When first planning our trip to the Czech capital, I felt that calling this Bohemian city of 1.2 million people the "Florence of Central Europe" was largely an exaggeration. After all, how could this city which I envisioned as just another former communist capital come close to unarguably one of the most beautiful in the world? I figured the similarities would end at the Arno River and Vltava River dividing Florence and Prague respectively.
Needless to say, I was very wrong. By the time we were on our way to Vienna after four days in Praha, I was starting to wonder if Florence shouldnt be called the "Prague of Western Europe."
The only real problem for tourists is the citys notoriously unscrupulous taxi drivers. It would be wise to agree on a price before you leave the airport on your way to your hotel. It might be expensive but at least you know how much you will spend. The good news is that although we were in Prague for four days ( because we drove out to Vienna after our stay), the only time we ever rode a taxi was from the airport to our hotel. The city is relatively small and although it is not the painting or sculptural haven that Florence is, it is an architectural paradise that features a plethora of Gothic, Romanesque, Rococo, Cubist and Art Nouveau buildings. That means that the best way to experience the city is to walk and walk and walk some more.
After graduation from Charles University in 1390, Jan Hus a Christian reformer born to a poor Bohemian family in 1372 rallied popular support for a movement to reform the Church. Under the influence of English philosopher John Wycliffe, whose works were found heretic by the Church, he preached at the Bethlehem Chapel and was eventually burned at the stake in 1415 for heresy. His execution incited a nationalist rebellion leading to the defenestration of several Catholic officials from the upper floors of Pragues New Town Hall. Jan Hus became a martyr and now his statue occupies the center of Pragues Old Town Square.
In 1526, the Catholic Hapsburgs of Austria rose to the Bohemian throne and ruled over the Czech Republic until World War I erupted. During the war, neither the Czechs nor the neighboring Slovaks wanted to fight for their occupiers the Austrians and Germans, respectively. They consequently approached US President Woodrow Wilson, who was trying to lobby support for his League of Nations, to help with their dream of independence. By the end of the war in 1918, Czechoslovakia became an independent nation with Prague as its capital.
Armed with its newfound, albeit short-lived, independence, Czechoslovakia fell to Nazi Germany in 1939. During this time of occupation, Pragues Jewish population (consisting of approximately 120,000 Jews) was essentially wiped out. On May 5, 1945, as the Russian army closed from the east, the Czechs successfully rose against the Germans leading to independence and the 1946 elections in which the communists became the dominant party. Nineteen Forty-Eight brought the elimination of the multi-party system with the help of a Soviet coup detat as the communist party held on to power until the Berlin wall came down in November 1989. On January 1, 1993, irreconcilable differences between the countrys leaders split the country into the Czech and Slovak Republics with Vaclav Havel becoming the first President and Prague becoming the capital of the independent Czech Republic.
In August 2002, Prague experienced the worst floods in almost two centuries. With 16 fatalities, 30,000 homeless and hundreds of thousands forced to evacuate, water levels approached 31 feet and the damage to the city was in excess of $2.5 billion. Perhaps the only silver lining in the 2002 flood was the protection of Old Town by an aluminum flood barrier. Combined with the century old embankments along the Vltava built by townspeople as a result of the Flood of 1890, Old Town was largely untouched as flood in that area would have resulted in a cultural disaster on top of what was already a devastating catastrophe.
The most interesting of the statues are also the two oldest ones: the crucifix with a Hebrew inscription (1657) and that of St. John Nepomuk (1683).
The Hebrew inscription on the crucifix at Charles Bridge reads "Holy, Holy, Holy is our Lord of the multitude" from the prophet Isiah. It represented a Jewish expression of faith and was intended to humiliate Pragues Jewish community because a Jew Elias Backoffen allegedly disrespected the cross and was found guilty of blasphemy. This was later found to be false and a plaque at the base of the cross was installed explaining the error.
The other statue of interest is that of St. John Nepomuk. Legend has it that John Nepomuk was a priest under Wenceslas IV and confessor to his queen. Wenceslas, being a suspicious and jealous man, asked him to divulge the confessions of the queen, which he believed were about some alleged affair. He refused. As punishment, the King placed him in a suit of armor and threw him over the bridge. The ring of golden stars around his head represents the halo that supposedly appeared over his head as he floated downriver. Of course one cant help but note that if he was wearing a suit of armor, I doubt he would "float downriver."
Replacing an old basilica, construction of the cathedral with its 97- meter high steeple began in 1344 by architect Mathieu dArras in the French Gothic style under the direction of Emperor Charles IV. DArras who died eight years later managed to only finish the apse, so work was continued by German Peter Parler the same architect who designed the Charles Bridge. With construction being interrupted in the 15th century by the Hussite revolution, St. Vitus was only completed in 1929 almost six centuries after it was first begun.
The 33-meter high main hall, which is lined with stained glass windows designed by Czech painter Alfons Mucha, houses numerous sites of note. Among these are the silver crypt of St. John Nepomuk and the chapel of St. Wenceslas. Those who brave the ascent to the top of the church tower, the tallest in Prague, are rewarded with a sweeping view of the city. Unfortunately, the uphill walk to the castle was strenuous for us so we chose to skip the tower climb.
On the eastern side of the castle is a row of small colorfully painted miniature buildings known as Golden Lane. Built in the 16th century as the barracks for the sharpshooters of the castle guard, they later became the home for craftsmen, artists and alchemists. The houses on this cobblestone street are now full of shops selling all kinds of trinkets and souvenirs for tourists and visitors of the castle.
Traditional Czech cuisine consists largely of pork with dumplings, sauerkraut, potato and rice with heavy sauces all of which are to be washed down with world famous Czech beer. Do not eat Czech food and expect to maintain your diet, as I doubt they understand what the words "low-fat" mean. Needless to say the food is hearty and filling.
The two best restaurants we were fortunate enough to try were La Veranda (for reviews, check out www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/Art/1204/restview.php and www.prague-tribune.cz/2003/2/19.htm) and the celebrity frequented Kampa Park where the food was very good although the service was nothing to write home about.
However, after flying into Prague via Paris, we hired Mikes Chauffeur Service to drive us to Vienna (about a three-hour drive) where we spent the night and then to Venice (about a six-hour drive) the next day. The trip was lengthy but manageable as we didnt have to drive and best of all we were able to see Vienna even if it was only for a day. From Venice it was easy to work our way back to Paris.
Still not convinced to take the trip? Want to see some moving pictures? Go watch Triple X. The movie is more than just a big bald guy beating up the bad guys with bad dialogue. It has some truly breathtaking views of Prague. Either that or you can fall asleep watching Amadeus.