Czech Republic is one of our favorite countries – it’s beautiful, has many attractions to offer, and has cheaper everything. I was on a solo trip to Prague and Kutna Hora in 2014. Together, we visited Prague in 2018, and Karlovy Vary in 2022. During the roadtrip this year, we decided to stay a night in the country once more, in the small town of Lovisice in the Litoměřice District. Litoměřice is a historical city, with lovely architecture and a city center with cobbled streets. I was also surprised to learn that the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, visited Litoměřice in 1887, while living in Europe.

This is the route for the entire roadtrip, c/o Google Maps:

We had a superb stay in Land-Plan Hotel and left them with this review: “Spacious room, aircon a big plus!, and free parking. Kind and smiling staff. Would have given it a 10, if not for the noisy dog from the neighboring room. I hope they have separate rooms for guests with pets. Or better soundproofing. Overall, it was a very good stay!” We went back on the road at 7:30 am.

To get to Czech Republic, we had to pass through either Austria or Slovenia. Our Austrian vignette was still valid (and we wanted to avoid the same fiasco we had passing through Slovenia from Italy to Croatia), so we chose Vienna. The traffic in Vienna was legit. We had a gloomy weather, with drizzling here and there. Going for a stretch, we stopped briefly by a riverbank somewhere in the city.

At 9:30am, we crossed the border to Czech Republic – it went smoothly. Then, we went for another stopover in a gas station in Mikulov. Mikulov is a historical city that was first mentioned in 1173. Many tourist groups also stopped by the gas station, so I guessed, it’s a very popular place. We only admired it from afar, but would love to visit one day.

Brno, another bigger city in the country, was also a heavy traffic zone. As much as we wanted to stop there and check the city out, we decided that we would have to wait another time, that is, if we want to make it to Lovosice before dark. Besides, the weather was not very promising.

Ready for lunch, we stopped by a motorway restaurant in Jiřice. I was craving for Czech food at that time, particularly the white moist bread and yummy stew. And their poppy seed pastry breads! It was a very good, very full restaurant. We enjoyed our lunch, and went to pet the goats in the den outside. Now, I wonder if those goats will be cooked later on. Uh-oh.

We reached the accommodation in Lovosice around 2pm. It was a very nice building, with a very spacious room. It was very big for two people. We took a nap at Ubytování Cukrovar before going out in the afternoon to check out Litoměřice.

From 3:30 pm until 5:30pm, we were out exploring Litoměřice. The city center was very fancy – it was like being in a royal era. It was first mentioned in 1057. Cobbled streets, beautiful buildings, statues and fountains. It reminded me somehow of a Swedish city like Kristianstad or Karlshamn. We parked right at the main square, and went first to the Visitor Center to buy postcards and stamps.

The staff in the Visitor Center was very friendly, very hospitable. She was eager to “sell” Litoměřice and the rest of the country, which I thought was how people working in Visitor centers or tourism should be. So, hats off to her! She told us that visitors usually avail a stamp book, and travel the country collecting stamps from each city. I was invited to use the stamps in the postcards – which was super cool! There were many designs to choose from. Carl and I thought of going back instantly, availing the stamp book, and just travel around Czech Rep. 🙂 As I was sitting down stamping the cards, a small booklet in the glass case caught my eye. It had Dr. Jose Rizel on the front cover! Excited, I Googled his association with Litoměřice. I learned that he visited the place for five days in May 1887. He went there to visit his penfriend, Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, who’s also a popular name in Philippine history. Blumentritt wrote books about Philippine ethnography. Some places in Manila was named after him, in appreciation of his works.

What’s more surprising was that Litoměřice named a park after Rizal to honor him. I definitely had to go and see that park for myself. It’s a good thing that it was located only a couple of blocks from the Visitor Center.

I felt happy to see Rizal being appreciated in Litoměřice. Afterwards, we checked out the interior of the All Saints’ Church, or Kostel Všech Svatých, a Baroque chapel dating back to the 1200s.

Before leaving the city, we had some delicious dinner in one of the restaurant lining the main square, while admiring the enchanting buildings surrounding us.

Litoměřice is definitely worth a visit! It was very easy to fall in love with the place. And of course, we remembered to buy the Kolonada round wafers – which is a must when in Czech Rep!

Another amazing roadtrip day in September. I’m excited to write about the rest of the trip! ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. Cheers! 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes