POSTCARD N.93 - CZECH REPUBLIC

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 24th November inside cover #183, received on the 29th November 2022

Postcard image: Český Ráj
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“Český ráj” reads the main legend of this beautiful postcard I got from Mary, inside cover #183. Not being fluent in Czech, I had to look it up with the use of "deepl" and I learned that this translates into Bohemian Paradise... and I don't dispute it, because the idea I have of the Czech Republic (even though I know precious little more than the charming city of Prague) is that it is a beautiful country, full of outstanding landmarks, both natural and manmade.

Bohemian Paradise, in fact, is the designation of a Protected landscape area , established in 1955, in the north of the Bohemia region, corresponding to the first natural reserve created in what was then  Czechoslovakia and is now the Czech Republic.

Some  of its landmarks, located in the Liberec region, in the centre North of  the country, are featured in this postcard, these being, clockwise from the upper left:

- The Pantheon Chapel integrated  into the Vranov rock castle located on a cliff overlooking the town of Mala Skala;

- The Hrubá Skála Palace, which now is an high end hotel and welness centre, in the town of Hrubá Skála;

- Frýdštejn Castle, a rock castle  in Frýdštejn in the Liberec Region,dating from the 14th century, with several rooms carved into the rock;

- Sychrov castle, built in neo-gothic style,  located close to the village from which it gets its name, dating back to the second half of the 19th century;

-  Hrubý Rohozec castle, in Turnov. The current configuration, dating back to the mid 19th century, is the result of a series of refurbishments to an original castle that was built on the site in 1300 AD. It is thus possible today for the visitor to encounter marks and traces of the gothic,  renaissance, baroque and romantic styles;

- Valdstein castle, also located close to Turnov, in the city of Hruboskalsko, considered to be the oldest of the Bohemian Paradise Castles. The original rock castle was built circa 1260.