Penzlin

The Schloss Meyenburg

A street in the old town