Filed under: Czech Republic, Family Friendly, History & Information, museums, Outdoors & Recreation, Prague, top-feature
Prague at a Glance
Prague sparkles with Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture. The Vltava River flows like a satin ribbon through the heart of the city. Prague Castle crowns the hill on the west bank and dozens of spires reach for the sky. Tourists amble through the historic centre, sniffing up culture, hunting for souvenirs or simply people-watching.
Saints and Apostles
A sea of sea of people zigzagged their way across Charles bridge, peppered with statues of saints. Tourists mixed with buskers, hawkers and the occasional Czech who actually used the bridge to cross the river. I remembered a legend about one of the statues lining the bridge. If I rubbed the feet of Jan of Nepomuk the saint who was bound and thrown of the bridge in the 14th century, I would return to Prague. It was true, I was on my second visit.
The clip-clop of horses, harnessed to carriages, reverberated on the cobbles of Old Town Square. Four holidaymakers jumped off and mingled with the crowd in front of the the Old Town hall to watch the spectacle of the astronomical clock. I joined them. Every hour, on the hour, Death rings a bell and a procession of apostles pops out of a window. They nod at the tourists and disappear through another window. The cock crows. The hour strikes. I grabbed my camera but before I could focus, the apostles retreated. The show lasted only one minute.
An Upsidedown Horse and Wenceslas
David Cerny's Upside Down Horse
Wenceslas Square is a crash course in architectural styles. Art Nouveau, Communist functionalism and modernist buildings rub shoulders. The square buzzes night and day. I mixed with the tourists and locals and sat at the foot of the equestrian statue of Wenceslas, the king in the popular Christmas carol.
A different Wenceslas astride the belly of a horse dangled from the ceiling in Lucerna passage. It is one of the quirky works of art created by David Cerny who was also responsible for giant babies crawling along the telecommunication tower, a Soviet tank painted pink and a Trabant car on feet.
House of the Black Madonna
Art Nouveau and Cubism
Tucked away in a small street near pedestrian Na Prikope Street is Mucha Museum where I spent a delightful hour. Coloured posters depicting young women in flowing robes surrounded by flower garlands lined the walls. Alfons Mucha, the Czech master of Art Nouveau made his name in fin-de-siecle Paris after designing theatre posters for the actress Sarah Bernardt.
I moved on to the Museum of Cubism. This small museum in the House of the Black Madonna showed perfect examples of Cubist architecture and artifacts. Its recessed windows and repeated rectangular motifs mixed well with sumptuous Baroque architecture and modern shop fronts in the Old Town. I am a Cubist-style devotee and drank coffee from a delicate cup with angles folded like origami in the museum’s Grand Cafe Orient.
Pilsner and Pancakes
Old Town Square is sprinkled with cafes and restaurants. I grabbed a seat and indulged in palacinky – pancakes filled with ice cream, fresh fruit smothered in chocolate sauce and topped with whipped cream. For the not so sweet-toothed the menu featured bramborak, potato pancakes. A large glass of cold Pilsner Urquell made my meal complete.
Na Zdravi! Your health
QUICK FACTS
The Czech Republic was established on 1 January 1993, when Czechslovakia split up into two new countries, and joined the European Union in 2004. The country has not yet adopted the Euro. The Czech currency is the Koruna. 100 Kč is €3.80 or $5.20
Holidaying in Prague is still cheap compared to other European countries. The exception is accommodation. If you can book a room for €100 ($136), you found yourself a bargain.
Choosing a place to eat from the plethora of restaurants is challenging. Look out for the word, Poledni Menu, lunch menu. Ignore signs saying Tourist Menu, because this means tourist prices, whereas Poledni Menu guarantees Czech prices. And the snag? Poledni menu is in Czech, no English translation. But there is always someone to tell you what it says.
HOW TO GET THERE
Ruzyne Airport (map) is 16 km (9 miles) west of Prague city centre. Bus 119 connects to Dejvicka Metro station from where it is only four stations to the centre.
There are direct flights from many European airports. Prague is served by many budget airlines such as Wizz Air, Easy Jet, Ryanair and many more.
When arriving from a neighbouring country, the train is the best way to get to Prague. International trains arrive either at Praha-Holesovice, north of the centre or Praha hlavni nadrazi, abbreviated to hln meaning main station. Wenceslas Square is only 5 minutes away on foot.
Prague is a compact city and most sights are within walking distance. If you do not like walking, hop on one of the many trams that crisscross the city.
The DDP (public transport) Office at Muzeum Metro station has free maps of the Metro, tram and bus lines. English speaking staff will advise you what ticket is best for you.
Prague is a popular city trip and the streets around the centre are jam-packed much of the year. Especially spring and fall are popular. July and August are the hottest months with temperatures soaring above 30°C (86° F). Winter months are cold, but the bonus is that the city looks magical with a dusting of snow.
Christmas Market at Old Town Square
Christmas and New Year are perfect if you do not mind the cold. The cultural season is in full swing and Christmas markets are dotted all over the city. The biggest is at Old Town Square with plenty of mulled wine to keep you warm.
WHAT TO PACK
Comfortable shoes are most important because you will do a lot of walking on cobblestone streets. High heels will get caught in between the cobbles.Casual clothing will suit most occasions. When attending an opera, a classical concert or dining in a smart restaurant men wear suit and tie. No special dress code for women as long as it is not too casual.
HIGHLIGHTS
Hradcany or Prague Castle (map) is the seat of government, the head quarters of the Czech president but also home to Prague’s main tourist attractions – St Vitus Cathedral, the medieval old palace, picturesque Golden Lane and numerous museums and galleries.Charles Bridge (map) bristles with statues and is a popular hang-out for a continuous crush of sightseers who listen to the buskers and buy souvenirs from the hawkers’ stands.
Charles Bridge and Prague Castle
Old Town Square filled with cafes in summer and the Christmas market in winter is the traditional heart of the city. A continuous stream of tourists pours in to watch the spectacle of the astronomical clock, sit on the steps of the Hus Monument or people-watch over a glass of Pilsner-Urquell.
Wenceslas Square (map), a long sloping avenue with an impressive array of shopping arcades is a crash course in the history of architecture. Every new trend of the past hundred years is present from Neo-Renaissance to Social Realism.
Wenceslas Square
Kampa (map) is the largest of the Vltava islands with outdoor cafes, restaurants, an old mill converted into a museum of modern art and a serene riverside park. The island is the perfect place to escape the crowds after a day of sightseeing.
The horse drawn carriage stand is on Old Town Square. A twenty-minute tour of Prague centre is Kc 800 (€30 or $41) per carriage.
The entrance to Lucerna passage is in Stepanska Street off Wenceslas Square
Mucha Museum, Panska 7 (map) open daily 10am-6pm
Museum of Czech Cubism, Ovocny Trh 9 (map) open daily 10am-6pm, closed on Monday
Museum Kampa, U Sovovych Mlyno (map) open daily 10am -6pm
photo credits: personal collection
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