From Prague to Vienna - week 8, Hlinsko v Čechách to Žďár nad Sázavou

Evening all.

EDIT 8 Oct 2023: having spoken to a number of people in Prague, they only vaguely know the places between which I'm travelling, so people outside the Czech Republic must really struggle. I've therefore created a map in Google Maps showing where I've been. It's just weeks 7 and 8 for now (as it is quite a lot of work), but I'll add in the rest in time.

EDIT 16 Oct 2023: it's now the whole journey, and will update every time I walk.

A week off last week because of being with friends in the UK, but winter is fast approaching and I want to reach Brno, the Czech Republic's second city, by the end of the year. It was for that reason I arose on a Sunday at 0600 to catch the train to Hlinsko.

My road looks nice without traffic at sunrise.

The towers are the historic part of the main station. The newer consourse is practical, but of no architectural appeal - King's Cross it isn't.

That's the same thing from inside, if you have time to look up rather than rushing for the train.

x

I had a carriage practically to myself for the non-stop journey of an hoxur to Pardubice, 100km. A fuurther hour and a half mostly by single track railway and the last fifteen minutes by bus, I was back in Hlinsko where I finished last time.

Considering that it was the place I spent 50km reaching last time, it has little to recommend it, except the way out.

Here's the way out. Only 114km to Brno. I'll do that easily in four weeks. Oh, I'm not going that way. I'm following Euro Route 4, which, to be fair, follows the railway pretty well. However, I'm not going to Jihlava. But I am going to Vojnův Městec. 10km until food time.

Just as I was about to leave, one nice building in Hlinsko.

X 

Like the bridge for animals over the M25 at Epping Forest, but smaller.

The horse chestnuts have had enough of summer, with leaves ready to fall or fallen.

Not so the silver birches though. And accidental arty picture. Here's Corot emulating Sergeant.

The pines are trying oh so hard to grow vertically, but don't quite succeed.

And we even manage some ferns.

The ubiquitous Viatnamese Grocery ("Potraviny") was reached in Vojnův Městec. Next door is the Town Hall and Post Office.

I'm still not going to Jihlava, but I am going to Radostín. This helps me not a lot in determining how far I have to go.

Something I've seen a lot of in this area - a small church with a cemetery overlooking a town.

The sun through the leaves of an ash tree.

Different land owner, different trees for avenues. Now sycamores.

And for the first time today, we have water.

At last we see a sign to our destination. And it's only 12km away. (But come on sign writers - it shouldn't just be a case of sticking EU flags on existing routes. Tell us how far the large places are away.)

But there's a bench where I can rest by a lake, so I'll forgive them.

Back to birch-lined avenues, but note that the road surface is starting to detiorarate.

The lakes are stunning, though.

At this point, cyclists have to get off and walk.

Another arty avenue pic, this time with pines.

 

The lake (Velké Dářko, translated as 'big gift') has an area of 206 hectares.

A sign for a pub. "Inn on the Bastion. We invite you to sit in a pleasant and peaceful environment."

Having passed through an incredibly beautiful forest, albeit with a stone path, we have six kilometres to go.

It's all very planned - the cyclists and pedestrians have their own path separate from the main road. The way it should be all the time, frankly. 

And we are now at the border of Bohemia and Moravia. The stone in the middle says 'Bohemia' on the other side - why it's in English not Czech is beyond me. We have a Moravian eagle facing us and a Bohemian Lion from the other direction.

In Europe's most atheist country, we have commissioned atheism on a wall.

A church 3km north of Žďár.

Mushrooms on a dead tree.

A weir, as we finally run out of lakes.

 

Seats made from half tree trunks.

 

And finally, Žďár nad Sázavou. What was nice was that I was able to get a through train home. OK, it takes two and a half hours, but that's OK.

I came back through Kutna Hora, which I mention for two reasons. The first is to include a photograph I took there last month.

Kutna Hora is best known for the ossuary at Sedlec. Here's a picture, published under the Wikipedia creative commons licence.

It always makes me think of this, from Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective. (EDIT 5 Oct 2023 - blocked in the UK. It works if you have a VPN, and set it to CZ. Apologies about that. And here's a link to an older version of the song for those of you who can't set the VPN (4) Dry Bones by The Delta Rhythm Boys 1945 - YouTube)

And with that, here's the topical reference of the week. RIP Michael Gambon.

I can't follow that. Good night all.