Consulted my crib notes and decided to drive to Katowice’s no 1. attraction, Nikiszowiec estate. It’s a worker’s housing estate of red brick apartment blocks grouped around gardenlike courtyards, there’s a red brick church and other buildings, all close to the mine and green surroundings…. a pearl of social housing architecture; designed in the late 19thC, Nikiszowiec initially was a coal miners’ settlement of Giesche mine between 1908–1918. In 1960, Nikiszowiec was incorporated as a part of Katowice. 
The remnants of the original workers’ housing estate ‘familoks’ (specialized multi-family residences designed for workers in heavy industry) comprise one of Poland’s official national ‘Historic Monuments’. 
Close by, the Galeria Szyb Wilson is a modern art gallery. Arguably Katowice’s best art space, comprising an impressive 2,500 square metres divided into three halls. It was supposed to be full of “seriously bonkers, yet compellingly high quality sculpture, graphic and installation art- some playful, some political – hidden throughout the dozens of small nooks spidering throughout the building”.
When I went there today, lots of empty walls, ladders, canvass covers…either they are preparing for an exhibition … or….closing down. Nice to see a few paintings though and loved the ivy covered building outside! 
I’ve also contacted the National Archives of Katowice and asked questions about Mum’s side of the family and hopefully they’ll get back to me on those.
Driving from Cesky Krumlov to Brno, my GPS took me via a very strange and longer route than I anticipated. I’m looking at the map, I’m looking at the GPS and the 2 don’t seem to be ‘communicating’. Arggh. Anyway, found medieval Castle Kamen along the way, an important strategic point for Hussite troops in the religious wars in the 15th century. Really bad weather along the way and many a roadworks to hold traffic up on the freeway, where I was driving. Got into Brno at 16:00 and was really tired. Watched a European Volleyball Championship game on TV, Czech vs Belgium…so close… but Czech Republic won. Then read a bit of a “the Road to Ruin”, by Niki Savva….got me to sleep pretty quick. Haha! 
It is a national cultural monument and one of the most important pieces of architecture in South Moravia. The interior is mostly Baroque. Beautiful detail on wooden pulpit staircase. What an amazing ‘confessional’!
Just a few kilometres away…I parked my car down a side street, and walked up (serious huffy puffy!) to Špilberk Castle.
Its construction began as early as the first half of the 13th century by the Přemyslid kings and completed by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. From a major royal castle established around the mid-13th century, and the seat of the Moravian margraves (military commanders) in the mid-14th century, it was gradually turned into a huge baroque fortress (considered the harshest prison in the Austro-Hungarian empire) and then into barracks. This prison had always been part of the Špilberk fortress. At the same time Špilberk was used as a prison, Protestants were the first prisoners forced to serve time here, followed later by participants in the revolutions of 1848–49, although hardened criminals, thieves and petty criminals were also kept here. There was a Modern Art exhibition today and I liked the following two paintings…
Loved some of the other buildings in the neighbourhood…
Got my Budget rent a car in Prague, and tried to work the GPS. The guy who handed over the car couldn’t speak English. Grrr. Anyway, using my Iphone which wasn’t connected to Internet, but nevertheless showed me where I was in the city…managed to get myself on a highway out of Prague to Cesky Krumlov, some 170kms away. When I arrived, discovered I’d have to park my car and walk into town, taking only what I could carry to the hotel. Really happy with the boutique hotel that I had chosen….only about 700m from car park, delightful Czech cooking and super friendly staff. The green/red ceramic looking thing to the right, is a heater – they stoke a fire inside and it keeps you warm over winter months, a “Pech”, its called.
With a river looping around twice, you can’t help but walk around in circles all day in amazement, as I did, certainly the first afternoon.
St Vitus Church, lacked the capacity to serve the needs of the growing population of the capital residential town of the Rosenbergs. So Peter 1 von Rosenberg looked after its reconstruction between 1407 and 1439. Baroque tower, neo gothic interiors that are rich both in design and in material used.
A pear and nut strudel for lunch! Delicious.
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