• Places in Czech Republic

    Castle and chateau Frýdlant

    In the Jizera Mountains in northern Bohemia, you can find a castle and chateau in one. It has the same name as a nearby town – Frýdlant – and belongs to one of the most important historical buildings in the Czech Republic. The castle was built in the 13th century to protect tradesmen using local business trails. A legend says that in the core of the castle was a stately tower on top of which fire was set to serve the tradesmen as a beacon. The castle was owned by several noble families that remodelled and improved the castle gradually. In the 16th century, part of the castle was rebuilt…

  • Focused on photography

    Sundial and other clocks

    Time measuring devices, that was the theme of my 12-month photo project that I tried to fulfil in August and that my five finalists represent today. I have to admit that although the theme seemed to be simple at first, it was another challenge. Clocks of all kinds tend to shine and reflect their surroundings, their numerals look soft, and they are often placed quite high. Also, I wanted the clocks to be the feature of the photos, yet at the same time to be just part of them, part of the whole. As much as it may sound contradictory, I believe that in this way the photos would better tell their…

  • Places in Czech Republic

    Observation tower Slovanka

    Slovanka, the oldest iron observation tower in Bohemia, is situated at the top of the hill Slovanka in the Jizera Mountains, at an altitude of 820 metres, not far from the town Janov nad Nisou. The tower is 11 metres high, 14 metres including the base. It is permanently accessible and the access is free of charge. We spent our family holiday in the vicinity and visited the observation tower twice. I would say that there is nothing spectacular about the tower, yet it looks good, there is a nice view from its top and also, it represents an interesting piece of history. The tower was constructed according to a…