Wednesday 23 January 2008

Where the Czech...? #23

Even last week's Where the Czech, which I thought was going to be a difficult one, was solved within a couple of days. To give you a bit more of a challenge I think we need photos of individual buildings, rather than shots of main squares or streetscapes. What do you think?

We'll try this one first. Anybody know where it is?

11 comments:

Mark Webster said...

Is this that bank that's on the street that's one next to the Poet's? At least I think the building to which I refer is a bank.

Captain Oddsocks said...

Mark Webster! Nice to see you commenting here!
Unfortunately the photo's not of that building (or even in that city) but there is a similarity in the statues isn't there?

sansIcarus said...

I do believe that's Hradec Kralove. That's the building, some kind of council chamber, on the side of the river.

That place has a great park, with a wooden church. The teahouse was a dobry cajovna, and they had tatami mats, which was cool. Nice place to spend a day or two.

Michael said...

It does look like it should be in Hradec Kralove or Pardubice: very Gocar 1930s.

Mark Webster said...

Well I have been to Hradec Kralove as a day-trip on a bitterly cold and windy day. I'll have to review the video footage to see if I actually found it as I don't recall. I now know what it is btw but I can't claim it from first hand knowledge. As for the bank - well I don't specifically remember it but it reminded me of that for some reason. Shot in the dark really.

Captain Oddsocks said...

Well, it looks like that one wasn't as difficult as I thought. Well done Mark.

Hradec Kralove's a wonderful city isn't it. I think if I couldn't live in Olomouc, it would be my second choice. The building is actually a museum, and it was indeed designed in the first republic (between the two world wars) by Gočar's colleague Kotěra.

The museum had an excellent exhibition of animation and design when I was most recently there. I really must go back again soon...

Michael said...

Is that the place on the main square? I really like Hradec as well - probably because it's about the only place outside of Prague that you can actually get to on a bus from Liberec.

Shame the train station's such a stinker, though.

Captain Oddsocks said...

The museum on the square is a different one, but I think the building is from around the same era.

The one in the picture is back in the direction of the train station and faces the avenue that runs alongside the river.

Coming into town from the station, you'd turn right after crossing the river to get to the park with the wooden church that Mark mentioned, or left to get to the museum in the picture (after one block).

Michael said...

I remember the river - with the stone bridge - and the wooden church. I don't think I made it to the museum, though. Something to do next time I'm in town. Whenever that'll be.

Captain Oddsocks said...

Yeah, Hradec is definitely a place you can return to repeatedly.

Even if there's no one famous thing to draw visitors, there's always plenty going on and lots of things like the museums and galleries that you can visit again and again.

PR said...

The streetscapes are good to, but there is nothing wrong with a little variety.
Patism