The Vltava River is the longest in the Czech Republic. The river meanders through the entire country and the heart of Prague. I was determined to photograph two of the most beautiful horseshoe bends, which are found in the south. Had the skies been a little less gloomy, I would have been a bit happier with the photos.

While I was in the neighborhood, I visited the Karlštejn Castle, a large Gothic castle located about 16 km southwest of Prague. It was founded in 1348 by King Charles IV, who later became Holy Roman Emperor. The castle was originally built to safeguard the Imperial Regalia, the Bohemian Crown Jewels, holy relics, and other royal treasures. The construction was personally supervised by Charles IV and took nearly 20 years to complete. The castle was designed with a hierarchical layout on three terraces: the Imperial Palace on the lowest level, the Marian Tower above it, and the Big Tower at the highest level. The Big Tower houses the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a unique and heavily fortified space where the crown jewels and important documents were kept behind multiple locked doors. Strategically built on a promontory surrounded by hills and steep rocks, Karlštejn was designed to be difficult to besiege. Notably, the castle had a secret water supply system involving a deep well and an underground channel, known only to the emperor, the burgrave, and the miners who constructed it. Legend says the miners were killed afterward to keep the secret safe.

I ended the day back in Prague where I decided to make a 180-degree panoramic photo of the Vltava River. Such photos are geometrically distorted (this section of the river is actually straight) but allowed me to show the bridges in both direction.

While walking through a street market, I spotted these beautiful fruit arrangements and had to pause for a photo. Now that I am looking at the image more closely and am somewhat hungry, I have decided to return to buy a basket.