Have you ever read those fairytale books that take place in a faraway land with royalty, knights, castles, adventure, and amazing landscapes? That is how I would describe the Czech Republic and its neighbouring country, Slovakia. This post would be extremely long if I attempted to talk about both countries, so the focus will be on the Czech Republic.

I moved to the Czech Republic when I was 17 and I must admit that my first impression of it wasn’t great. After seeing Germany and Austria, the Czech Republic reminded me of a World War 2 game I used to play.

While many of the buildings may be more block-like than I am used to, the country possesses a mystical kind of charm. There are many old buildings that are beautifully ornate and awe-inspiring works of art. The longer I spent in the country, the more it grew on me and in turn, I grew to appreciate the many wonders that it had to offer.

History has always been my favourite subject. I love learning about different countries and their intriguing pasts. On top of that, I love fantasy and adventure. So, putting me in a land rich in history and picturesque landscapes makes me a very happy little soul, especially when I can go exploring! After all, who doesn’t love a good adventure?!

With a little imagination and some knowledge of the history of various places, I have walked in the shoes of knights and travellers of distant lands seeking fame, fortune and adventure… I have witnessed sieges and great battles. I have enjoyed the peace with the celebrations and feasts that accompany it. If one has the imagination for it, the possibilities are endless!

Yes, you can probably tell by now that I’ve spent countless hours with my nose stuck in some book or another. I have no regrets! Books opened my mind and broadened the horizons of my imagination. That being said, it doesn’t take someone having their head in the clouds for the beauty and wonder of the Czech Republic to be appreciated.

Czech has an impressive variety of almost everything. Spectacular landscapes, intriguing historical sites, a diverse range of wildlife and delicious food! It also offers a great amount of sports, whatever the season may be.

Speaking of seasons, I went all bug-eyed when my first winter there hit -30 degrees and yes, that’s Celcius. I’m a South African girl, so I go running for my hoodie at 20 degrees. Okay, it also doesn’t help that I have the same characteristics as a lizard. I need the sun for warmth and survival! So, going from a mild South African spring to a significantly colder autumn didn’t give me a lot of time to acclimatise before winter arrived in all its icy glory.

Needless to say, I was like a human icicle that winter and was extremely relieved when spring came to my rescue. However, as it turns out, that was the coldest winter they’d had in a few years. Wasn’t I blessed! In all seriousness though, winter is a magical time of the year and transforms the country into a winter wonderland that you see on postcards, especially around Christmas when the townsfolk dress it up with lights and other decorations.

Winter also brings with it the amazing opportunity for skiing. Coming from South Africa, where the only “winter” sport we can do is ice skating at the rink (which I only did twice and hardly ever let go of the rim), skiing was a frightening challenge for me. When I was a kid, I strapped a piece of cardboard under each of my feet and attempted to “ski” down the small hill in our garden. I obviously fell, but hey, it was a fun experience! I was also a lot smaller so falling didn’t hurt as much.

It was a lot more terrifying standing at the top of a significantly higher hill than the one in my backyard, looking toward the bottom and all I could think was, “You’ve got to be kidding me! What on earth have I gotten myself into?!” After many spectacular and amusing falls, skiing became one of the best parts of winter. Yeah, the other best part was Christmas time.

While Czech winters can be quite cold, the summers are really pleasant. They generally range between mid 20’s and mid to high 30’s, which is perfect for a weirdo like me who is always cold. I’d spend my free time in the summers doing archery in the backyard, running, having braais (BBQs) with my family, and exploring.

Spring and autumn are both beautiful in their own ways. Spring brings all the colours back. Leaves grow, flowers blossom and animals come out of hiding. It’s like life returns to the land, especially if there hasn’t been much snow that winter. Autumn has its own glory, filling the country with gold and red and covering the ground with crunchy leaves. It is a magnificent sight!

I have been asked many times, “Why the Czech Republic?” Well, after reading the above, why not?! It is truly an amazing place and I would recommend it as a place to visit. The traditional food is very different from what I was used to, but it’s also really good. Let me just say that their blueberry dumplings have definitely earned a place in my heart! Yes, I may be a foodie, but don’t go telling everyone, okay? On a serious note, I really do appreciate good food. It’s something that is often taken for granted.

There are still so many places in Czech that I would love to visit. I no longer live there, but it’s still on my “to visit” list and it may stay there for a while since I would need multiple visits to see everything. However, there are plenty of other places I want to see as well, so the list is long.

Watch this space for more posts about places I’ve been to!
Goodnight world and farewell until next time!

P.S. Most of these photos were taken by my mom. She loves photography and always finds something to snap a picture of. I have learnt a lot from her. You can check out some of her other photos on her website here.