Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes are one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. UNESCO pearl Plitvice Lakes complex is a whole of beautiful forests, meadows, rocks and drop-down lake whose water countless cascades and waterfalls tumble and overflow through 16 beautiful stepwise, blue lake to the river Korana, which runs deep and rocky canyon in the karst, forming a special attraction for tourists. River Korana can be seen from the promenade, or cultural-historic fortress Dreznik City (which fought against Ottoman conquerors for centuries).
There are also Barac caves located near the village of Rakovica in which was established the first Croatian government. River Korana and underground caves are connection between Plitvice Lakes National Park and Rastoke (mill town). Plitvice Lakes National Park is the origin of Winnetou, which again can be seen in the nearby Winnetoulandu. Added to this bike path, climb, ski resort and other recreational facilities as well as indigenous Škripavac cheese, plum brandy, bread, and lamb under a baking lid, there is no end of satisfaction.Plitvice Lakes are one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. UNESCO pearl Plitvice Lakes complex is a whole of beautiful forests, meadows, rocks and drop-down lake whose water countless cascades and waterfalls tumble and overflow through 16 beautiful stepwise, blue lake to the river Korana, which runs deep and rocky canyon in the karst, forming a special attraction for tourists. River Korana can be seen from the promenade, or cultural-historic fortress Dreznik City (which fought against Ottoman conquerors for centuries).
There are also Barac caves located near the village of Rakovica in which was established the first Croatian government. River Korana and underground caves are connection between Plitvice Lakes National Park and Rastoke (mill town). Plitvice Lakes National Park is the origin of Winnetou, which again can be seen in the nearby Winnetoulandu. Added to this bike path, climb, ski resort and other recreational facilities as well as indigenous Škripavac cheese, plum brandy, bread, and lamb under a baking lid, there is no end of satisfaction.

from:http://www.plitvicelakes.com/

Penny

Trogir, Croatia

Trogir is located in southern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It was first settled by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC and it developed into a major port until the Roman period.

Trogir has a fascinating 2300 years of continuous urban tradition. Its rich culture was created under the influence of old Greeks, Romans, and Venetians. Trogir has a high concentration of palaces, churches, and towers, as well as a fortress on a small island.

The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the time of the Greeks and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Rennaisance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period. Trogir is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex not only in the Adriatic Sea, but in all of Central Europe. Trogir's medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogir

-Teacher Karl

Croatia

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital (and largest city) is Zagreb. Croatia borders Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the so utheast, and Serbia and Montenegro to the east. The Croats arrived in the early seventh century in what is Croatia today. They organized the state into two dukedoms. The first king, Tomislav I was crowned in AD 925 and Croatia was elevated into a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for almost two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Petar Krešimir IV and Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1526, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand from the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne. In 1918, Croatia declared independence from Austria–Hungary and co-founded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After the Second World War, Croatia became a founding member of Second Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence and beca me a sovereign state. Situated in a secluded place, on the southern coast of Brac, Bol is the oldest town of Brac and one of the most famous seaside resorts of the Adriatic. Apart from cultural monuments, Bol also features a number of natural beauties. East and west of Bol are numerous shores, beautiful beaches; the most famous - and probably the most beautiful on the Adriatic is Zlatni Rat.
Joey

Budapest Bath Houses

If you spend time in Budapest, at least a part of it should be at the soothing thermal spring baths. The Romans reaped the health benefits of hot springs here, but it was during the 16th- and 17th- century Turkish occupation that the bath culture was developed. Some of these spas are still in operation today.

But there is an array of baths from more recent Hungarian times, such as the wonderful Art Nouveau Gellért Baths at the luxurious Gellért Hotel. And the Lavish Széchenyi Baths in the City Park. You will also find plenty of thermal hot springs and wells throughout Hungary. There are nearly 1,000 of them in the country, spewing in towns such as Bük, Balf, Gyula and Hajdúszoboszló.

The Romans first developed the baths of Budapest, and the Turks and Habsburgs followed suit. The thermal lake at Heviz is probably Hungary’s most impressive spa , though public thermal pools at Budapest, Eger, Gyor, Harkany and Szeged.

Budapest is a major spa centre with numerous thermal baths that are open to the public. Here the Danube follows the geological fault separating the Buda Hills from the Great Plain and over 40 million litres of warm mineral water gush forth daily from more than 100 thermal springs.

Taken from: http://www.budapesthotels.com/touristguide/ThermalBaths.asp

-Teacher Karl

Danube

The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.
The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows eastwards for a distance of some 2850 km (1771 miles), passing through four Central and Eastern European capitals, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine.
Known to history as one of the long-standing frontiers of the Roman Empire, the river flows through—or forms a part of the borders of—ten countries: Germany (7.5%), Austria (10.3%), Slovakia (5.8%), Hungary (11.7%), Croatia (4.5%), Serbia (10.3%), Romania (28.9%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Moldova (1.7%), and Ukraine (3.8%).[citation needed

fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danube

Alice

Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst

Hungary Slovakia
Date of Inscription: 1995

Extension: 2000

Minor modification inscribed year: 2008

Criteria: (viii)

Property : 56650.5700 ha

Buffer zone: 86797.3300 ha

Districts of Rožnava and Spišská Nová Ves, Region of Košice (SK)N48 28 32.628 E20 29 12.732

Ref: 725ter

Brief Description
The variety of formations and the fact that they are concentrated in a restricted area means that the 712 caves currently identified make up a typical temperate-zone karstic system. Because they display an extremely rare combination of tropical and glacial climatic effects, they make it possible to study geological history over tens of millions of years.

info from:http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/725

Penny

Hungary

Hungary, in English officially the Republic of Hungary, is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, which is part of the Finno-Ugric family, thus one of the four official languages of the European Union that are not of Indo-European origin. Following a Celtic (after c. 450 BC) and a Roman period, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian ruler Árpád, whose great-grandson Stephen I of Hungary was crowned with a crown sent from Rome by the pope in 1000. After being recognized as a kingdom, Hungary remained a monarchy for 946 years, and at various points was regarded as one of the cultural centers of the Western world, Matthias I, Lajos Kossuth,. A significant power until the end of World War I, Hungary lost over 70% of its territory, along with 3.3 million people of Hungarian ethnicity, under the Treaty of Trianon, the terms of which have been considered humiliating by Hungarians. The kingdom was succeeded by a Communist era (1947–1989) during which Hungary gained widespread international attention regarding the Revolution of 1956 and the seminal move of opening its border with Austria in 1989, thus accelerating the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. The present form of government is a parliamentary republic (since 1989). Today, Hungary is a high-income economy, and a regional leader regarding certain markers. Its current goal is to become a developed country by IMF standards. In the past decade, Hungary was listed as one of the 15 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The country is home to the largest thermal water cave system and the second largest thermal lake in the world, the largest lake in Central Europe, and the largest natural grassland in Europe.
Joey

Warsaw Mermaid

Warsaw Mermaid

The 1659 coat of arms of Old Warsaw on the cover of one of Warsaw's accounting books.
Main article: Coat of arms of Warsaw
The mermaid (syrenka) is Warsaw's symbol[127] and, among other places, can be found on statues throughout the city and on the city's coat of arms. This imagery has been in use since at least the mid-14th century.[128] The oldest existing armed seal of Warsaw is from the year 1390, consisting of a round seal bordered with the Latin inscription Sigilium Civitatis Varsoviensis (Seal of the city of Warsaw).[129] City records as far back as 1609 document the use of a crude form of a sea monster with a female upper body and holding a sword in its claws.[130] In 1653 the poet Zygmunt Laukowski asks the question:
“
Warsaw of strong walls; why was the emblem Mermaid with sharp sword, given you by the kings?
”
—Zygmunt Laukowski[131]

1855 bronze sculpture of The Warsaw Mermaid in the Old Town Market Place
The origin of the legendary figure is not fully known. The best-known legend, by Artur Oppman, it that a long time ago two of Triton's daughters set out on a journey through the depths of the oceans and seas. One of them decided to stay on the coast of Denmark and ever since we can see her sitting at the entrance to the port of Copenhagen. The second mer-maiden reached the mouth of the Vistula River and plunged into its waters. She stopped to rest on a sandy beach by the village of Warszowa. Local fishermen came to admire her beauty and listen to her beautiful voice. A greedy merchant also heard her songs; he followed the fishermen and captured the mermaid.[132]
Another legend says that a mermaid once swam to Warsaw from the Baltic Sea for the love of the Griffin, the ancient defender of the city, who was killed in a struggle against the Swedish invasions of the 17th century. The Mermaid, wishing to avenge his death, took the position of defender of Warsaw, becoming the symbol of the city.[132]
Every member of the Queen's Royal Hussars of the United Kingdom light cavalry wears the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress.[133] Members of 651 Squadron Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom also wear the Maid of Warsaw on the left sleeve of their No. 2 (Service) Dress.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw

Alice

Upside Down House

Located in the town of Szymbark, Poland, this magnificent piece of architecture was conceptualized by the owner, Daniel Czapiewski.
Due to its unique design, it attracts thousands of tourists keen to see this bizarre specter. The house is a normal conventional double storey wooden house literally inverted upside down with the roof touching the ground.
In this scenario, we can see how an Architect’s decision during the design process can have a profound effect on the commercial viability and profitability of a building. In this case, the design uniqueness attracts thousands of tourists to the site every year. The designer modified the conventional house and put it upside down .The cost of putting up such a house is relatively the same as for putting up a house the same size and design on the right –side up. The cost-benefit of putting up the house up-side down far outweighs the opposite i.e. if the house was conventional. Just imagine-if the house was the right-side up, no tourists would have visited it and the tiny village of Szymbark would not have found its place on the map.
The use of wood for construction eases the flexibility in constructing the house at a few degrees slant. Wood is also light in weight hence easier to suspend and cantilever. From the pictures, notice that the curtains also open upside down to emphasize on the up-side down effect. The suspended cantilevered side also helps to drum in this effect, with the chimney used cleverly to act as support to the ground. Bituminous felt is used as a flat roof on top.
This house will forever be etched in the minds of many and will be true testimonies on how creativity can increase a thousand-fold the commercial viability of Real Estate at no extra cost.

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/upside-down-house-891730.html

Cathy

Andriyivskyy Descent

The Andriyivskyy Descent begins on the summit of the Starokyivska Hora (Old Kiev mountain) near the ornate late-baroque Saint Andrew's Church (which gave the street its current name). The street continues on down and descends to the Podil district were it ends at the Kontraktova Square. In the past times, the descent was known as Borychiv Descent mentioned as "Боричев увоз" (Borichev uvoz) by Nestor the Chronicler in his Primary Chronicle and in the 12th century poem, The Tale of Igor's Campaign (Slovo o polku Ihorevim).[6] The descent's current name is derived from the 18th century, at the time when the Saint Andrew's Church was erected atop the hill.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the street was mainly inhabited by merchants and craftspeople.[2] Although they are long gone due to the sweeping demographic changes[7] in Kiev during times of the late Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the street is once again thriving thanks to its unique topology, architecture, rich history and also many gift shops and small art galleries showcasing various paintings and sculptures by Ukrainian artists. The descent is one of the favorite spots for Kievans and tourists alike.[2] It is also notable for the many festivals it holds, including various art festivals[2] and the Kiev Day celebrations on the last weekend of May.[8]
The street's location in the city and its landmark attraction has made it lately a highly prestigious area, with several new luxurious restaurants. However, the descent's sewer and water systems have not been changed within the past 100 years, thereby underlining the need for a new system to be installed.[9] Although, city authorities have not yet scheduled a new sewer project system to be installed.[9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriyivskyy_Descent Cathy

The History of Pysanky

The art of the decorated egg in Ukraine, or the pysanka, probably dates back to ancient times. No actual ancient examples exist, as eggshells are fragile.
As in many ancient cultures, Ukrainians worshipped a sun god (Dazhboh). The sun was important - it warmed the earth and thus was a source of all life. Eggs decorated with nature symbols became an integral part of spring rituals, serving as benevolent talismans.
In pre-Christian times, Dazhboh was one of the main deities in the Slavic pantheon; birds were the sun god's chosen creations, for they were the only ones who could get near him. Humans could not catch the birds, but they did manage to obtain the eggs the birds laid. Thus, the eggs were magical objects, a source of life. The egg was also honored during rite-of-Spring festivals––it represented the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers.
With the advent of Christianity, via a process of religious syncretism, the symbolism of the egg was changed to represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of man. Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose. With the acceptance of Christianity in 988, the decorated pysanka, in time, was adapted to play an important role in Ukrainian rituals of the new religion. Many symbols of the old sun worship survived and were adapted to represent Easter and Christ's Resurrection.
In modern times, the art of the pysanka was carried abroad by Ukrainian emigrants to North and South America, where the custom took hold, and concurrently banished in Ukraine by the Soviet regime (as a religious practice), where it was nearly forgotten. Museum collections were destroyed both by war and by Soviet cadres. Since Ukrainian Independence in 1991, there has been a rebirth of the art in its homeland.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka

-Teacher Karl

Cuisine of Ukraine

Ukrainian cuisine is very much a part of the population's culture, lifestyle and customs. Well-known for its great diversity and amazing flavors, Ukrainian cuisine has had a number of influences including Russian, Polish, German and Turkish. Popular ingredients in the cuisine of Ukraine are meat, mushrooms, vegetables, berries, fruit and herbs. As Ukrainians are extremely hospitable their meals are served in very generous quantities.

Some of the best Ukrainian cuisine is actually very simple. Many ingredients are used in what many would consider unusual combinations, creating a unique and sumptuous dish. Considered the “breadbasket of Europe”, bread is a staple in Ukraine. There are dozens of methods used in preparing breads, which are often used in rituals. Dishes often contain pickled vegetables when these are not in season and certain dishes can only be made when ingredients are available. Pastries and cakes are popular, but not very sweet.

Below we provide you with a list of uniquely Ukrainian cuisine along with a description. Why not visit our recipes page to discover how you too can create these culinary delights.

Aperitifs

Borshch – beet soup often made with meat.

Ukha – fish soup typically with carp.

Hybivka – mushroom soup.

Vinigret – beetroot salad made with beans, peas and onions.

Oseledets – pickled herring salad with onion, sunflower oil and pepper.

Kapustianyi – sauerkraut salad with oil, walnuts and mayonnaise.

Paska – Easter bread.

Korovai – braided bread used in wedding celebrations.

Babka – Easter bread containing dried fruit.

Main Course

Varenyky – boiled dumplings stuffed with fruit, potatoes, cheese and cabbage.

Holubtsi – cabbage rolls stuffed with millet or minced meat with rice.

Blyntsi – crepes served with meat, cheese, fruit or caviar.

Pechenya – roast pork, lamb, beef or veal.

Studynets – jellied meat or fish.

Kotljetys – fish or meat fritters.

Deruny – potato fritters served with sour cream or cottage cheese.

Shashlyk – type of shish kebab usually with marinated lamb and vegetables.

Dessert

Tort – cakes often made with ground walnuts or almonds instead of flour.

Kutia – a Christmas dessert with honey, nuts, poppy seeds and wheat.

Zhely – jellied fruit.

Pampushky – fried dough, similar to doughnuts.

Beverages

Kvas – made from bread with a sweet-sour taste.

Compote – dried or fresh fruit drink.

Kefir – sour milk.

from:http://www.ukraine.com/cuisine/

by:Becky

Frédéric Chopin

Chopin was born in the village of Żelazowa Wola, in the Duchy of Warsaw, to a French-expatriate father and Polish mother and was regarded as a child-prodigy[5][6] pianist. On 2 November 1830, at the age of twenty, he left Warsaw for Austria, intending to go on to Italy. The outbreak of the Polish November Uprising seven days later, and its subsequent suppression by Russia, led to Chopin becoming one of many expatriates of the Polish Great Emigration.[7]

In Paris, Chopin made a comfortable living as a composer and piano teacher, while giving few public performances. Though an ardent Polish patriot,[8][9] in France he used the French versions of his names and eventually, to avoid having to rely on Imperial Russian documents, became a French citizen.[10][11][12] After some ill-fated romantic involvements with Polish women, from 1837 to 1847 he had a turbulent relationship with the French authoress George Sand. Always in frail health, he died in Paris in 1849, aged thirty-nine, of pulmonary tuberculosis.[13][14]

Chopin's compositions were written primarily for the piano as solo instrument. Though they are technically demanding,[15] the emphasis in his style is on nuance and expressive depth. Chopin invented musical forms such as the instrumental ballade[16] and was responsible for major innovations in the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, étude, impromptu and prélude.

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin

by:Becky

Poland Kraków

Kraków (pronounced [ˈkrakuf] ( listen); in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow, pronounced /ˈkrækaʊ/ ( listen)) is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination.[1][2] Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind.[3] Situated on the Vistula river (Polish: Wisła) in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century.[4] Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural and artistic life, and is one of Poland's most important economic centres. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Kraków from 1846 to 1918, and the capital of Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.
The city has grown from a Stone Age settlement to Poland's second most important city. It began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill, and was already being reported as a busy trading centre of Slavonic Europe in 965.[5] With the emergence of the Second Polish Republic, and throughout the 20th century, Kraków reaffirmed its role as a major national academic and artistic centre, with the establishment of new universities and cultural venues.
After the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany at the start of the Second World War, Kraków was turned into the capital of Germany's General Government. The Jewish population of the city were moved into a walled zone known as the Kraków Ghetto, from which they were sent to extermination camps such as Auschwitz and Płaszów.
In 1978, the same year UNESCO placed Kraków on the list of World Heritage Sites, Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Kraków, was elevated to the papacy as John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, and the first ever Slavic pope.[6]

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w

Penny

Poland

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi),[2] making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people,[2] which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world[4] and the most populous Eastern European Member State of the EU. The establishment of a Polish state is often identified with the adoption of Christianity by its ruler Mieszko I, in 966 (see Baptism of Poland), when the state covered territory similar to that of present-day Poland. In 1025, Poland became a kingdom and in 1569, it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, by signing the Union of Lublin, forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795 and Poland's territory was partitioned among the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria. Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic in 1918, after World War I, but was later occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. Poland lost over six million citizens in World War II, emerging several years later as the socialist People's Republic of Poland within the Eastern Bloc, under strong Soviet influence. During the Revolutions of 1989, communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Poland is a unitary state, made up of sixteen voivodeships (Polish: województwo). Poland is also a member of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, World Trade Organization, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Joey

State Castle Český Krumlov

The State Castle of Český Krumlov, with its architectural standard, cultural tradition, and expanse, ranks among the most important historic sights in the central European region. Building development from the 14th to 19th centuries is well-preserved in the original groundplan layout, material structure, interior installation and architectural detail.

A worthy assessment of the area by both domestic and foreign experts resulted in the acquisition of historic monument preservation status. In 1963, the town was declared a Municipal Preserve, in 1989 the castle became a National Monument, and in 1992 the entire complex was included onto the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Monuments.

The Administration of Český Krumlov Castle as a functionary of the Heritage Authority in České Budějovice attends to the operation of the structures, especially castle tours, maintenance, construction, and restoration work, and also participates in the arrangement of Cultural and Social Activities at Český Krumlov Castle.

Location :

The mighty complex of the castle is erected on the rock promontory which has been sculpted by the Vltava river from the southern side and by Polečnice stream from the northern side. The castle towers proudly above the refined Renaissance and Baroque burgher architecture of the town below. The town, together with the magnificent Church of St.Vitus and the complex of the castle, creates an unique feature of the whole region. Like a precious pearl, the town of Český Krumlov is situated in the valley surrounded with the massif of Blansko Forest to the north and the undulating foothills of Šumava to the south and west.

Area :

The castle area is one of the largest in central Europe. It is a complex of forty buildings and palaces, situated around five castle courts and a castle park spanning an area of seven hectares. The groundplan layout of Český Krumlov Castle shows the area and location of each court and building.

Name Origin :

The name of the castle Krumlov originated from Latin expression castrum Crumnau or ancient German Crumbenowe. It reflects the configuration of the landscape - krumben ouwe means the place on the rugged meadow. The Český Krumlov Castle was mentioned for the first time by an Austrian knight minnesinger Ulrich of Lichtenstein in his poem "Der Frauendienst" which dates back between the years 1240 and 1242.
The first written form of the name of Crumbenowe is included in a document of Austrian and Styrian Duke Otakar from 1253. At that time, Krumlov was the seat of Vítek of Krumlov who belonged to the powerful noble family of Witigonen. The expression "Český" has been used in connection with Krumlov since the middle of the 15th century.

from:http://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/kaktualita.xml

Penny

Antonín Dvořák

Early career

Dvořák was born on September 8, 1841 in Nelahozeves, near Prague (then Austrian Empire, today the Czech Republic), where he spent most of his life. His father František Dvořák (1814-1894) was a butcher, innkeeper, and professional player of the zither. Dvořák's parents recognized his musical talent early, and he received his earliest musical education at the village school which he entered in 1847, age 6. From 1857 to 1859[1] he studied music in Prague's only Organ School, and gradually developed into an accomplished player of the violin and the viola. Throughout the 1860s he played viola in the Bohemian Provisional Theater Orchestra, which from 1866 was conducted by Bedřich Smetana. The need to supplement his income by teaching left Dvořák with limited free time, and in 1871 he gave up playing in the orchestra in order to compose. During this time, Dvořák fell in love with one of his pupils, Josefína Čermáková, and wrote a song cycle, Cypress Trees, for her.[1] She never returned his love, however, and married another man. In 1873 Dvořák married Josefína's younger sister, Anna. They had nine children together.

At about this time Dvořák began to be recognized as a significant composer. He became organist at St. Adalbert's Church, Prague, and began a period of prolific composition. Dvořák composed his second string quintet in 1875, and in 1877, the critic Eduard Hanslick informed him that his music had attracted the attention of Johannes Brahms, whom he later befriended. Brahms contacted the musical publisher Simrock, who as a result commissioned Dvořák's first set of Slavonic Dances. Published in 1878, these were an immediate success. Dvořák's Stabat Mater (1880) was performed abroad, and after a successful performance in London in 1883, Dvořák was invited to visit England where he appeared to great acclaim in 1884. His Symphony No. 7 was written for London; it premiered there in 1885. Dvořák visited England nine times in total,[1] he often conducted his own works there. In 1890, influenced by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, he also visited Russia, and conducted the orchestras in Moscow and in St. Petersburg.[1] In 1891 Dvořák received an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge, and his Requiem premiered later that year in Birmingham at the Triennial Music Festival.

United States (1892–1895)
From 1892 to 1895, Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City, at a $15,000 annual salary. The Conservatory had been founded by a wealthy and philanthropic socialite, Jeannette Thurber; it was located at 126-128 East 17th Street,[2][3] but was demolished in 1911 and replaced by what is now a high school. Here Dvořák met with Harry Burleigh, one of the earliest African-American composers, his pupil. Burleigh introduced traditional American Spirituals to Dvořák at the latter's request.
In the winter and spring of 1893, while in New York, Dvořák wrote Symphony No.9, "From the New World". He spent the summer of 1893 with his family in the Czech-speaking community of Spillville, Iowa, to which some of his cousins had earlier immigrated. While there he composed the String Quartet in F (the "American"), and the String Quintet in E flat, as well as a Sonatina for violin and piano.

Over the course of three months in 1895, Dvořák wrote his Cello Concerto in B minor. However, problems with Mrs. Thurber about his salary, together with increasing recognition in Europe — he had been made an honorary member of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna — and homesickness made him decide to return to Bohemia. He left New York before the end of the spring term.

Dvořák's New York home was located at 327 East 17th Street near Perlman Place.[4] It was in this home that the Ninth Symphony was written. Despite protests, from the then Czech President Václav Havel amongst others, who wanted the house preserved as a historical site, it was demolished to make room for a Beth Israel Medical Center residence for people with AIDS.[5] To honor Dvořák, however, a statue of him was erected in Stuyvesant Square.[3][6]

Later career
During his final years, Dvořák concentrated on composing opera and chamber music. In 1896 he visited London for the last time to hear the premiere of his Cello Concerto in B minor. In 1897 his daughter married his pupil, the composer Josef Suk. Dvořák succeeded Antonín Bennewitz as director of the Conservatory in Prague from 1901 until his death from heart failure in 1904.[7] His 60th birthday was celebrated as a national event. He is interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague, under his bust by Czech sculptor Ladislav Šaloun.He left many unfinished works, including the early Cello Concerto in A major.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k#Symphonies

by:Becky

Prague (Praha)

Prague is a place that everyone looks forward to when they hear about it. But why? Because it’s like a dream, and many people wish they could go there.

However, what kinds of constructions does Prague have? There is the imperial palace, tower, and square etc. But the most monumentially and glorious construction must be the castle. When you stand on the balcony, the breath taking view includes the red special roof, some tall trees with green branches ,leaves, and white vapour that make you feel like you are in paradise. Even though Prague is full of people, you can still see people’s individual motions clearly. Aren’t those the most grand and marvelous views?

If you have a chance, you can stroll down the street and have a coffee at the café beside the street to enjoy the beautiful city.

After seeing these beautiful and marvelous scenes, would you like to go yourself? Let’s check out this amazing city!

By Vineeta :))