Brown bear in Hrad Český Krumlov moat

You probably thought the title of today’s photo (assuming you saw the title before seeing the photo) was a typo.

I was surprised, not having done any advanced reading, to stumble upon this bear in the moat of the Český Krumlov Castle complex. There is a bear festival held every year on Christmas Eve here. This is the only time of the year when visitors are allowed in the enclosure. Kids feed the brown bears apples, Christmas biscuits, pastries, and honey. Of course, the kids aren’t in the moat at the exact same time as the bears or they would be on the menu as well.

Bears have been living in this moat for over 300 years. The family who owns this castle has a coat of arms featuring two bears.

Rosenberg family coat of arms (Czech Republic)

Posted on December 25th, 2025 under czech republic. Tags: Český Krumlov, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, wildlife. Comments Off on Czech Bear

13-photo photomerge of Plzen

I wasn’t on the top of the spire, of course, but you can see where this panorama came from by looking up from here. The Pilsner Urquell Brewery can be seen in the background on the left.

Also, it’s sort of odd the “City of a Hundred Spires” (Prague) doesn’t have the tallest spire in the country.

Posted on November 18th, 2025 under czech republic. Tags: clouds, landscape, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, panorama, photomerge, plzen, skywatch. Comments Off on From the highest spire in the Czech Republic

Mural on Radegastovna Perón Smíchov by Chemis (August 2019)

I was staying in Anděl in Prague in 2019 when I took today’s photo. I don’t remember if I ate and had a beer at the pub Radegastovna Perón Smíchov or if I was sipping a beer at the Pizza/Kebab shop with this view.

Anyway, lots of Prague memories these days as I finish Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets.

Posted on November 14th, 2025 under czech republic, Prague. Tags: AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR DX lens, Nikon D500, street art. Comments Off on Stroupežnického 525/20

Vltava River in Český Krumlov (Czech Republic – August 2021)

That’s the same river as the one in Prague. That’s not the same St. Vitus though.

I’m currently reading Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets so these things are on my mind.

Posted on November 9th, 2025 under czech republic. Tags: buildings, Český Krumlov, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50. Comments Off on Church of St. Vitus

Prague castle guard under Čeněk Vosmík’s titan (giant) sculpture

Posted on November 8th, 2025 under czech republic, Prague. Tags: castle, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50. Comments Off on Not so subtle