On Saturday, 5 September, the Welcome Centre for International Scholars set off on another adventure — this time taking our group of international researchers on a journey into the past.
Our first stop was the fascinating Botanicus Craft Centre, where history comes alive through traditional crafts and hands-on activities. After arriving, our group split up so that everyone could choose the activities that appealed to them most. There was plenty to discover: we tried making soap and candles, striking our own coins, practising archery, working with clay and wood, making paper and rope, and even creating puppets. It was a wonderful opportunity to slow down, try something new and experience traditional crafts first-hand.
The Craft Centre is also home to beautiful gardens filled with organically grown herbs and plants, many of which are used to produce Botanicus's famous natural cosmetics. Some of us took the opportunity to browse the shop and take home a little piece of the experience. We were also treated to delicious food at the local medieval tavern, followed by tempting sweet treats from one of the stands. Fortunately, the weather was on our side too — sunny and pleasantly warm, but not too hot.
After our time at Botanicus, we reunited and continued by bus to our second destination, Přerov nad Labem. At the Polabské Ethnographic Museum, we stepped even further back in time. The extensive open-air museum gave us a glimpse into traditional rural life in the region, with historic houses, household objects, farm equipment and many other artefacts showing how people lived and worked in the past.
The museum is so large that by the end of the afternoon, most of us were ready for a well-deserved rest. We therefore finished the day with coffee and a snack at a nearby pastry shop before heading back to the campus in the evening.
It was a day full of discovery, creativity, history and, above all, good company. We are already looking forward to our next adventure together!
