Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: cottage

Here's another example of the cottages that you can see in Sumava. The cottages of the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic actually had earlier origins, in the days of the Austrian Empire, but they took on far greater significance under Communism because they provided an essential benefit in a society where international travel was heavily restricted. They were generally thought of, however, as one of the few things that kept people lazy enough to not overthrow the regime, along with beer and Skodas, so although the Czechs still go to the countryside almost every weekend, and are far more likely than people in the west to have a second home, the dubious heritage of this system leaves many people with mixed emotions.