Slunce, voda, vzduch

The nineteenth century gave birth to an entirely new type of traveller. Modern tourists are eager to see the awesome grandeur of the mountains, experience the Middle Ages inside mysterious castle ruins or soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere and technological sophistication of the big cities. Travelling is also a source of deeply physical experiences: a lightning-fast train ride gives you a whole new experience of space-time, while a spa promises not only to improve your health, but also to stimulate you sexually. On the beaches, bathing cars guaranteed complete privacy at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Božena Němcová scrupulously protects her alabaster skin from tanning. And Franz Kafka and Max Brod pack Odol in their suitcase for a trip to Paris full of brothels.

This original, richly illustrated historical monograph draws on dozens of diary and travel accounts of famous and obscure Central Europeans. And it takes its readers on a unique journey through the transformations of the modern tourist and his bodily experiences.