Prague - Terezin

 


Our last day of the tour. It's going to be even hotter today, up to 34C!. Luckily we had signed up for the optional tour to Terezin. I've been interested in this Nazi Concentration camp since reading the Winds of War and War & Remembrance many years ago. And last year I actually met someone who was in this camp as a baby. The story of Terezin during WW2 is quite bizarre. The Nazis promoted it as a "Paradise Ghetto" and charged Jews large sums of money to be transferred there instead of one of the camps like Auschwitz. There were no gas chambers at Terezin, but still many Jews and other political prisoners died there of disease and starvation. And almost all were eventually shipped off to their death in one of the other camps. But the really bizarre thing is the fact that Hitler ordered a "beautification" for a Red Cross visit to show that the Nazi Camps were treating people well. There was even a film made.

Terezin is about 1 hour out of Prague through farmland. So we were on an air-conditioned bus for the drive, then did the tour in the morning before it got too hot. And part of the tour we were in cell blocks and tunnels that were quite cool. And then we spent time in the museum which was of course air-conditioned.

We got back to Prague before 3pm, and had some down time with snacks and cold beer. Then we headed for the Museum of Communism, quite close to our hotel. This was a very interesting museum about the history of Communism in the Czech Republic since the end of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. And of course air-conditioned!

For our last night in Prague dinner, we decided to try the Hybernska restaurant around the corner from our hotel. Several of our guides had recommended it. I had the potato dumplings stuffed with duck and cabbage and Czech white wine. Ian had the Czech Goulash, and Czech beer. All were excellent!

Now time to pack up and get ready for the journey home tomorrow.













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