From the 13th to the 21st of august 2016 we were on tour in the Czech Republic and took part in the „Mezinarodni folklorni festival Pisek“ which is organized every year. This year the groups came form India, Vietnam, the Czech Republic, Sovakia, Austria and Poland.
First we stopped in Domažlice. The middle of the town is a big place with nicely restored houses. There the biggest ethnofestival of the Czech Republic takes place. Many international goups performed, specialities could be tasted and typical national produchts could be bought. In Pilsen we visited the brewery and tasted the typical „Pilsner Urquell“. Before our next stop Český Krumlov we visited Klatovy with its catakombs and famous mumies of memebers of the Jesuit order. Due to the heat the next stop was the beautiful but somewhat cool, surrounded by the Bohemian Forest, Lipno-lake where some went swimming.
The next destination was Český Krumlov. After the sightseeing, part of the group decided to go for rafting-trip on the Vltava river. Having split between two boats and having found a good rowing-rhythm, we had many possibilities for a stop where drinks and snacks were served. One of these stations was even directly on the water. To pass the time, we sang appropriate songs like „Plovi mala barka“ or „Kad naš brod plovi“ and were photographed and filmed by countless Asian tourists.
We also visited the ethno-village Holašovice with its small, rural-baroque houses. Budweis was the next town, which was on the agenda. The most famous product of the city is the beer with the same name which we consumed having an exellent lunch in the Mesné krámi.
After a visit to the castle Frauenberg, we headed off for Pisek, a well-kept town with 30,000 inhabitants, where the folklore festival took place. Once there, the group already was preparing for the opening ceremony of the folklore festival. One our free day we visited Prague with the St. Vitus Cathedral, the Charles Bridge, the Main Square and many other attractions.
Again in Pisek, together with the other groups a social evening at the Cultural Center took place. Dances were presented and we danced together. The festival ended with a procession through the town, the reception by the lady-mayor and a final performance on stage. Here one could admire the variety of different costumes, musical instruments and dances. On the way home, there was a last stop in Krems. Late in the afternoon we were back in Wulkaprodersdorf. We are already looking forward to our next journey.