Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/237

203 castle is surrounded by a beautiful park. St. Thomas’ Hill from where an excellent view can be obtained can be reached by the high bridge leading from the castle. Five miles from Rožmberk is Vyšší Brod (Hohenfurth) with an old interesting abbey of the Cistercian order founded in 1259 by Peter of Rožmberk. The other buildings claiming attention are, the gothic church of St. Mary, the chapter-hall, library, the museum with collection of antiquities and the treasury.

The surrounding country is what may be truly described as romantic in its beauty of hill and dale, river and forest; all is suiting to charm the eye of the beholder! One of the gems which ought not to be missed is to be seen by visiting Čertova Stěna (Devil's Wall) only a mile and a half distant, where in a narrow gorge the Vltava in madlike fury dashes over the immense boulders.

After feasting on these beautiful scenes we return by carriage to Cartle (Zartlesdorf) thence, by express to Budějovice, Tábor, Prague.

The second tour will lead us into the South-Western districts of Bohemia, along the Šumava to the West and return to Prague.

Starting from Francis Joseph’s station, after passing through a tunnel, we see on our right the picturesque abbey Karlov, and in crossing the Vitava we obtain a beautiful view of Prague with the Hradčany in the background, while at the left; Vyšehrad the ancient seat of the Bohemian princes reflects its sombre slopes in the river

All along by the railway on to Chuchle—a favourite holiday resort of the people of Prague, and to Radotín near the banks of the Berounka or Mže (Beraun or Mies) extend the summer dwellings of the wealthy families of Prague,—through Černosice, Všenory and Dobřichovice.

A quarter of an hour later, still keeping close to the Mže, we come in sight of the noble castle of Karlův Týn standing high up on our right on an isolated rock of jasper. We leave the station (35 km from Prague) cross the river by an