A trip to remember

Participating in swimming competitions, I had a chance to visit the Czech Republic, the country in Central Europe with the population of about ten million people. The capital is Prague with over one million people. 

The Czech Republic is a beautiful country. I visited it in spring and everything was even more beautiful. The highway passes through mountain area and cuts several rivers. Along the road there are wind turbines that produce electricity. This is the first sign that the Czech Republic is a developed country. 

My goal was Brno, the town in South Moravian region. I was staying in the Hotel Slavia. The Czechs I met there were very kind. That weekend was the Museum night and the streets were full of people. On squares there were some stages with different types of music. I visited many churches from the 13th and 14th centuries. I had dinner in a nice restaurant and went to bed. 

The next morning I had a successful competition. After lunch I visited the famous Castle Špilberk. For over seven centuries, it has dominated the skyline of Brno. In the course of history the Castle provided safety and protection to the citizens. During the Austro - Hungarian monarchy, the Castle was turned into a notorious prison. Its dark catacombs show how cruel the prison was. It is still cold, dark and frightening in those catacombs. Now, this Castle is a beautiful museum. From one of the windows of the castle you can see the whole city. 

North of the city I visited the cave Bull Rock. It is placed in a big rock. In the evening I ate out with my host. A kind waiter welcomed and wished us a pleasant evening. Quiet music was heard in the restaurant. During the dinner famous Czech beer was mentioned. I took a bottle, looked at it and it was my experience with beer. I will taste it some other time, probably in several years. 

The following morning I went for a short walk. I saw old buildings, the culture of many centuries ago, but I saw contemporary stuff too. There are no cars in the city centre, just quiet and clean trams. After the walk I had lunch and went home. 

That was a nice weekend in the Czech Republic. I would like to visit the Czech Republic again, and I would recommend you to visit it too because it is beautiful. 

Miloš Pavlić, VIII3