Today was our last full day in the Czech Republic. We spent it on a day trip to the town of Cesky Krumlov, which, according to Jana, has the second largest castle complex in the world. The castle, completed in the thirteenth century was built by the Vitkovci family and is complete with a moat containing bears even to this day. It was a great day trip and overall had me reflecting on various things they do in the Czech Republic that we don’t necessarily have back in the States.
For example, since the Czech Republic has had civilizations and cities for far longer than the U.S, historical preservation is big here. I think the U.S could absolutely benefit from adopting the country’s integration of historic preservation with modern urban planning. In cities like Prague, centuries old architecture is seamlessly blended with modern day infrastructure. There are modern cafes in medieval stone buildings, and trams going by centuries old cathedrals. It is really apparent here that economic development does not have to come at the cost of cultural identity.
Swanson School of Engineering 