Travelsmartplanet

After WWI, in 1918, the victors carved up a new map of Europe. Creating something that they called Czechoslovakia, they sewed together parts of countries. The people who now spoke four different languages did not share a common background.

After WWII, it became part of the Soviet Bloc. In 1968, there was a brief period of liberalization called the “Prague Spring”. The underground movement against their government  was not successful and Soviet tanks rolled in.

However by 1989, the Velvet Revolution (during the fall of communism), it finally became free and democratic again. Finally in 1993, the country peacefully split apart to become the Czech Republic with about 5 million people and Prague as its capital. The other part, Slovak Republic, has about 10 million people, and its capital is Bratislava .

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All roads lead to  Marienplatz, the  famous, historic square and the heart of  the Old Town of Munich. Make sure to catch the Glockenspiel show at 11 am or noon (and 5 pm in the summer). The 43-bell Glockenspiel (carillon)  is located on the central spire of the New Town Hall.

When the clock strikes the hour, a  clarion sounds and colorful mechanical figures act out two dramas in the upper and lower windows. The crowd giggles when the rooster crows and the Count gets thrown off his horse.

If you like panoramic views, you can take steps or an elevator up inside the Town Hall.

www.muenchen.de/int/en/tourism.html

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The Trabant car was pretty much the only one you could buy in the Soviet Bloc of countries. They had a long waiting list. In Hungary you would have to wait about 4 years. If you thought that was bad, if you lived in East Germany it was a 15 to 20 year wait. You might have ordered it, but by the time you received it, your children were ready to drive it. www.cosmos.com/Product.aspx?trip=46050

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Budweiser beer was developed  in the Czech Republic. It was originally called Budvar (and still goes by that name in some countries). Beer has been brewed in Budweis since 1245. It tastes different here than the one in the US.

The two cities most associated with Czech beer are Pilsen and Budweis which both had breweries in the 13th century. The 2 most famously exported Czech beer brands are Pilsner Urquell, which was the world’s first pilsner (pale lager) and Budweiser Budvar. Pilsners have a clear golden colour, a light flavor and lots of foam.

In 2012, for the 20th consecutive year, the Czech Republic had the highest beer consumption per capita in the world –  170 litres per person.

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Tags: beer, brew, Budvar, Budweis, Budweiser, capita, colour, consumption, countries, Czech, flavor, foam, gold, lager, Pilsen, pilsner, Republic, Urquell