Part 8 - Gas Masks, Hidden Railways, and Colonnades
Mill Colonnade in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
In this blog and ongoing series, you can follow Abandoned Nordic's urbex road trip as we journey from Finland to France along an extended route. The trip will take about a month, and along the way, various things unfold. We’re currently driving from Germany to the Czech Republic, ready for the next leg of our adventure.
On the German side, we make one last stop at a charming castle - beautiful and visibly in disrepair, though not entirely abandoned. There, we cross paths with a man handling some task within the castle - hard to say exactly what, but perhaps related to an event or tour. He lets us know access and photography aren’t permitted, but we’re welcome to take drone shots outside. We chat as we capture the scene, with the castle’s surrounding moat adding a striking touch. Many ‘abandoned’ buildings are somewhat maintained, and we might have ventured inside if he hadn’t been there. I doubt we would have ended up in a casual chat about his son’s adventures in Finland’s World Cup of swamp soccer had he found us within.
We continue onward. Right on the German-Czech border, there’s a town with a few locations for us to explore: a manor house, a couple of smaller private buildings, and a mausoleum. We check them out and take a few photos, but none of these spots are particularly captivating. Sometimes, it’s just like that.
Our journey continues into the Czech Republic, following the German-Czech border toward Karlovy Vary. It feels wonderful to be on the road, and even better to be in a new country. The natural scenery is especially striking – forests and beautiful mountainous landscapes along this small road. Along the way, we come across an antique shop, and we stop right away because there’s an old airplane parked outside. In my opinion, that’s a particularly great way to attract customers – we almost always stop for something like that.
The antique shop, Vetešnictví Starožitnosti Antik, turns out to be a complex of several buildings, each packed with intriguing finds. We end up leaving with two gas masks – one Czech and one German, and the German one in children’s size – utterly impossible to resist. So, for at least the next six months, we’ll be hauling these gas masks from one place to another across France. Thankfully, they don’t take up much space and add a welcoming weirdness to any interior.
Our route winds through endless hop fields, and by early afternoon, we arrive in the beautiful spa town of Karlovy Vary. We explore the Mill Colonnade, and its grand architecture is so captivating that we decide to return early the next morning to avoid the crowds. Strolling through town, we discover a cozy spot called Sklípek, where we enjoy some Czech food. Despite being vegetarians, we find a few delicious meat-free options. And as for the beer - absolutely fantastic.
A bit later, we set up camp at a nice campsite, but we head out again in the evening to search for an abandoned railway and a high, gracefully curving stone viaduct I’d seen photos of. We easily find the railway and walk a few kilometers along the ridge. We come across an abandoned station and a bridge, though it’s not the one we’re looking for. The railway is long, and as we study the map more closely, we realize the challenge lies in the dense forest - it’s so thick that the tracks and bridges are nearly invisible, just vague impressions.
We rule out a few options and drive toward the last remaining possibility, with the sun already low. We get as close as we can by car, which isn’t all that close. From a small village parking lot, we head down a steep, grassy slope, without a clear path or trail, following a rough track alongside a pasture. It’s quite the experience - we know we’re close, but with no clear trail and the mountainous forest cleverly hiding the location, we rely on the drone for reconnaissance. Finally, we spot the bridge and, racing against the setting sun, dash through the mountain forest.
When we arrive, we discover that the bridge is no longer abandoned but has been restored and put back into use. It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t hold much interest for us. At least we got some exercise.
Early the next morning, we’re back at the Mill Colonnade. The soft morning light provides the perfect setting for a great shot. Then, it’s off to a gas station for some much-needed coffee - pure bliss!
It’s time to head to Prague, where we’ll spend a few days exploring the city’s unique architecture and soaking in its lively vibes. We’re excited to wander the streets, stumble upon hidden spots, and see where our curiosity takes us. And, of course, we’re looking forward to sampling some Czech beers along the way - there’s no better way to enjoy the city than with a bit of local flavor in hand.