Svatý Jan pod Skalou: Cave Church and Hike

My feet are sore, my calves grew an inch and my thighs are rubber! But it was all worth it when we got to the top of the mountain and looked down on the 1000 year old pilgrimage village, Svatý Jan pod Skalou (meaning St. John under a rock). About 45 minutes southwest of Prague there are tall mountain ridges, morning mist, clean air and wildlife. Taking a hike in this area is a perfect Saturday day trip and that's just what we did. From the train station in Srbsko a 3 mile path takes you to the town of Svatý Jan pod Skalou this village is famous for its little church build on 9th century caves. Here's the legend that goes along with the church;

Legend has it that the hermit, Ivan, left his secular life to live in local travertine caves. He fell in love with the valley so much that he decided to stay and it has been said that he lived there for 42 years. He took with him nothing but a crypt to furnish his little cave home. God sent Ivan a doe to feed him milk but one day while Ivan and his doe where out exploring the valleys the doe was killed by a hunter, the Czech Christian Duke. Ivan was very sad and the Duke felt horrible that he killed his source of milk. The Duke invited Ivan to the Tetin Castle where he offered him a place to live. Ivan denied the offer and returned to his caves. On the way home he was threatened by a Heathen Shepard to leave the valley. Tired from the long day Ivan slept on the cold stone ground and decided he would leave in the morning. During the night evil demons came to kill Ivan, Ivan fought but he would not have won if St. John the Baptist didn't give him a crucifix during the battle. The demons exploded through the roof of the cave and the hole from which they flew is still present. Drops of Ivan's blood can still be seen in the cave where the battle took place as well as his footprints from his years of dwelling. Ivan from then on was worshiped as a saint. Before his death, Ivan sent the duke tidings from St. John the Baptist: "It was you whom God ordered through St. John the Baptist to consecrate this place after my death as a church in honor of the Virgin Mary and the St. Cross, and to designate St. John the Baptist as its patron saint." Ivan's crypt is now used consistently by locals who believe that the marble alter can forecast the weather. If the alter is wet, there will be rain but if it is dry you can leave your umbrella at home! They also are very appreciative of St. John the Baptist who saved St. Ivan.

This was how the church was built upon the caves where Ivan lived and where his burial site is. In the cave room where Ivan slept there is a window and underneath it rises a strong, curative, hot well - St. Ivan’s Spring. Water from local springs used to be bottled up and sold as the mineral water ‘Ivanka’. Up the hill one can find the Chapel of the Elevation of the Holy Cross. According to legend, the chapel stands on the place where St. John the Baptist met with Ivan and gave him a wooden cross to expel demons.

The church was rebuilt during the 20th century when the building started to collapse after apparently being built on swamp land. The only original part of the building is the tower. The caves are intact; the abbots, a noble girl named Magdelena Zelenkova of Prosovice and Ivan's 6-10 thousand year old tomb are here.

We then climbed the large mountain ridge behind the church. This is not for the light-hearted! A good 1.5 miles of uphill slopes will defiantly leave you breathless but so will the view from the top of this beautiful ridge overlooking the valley. We made the long walk back and stopped at a restaurant at the beginning of the trail, enjoying a late lunch and drinks. Great way to get out of the city and breath in cool mountain air! I plan on doing the hike again later in the year!

Chapel of the Elevation of the Holy Cross

The restaurant where we had lunch!

I climb mountains

Three crosses of Svatý Jan pod Skalou

Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, St. Ivan

St.Ivan Burial

Svatý Jan pod Skalou

Misty mornings show the beauty of this charming village

Ivy draping over a rock

Mountain moss and fallen leaves

Donkey's are the best!

Ohhh the piglets were soo cute!

Czech's love gnomes too!

Old Town Square

I had to create a separate post for a place I have now deemed one of my favorite places in the world. Perhaps the reason why I love this place is because of the way I found it. With the internet I feel like a lot of places have lost their mystery, as sad as it is to say this happened to me with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. When I first saw it I thought it was beautiful but it looked familiar. I’d seen it so many times in movies, pictures and on the internet that I felt like I’d already been there! I had to keep kicking myself-whispering quietly, “Donielle it’s the (expletive) Eiffel Tower, you should be freaking out!” But I just couldn’t get excited-I’d already seen it.

The way I encountered this particular sight was very unique for me. Usually when I visit a place I do tons of research, looking at pictures, discovering where I want to go and what I need to see. On this trip I did not do that. I could go into explaining why I didn’t but what it comes down to is nothing told me I should. I never got the urge to look anything up-I honestly didn’t know what there was to see in Prague but knew that I had to go. Call it faith but I just knew I would want to see everything here, whatever it was and I didn’t need to research in order to prove that to myself.

We had just come out of our first dinner on my initial arrival. I had made a friend, Helena, on the flight and we walked together mostly because we hadn’t met anyone else. We were talking about culture and what we had for dinner. I was just following the group watching myself so I would't slip on the cobblestones. I pointed to the sky and took a picture of a tower that was incredibly detailed, it was only peaking out of buildings and I didn’t think much of it. I when back to talking and laughing. However, when I turned around the corner it felt like a thunderbolt had hit me. Helena and I turned silent as our minds raced across our surroundings. Eyes wide open, we slowly turned  around and started walking slowly backwards looking at what had been behind us as we walked through the tiny passageway. The world slowed, “Incredible,” my heart whispered.

The difference between pictures and seeing it yourself is that single moment when you discover it. The moment when your eyes wonder across something that is entirely unique, completely unknown; to the point where your brain can’t recognize and compare what it is you’re looking at. The little gears inside your tummy start to slow down and click only faintly. Your mouth drops because your muscles have lost control and your lungs collapse because you un-noticeably have stopped breathing. But what’s most important is what happens to your heart in this moment. Your heart suddenly pounds in excitement, fear, awe, wonder, and love all at the same. I believe the explosion of these emotions will literally cause your heart to grow and in this moment you know that nothing will ever look, taste, smell, feel or hear the same ever again. Your life has changed forever in this single moment of setting your eyes and heart on such a magnificent creation. This is what happened to my heart when I walked into Old Town Square. My fist-sized heart pumped and grew in its little shelter of a cavity as I saw the beauty that was all around.

Old Town Square is a huge square that is completely unique in that it is home to four incredible architectural beauties as well as a large sculpture, complete with European streetlights, colored buildings and cobblestones. The Old Town Square is home to Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock, the Church of Our Lady before Tyn and St. Nicholas Church as well as the Jan Hus statue. Everywhere your head turns there is a new beauty for your eyes and heart to discover. Your tired little eyes can’t decide where you should look next! This square is dated in the 12^th century and over the centuries buildings of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles were erected around the market, each bringing with them their own unique style that completes the amazement of the square. The dramatic nature of the buildings around makes you feel small and large at the same time. An incredible realization of the history, architecture and all around beauty that humans are capable of makes your heart, truly, grow.

I encourage everyone to visit this place or any place that your heart tells you to go so you can stumble onto beauties like this!

Nashledanou!

Walking Tours of Prague #2: Old Town

Today we went out of the New Town University District and into Old Town. Old Town is my favorite, this is the place you see in your dreams. Color buildings packed tight together with old signs and flowers in shambled windows, picturesque old couples walking and holding hands, cobblestone streets where you know thousand of people have stood and where history has been made. Incredible, really.

We passed the old Rotunda, there are 3 in Prague and I will have to do some exploring around the city to find the only two-like a little treasure hunt! A Rotunda is a round building that is 1,000 years old and original, no remodeling here!

We then went into a passageway that houses one of the works of David Cherny who is a Czech sculptor focusing on parody and provocative works of Czech symbols and history. This sculpture is Statue of St. Wenceslas riding a dead horse. The original sculpture of St. Wenceslas in a main attraction in Wenceslas square and is a symbol of Czech patriotism and history. As you can probably figure, most Czech's will not house David Cherny's artwork, however this passageway is owned by the Havel Family as in Czech's former (recently deceased) Vaclav Havel. Apparently, the artwork in the passageway is the responsibility of Havel's sister-in-law and she is a fan of David Cherny.

We went through the Svetozor passage where a famous Ice Cream place taunts traveler's with their yummy zmrzlina  (meaning ice cream in Czech, say that 10x fast!) named after popular trains from the nearby train station.

Through the gardens we could see a part of an incredible friary that is not and never will be completed. It was built during the 13th century but by the 1500's they didn't have the money to finish it. The sanctuary is the only portion that is done and now there are building surrounding that would block it's finished chapel. The original plan was meant for it to be the biggest church in Prague. It is still very beautiful and other than its oddly shape that is tall and thin you couldn't tell. The church is open on most days so I am hoping to get an inside glimpse!

We then passed the Municipal Building and walked down a street that Jan said used to be part of the moat into the city, the wall were torn down in order to expand. We walked into where the old fruit market used to be held and past the Charles University Headquarters. Some of the group went ice skating in the little square, what a beautiful way to spend the afternoon!

Friary 

Gardens

David Cherny Sculpture

David Cherny Sculpture

Growing Old Together

Passage

I love Prague meat shops!

Routunda

Some weird but cool stencil artwork on an old building

Great view of the old Hospital near Charles University

Places You'll Look Forward to Reading About

I'll be visiting these places this semester so follow me to read more!

Kamenicky

Senov Glassworks

Melnik

Vienna, Austria

Budapest

Terezin

Lidice

Litomerice

Kutna Hora (bone cathedral)

Moravia, Czech Republic

Greece

Turkey
Warsaw, Poland

Important Tip: Mobile Phones in Czech Republic

Got my mobile phone yesterday from Vodafone, it is the cheapest at 677 CZ which is roughly $38. Really it's nothing to complain about HOWEVER against popular belief you can bring your regular cell phone for use in Czech. You would just need a different SIM card which you can buy at Vodafone for 200 CZ, which is $12. You can't use the phone outside of Czech unless you buy a different SIM card at a mobile phone store in whatever country you're in. Be careful just to use calling and text though as data charges still apply when you don’t have WI-FI. 

Hope this helps! 

Walking Tours of Prague #1

The last few days we have had “orientations” where Jan, our resident director, takes us to neighborhoods around the city and shows us historical landmarks, local retreats and interesting facts about the Czech culture.

In our last orientation we learned about the surrounding area of Charles University which is both beautiful in both old architecture and historical setting. When one asks about Czech Republic the most common thing I hear in response is do you mean Czechoslovakia? Many people it seems have yet to learn that Czech Republic and Slovak Republic are two different countries since 1993. Most of us, including myself, know very little of the area’s past but understand that Czechoslavakia was part of the Eastern Block during the Communist Rule in Eastern Europe. Now, not having taken my Modern History class yet I still have a lot to learn but it was most rewarding following a local around Prague as he told us stories of not his grandfathers’ or his fathers’ war but his own-Czech is only 17 years old, he himself was a part of the Velvet Revolution. What is so fascinating to me is that this man and his generation in the country was a part of this incredible movement. Most historical events in my textbooks during high school and college force me to find essays or books on firsthand experience of which their authors died many years ago. But here he was, standing in front of us, and I was overcome with awe as I stood in the place where such an event occurred and where a local (no older than my dad!) could tell me about his participation.
It was Spring of 1989 and Jan was attending the Charles University which campus sprawls across a tall hill in the center of Prague. He was part of the College of Chemistry which he explained was one of the only colleges where Czechoslovakians could be admitted without having any relationship with the Communist Party leaders who occupied the country during what we know as WWII. During the time citizens were completely unrest with the communist party rule (as you can imagine) but could do little about it especially since the teachers and many students throughout the university were loyal to the Communist Party. One day someone organized a small student demonstration, we have these at UNR all the time and Jan said they were not irregular in Prague either; so few attended that the Communist Party felt no threat. On this day Jan went because a friend was going and because he too believed in the ideals, he was not worried about his professors because he knew that they-in the college of chemistry- also believed in liberation. He remembered that there were around 2,000 students there which was not a large amount at all for the population of the school and the population of the city. They proceeded to talk about liberation in a peaceful protest and then marched from Charles University to the popular town square Dopravni Plan. There they were met by riot policemen and beat down for this peaceful protest. The days following many students who participated were locked out of their own colleges by their professors and classmates. But this student movement grabbed the attention the rest of Czechoslovakia needed to cause bubbling courage to explode; the next protest gathered 200,000 citizens and then 500,000. At the New Year the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia relinquished power and dismantled the single-party state. The plaque below now hangs in Charles University where the demonstration took place. The inscription reads, “If not us, who? If not now, when?”. Beautiful, and so magical to experience Jan’s story!

View from the top of Charles University

Charles University Building

Old Town Square, Old Astronomical Clock (more on this historical site later!)

Charles Bridge

Cute little Shakespeare Bookstore!

Fancy Traditional Czech meal; Beef 

Delicious bundt chocolate chip /lemon cake desert

Plaque at Charles University as described above