Europe River/Bus trip - 2018: Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Oct. 23. We stayed in Linz, Austria last night and today we are taking a bus trip to Cesky Krumlov, in the Czech Republic.  The bus ride was about 1 and 1/2 hours.  It was a cold day.  Ellen and I had many layers on.  

This town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has a remarkably well preserved array of historic houses spanning the 14th and 17th centuries. It has been called a mini Prague.  

Our tour guide pointed out the impressive castle which is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic. It has 300 rooms and 5 courtyards.  There is a Gothic tower, which we did not climb.  By the time we walked through the castle and into the gardens we were almost as high as the tower, since the castle is built on a hill.  

Entering the town under the castle

Views of the town. The town is protected on 3 sides by the horsebend in the river.

Looking at part of the castle and tower

Impressive architecture 

Did I say it was cold today?

One of the courtyards in the castle

Views from the castle towards the town

The castle gardens. 

We stopped for lunch and I ordered potato gnocchi. Yummy!

Afterwards Ellen and I both had the local pastry.

Messy but really good.  Tonight we stay in Linz and then tomorrow drive to Vienna with a short stop in Melk, Austria.

Europe River/Bus trip -2018: Regensburg, Germany

Oct. 22 - We left Nurnberg and had another bus ride to Regensburg, Germany.  This is our last stop in Germany.  Regensburg is located on the northernmost point on the Danube.  It was an important Roman City in the 2nd century when the impressive city gate, the Porta Praetoria, was constructed.  Our tour guide walked us across the Steinerne Brucke or Stone Bridge to enter the city.

The Stone Bridge

Views of the Danube from the stone bridge

We saw the Cathedral of St Peter.  This is the finest Gothic building in Bavaria built between 1250 and 1275.  The towers are 341 feet high.

Inside the church

Regensburg measured their floods also -

When the city was part of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, there was a wall around the city and entry ways into the city called the Porta Praetoria.  Part of a wall and entryway are still there but walls have been built into them.

Entryway

Looking thru the narrow streets to the towers of the church -

While we were there a Bavaria band came down the street marching and playing.

Regensburg had many impressive building such as this one.  The city has more than 1300 listed buildings 'of historic interest'.

One more view of the stone bridge, built between 1135 and 1146.  

Europe River Cruise/Bus trip - 2018. Wurzburg and Nurnberg, Germany

Oct. 20 - leaving the ship!  Bags are packed and we are leaving the ship because of low water.  

We took the bus to Wurzburg and the tour of the Bishops residence.  Our guide was Charles and he was very colorful and fun.  

Ellen, Charles, and me in Wurzburg.

The Bishops Residence was very beautiful. We could not take pictures inside.   The outside was massive.  

This sumptuous palace was begun in 1720 and completed in 1744.  The entrance with vast ceiling and an area of about 5400 square feet requires no support columns.  The second room holds the worlds largest painting (on the ceiling).  

Each room was unique, ornate, and beautiful.  The last room was full of gold.  We went to the chapel and that was also full of gold.  A quick trip to the garden was all we had time for and we had to leave for Nurnberg.

We arrived at our hotel, which was in a great location - across from the main train station and close to the old part of town.

The next day, October 21, the buses picked us up at 9 and we had a bus tour of the city.  

We went to the famous arena where Hitler gave a lot of his speeches to the German people before the war.

Our guide pointed out the Nazi building of documentation which was very huge.

We drove by the government house where the Nurnberg trials were held.  Then we went to the city center.  The market square has a beautiful golden fountain.

Tour guide in front of fountain

This is one of two Catholic structures in the old city.  The other is this stunning church:

We had lunch at a local restaurant and then Ellen and I walked to the Imperial Castle.  We walked through the castle and its many rooms.  This area was once a part of the Roman Empire.

Inside the Castle at the chapel

Castle destruction during the War

We walked through the old town.  There were street performers entertaining the tourists.  This entertainer is in the center moving his head and the two on the side.  It was very funny.

Ellen went back to the hotel and I continued on to the National German museum.  

This museum is 3 stories and I was getting pretty tired so I only saw a small portion. 

The musical instruments 

A zither.  An entertainer played one on the ship the last night.

The fashion wing

Folk art

  

This cabin was made in 1796

A display of masks

Armor and statutes

We leave tomorrow for another bus ride to Regensburg and Linz, Germany.