Czech castles - Czech Republic

A trade with Emerich always means new czech castle castles. 

© 2014, fotografie Ladislav Renner

Uherčice castle, located in the South Moravian Region, orignally a Gothic fortress, was rebuilt in the 16th century as two-storey four-winged Renaissance chateau with an arcade on the north side of the courtyard.

© 2014, fotografie Ladislav Renner

The Smečno fortress was built in the beginning of the 13th century, and than in 1418, it became a property of Markvart of Martinice by purchase. His son named Bořita had this fortress rebuilt to a castle. Smečno remained the property of the Martinic and the Clam-Martinic family until 1921.

The castle today serves the purposes of a social care institution, and it is not open to public. However, we can have a look at the extensive manor park with rich sculptural decorations, and an interesting salla terrena from the first half of the 18th century. - in: http://www.meuslany.cz/en/culturally-historical-wandering-around-slany-chws/12-chws/

České Budějovice - Czech Republic

When I was travelling from Český Krumlov to Brno, I had to change buses in České Budějovice. Unfortunatelly I din't have time to visit the city. 

The historic old town of České Budějovice dates from the 13th Century, when it was founded by King Přemysl Otakar II on flat land beside the junction of the Malše and Vltava rivers. The core of the town centre is the enormous marketplace square, one of Bohemia's largest. Like other planned settlements of the Gothic era, a grid of streets radiated out from the corners and sides of the square and the whole settlement was protected by a system of stone walls, guard towers and moats. - in: http://www.outsideprague.com/ceske_budejovice/ceske_budejovice.html

In the centre of České Budějovice you’ll find the city’s pride and joy – a square piazza named after King Přemysl Otakar II. One of the largest squares in Europe, it’s exactly a hectare in size and has become an integral part of every Czech mathematics textbook. 

Foto: M. Kolegar

The square is hemmed by exquisite Baroque arcaded houses, and the grand building of the town hall, one of the country’s most attractive, also graces its cobbles. - in: http://www.czechtourism.com/t/ceske-budejovice-budweis/

The most impressive structures in the square are the Samson fountain, one of the country's largest and a favorite meeting point for locals, and the town hall. Originally from 1555, the town hall was rebuilt in the 1720's in the baroque style. 

Sedlec Ossuary - Czech Republic

In september of 2014 I've traveled around Czech Republic and visited many wonderful places in that beautiful country, one of them was Sedlec Ossuary, it was actually, one of the places I wanted to visited the most. The ossuary is one of the most visited tourist attractions of the Czech Republic, attracting over 200,000 visitors annually.

The Sedlec Ossuary is nothing spectacular in the outside but as you enter the church you will soon realize why it is one of the most amazing, unique and creepy churches in the world. The reason why is the thousands of bones that decorate it. 

To give you an idea of how it looks like inside, besides de card sent by Emerich, I'm also posting 2 pictures that I took there. 

Fotografie: Jan Kulich

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints (Czech: Hřbitovní kostel Všech Svatých) in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. It is one of twelve World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones have in many cases been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel. 

Four enormous bell-shaped mounds occupy the corners of the chapel. An enormous chandelier of bones, which contains at least one of every bone in the human body, hangs from the center of the nave with garlands of skulls draping the vault.

 Other works include piers and monstrances flanking the altar, a coat of arms of House of Schwarzenberg, and the signature of Rint, also executed in bone, on the wall near the entrance. - in: wikipedia

Olomouc - Czech Republic

A few months ago I swapped again with Emerich. When his envelope arrived, I got a few more cards from Czech Republic. 

Foto, design, repro a tisk © SPRINT OLOMOUC

 Saint Wenceslas Cathedral is a neo-gothic cathedral at Wenceslas square in Olomouc. 

The cathedral began in the Romanesque style and was consecrated in 1131. Extensive Gothic modifications were made in 13th and 14th century.

Czech king Wenceslaus III of Bohemia was murdered in a nearby house of the former dean of the cathedral on August 4, 1306. Wenceslaus III was the last of the male Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia.

Gothic revival changes, which included refacing the building, rebuilding the west front and the construction of the central tower, were made during 1883–1892. - in: wikipedia

CZ-743958

Czech Republic is one of the countries from where I've more cards and I'm always happy when I get a new one. 

CZ-743958, sent by Katerina.

Horní Planá  is a town in Český Krumlov District, in South Bohemia. On a hill above the town stands a pilgrim's chapel of St. Mary. 

LT-475099

An official from Lithuania with St. Michael's Small Basilica in Marijampolé, the 7th biggest town in the country.   

LT-475099, sent by Evelina.

The Small Basilica was built in 1824 in a classical, neo-Baroque style with 2 towers and 3 naves. The relic of the Blessed Archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis are buried in the St. Jesus Heart chapel, Vincentas Senkus, the general of Marijonai order, and rebels of 1831, are buried in the churchyard. - in: http://www.marijampole.lt/go.php/Where-to-go21292596

UA-1365875

A new year has just began and I wish all my postcrosser friends, many, many cards in your mailboxes!!

And tomorrow is the day when our boxes will get the 1st cards of the year, well, I hope so. I've just checked my 2015 postcrossing statistics. Regarding official cards, my mailbox was happy 63 day; I've sent 128 cards and received 130. 3 of them came from Ukraine and this was one of them.  

UA-1365875, sent by Di.

This is a view of the Ukrainian Carpathians, Vaskul Mountain peak in the front and Pip Ivan, Petrosul and other carpathian mountains in the back.