Litomerice and the most narrow lock the ship goes through in Czech Republic.

This town has well preserved Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance buildings within its streets and squares. Of course the ancient fortifications all these river towns needed to survive numerous attacks over the years were here as well and we had to first walk our way around them to access the city centre. Our walking tour ended up with Czech beer tasting in a tavern located in a side-street from the town hall. I must note it was morning when we toured this town and still well before lunch when I beer-tasted 3 different styles of beer. I didn't finish this tasty amber liquid.

This afternoon when we cruised a canal alongside the Elbe towards Prague, the ship had to enter several locks, the smallest being no more than 11 meters wide, just a fraction wider than this ship (15.5 meters). Apparantly the Elbe Princess was built to specifications so it can pass through the smallest of the locks on this river and has a paddlewheeler at the rear which enables the ship to sail on the low river levels of the canals, lakes and Elbe River. There have been many times where we have heard the bottom of the ship scrap along on the pebbles at the bottom of the waterway.

Various types of buildings in Litomerice.

Three types of beer.

                        Red Poppies growing in the wild. Just out from Litomerice

Approaching the lock

The back paddlewheels, the top of the ship had to be pulled down so the ship could pass under the arches.

Lock gates are closing

Water rising in the lock, the gates are about to disappear.

Just about ready to join the up-stream canal.