Accelerated heart rate sites

In their book Places Where the Pulse Quickens, experienced travellers and writers Otomar Dvořák and Josef Pepson Snětivý fulfilled their resolution to uncover the 'hidden beauty' of places. Sometimes this beauty is hard to see because it lies in the shadow of a much more famous monument or landmark. At other times, it's for the simple reason that we have to look for it underground. And at other times still, all that remains of it are, unfortunately (and for now!), meagre remnants that we could easily overlook.

As they say themselves: “It is precisely such places that we think deserve attention – not only because they haven't been given it yet; but mainly because they are beautiful and exceptional.

The second criterion for selection was our subjective feeling that we were in a location that had a particularly strong effect on us. Whether through its picturesqueness, or something we can't find elsewhere, or its unique character… and sometimes even through the dark side of local historical events. Our pulse noticeably quickened.

In this publication, we will investigate the gloomy secret of the village with the unusual name of Pičín, where today we find a pair of little-known monuments, and we'll pop over to nearby Komárov to learn about a woman who was exceptional, though not in a positive sense. Then we will discover that it is possible to visit two Golden Lanes in Prague in a single day, and during a walking tour we will uncover unforgettable places in the neighbouring areas of Břevnov and Střešovice. We will then head north from Prague… and in Mimoň, we will be rewarded with two exceptional sacred sites and a fascinating underground. In contrast to the dark 'underworld', we will journey between the Lužnice and Vltava rivers in search of two southern stars – Bechyně and Týn nad Vltavou; but to ensure there isn't too much light, we will put a bloody end to this journey in Branovice. And finally, together with our kind and knowledgeable guide, Miloň Čepelka, a writer and actor from the Jára Cimrman Theatre, we will set off not only through picturesque (and mysterious!) Opočno, but also to the nearby village of Přepychy. It is still little known to Czech travellers, but once you learn about the interesting things hidden, for example, in the local underground, or what local delicacies await a hungry tourist, you will surely agree that Přepychy is worth a trip.”

The book Places Where the Pulse Quickens is the fourth volume of the Hidden Beauty of Our Land series.