Day 05 - Prague to Bamberg, Germany

Today we departed the Czech Republic and traveled all day by bus to meet our ship, the Alsvin, in Germany. We started very early with a 5:25am alarm. We had to put our luggage outside our room in the hallway by 6am so it could be loaded on the bus for us. We got our bags packed up and headed downstairs to get in line for breakfast before it opened at 6:30am. Everyone else on our ship had the same idea. By the time the restaurant opened, there was a crowd of hungry people. 

While we were eating our food, a lady at the table next to us exclaimed “OH NO!” She had cracked open an egg and discovered the hard way that it was not hard boiled. Needless to say, she had raw egg all over her pants. We gave her our napkins to help her clean up. Michele told her that things could only improve from here for her today. She wasn’t too amused.

We finished up breakfast by 7:15am and returned to our rooms to collect our carry-on bags. Viking divided the ship passengers into four groups: orange, grey, green, and blue. We were in the blue group scheduled to depart at 7:45am.

At 8:04am we departed on the E50 west out of Prague. E50 is a major highway that starts in the east at Brno, runs north through Prague before turning west and ending in Brest, France. 

The highway runs through Nuremberg. East to west it also passes by the following cities before reaching it’s end: Heidelberg, Mannheim, Saarbrucken, Metz, Reims, Paris, Chartres, LeMans, Rennnes, and Saint-Brieuc. The route took us through the western Czech countryside where we saw fields of blooming rapeseed. 

The crop’s yellow bloom lasts just a few weeks. We stopped for a quick 20 minute bathroom/leg stretcher break around 10am. Back on the bus at 10:20am we crossed over into Germany 10 minutes later. There was a small border station, but the guards didn’t stop the bus so we continued on.

Michele was last in Germany in 1991 when she took a trip to Italy via Germany with her friend’s family. Rob was last in Germany in 1985. Back then the Czech Republic was Czechoslovakia and the Iron Curtain was well intact. This trip would not have been possible (or likely desirable) back then.

While the terrain in the Czech Republic was mostly rolling hills with farmland, crossing into Germany we saw the size and number of hills increase with woodland and evergreens. We were also greeted with the site of an idyllic German hillside town.

The other notable change was the speed limit. In the Czech Republic the speed limit was 100km. Now in Germany and on the autobahn, the speed limit signs disappeared and cars were zipping past the bus at high speeds.

At about 11am, the bus driver turned off of E50 onto U85 (a secondary road). This was not expected so Rob took a quick look on his GPS and noticed that E50 was closed in the west-bound direction between Ursensollen and Schwend. The detour took us through Amberg and Souzbach-Rosenberg where we turned south on ST2164 towards Schwend where we got back onto E50.

We arrived in Nuremberg around 12:30pm.The cruise director, Jen, led us to the historic downtown square and to sightsee on our own until 2:15pm. We found an Irish pub with plenty of indoor seating and ordered lunch. The bartender/waiter spoke such good English that Michele thought he was Irish. Rob, Roy, and Gwyn all had the fish and chips while Michele had a ham and cheese toastie with a small salad. Roy and Rob also ordered a Pilsner.

In the late Middle Ages Nuremberg ranked as the most distinguished, best located city of the realm (the Holy Roman Empire). Today it is a modern, bustling area for locals and tourists. 

We drove to a few historic sites and met our tour guide. First stop was Zeppelinfeld, the Zeppelin field used for large-scale Nazi party gatherings from 1933-1938. Crowds were an astounding 1.3 million during these gatherings and the venue was used for propaganda.  This is what it looked like in those times.

Later, the Allies paraded down the same area and blew up the Nazi symbol atop the main stage. This is today’s view of what remains.

Michele felt that the place had a very bad vibe about it.

Next was a visit to the Imperial Castle of Nuremburg. 

The rampart. Note the curve of the rampart and the incline. These made charging at the gate more difficult as well as transporting large gate ramming “machines”. The curve also put the attackers back to a fortified wall allowing the defenders of the castle to shoot arrows at their backs.

These stones are original. You can see little holes in the center of each block. These holes (one on each face of the stone) were used by pincers to grip the stone so they could be lifted into place.

At the top of the rampart, you enter this gate which requires you to turn sharply to your right, making progress forward more difficult since you have to turn. This passageway was one of the defenses against enemies. It had a surprise defense mechanism.

This tunnel had no windows save for three ports in the ceiling. There was another set of doors at the other end making visibility very poor inside. Using the ceiling openings, boiled poo would be dumped upon intruders to keep them from advancing further into the castle structure. No enemy ever made it this far in this castle while the empire existed to test out that defense. 

We were shown pictures of the before and after WWII of the area around the castle. It was built in 1200 and represented the importance and power of the Holy Roman Empire. Nearly 90 percent of the city center structures were destroyed in WWII in a one-hour bombing run by the Allies. Subsequent bombings of the entire city would see 75% of all structures destroyed. Reconstruction after WWII was done to put everything back as it was pre-Nazis. So, while the city looks old it is not.

Perhaps most famously, Nuremberg is known for the Allied trials against defeated Nazi Germany for crimes committed during WWII. In the east wing of the Palace of Justice there is Courtroom 601 in which the Nuremberg trials took place. That room is located on the second floor behind the large windows on the building to the far right with the red tile roof.

After our tour of Nuremberg we drove about 45 minutes to Bamberg, arriving at the ship at 5:30pm. Check in was a new experience for us. Each crew member was assigned to each couple and walked us to our stateroom. We knew immediately this would be a more personalized type of cruise experience. We got checked into our room 321 on the third level, just below the sundeck on the top level.

Shortly after checking out our room, we went to the lounge located forward on the second deck for cocktails and the welcome presentation. We were introduced to the captain and his senior crew, and were told about the rules of the ship. A woman was rudely talking loudly near us so we could not hear everything being presented. Gwyn stared very intently at her with the evil eye and a disgusted look, but it did not work. Michele was considering how to tell her to shush without being rude herself, but the lady eventually shut up. From that point on she’d be known to us as “Loud Lady.” There’s at least one in every group, and so far most people have been friendly and kind. We learned there are just 186 passengers on our ship. 

Viking has a video on the room TV for the mandatory safety training showing where the life vests are located and the exits. In the past on the big ships we all had to show up at the muster station with our vests on and listen to the safety briefing. Michele told Rob should we need to abandon this ship, why can’t she just put on her vest and jump overboard? The ship and our balcony are very low to the water. 

Rob said he would opt to go up to the sundeck and wait until the ship sinks to the bottom, then he can just walk off it because the river is not that deep. Let’s hope neither of us need to test out our strategies. 

Before dinner we got organized and unpacked. All of our meals are at a set time, vs. large cruise ships that have a long span of time in which to get meals. Tonight’s dinner was at 7:30pm. The menu includes regional dishes, nightly specials, and an everyday menu. There are plenty of choices and we can mix and match. We can sit at any table and got one for just the four of us. Most tables seat six and some are much larger, encouraging people to mingle. The starter was pumpkin soup. Roy and Rob got the pork tenderloin, and Gwyn and Michele chose the chicken and vegetables. Dessert was New York cheesecake with raspberry drizzle.

Tomorrow we have a half day tour around Bamberg from 8:30-12:00 before we set sail down the Main river.

Day 04 - Prague Day 03, Panoramic Prague

This morning was a sluggish wakeup after having a late evening tour last night and an early wakeup for the morning tour. We met Roy and Gwyn at 7am for another delicious breakfast in the hotel. 

Arriving at the Viking area in the lower lobby, it was packed with people. Everyone going on our ship who did not do extended days in Prague had arrived yesterday to enjoy today as their one full day in Prague. We decided we wanted the same tour guide as we had last night since she was so good. Roy made it happen and got us switched onto the bus for her group. We were soon on our way for a short ride up to our first stop at the Prague Castle area. 

The Prague Castle complex houses many buildings of historic relevance and architectural interest. The castle was founded around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². 

A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale grouping of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century.

Next up was the Gothic style St. Vitus Cathedral. Its construction began in 1344. Unfortunately, in 1419 the construction of the Cathedral stopped because of the Hussite (Bohemian) Wars. The Cathedral remained uncompleted for whole centuries. In 1541, the cathedral was heavily damaged by fire. In 1844, work began to organize repairs and the completion of the cathedral. Under the Union for the Completion of the Cathedral, work to repair and finish the cathedral in a Neo-Gothic style began in 1861. The church was completed and consecrated in 1929.

We especially liked these creepy gargoyles appearing to launch themselves from the building.

Our tour did not include interiors today. Our guide said 3 hours minimum is needed to visit the castle and cathedral interiors. Next, we walked into the Lesser Town neighborhood where we visited last night. It was bursting with people due to the holiday. 

Today, the 8th of May holiday in the Czech Republic, also referred to as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) marks the end of WWII in Europe and Czech’s liberation from Nazi rule. Today marks the 80th anniversary of this very important day in Europe.

Our guide gave us a 45-minute break for snacks or shopping. We found a cozy cafe and ordered apple pie strudel crepes, a cappuccino for Roy and chamomile tea for Michele, and rested our feet.

After the break our guide took us along Charles Bridge, where we walked two days ago. It is the oldest stone bridge in Europe, built from 1357 to 1402 over the Vltava River in Prague. It was commissioned by King Charles IV to replace a narrower bridge built 200 years prior that was flooded out in 1342. The architect was a German mason who also designed St. Vitus’s Cathedral. It was the only bridge over the Vltava in Prague until 1841. It was packed shoulder to shoulder with people, several vendors, and a few outdoor musicians. Our guide said the vendors must be pre-approved. The light was better today for photos than when we walked across two days ago. 

Next we briefly stepped inside the Church of St. Salvator that is the most Italian in style in the city according to our guide. St. Salvator is considered to be one of the most valuable examples of early-Baroque architecture in the city. It was built in the Gothic style between 1578-1601, but significant Baroque features were added between 1649-1654. It houses two organs used for classical concerts.

Then we visited the famous Prague Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square in time for the 1pm mechanical chimes. It was Times Square New York busy, just mobbed with people and tour groups. We googled its history and found that the clock dates back to 1410, making it the third-oldest clock of its kind that is still in operation. Mikuláš of Kadaň, under the direction of the King, created the clock in 1410, with a calendar plate and the Death figure (positioned on the right side near the 2 o’clock position of the clock face) added in 1490. In May 1945, the Nazis destroyed the Town Hall resulting in damage to the clock mechanism and the wooden figures. The clock was operating again in 1948 with new figures. In 1976, replicas replaced the original statues and sculptures that are now at a museum.

When the clock strikes the hour a procession includes the Twelve Apostles of the New Testament (they can be seen once the blue doors open). There are also other moving figures: the famous skeleton that rotates an hourglass while shaking his head and ringing the bell symbolizes the Turks oppressing the region, and figures of a Miser and Vain man. Besides being a functional timepiece over 600 years old, the clock’s astronomical part shows relative locations for the sun, moon, Zodiac constellations, and sometimes, planets. The dial for the astronomical aspect of the clock is an astrolabe. Gothic statues and a golden crowing rooster accentuate the clock’s unique design.

Done with that, we walked through the ritzy part of town with high end couture shops to meet our bus to take us back to the hotel. We had a late lunch at the hotel cafe. Rob said an older guy, “a know-it-all” at the next table, was wrongly telling his friend how to find FaceTime on his Android phone. (FaceTime is an Apple-only product). 

After lunch Michele wrote the blog and took a nap. We met Roy and Gwyn for dinner and dessert after 6pm. 

Rob is unhappy that he has to share his dessert.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to this vibrant and fun city, and the kind Czech people we met. We travel by bus over the border into Germany where we have a stop in Nuremberg for a tour, and drive to Bamberg to board our ship around 5pm. 

We forgot to include these photos from our Tuesday walk in the city. Little kids can practice bicycling and following street signs in a safe area. 

These unusual and very large baby statues were made by artist David Czerny. 

Day 03 - Prague Day 02 - Kutna Hora

Today was full of amazing scenery and architecture.

We started earlier today with breakfast at 7am. We met our tour guide and boarded the bus at 8:30am from the hotel lower lobby. On our way out of the city, our tour guide, Margaret, told us about the world’s ugliest tower.

This was a tower built and used by the Soviets to interrupt TV and radio signals from the west until the collapse of the USSR in 1989. It is easy to forget that the modern day Czech Republic is only 36 years old and many Czechs still have very vivid memories of their lives under Soviet rule. Margaret was just 21 when the Soviet Union collapsed. She shared many interesting experiences she and her Czech counterparts had during and after the Soviets.

On our way out of Prague we passed the location where Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated. Here is the monument to the Czechs that participated in that operation (Operation Anthropoid) that we learned about in yesterday’s tour.

We enjoyed seeing Czech farmland and more rural areas along the drive. About two hours after leaving our hotel, we made our first stop. We walked by the Sedlec Abbey. Weirdly, a Philip Morris tobacco museum is directly attached to it, the yellow building on the left. 

We did not visit inside this church as it was not the primary reason for our stop. We were on our way to the Church of All Saints. 

We walked by the Lego shop with a skeleton made of Legos sitting on the building sign. This was a hint at what we were going to see.

A short stroll beyond the Lego shop, we reached the Sedlec Ossuary.

In 1278, Henry, the abbot of the Cistercianmonastery in Sedlec, was sent to the Holy Land by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. He returned with a small amount of earth he had removed from Golgotha and sprinkled it over the cemetery. The word of this pious act soon spread and the cemetery in Sedlec became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe.

Around 1400, a Gothic church was built in the center of the cemetery with a vaulted upper level and a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary for the mass graves unearthed during construction, or simply slated for demolition to make room for new burials. It is estimated that between 40k - 70k people were unearthed.

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the bone heaps into order, yielding a macabre result.

No pictures were allowed inside so here is one from a google search to give you an idea of the strange decorations.

After, Michele heard a few people comment on this strange place, feeling a bit disturbed by it. Back on the bus, we had a short ride to the town of Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora’s early claim to fame in the 1200’s was silver. The mining of this metal brought significant wealth to the town. Here is a map of the town that was on the sidewalk.

The main structure in this town is St. Barbara’s Church.

Construction on the church began in 1388 and would not be completed until 1905! (That makes Rob’s progress on our bathroom very speedy in comparison!)

The church is a gothic or neo-gothic style. The inside is as spectacular as the outside, especially the vaulted ceiling and the huge pipe organ.

There was also a smaller organ half-way up the nave.

The wood carvings were very ornate.

Beautiful stained glass and the lectern and altar were amazing.

More ornate wood carvings for the side pews, each one with unique decorations and details.

We said goodbye to the church and made our way into the main area of Kutna Hora for lunch.

Our lunch spot at #1 rated Dacicky Restaurant started around 1:00pm.

Rob was deeply reflecting on something here while we waited for our food. We had a choice of a chicken dish, pork with plum sauce, or vegetarian. Our guide said the chef has a pate unique to the restaurant and asked her to tell everyone how special it is so we’d try it. We did try it, some enjoyed more than others. We all enjoyed our main meal choices and had apple strudel for dessert. 

Lunch was over by 1:45pm and we continued our walk through town.

We took the bus back to our hotel where we arrived around 4:45pm. Rob and Michele rested and got a margherita pizza in the hotel cafe for dinner. We met Roy for the Prague by Night tour at 7:45pm. Gwyn opted to rest after the long walk earlier today. Our tour guide was a different Margaret who was one of the best guides we’ve ever had. Her english was strong, she was very knowledgeable about everything in sight, and quite funny. A short bus ride into the city and up the hill, we arrived at the Strahov Monastery, founded in 1143, and enjoyed views of the city.

Next we walked nearby to a beer hall to sample local beer. Margaret all told us how to say “beer” in Czech, “Pivo”. She said you can use it as a general greeting since beer is so loved in the Czech Republic! Michele does not like the taste of beer, but in an effort to join in, she told the waiter “Pivo Mi”, which means “beer me!”. She recieved the Nectar of Happiness beer. 

A few minutes after our beers were delivered, Margaret explained to us that we would have to drink our beers like Czechs, very fast, as we had to move along in the next few minutes. Beers consumed, we got back on the bus for a short ride over to the entrance of the famous Charles Bridge and the scenic neighborhood at the end of it. The bridge has a 20-year renovation underway.

Check out this very specialized shop.

We saw Little Venice named for being the only canal in the city, and the Waterwheel.

Kabourek, a grumpy old water goblin at the edge of the pier, guards the old mill. He is popular in Czech and Slavic fairy tales. 

Next we walked to the Lennon Wall. This wall represents non-violent resistance.

We finished the tour with views of the Church of the Virgin Mary under the Chain, built by the Knights of Malta in the 12th century. The name derives from the knights using chains to block boats from proceeding on the river before paying customs duties. 

A quick ride back to the hotel and we said our goodbyes for the night. Tomorrow we have a half day tour of other city sights.