"People who love to eat are always the best people." - Julia Child

The 6th annual Foodparade is coming up - on Sept. 3 & 4, more than 20 of Prague's restaurants and chefs will offer their wares...so come hungry!

There is, of course, beer & wine.  We are Czechs after all.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at http://foodparade.cz/vstupenky/ OR http://www.ticketstream.cz/

Or even better yet, you can try to win tickets by answering the following question and emailing your answer to info@prague.tv by August 21st:

What's the value in CZK of the festivals currency "1 CHEF"?

Pssst...I'll give you a hint.  1 CHEF is 20 CZK.  Shhhh, don't tell anyone! And good luck.

Oh, and did I mention... this event is being held at Troja Chateau ...a stunning Baroque structure located in the city's suburbs.  Stunning views, vineyards, and the Prague Zoo is located right next door, thus you can make a day of your visit to Troja.

What A Damn Shame

Krásna Hôrka is a castle in Slovakia, towering over the village Krásnohorské Podhradie near Rožňava, Košice Region. The first written mention of the castle is from 1333. Since 1961, Krásna Hôrka is a National Cultural Monument of the Slovak Republic.  

It was said to be one of the country's "best-preserved" castles, but unfortunately, much of it was damaged by a fire on March 10, 2012.

Article in the Huffington Post

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Two Slovak children were suspected of burning down a large gothic castle in eastern Slovakia when their experimentation with smoking went wrong, police said on Sunday.

Police were investigating two boys on suspicion that they set grass at the foot of the Krasna Horka castle on fire on Saturday when they tried to light up cigarettes, said Jana Mesarova, police spokeswoman for the eastern Slovak region of Kosice. Children under the age of 15 cannot be prosecuted in Slovakia.

"A unit sent to the site found that two local boys aged 11 and 12 were trying to light up a cigarette and because of careless use of safety matches, they set grass at the castle hill on fire," Mesarova said.

The castle subsequently caught fire and emergency services deployed 84 firefighters to the scene.

The Slovak National Museum wrote on its Facebook page that damage to the castle was extensive but about 90 percent of historical collections were saved, including contemporary photographs of furnished castle premises from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, oil paintings and various ornaments.

"The castle's roof burned down completely, as well as the new exhibition in the gothic palace and the bell tower. Three bells melted," the museum said.

The castle, near the UNESCO-protected Domica Cave, dates back to the early 14th century.

(Reporting by Martin Santa and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Karolina Tagaris)

And from MSN.com:

Kids burn down Slovak castle but won't go to Slovak juvie

1 day ago

A couple of Slovakian boys aged 11 and 12 had a weekend they'll long remember. Seems the mischievous duo were trying to light up cigarettes when they set some grass afire, and before they knew it, a castle in the eastern Slovak region of Kosice was in flames. The Krasna Horka castle dates back to the early 14th century. According to the Slovak National Museum, the castle's roof was completely destroyed along with the new exhibition in the gothic palace, and three bells in the bell tower melted. Some 84 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Fortunately for the young smokers, children under the age of 15 cannot be prosecuted in Slovakia.

Because who doesn't want to be a princess (or prince) for a day!

I was just looking at Budget Travel's "10 Beautiful Castle Hotels" and they listed Krásná Lípa in northern Bohemia, stating:

A nice Czech waltz is the only thing missing from the fairy-tale atmosphere at Château Krasna Lipa, located in Czech Saxon Switzerland.  Built in 1886, this fanciful palace has turrets and Juliet balconies; not to mention gracious rooms with 14-foot ceilings, furnished with antiques, hand-carved furniture, and Rococo oil paintings. The surrounding area is home to lush forests that invite romantic souls to discover intricate rock formations—and crystal-clear lakes and rivers—also prime fishing areas.  Now a vacation rental, the castle has eight luxury suites with private baths and flat-screen TVs—some suites have walk-out terraces with panoramic views.  As with any dream trip, excellent service is a must, and Krasna Lipa delivers: Private tour-guides and interpreters are available to guests, as are pick-ups from Prague airport (80 miles away) or the nearby Decin railway station. Double rooms from $50 per person per night (breakfast included), 1/416-529-1523.


Now I don't know about you, but this sounds fabulously romantic!  (hint hint to all husbands and boyfriends reading this)

To read more about the chateau and view it's lovely interior and surroundings, please visit Chateau Krásná Lípa

Let's Explore Knights in Shining Armor and Tales of Princess Castles

Not to sound like a broken record, but... I LOVE castles.  It's time to squeeze in as many castle visits as possible before they close for the - gasp! - winter (oh the disdain I have for that season).

Today I'm feeling like a trip to Bečov nad Teplou, the Gothic castle above the steep valley of the river Teplá.

  In the 13th-century the Lords of Osek founded the castle Bečov nad Teplou (130 km from Prague) on a cliff over a provincial route for its protection and collecting duties.  

The castle reached its peak in the late 15th-century, when it belonged to the Pluh family of Rabštejn, who were engaged in gold, silver and tin mining.  The Pluh family connected two older parts of the castle and later built a new residential palace in the Renaissance style there.  The Thirty Years' War brought an end to tin prosperity and in 1648, the Swedish army damaged the castle and occupied it.  The most valuable part of the castle is the Chapel of the Visitation of Our Lady from the year 1400 - with original frescoes depicting 17 Biblical motives.

Chapel of the Visitation of Our Lady 



In the 18th-century, on the site of the former fortifications above the castle moat, a Baroque chateau with an octagonal tower was built.  The tower houses state rooms, a library and fountains.  In the 19th-century, the castle was connected with the chateau into one complex, and a beautiful complex it is! 

I love the color combination...there is just something about pink and yellow that makes me ...happy.

The interiors were renovated in the Romantic style by architect Josef Zitek.  There are valuable collections of paintings and tapestries from the property of Belgian Beaufort-Spontin family, who bought Bečov in 1813.

Architect Josef Zitek

On most, if not all castle tours, you see this sign:

But some rules are meant to be broken, no?

So with flash off and camera silenced and hidden from the tour guide's view, let's proceed...

Library

The view from the library...overlooking the village of Bečov

Another view from the library

I fell in love with these girly chairs... 

...and these pink walls!

The castle grounds are spectacular - let's take a walk around...

View of the mansion (pink) with the Pluh's Palace behind it (yellow)

Burning coal on a chilly day...

A chata in the distance...

The garden replaced the original moat...the building beyond is the Burgrave's residence

The dark gray sky was a pretty contrast to the lightness of the buildings 

The Keep

The central portion of the site was guarded by the circular keep, the last refuge of the castle's owners.  This tower had to be dramatically lowered in 1623 due to its poor condition.  In the 19th century, its preserved 6-meter-high portion was transformed into an observation gallery

The largest part of the gardens is situated on the place of the former castle moat and brewery.  The garden is divided into six terraces that are interconnected by balustraded staircases, thereby forming an exceptionally picturesque space.  You can see why this castle is the site of many weddings.

View of the valley and the river Teplá

Bečov offers a viewing of the reliquary of St. Moor, which was bought by Alfred de Beaufort for 2,500 francs.  He had it restored and brought it to Bečov.  At the end of WWII, the Beauforts, active collaborators with the Nazi regime, left the chateau in a hurry.  The reliquary was hidden under the floor of the castle chapel for 40 years.  In 1985, the reliquary was discovered, surrounded by bottles of wine and cognac - would love to have a taste of that!

Reliquary of St. Moor

The town of Bečov was founded by the magnates of Czech princes from the noble family of Hrabišice at the beginning of the 13th century...shall we take a look around?

Iron work exhibit

It wasn't until July 15, 1996, that the castle of Bečov was opened to the public after many years of building and renovation work.  It sits proudly overlooking the town.

 

 A very difficult place to resist is the local pekařství... 

My favorite - koláč 

Why don't we sample a little bit of everything!

Hope you enjoyed your trip to Bečov nad Teplou!  

 Address:  Státní hrad a zámek Bečov nad Teplou 

364 64 Bečov nad Teplou