Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: Pardubický kraj

Ceramic stoves have been in use in the Czech Republic, both for heating and cooking, since at least the 17th Century. The older ones are extremely ornate, and not easily recognizable as stoves (which could be a safety hazard). However, they became much simpler in the 19th Century as they became more practical, small stoves for everybody, which is also when they were increasingly used for cooking. Usually, they've run on coal, and in spite of this you can still buy them.

Like American historical villages, Vesely Kopec has a blacksmith who demonstrates his traditional craft. This is obviously popular with the kids, but I've always liked to see old technology in use. For that matter, blacksmiths aren't obsolete for certain things, like making horseshoes, and let's face it, horses aren't going anywhere.

This was a small collection of wooden water pipes that they had displayed on a wagon. Plumbing is a technology that has been introduced gradually over thousands of years, so in the 19th Century there was a certain limited amount of it, in spite of houses lacking "running water" in the modern sense in the first three quarters of the century.

This was one of several fire engines that they had stored in a barn. There were also several buggies and wagons, as well as a hearse. This was similar to what you could see at an American historical village, except for that the fire engines were unrestored, and as such lacked their hoses, which no doubt rotted off long ago.

This was the interior of the chapel (or church).

I didn't know what these were, but the guy I was traveling with said they were seed hoppers.

I don't know much about this chapel (or possibly church), as it lacked a historical marker.

This was my first view of Vesely Kopec. Supposedly, Vesely Kopec is a "village," or maybe "hamlet" would be a better word in English, as it is a constituent part of Chrudim, which in turn is a district of Vysocina, technically another village, which is part of Pardubicky kraj. A further complication is that this "Vesely Kopec" isn't a real village. Basically, it's a reconstructed 19th Century village similar to those that can be seen in the U.S. Think of the Erie Canal Village in Rome, New York, or the Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. So, what I don't know is whether Vesely Kopec has been given an official status as a village (or hamlet), or whether it is a constituent part of a real hamlet with residents, businesses, etc. One way or another, this historic reconstruction of buildings moved from elsewhere is very similar to what you can see in the U.S., with the difference being that the buildings are Czech. It's also different in that it's not common, but one-of-a-kind in the Czech Republic.