It’s not every day that you get to ride a steam powered train, but this Sunday was one of those days. Only for one Sunday some days before Christmas, a steam-powered old train would make one unique trip to a Christmas market, and then back to Prague. An opportunity we simply couldn’t miss.
When we arrived early in the morning at the station our senses got overwhelmed from the constant hissing and the cloud of steam from the huge old steam train.
It felt so weird to see this huge old steam train on the rails, as if it was operating normally.
We were happily surprised as we were allowed to go into the engine and see the coal burner up close. The driver was feeding more coal to the furnace to keep the temperature up.
We went inside the wagon and took a sit. The windows were all fogged up and it was dark – all lights were off. We put our stuff in the old fashion nets at the roof of the wagon and sit back in the spring filled sits.
A very loud whistle, and the train started to move.
The train left the station and the motion gave power to the lights, which lighted up the art-nouveau designed carriage. The weather this morning was gloomy and it felt like it was about to snow. We were leaving Prague to enter the forests riding this steam powered machine, and as we did it felt like we were travelling into the past.
At some point the conductor showed up, wearing an old type uniform. He punctured our small stamped carton tickets and wished us a happy journey. Every time the train stopped, the lights went off and so did the heating. It was always surprising to see the lights sparkling up everytime the train started to move.
After about two hours, we arrived at our destination at Křivoklát. From there we walked up the hill to the Křivoklát Castle, and we reached the main gate. The old castle area was hosting the most traditional and warm Christmas market I have ever seen.
All people that participated in the market were dressed up in medieval clothes, and according to their art. Merchants were selling all kinds of food and sweets, ironsmiths where crafting medieval tools and weapons in their fires, artists were dancing, singing and playing games with the visitors, artisans were showing their craft and selling their handmade items.
Found actors with trumpets announced the beginning of the festivities. And then there was music, acting and live performances. These events lasted all day long, one better than the next.
After we enjoyed some food and took in the medieval music, we climbed up the stairs to the top of the castle. It was really cold up there, strong ice winds, but the view was rewarding.
We left the castle a couple of hours before our train back home to enjoy a short hike in the nearby area. The nature was beautiful.
At some point we came across a very old church.
It was definitely a day to remember, a wonderful experience. It was a pleasant surprise that the market felt not too touristy, unlike most Christmas markets I’ve been in.