CZ: Nová Paka - A Town Of Mad Persons? - VIDEO
Nová Paka, in past known as Mladá Paka, is quite similar to all small localities in the environs. This town feel as partially beautiful and partially as non-interesting. In any case, you need more time in order to absorb fully local atmosphere.
Vietnam or a Town in Environs of Mountains?
The square, where the pavement is overcrowded with parked vehicles, offers unspoiled view to passed years of the end of 20th century. Partially destructed gigantic hotel with arcades, where busy traffic is dominating, could be the first attractive target for tourists. Yellow colour shade of rough casting is cracked. From the wíndow of a room in the first floor, you can read a poster with the iscription: „Clearance sale - one piece for CZK 20! “. Hotel on the square was changed to second hand shop.
Inside arcades of the same building, just close to effective information table of local stamp-collectors´club, several persons from Vietnam found their vindication. For them, a business with cheap brand goods would be always an interesting activity. They changed from stands into covered shops and this fact fully defaces this square.
Not far from there, still on main boulevard, you can see a lot of pairs of shoes presented in shop windows. On the door, typical Vietnamese articles are hanging, with posters, describing with words in very weak level of Czech language. Despite this, such orange poster informs about Karel Gott concert which will be taken place in October.
It is necessary to say that even Czech businessmen do not look after their shop-windows. Second hand shop is dominating, together with a couple of brand shops on local dressing market, making competition with omnipresent Vietnamese offer. So, this is a reality in small town which has no profit from tourists´ activities.
It is a fault of one fountain
Nová Paka is described as a town of queers or mad persons. Maybe, it could be a fault of a fountain, situated on the square. Everybody, who tries to drink from it, a calm and careless way of madman life will be guaranteed. And this fact could make a possible mixture of your first expression from Nová Paka!
Jan Hus statue, made from stone, Plague Column and St. Nicholas Church - these are three dominantas of Nová Paka, not speaking about yellow hotel building, mentioned above. And, frankly speaking, the east part of the town saw through, thanks to these uniques. In city centre, no parking fee is to be paid for, and a lot of vehicles are parking around. So, we do not have any chance to be transferred hundred years back. The workers who make repair works on church facade, could remind us a year 1872, when the church undergone essential reconstruction and was changed into Neo-Gothic style. Anyway, not far from the square, it is worth to visit local museum as well as the treasury.
No doubt, a monastery with Virgin Mary Assumption Church, in past an important shrine, and at present, one of most beautiful Baroque constructions of the beginning of 18th century in Central Europe, is no omitting jewel and place of interest of local monuments. The complex is placed on a hill above the town.
It is really nice view from far, but let´s return into confused reality of Nová Paka. Beautiful covered wooden stages, leading directly to the monastery are destructed with works of graffiti painters. From frontal part, the complex is repaired, but from back, you enter a plot. Nevertheless, it is nothing special, in case of reconstruction works. But you can meet another special phenomenon: you can hear drum performance of one rock-music band from entrails of such marvellous complex! No wonder, you are in Nová Paka!
Text/photo/video: Klára Svobodová
Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš
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