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19 April 2010
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In the last decade a number of cities and towns in the Czech Republic have opened their
underground to the public. Often the tunnels are simply more or less well preserved remains of
complexes that were built for various purposes in the past. Tourists can thus visit for example
the underground tunnels in the spa city Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), the beer city Plzeň (Pilsen), or
Jilove u Prahy.

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(   ) *   **   &$+ Travelers may enjoy a walk
under the local colonnade and observe the mineral springs rising several meters under the
ground. Another tunnel leads under the Church of St. Magdalene where the visitors can explore
the main charnel house.

",-."/'*!' $**'"&01"

 &!"& !,   &$+ The complex of tunnels and passages connect
numerous cellars of old city houses. In the past the cellars were often used as a refuge and
stores in the time of wars. In times of peace people used the passages as storerooms for food as
well as beer. The Plzeň underground complex is very old and spans ca. 19 kilometers. The
tunnels go three stories under ground and the third one is flooded, so nobody really knows what
is down there.

"234"#5$' ") *&"!+One

of the first people who discovered and mined the precious metal were Celts who lived in the
region. During the rule of Charles IV the town had the biggest gold mine in Europe. Today more
than a thousand of adits have been mapped under the city but only three of them are open to
visitors. One of them is even accessible to people on wheel chairs. Naturally the biggest
attraction of the tunnels are veins of gold that the tourists can find there as well as the common
inhabitants of such dark places ± the bats.

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12th April 2010

The Museum of Records and Curiosities in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic is located in five stories of a
local historical tower. Visitors & 1" 1!"$ *#  !   
"$+ Among them are a wooden bicycle that actually rides, the world¶s biggest egg that
weigh 2.455 kg, a world¶s unique object ± a working steam engine made of glass, the highest
beer bottle (208 cm), or the biggest pajamas, which is nine meters long and 98 people could get
in it at a time. Among the most popular attractions are also the biggest china coffee cup for 36
people, the smallest cup made on potter's wheel, which is 2.5 mm high, a guitar made out of
safety matches that actually plays, and a giant stockpot in which soup for 9.200 people could be
made
Visitors can also see numerous photographs documenting the traditional international festival of
curiosities and records, which is the biggest event of its kind in Europe. In June the city will
celebrate the 20th edition of the popular festival.

The Museum among other things also includes various world¶s unique objects. Among the newest
belongs the world¶s smallest gallery (117 cm x 82 cm x 62 cm). There are 54 caricatures of
celebrities in the gallery made by Lubomir Vanek. The gallery is named Lehni (Lie Down) since
the visitors who really want to see the pictures properly really have to lie down.

&*"&$+ Miroslav Marek, the president of Dobrý den agency that

established the museum says: ³Giants above 205 cm, adult dwarfs smaller than 135 cm, people
with their waist over 145 cm can enter for free.³ He also mentioned that there are ca. 400 new
records registered in Pelhrimov every year.