27/07/2020
JAN ŽIŽKA AND ČESKÝ KRUMLOV:
I consider all my guests on private tours as VIP guests.
But last Friday it was extra special, when I went with Tommy and Vivi on a trip to southern Bohemia. First we visited the small village of Trocnov and afterwards we went to Český Krumlov. Tommy is a 15x great-grandson in direct line to one of the best known historical figures in the Czech Republic, Jan Žižka, who was one of the leading figures in the Hussite movement and the Hussite wars that reformed the church in Bohemia in the first half of the 15th century. Should I compare Žižka with an internationally well known person, I would probably mention Lord Nelson. The huge equestrian statue on the Vitkov Hill in Prague also depicts Jan Žižka, whose nose on the statue is very similar to Tommy's. So this is really something the Czechs find exciting, and the few times I have bragged about the trip to the Czechs, they have been wildly impressed - one even suggested we should call the press!
Tommy was able to set foot on the foundation of the "family farm”, namely Žižka's birthplace, and of course also be photographed at the 13 meter high monument in the memorial park next to the farm.
Afterwards, the trip continued to the wonderful and beautiful town of Český Krumlov, which with its many beautiful buildings from especially the Renaissance period, Vltava’s beautifully winding course through the town and the huge castle area is almost magical to visit. An attraction in Český Krumlov is to go canoeing or on other small boats on the Vltava and to experience rafting at a family-friendly level.
Of course, I also offer trips to southern Bohemia for all of you who are not going on a family visit to one of the country's best known historical figures!