January was a month of “nesting” or being sick (ugh) and I was missing travel, adventures, and life. Luckily, last week, after a night at a graduation prom in Jihlava (more on that later!) E and I took a day trip to the little UNESCO-heritage town of Telč (pronounced like “telch” in the English alphabet).

Telč fell onto my radar randomly–I don’t remember exactly where I saw it, but I think that it was one of those “30 cutest towns in Europe” lists that I read so often. I saw one picture and happily added it to my Czech Republic List–and I’m very glad we were able to make it there!

(Cesky Krumlov also makes those lists, usually, if that doesn’t make you want to go more!)

We took a train through the idyllic, snow-covered countryside. While I don’t mind busses or planes, there’s something about riding in a train that really let’s you soak in the country around you.

Only when I got out of the city did I realize how much I was craving open space and quiet–and we certainly found that in the Czech countryside! There’s so little snow here in Prague, and it’s been fairly warm, so I keep forgetting that it’s January. Telč was a good–and cold–reminder that it’s still winter!

The main square was the highlight of the city–full of these incredible, pastel buildings from the 16th century. There is also a castle on the square, lined with honest-to-goodness moats. They were mostly frozen in the weather, but certainly added to the ambiance. We meandered towards a castle, through a stone archway, past a frozen lake, and happened upon a trail that led right behind the castle.

The fortress in Telč is not the biggest or grandest in Europe, but wandering around the snowy pathway, in the wintry silence, gave me a few “we live in Europe and we’re walking around a castle” moments. Sometimes, in the day-to-day life, I forget this incredible fact, and it’s necessary to remind myself (although let’s be real, I take a Prague castle picture daily, so I don’t forget this fact much!).

The castle and the square were so quiet, I wondered if anyone lived in that town. Except for the occasional car, and the occasional person rushing through the cold with their head down, we had the place to ourselves. I savored this–alone time is few and far between in the bustling Praha–but we quickly found most of the population when we ducked into the recommend Pizzerie on the square. Walking in winter, with the promise of pizza after? One of my favorite pastimes, truth be told. I was impressed with the pizza, although I neglected to snap a picture–but please stop at the Pizzerie if you make it to Telč! It’s right on the main square, you can’t miss it.

We didn’t get to stay long in Telč, as we needed to return to Jihlava to catch our bus back to Prague. I am so happy we were able to visit, as unfortunately it’s a bit of a way from Prague. If you have time, though, it is a must in the CZ–even in the dead of winter!

^^a playhouse and a castle! ^^I loved the detail of the wrought iron banisters

 ^^my handsome fella^^my favorite building! ^^one last view

Linking up with Travel Tuesday and Two for Tuesdays. 

p.s. I’ve been nominated to participate in bab.la and lexophiles.com “Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs” competition! Click the image to vote for me, if you’d like.