ArtandCulture, Ostrava

Katowice's oldest existing Catholic parish church was built from Silesian dolomite, not the usual red brick, between 1862 and 1870 to a design by the famous Breslau (Wrocław) architect Alexis Langer. Originally planned on a far grander scale than it was eventually built, the 43m-long, 31m-wide neo-Gothic building features an eye-catching, trademark Langer 71m octagonal tower and a feast of good things inside. The altar in the transept supposedly dates from the 15th century, whilst the wonderful stained glass windows on either side of the nave representing sin and virtue are the work of Adam Bunsch (1896-1969). The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament includes a likeness of Father Emil Szramek in traditional Silesian dress. Szramek was the parish priest from 1926 until his arrest by the Gestapo in April 1940. Sent to a number of concentration camps including Dachau, where he quickly became a spiritual leader for other incarcerated Silesian priests, he was murdered on January 13, 1942. https://www.inyourpocket.com/katowice/st-marys-church_32645v

If you get to the brand new sparkling Rynek and see a strange unidentified lying object at the end of Al. Korfantego, the odds are you're looking at Katowice's very own flying saucer! This multipurpose 'space age' sports and concert venue has a rather colourful history as you might expect and has the ability to play space tunes whenever the lights go on. https://www.inyourpocket.com/katowice/spodek_32246v

You simply should not miss the Olomouc castle site situated on the Wenceslas Hill! Right here in 1306, the last Přemyslid, the Czech king Wenceslas III, was assassinated. You can admire the Bishop's Palace with its famous Romanesque windows, the gothic St. Wenceslas Cathedral, today the seat of the Archbishop of Olomouc, or the Archdiocesan Museum founded on the initiative of Pope John Paul II. http://tourism.olomouc.eu/sights/olomouc-castle/en

One of the many noteworthy places in Kroměříž is without a doubt the Archbishop´s Chateau, which boasts beautiful interiors – a picture gallery of first-rate works by European painters and a Rococo assembly hall. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/kromeriz-archbishops-cellars/

This is where the action happens, so to speak. All year round, the cobbled, pedestrian surface of Floriańska Street is the théâtre de l’action of the city, and the venae cavae to Kraków’s massive central square. It’s something of a modern stage for the unending drama of the city’s Old Town, where the players are tourists and locals alike, and the set pieces are the magnificent medieval façades of some of the most prestigious buildings in the city. http://visitkrakow.com/city/florianska-street/

The Brno Dragon and Brno Wheel are well-known symbols of the city and are linked with several legends. You can only see them with your own eyes in the building of the former Town Hall in the Moravian Capital near to Zelný trh. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/brno-old-town-hall/

Once a small Romanesque Basilica on Petrov Hill, later rebuilt in the Gothic style, the cathedral was built in 1777 after the Brno bishopric was created. Now its two tall towers, together with Špilberk Castle , form the characteristic silhouette of the city of Brno. In addition to the interior, the Romanesque-Gothic crypt and view from the two towers are a must. The Diocesan Museum and Information Centre is located nearby. The noon ringing at 11 o’clock is part of the legend of the Swedish siege during the Thirty Years War. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/brno-st-peter-and-pauls-cathedral/

The castle was held in possession of various noblemen and its history is interwoven with a number of myths and legends. Today it is a venue of various cultural and social events. At the foot of the castle there is a steamboat stop. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/brno-veveri-castle/

The great fire of the original wooden houses in 1584 gave rise to Mikulov square in its present form. Part of the square, which is also the entrance to Mikulov Castle, is formed by houses with a Renaissance core and picturesque arcades. Probably the most interesting of the Renaissance buildings is the bourgeois Knights’ House (dům U Rytířů), which was created after the rebuilding of several Gothic buildings in the second half of the 16th century. At first glance, you can not overlook it on the square due to its sgraffito decoration with biblical and ancient scenes covering two-thirds of the house. The painting draws attention to the fact that it was originally a two-story house. Another feature of the square is the statue of the Holy Trinity, in addition to showing the Trinity it also displays angels that symbolize faith, hope and love. The column is complemented by statues of St. John of Nepomuk, St. Francis Xavier and Charles Borromeo, who were supposed to protect the inhabitants of the city from the plague. The Plague Column was built during the reign of the Dietrichsteins in 1724. http://www.czechtourism.com/a/mikulov-historic-market-square/

In the footsteps of the Golem to the Jewish Museum in Mikulov. For centuries Mikulov was a major Jewish centre in Moravia. This means their heritage is still very much an on-going concern. Come and visit the local museum and reveal the turbulent fate of the Jewish population, one which produced Rabbi Löw, a figure enveloped in myths and legends. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/mikulov-jewish-museum/

Wrocław Multimedia Fountain (Wrocławska Fontanna Multimedialna) is the biggest fountain in Poland and one of the biggest in Europe. It was initiated on 4th June 2009 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the first free elections in the postwar Poland. Located in the beautiful Szczytnicki Park, near the Centennial Hall and Wrocław Congress Centre, attracts many Polish and foreign tourists. https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/place/wroclaw-multimedia-fountain

Wrocław Puppet Theatre presents adaptations of children literature (Astrid Lindgren’s “Och, Emil”, Piotr Jerszow’s “Konik Garbusek”) and classic fairy tales - Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Puss in Boots. But the Theatre plays not only classics - the latest premieres were mainly original spectacles based on contemporary plays, written especially for Wrocław Puppet Theatre. These are new, highly educational plays, which cross the borders of a regular puppet theatre. https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/place/wroclaw-puppet-theatre

The painting present the Battle of Racławice in April 1794, in which Poles won over Russians. The monumental picture is 114m long and 15m high. It was the idea of Jan Styka, a painter from Lvov, who invited among others Wojciech Kossak, Tadeusz Popiel, Teodor Axentowicz, Włodzimierz Tetmajer to work on the painting. The work took 9 months to finish. A rotunda with Panorama of the Battle of Racławice (Panorama Racławicka), built in Stryjeński Park, became one of the attractions of Lvov. The technology applied by the authors can be compared to the contemporary 3D technology. Special, panoramic perspective, lighting and scenography constructed in front of the picture make it look multidimensional. During the visit, the viewers can listen to the history of the painting and the events presented in 16 languages (including Korean, Japanese, Croatian and Esperanto). For blind people there is an audio description available. https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/place/panorama-raclawicka-wroclaw

From 2009 the palace is the main building of the City Museum of Wrocław and presents, among others the exhibition “1000 years of Wrocław”. The Royal Palace (Pałac Królewski) was called Spaetgen’s Palace, from the name of one of the first owners. In 1717 baron Heinrich G. Spaetgen bought a small baroque mansion close to Rynek. After his death in 1750, a Prussian King Frederick II bought the palace. It became a royal mansion, and Wrocław joined Berlin and Königsberg (today’s Kaliningrad) as a residence city. The next Prussian kings extended the palace, changed its design and character. In the middle of the 19th century the palace extended itself from Wolności Square to Kazimierza Wielkiego Street. After the fall of the empire the palace was taken by the city authorities, in the 20s the Palace Museum was opened. During World War II the building was seriously damaged. https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/place/royal-palace-historical-museum

Enjoy a degustation session of quality wine in the cool cellars of the monastery in Louka, where the largest producer of wine in the Czech Republic, the joint stock company Znovín Znojmo, is currently located. http://www.czechtourism.com/c/louka-monastery/

The gigantic Slavín war memorial is visible from much of the city. On a hill overlooking the castle, it commemorates the city’s liberation by the Red Army in April 1945. https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/slavin/

Officially known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary, but commonly referred to simply as ‘the Blue Church’ for obvious reasons, this is Bratislava’s most appealing art nouveau building. Its style, sometimes known as Hungarian Secession, is repeated in the nearby grammar school on Grösslingová Street. Both were designed by Budapest architect Edmund Lechner and built in the early twentieth century (the church was consecrated on 11 October, 1913). Both the interior and exterior of the church are painted in shades of pale blue and decorated with blue majolica; even the roof is tiled with blue-glazed ceramics. The structure incorporates a 36.8-metre round tower. https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/blue-church/

The Primate’s Palace is one of the most beautiful classicist buildings in Slovakia. Portraits of Hungarian rulers are exhibited in the picture gallery. An impressive part of the gallery is a collection of six tapestries found in the reconstruction of the palace. https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/primatial-palace/

The history of the Old Town Hall dates back to the beginnings of the mediaeval town in the 13th century. It was then that the original Romanesque house of Mayor Jakub became the property of the city. Over the course of time Unger’s House and Pawer’s House were annexed to it. The most complete element in the neo-Gothic reconstruction is the chapel of St Ladislav, with its unique wall paintings from the 15th century. In 1581 a renaissance arcade was added. The building normally houses the Bratislava City Museum, the oldest in the city (1868). When open, the museum features an exhibition of the feudal justice system, as well as the remarkable interior of the town hall building and original furnishings from the municipal court. In summer, cultural programmes are held in the beautiful renaissance courtyard and concerts are held in the tower. https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/old-town-hall/

This historical building is, as its name suggests, associated with Josef Kajetán Tyl, an important figure of Czech theatre and the National Revival movement. J. K. Tyl, a native of Kutná Hora, was the first person to publicly formulate the idea to build an independent theatre in Kutná Hora for the then Tyl Amateur Theatre Company, which was based in Kutná Hora and of which Tyl was himself a member. http://destinace.kutnahora.cz/d/kutna-hora-tyl-municipal-theatre

Dačický House, located on a sloping square in sight of the Stone Fountain, is a unique exhibit in itself. At its core is a pre-Hussite house, which was generously reconstructed after 1500 for the Utraquist bishop Filip de Villanuova, and was the birthplace of the chronicler Mikuláš Dačický of Heslov in the mid-16th century. http://destinace.kutnahora.cz/d/dacicky-house-interactive-exposition-about-kutna-hora-and

Vienna's Imperial Palace is one of the biggest palace complexes in the world. The oldest parts date to the 13th century, with construction having continued right into the 20th century. The Imperial Palace was the residence and seat of government of the Habsburg emperors until 1918. Today, it is home to numerous museums with outstanding collections, the Spanish Riding School, a congress center, the seat of the Austrian Federal President as well as the historic Heldenplatz. https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/imperial/hofburg-vienna

The Vienna State Opera is one of the top opera addresses in the world – where you can enjoy the very best in first-class productions. This famous stage offers a different program every day, with over 50 operas and ballet works on around 300 days per season. At the Vienna Opera Ball, the Vienna State Opera is transformed into the world’s most famous ballroom. The committee, consisting of approximately 150 pairs of young men and women in white ball gowns and tails, ensures a glamorous opening of the Opera Ball. https://www.wien.info/en/music-stage-shows/opera-operetta/state-opera

Here you can see what the Habsburg Emperors collected - such as the world’s largest collection of paintings by the famous Bruegel in the picture gallery, marble statues and gold treasures in the antiquities collection, or mummies and grave goods from the empire of the Pharaohs in the Egyptian-Oriental collection. There are also ancient statues of mythical beasts to admire, while anyone interested in finding out how the children were dressed in the Spanish court 300 years ago should take a close look at the masterpieces by Velázquez. https://www.wien.info/en/vienna-for/families/museums/kunsthistorisches-museum

The Belvedere is not only a magnificent Baroque palace but also houses one of Austria's most valuable art collections – with key works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), successful general and art connoisseur, had Belvedere garden palace built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as his summer residence – at the time it was still outside the gates of the city. This baroque architectural jewel consists of two palaces (Upper and Lower Belvedere), which today house Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day. The heart of the Belvedere collection is formed by the 24 paintings of Gustav Klimt with his golden images "The Kiss" and "Judith". Klimt's "The Kiss" in particular is world-famous. The 180 x 180 cm painting was created in 1908/09 and shows Klimt and his friend Emilie Flöge as a couple in love. "The Kiss" is probably Austria's most famous work of art. Klimt's portraits of women also impress and be marveled at in the Upper Belvedere. https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/museums-exhibitions/top/belvedere

As you look at the hustle and bustle on the main square in Tulln, it is fun to remember that people were scurrying across this same spot 2,000 years ago. The Roman Museum in Marcus Aurelius Park can help to trigger your imagination. It exhibits a host of original finds, plus pictures, figurines, dioramas and models that show visitors what life was like at the Roman Cavalry Fort Comagena from about 90 AD to 488 AD. Visitors can learn interesting things about the Roman province of Noricum. They are provided with an illustrated documentation of other Roman fortifications in the Tulln area plus a depiction of military life at Fort Comagena. A model of the fort indicates its footprint in the current town map. We walk many of the same streets today that the Romans did. Visitors can admire extensive objects documenting civilian life: jewellery, glasses and pottery, inscription stones and remains of tombs plus a large hoard of coins. A couple in Celtic costumes shows the clothing of the local populace. A wall fresco painted in accordance with original finds illustrates Roman domestic culture also along the frontier of the empire. In addition, the Roman Museum offers finds consisting of a selection of grave goods to show burial customs. http://erleben.tulln.at/en/danube/roman/roman-museum/

The Wien Museum enables us to travel back in time to the Vienna of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. In the Roman Museum on the Hoher Markt in the 1st district of Vienna you can admire Vindobona. Visitors will be able to experience ancient Vienna with all their senses through digital reconstructions. Combined with the remaining remains of the tribune houses and the 300 exhibits in the basement, a fascinating insight into the daily lives of the soldiers and inhabitants of Vindobona is provided. The 300 exhibits of the permanent exhibition were supplemented with digital reconstructions. At various gaming stations, animation films about the supply of Vindobona, replicas for attacking and a Playmobil® legionary camp are presented. https://www.vienna-trips.at/en/roman-museum-vindobona/

The former city prison of Tulln opened in 1990 on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Egon Schiele as the first museum dedicated exclusively to the life and work of the artist. To date yearly 6000 visitors come from all over the world to get an idea of the artistic beginnings of Egon Schiele. The partly preserved prison cells pose challenges for the design of exhibitions, but also contribute to the distinctive ambience of the museum. A specially furnished studio in the attic allows guests of all ages, not only to look at pictures, but also to create them. https://www.schielemuseum.at/en

The Monument to the Nibelungs or Nibelung Fountain is dedicated to a scene from the great medieval German epos: the meeting of Kriemhild, Queen of Burgundy, and Etzel, King of the Huns, in Tulln. It is depicted in a set of bronze sculptures by sculpture Michail Nogin. The Nibelung Fountain is truly a sight to behold on summer nights. An integrated and esthetic light-water-stone composition of the fountain sculptor Hans Muhr lends the artwork even more depth: the fountains of water rise out of an open book – Lay of the Nibelung. The fountains alternately become stronger on each side until their streams of water finally touch and mix – this feature also corresponds to the symbolism of two worlds, East and West, approaching each other in Tulln. http://erleben.tulln.at/en/art/major-sights/monument-to-the-nibelungs/

Above the beautiful bay window of the Baroque building the coat of arms of Győr can be seen; the city archives can be found in this house. https://www.budapest.com/cities_in_hungary/gyor/sights/old_town_hall.en.html

1236 received the Dominicans of Duke Leopold VI. the order to set up a branch in Krems an der Donau. At about the same time, the Minorites were called to Stein. As early as 1240, the construction of a church was begun , which was vaulted around 1265. It was then built outside the city walls, the so-called Predigertor led through the city wall to Passauerhof with the Ursula chapel. The chancel of the church dates back to 1330. The impressive sacred space was initially painted colorful, well-preserved remains of which can still be seen today. The monastery and the church were one of the largest and most representative meeting rooms in the country at the time of construction , serving as a meeting place for the regional parliaments and for meetings of the handicraft mints of the region. The monastery itself was built in the Baroque style and the Gothic cloister was overgrown. A partial reconstruction in the eastern area of ​​the courtyard refers to the disappearance of the gothic colonnade of the complex. http://www.museumkrems.at/Dominikanerkirche.htm

The most beautiful boulevard in the world is home not only to many of Vienna's best-known sights, such as the Imperial Palace, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum, the Vienna State Opera and Parliament. Magnificent palaces, extensive parks and important monuments also line the "display window" of the former Danube monarchy. Vienna's Ringstrasse is 5.3 kilometers long. Long enough to provide space for numerous monumental buildings, which were built during the period of Historicism in the 1860s to 1890s. Today, the buildings that stand there – from the Vienna State Opera to the Museum of Fine Arts – are among the most important sights in the city of Vienna. Nobles and rich citizens hurried to build pompous palaces along this magnificent boulevard. Many of these former private homes can still be admired today (mostly, however, only from the outside). The style in which the buildings were built went down in history as the Ringstrasse style (a type of Historicism). It is marked by a pluralism of styles: numerous architectural forms of previous epochs were imitated. https://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/ringstrasse

The cartoon museum Krems, the only Austrian museum for satirical art, is mainly devoted to political caricature, humorous drawings, comics and illustrations. Based on the plans of the architect and caricaturist Gustav Peichl/IRONIMUS, the Caricature Museum Krems was built between 2000 and 2001 at Kunstmeile Krems (Art Mile Krems). Austria’s only building to dedicate 780 m² to caricatures, cartoons, comics and satirical art is also fully wheelchair accessible. Brace yourselves for humour, jokes and satire before you even set foot in the museum. Two of Manfred Deix’ famous figures, Mr. and Mrs. Austria, greet you with big smiles in the forecourt. This small, but special museum attracts thousands of visitors to Krems every year, the city to the gateway to the Wachau region. https://www.karikaturmuseum.at/en