compelled to suppress by bombarding the city.

On leaving Prague we cross a viaduct of 88 arches, 3,500 ft. long. Near Bubentsch is the Baumgarten, greatly frequented by the Viennese in the summer months.

Weltrus.-The village is on the left bank of the Moldau; on the right bank is the château and the extensive park of Count Chotek.

RAUDNITZ (298 miles) is picturesquely situated on the Elbe. The castle is the property of Prince Lobkowitz. It contains a library of 45,000 volumes. The collection of paintings from the time of Charles V. to the Thirty Years' War is very valuable. Prince Lewis of Baden, a general who distinguished himself against the Turks, was married here to a princess of Saxony in 1669. The celebrated Cola di Rienzi, "The Last of the Tribunes," was confined in this castle for a year by the Emperor Charles IV.

LOBOSITZ (310 miles), (Hotel: Eisenbahn), a town of 2,200 inhabitants, is remarkable as the scene of the first battle of the Seven Years' War, in which, on the 1st day of October, 1756, the Prussians, under the command of Frederick the Great and the Duke of Brunswick, defeated the Austrians under Marshal Brown. Opposite Salesl rises abruptly from the river a rock resembling the famous Lurlei on the Rhine.

On

its summit are the extensive ruins of the Schreckenstein, belonging to Prince Lobkowitz, destroyed by the Hussites in 1426. AUSSIG (321 miles) was the birthplace of Raphael Mengs, the celebrated painter. Biehanj, a height west of the town, was the scene of the great Hussite battle in 1426. A steamer leaves Aussig twice daily for Dresden, in six to seven hours. The district through which we

N leaving Prague we pass, on the right, the White Hill, where Maximilian of Bavaria and the Catholic League gained a victory in 1620 over the Protestant forces of Frederick V. of Bohemia. Near Karlstein we see, on an eminence, the fine Castle, which was built for the Emperor Charles IV., and was, for a long time, a residence of the Kings of Bohemia. It is still in fair preservation. The Donjon Tower is 121 ft. high. The Kreuzkapelle formerly contained the Bohemian regalia. It was secured by four iron doors and no less than thirteen locks. The Church of the Ascension is ornamented with frescoes. In the

Chapel of St. Catherine is a fine painting of the Madonna and Child, with kneeling figures of the Emperor Charles IV. and his wife. Beraun (23 miles) is a walled town of 2,000 inhabitants, situated on a river of the name. Near Horowitz (33 miles) are extensive silver and lead mines. Near Rokitzan (49 miles), population, 3,520, are some considerable iron-stone mines and iron works. From Chrast (604 miles) a branch line turns off to the coalmines of Radnitz. We next reach

PILSEN (67 miles), (Hotels: Goldener Adler, Kaiser von Oesterreich), population, 14,800. The Church of St. Bartholomew, in the Gothic style, is attributed to the 14th century. The Rathhaus is in the style of the Renaissance. The house occupied by Wallenstein immediately before his death, and his arms, are shown.

[CARLSBAD (Hotels: see "HoTEL APPENDIX "), population, about 3,200, is reached by railway from Leipsig, or from Frankfort vid Hof and Eger. It is romantically situated on the River Tepl, near its junction with the Eger. This is one of the most celebrated watering-places in Germany, and its springs are the hottest in Europe. The temperature varies from 117 degrees to 165 degrees Fahr. The principal and hottest spring-the Sprudel-has a very large volume, and is forced up to a height of 3 ft. above the ground. Altogether, the daily flow of the springs, of which there are nine, is estimated at two million gallons. They were known in the 7th century, but were lost sight of till 1347, when, according to a tradition of the country, they were rediscovered by Charles IV., whose attention was drawn to the spot, while hunting, by the cries of one of the hounds, which had

fallen into a hot spring when pursuing a stag. He subsequently established regular baths here, to which he gave his name.

A monument to this king stands in the market-place. The Tepl is crossed by a granite bridge of one arch.

Around the town are some fine promenades, and the scenery is very beautiful.

The number of visitors each year is from 6,000 to 8,000. Balls and concerts are given at the Kursaal, where there is a readingroom well supplied with newspapers. Gambling is strictly forbidden.

There is another reading-room and a billiard-room above the baths, called Mühlbrunnen-bad. There is also a Theatre.

The most convenient route to Carlsbad for travellers from the direction of Frankfort is by Würzburg, Bamberg, Baireuth, and Hof to Eger, from which lastnamed place trains go daily to Carlsbad, 28 miles, in 2 hours. Travellers from the north reach Carlsbad most conveniently by way of Leipsic to Eger, and thence by railway as above.

*

About 15 miles from Eger junction is MARIENBAD, (Hotels: Klingers, d'Angleterre), in a valley surrounded with pine-clad hills. It is celebrated for its mineral waters and mud baths. The waters resemble those of Carlsbad except that they are cooler; they are efficacious in diseases of the skin. The season extends from May to August.

FRANZENBAD (Hotels: Kaiser von Oesterreich, Post) is a much frequented and aristocratic bath, about 3 miles from Eger (see above). It is rapidly growing in popularity, and bids fair to become a rival of Carlsbad. It has been called "Carlsbad cooled,"

on account of the similarity in the properties of the waters. It has mud baths like Marienbad (the reputation of which is very great). The cost of living is, as yet, remarkably reasonable.]

In the neighbourhood of Staab (84 miles) are extensive coalfields. Passing Furth (106 miles), and some stations of no importance, we reach Cham (119 miles), situated on a branch of the Regen. In the vicinity are extensive forests, amid which are glass and ironworks. At SCHWANDORF JUNCTION (149 miles), the line branches to Nüremburg and RATISBON.

From Schwandorf Junction to Nuremburg is 52 miles. Time, 24 hours. (For description of Nüremburg, see Route 111). To Ratisbon the distance is 9 miles. (For description of Ratisbon, see Route 115).

ROUTE 121.

VIENNA TO TRIESTE AND

VENICE.

To Trieste, 363 miles; 1st class, 28 f. 26 kr.; 2nd, 21 ft. 20 kr. ; 3rd, 14 fl. 13 kr.

(Fares by fast train 20 per cent. more.)

From Nabresina Junction to Venice,

125 miles; 1st class, 9 fi. 72 kr. ; 2nd, 7 ft. 29 kr.; 3rd, 4 fl. 86 kr.

(Tourists wishing to book through to Venice (476 miles direct) without stopping at Trieste, change at Nabresina Junction (3514 miles). Express trains have 1st class carriages only.)

N leaving Vienna we pass (3 miles) the Schönbrunn Palace. The first

place express trains stop

at is BADEN (15 miles), which is reached in less than an hour. The railway lies at a considerable elevation, affording fine views of Vienna and numerous villas and villages. On the left is seen the column erected in 1542, now called the Spinnerin am Kreuz. On the right is seen the Gloriette in the park of Schönbrunn. At Voslau the best wine of Austria is produced. NEUSTADT (28 miles),

Hotels: Hirsch, Ungar-Krone), was the birthplace of Emperor Frederick IV. and Maximilian I. The town was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1834. The parish church contains several tombstones with well-executed reliefs. The ducal castle of the family of Babenburg is now a military academy, founded by Maria Theresa in 1752. GLOGGNITZ (46 miles), at the base of the Semmering. The Schloss on an eminence was formerly a Benedictine abbey, suppressed in 1803. The Castle of Wartenstein is on a height to the left. At Gloggnitz the celebrated Semmering Railway, the most remarkable structure of the kind in Europe, commences. This portion of the railway, 25 miles in length, cost upwards of one and a half millions pounds sterling. It is carried along the face of precipices by means of fifteen tunnels and fifteen bridges. On the left rises the Semmering with its three peaks. At the Semmering Station (70 miles) the railway reaches its highest point. Here we pass through a tunnel 4,518 ft. long, upwards of 2,800 ft. above the

sea.

We now begin to descend the opposite slopes of the Semmering Alp, and reach MüRZ

ZUSCHLAG (804 miles) situated on the Mürz, at the foot of the mountain range. Keeping along the right bank of the river, and passing through highly picturesque scenery, we cross the Mürz near its confluence with the Mur, and reach BRUCK (1064 miles), (Hotel: Zum Eisenbahn), population 2,500. A line goes to Klagenfurt, and another to Mariazell. Our route goes along the left bank of the Mur, beneath steep precipices, for a considerable distance. We presently leave the ravine, and enter upon a beautiful and richlycultivated plain, in the centre of which is

GRATZ (139 miles), (Hotels: Elephant, Erzherzog Johann), polation 71,000. A picturesque old town, built on both sides of the river Mur, and encircled by fine gardens and pleasure-grounds. It possesses numerous ancient buildings, among which are the Gothic Cathedral of St. Agidi, built in the fifteenth century; the ancient Castle of the Styrian dukes, which possesses many curious antiquarian relics; the Landhaus, where the nobles of the duchy held their meetings; the University, with its library of 50,000 volumes, and the mausoleum, erected in the Church of St. Catherine, to the Emperor Ferdinand II., remarkable for the ornamental sculpture of its interior. Gratz has twenty-two churches and chapels, and one or two noble palaces, including the palace of the Count Altern. The environs are very attractive, and from the wide plain around arise wooded acclivities, and hills broken into patches of pasture, and gardens prettily laid out. The town is connected with the suburb of Mührstadt by a chain bridge across the Mur, 315 ft. long. Some distance beyond Grätz we

observe on the summit of a lofty rock, on the right bank of the Mur, the ruins of the Castle of Wildon, where the celebrated astronomer Tycho Brahé made some of his observations. Near LEIBNITZ (1594 miles), on the right, is the château of the Bishop of Seckau. Many Roman antiquities have been found in this neighbourhood. We cross a fine bridge over the Sulm, and passing Ehrenhausen, where the Count Attems has a fine chateau, we reach SPIELFELD (1664 miles), near which is the Castle belonging to Prince Eggenberg. We now leave the Mur and cross a range of hills into the valley of the Drave. Passing MARBURG (178 miles), we reach PRAGERHOF (189 miles). A line goes to Pesth by Kanitza and Stuhlweissenburg. CILLI (219 miles), the Roman Claudia Celleia, is an ancient town of 1,800 inhabitants, situated on the Saun. The church contains a beautiful Gothic side chapel. The ruined fortress of Obercilli rises above the town. In the neighbourhood are extensive ironmines and coal-fields. To the westward, after leaving Cilly, we see the Distriza-Spitze, 7,710 ft. above the sea. Proceeding along the bank of the Sann we pass Römerbad (231 miles), a fashionable watering-place, and reach STEINBRÜCK (236 miles), beautifully situated near the confluence of the Sann and the Saave.

LAIBACH (273 miles), the Roman Emona, is a town of 23,000 inhabitants, on the river of the same name. The fine old castle towering over the town, now used as a prison, commands a superb view. After leaving Laibach we cross a morass over a stone causeway, and, passing some unimportant places, reach Loitsch (296 miles). From hence a visit may be made to the

quicksilver mines of Idria, 19 miles distant.

The

ADELSBERG (312 miles). (The celebrated caverns, by far the most interesting in Europe, were known in the middle ages, and were re-discovered by accident in 1816. They are now under the supervision of a company which issues tickets of admission and attends to the illuminations. In May 1872, a tramway was completed from the entrance nearly to the farthest extremity of the grotto. For a small charge, visitors are now saved the fatiguing walk formerly necessary. different chambers are now called as follows. 1. The Poik Cavern, in which the river Poik enters as described below. 2. The Cathedral. 3. The Kaiser-Ferdinand Grotto, consisting of several halls, one of which is called the BallRoom. In this hall, a ball takes place annually on Whitmonday. 4. The Frunz - Joseph - Elizabeth Grotto, one of the most spacious, 112 feet high, 664 feet long, and 660 feet wide. This grotto extends to the Calvarienberg (Mount Calvary), which is more than 2,100 feet from the entrance. There are beyond the last other openings not visited, which are nearly 1 miles from the entrance. The new railway extends to the Calvarienberg.) ADELSBERG (Hotels: see "HOTEL APPENDIX") is on an extensive plain at the foot of a long range of hills. It is only remarkable for the numerous and extensive stalactite caves that exist in the limestone rock in its viciaity, and which are the largest hitherto discovered in Europe. The principal grotto is about a mile distant from the village. It has been explored to a distance of about two miles from its mouth. The river Poik disap

pears in a vast cavern 50 feet below the entrance to the grotto, reappears at about 180 yards within the cave, and is then lost under the mountains, issuing to light again at Planina, where it is called the Unz, where planks and pieces of wood, it is said, appear 10 or 12 hours after being thrown into the stream in the cavern. It is impossible," says Hamilton, "to describe all the beauties and wonders of the gigantic stalactite concretions, and lofty halls, supported, as it were, by Gothic columns, and apparently filled with statues of exquisite delicacy and whiteness. There is, however, one part of the cave which in grandeur and sublimity exceeds all the rest. It is called Mount Calvary, and is situated near the extremity of the grotto, about 14 miles from the entrance. Here we suddenly find ourselves in an open space of which we can neither see the limits, nor distinguish the height of the roof. In the centre the ground rises considerably, forming a steep and rugged hill, over which the path leads, the roof rising in proportion as we ascend, with a deep and gloomy looking ravine on either side. This hill, which consists of the blocks and fragments fallen from the lofty roof, is almost everywhere covered with a thick incrustation of white stalagmites, which, having assumed every possible variety of form, appear in the murky gloom like wandring spectres,or beautiful marble statues. At each step as we advance, fresh figures are seen, arranged with apparent taste along the terraces of a rising ground. We almost fancy ourselves walking in an enchanted garden adorned with a rich profusion of statues, columns and vases, while the darkness makes the spacious hall appear still more extensive,"