Prague

Ty Treadwell

No other European city represents the spirit of the continent quite like the city of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic (the country was formed in 1993 from one part of the now defunct Czechoslovakia following the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1989).

Take one look at Prague’s skyline with its hundreds of domes, towers and glinting spires. You’ll be transported back in time to the Europe depicted in our history books and fairy tales; the land where kings and queens greeted the masses from their balconies and knights thundered across the rolling hills on horseback.

For visitors interested in learning about life in olden days, Prague is one city that just won’t let go of its past. Have you ever dreamed of taking a leisurely stroll through the grounds of a palace? Do you like touring ornate cathedrals and magnificent castles? Do you enjoy exploring narrow alleyways where medieval blacksmiths and alchemists once toiled? You can do all these things and more in Prague!

Doing Some Research Pays

On the first day of our visit, my wife and I landed at Ruzyne Airport with a lot of expectations and just a little knowledge of our destination. Fortunately, my small arsenal of travel research did contain one piece of advice that came in handy the moment we left the terminal; in Prague (as in many newly capitalistic cities filled with entrepreneurs), beware of excessive fares charged by the local taxis! Apparently it is very common for Prague’s cab drivers to overcharge unsuspecting visitors. (When we visited, the official rate for the 12-mile drive into the city by taxi was $25).

We had heard the public transportation was very good here and that we could take a bus to the city center for just a few dollars each. However, we decided that hauling heavy suitcases down cobblestone streets from the bus stop to our hotel wouldn’t be the most magical introduction to the city. Instead we spent $20 for a reputable minivan service that dropped us off directly in front of our accommodations.

The Heart of Old Town

Our hotel was located on the east bank of the river Vltava. The river, a major trade route in Medieval times, helped establish Prague as an international center of trade and commerce by the end of the first millennium. The city grew to encompass the river, so today it slices the historic section of Prague in two. Several of the town’s main attractions were visible from our window, so after unloading our bags we started exploring the area.

We followed the crowds to the visually stunning Old Town Square. This enormous courtyard, the heart of the city since the 11th century, is enclosed by a series of neo-Renaissance facades painted in soft pinks, greens and yellows, topped with red tile roofs and accented by bright white swirls and scrolls. Sitting in one corner of the square is the graceful baroque St. Nicholas Church. Kinský Palace on the other side of the square, is famous for its rococo ornamentation (and for the fact that, in 1948, the beginning of communist rule in Czechoslovakia was announced from the palace’s balcony). Towering above everything is the gothic Church of Our Lady Before Týn, its two massive towers topped by a forest of black steeples.

Showtime at the Square

Thousands of visitors pack Old Town Square at all hours of the day, with many timing their visit to catch a performance of the famous Astronomical Clock. This large, intricate timepiece, built into the face of the towering Old Town Hall, is decorated with mechanical biblical characters.

The clock comes to life every hour on the hour between 8 AM and 8 PM. As the hour strikes, figures on the outside of the clock shake and move while reproductions of the twelve apostles glide past two open windows to give the crowd a polite nod. Afterwards a rooster crows and bells toll the hour, signaling the end of the brief but immensely popular show.

Escape the Crowds

Old Town Square, with its beautiful backdrop, may seem the perfect spot to enjoy a cappuccino or a glass of beer, but your best bet for more reasonably-priced fare if you are inclined to mingle with the locals, is to find refreshments in a more secluded location. It won’t be hard to find a cozy cafe, pub, or beer garden nearby. In addition to being quieter, food and drink prices drop steeply the further you move from the popular tourist spots—a three-minute walk can really stretch your euros.

For example, a soft drink or a scoop of ice cream costs about $3.15 from one of the cafés in Old Town Square. Buy the same item just outside the square and you’ll pay $1.70. Walk down to the end of that same street, away from the crowds, and the price is magically reduced to 85 cents.

Strolling Through History

After exploring Old Town Square we decided to meander through the surrounding neighborhoods before crossing to the other side of the river. Be forewarned—wandering the streets of Prague is a slower and more involved activity than it sounds, partly because the ancient roads tend to twist, turn and meander in all directions. Having a map with you is a good idea.

Another reason it takes time to explore this historic section of the city is that visitors find themselves pausing so often to look up and say “Wow!” Nearly 1000 years worth of architectural styles coexist in perfect harmony here, blending together like diverse ingredients in a complicated recipe. Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau—not a single building style appears to have been left out.

We passed the unbelievably ornate Municipal House and the nearby Powder Tower, built as one of the city’s major gateways back in 1475. The long, cavernous St. James Church was intriguing not only because of its architecture but also because of the bizarre memento dangling high up on the wall just inside the front door; it’s the shriveled, mummified arm of a suspected thief, supposedly lopped off when the man tried to steal jewels from one of the church’s statues over 500 years ago!

Exiting the church we found ourselves in a particularly confusing maze of alleyways, stopping in our tracks when we turned a corner and found ourselves face-to-face with over a dozen men and women dressed in clothing from the 1800s. This is actually a common sight in Prague since so many movies and TV shows are filmed here to take advantage of the historical backdrops.

To complete our tour of the east side we walked south along the river until we reached one of the few modern members of Prague’s architectural hall of fame, the Dancing Building. Completed in 1996, this structure is glaringly modern but it somehow manages to blend in with its neighbors and seems completely at home here. Made of glass, steel and concrete, the eight-story building bends and twists like an escapee from a Salvador Dali painting. Supposedly inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the building creates the abstract illusion of a swirling dancing couple when seen from a distance.

To recover from the walk we took a short rest in nearby Charles Square, the city’s largest park. The square houses its own collection of historical attractions, but for us the abundant benches were the only thing on our minds at the moment!

Hearty Food, Great Beer

We stopped for lunch at a small traditional restaurant. In our opinion, Czech food may be filling and tasty but it could never be compared to the fine cuisine of other European countries. Bread dumplings, roasted pork, potatoes and sauerkraut appear on every menu in various combinations. Poultry is fairly common as well. Fish and other seafood is rare and can be quite expensive, but wild game is a good choice for those willing to try something unusual.

While most Czech food might be only passable, Czech beer is some of the finest in the world and even those who normally drink wine should give the local brews a taste. One word of warning: (similar to the warning about taxi driver):if your waiter passes by and casually places a basket of bread, nuts, olives or anything else on your table which you didn’t specifically order, ask him to take it away immediately or you’ll be charged an outrageous price whether you nibble from it or not.

Across the Bridge

Crossing over to the west side of the Vltava gave us an excuse to take our first good look at Charles Bridge, another of Prague’s signature landmarks. The 600-year-old bridge isn’t just a path from one side of the river to the other—it’s also a social gathering place, a museum, an impromptu music hall and art gallery, and one of the best scenic platforms in the city.

Packed with visitors from dawn until late into the night, the bridge offers amazing views of the nearby castle and the landscapes on both sides of the river. Local artists sell their works here and solo musicians or small groups play traditional folk tunes for the crowds. Over two dozen statues of saints and other important figures, most sculpted during the 17th and 18th centuries, line the railings on both sides of the bridge. The oldest and most popular statue depicts St. John of Nepomuk, patron saint of the Czechs, and visitors line up to rub the plaque at its base for good luck.

A Palace in a Castle

At the end of the bridge, we faced a steep climb up to Prague Castle—Prague’s main attraction. Occupying a whopping 18 acres and ranked by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest ancient castle, Prague Castle is comprised of the Royal Palace, several churches, numerous houses, three large courtyards and a square. Be sure to visit the enormous banquet hall that also doubled as an indoor jousting ring. Touring the entire sight could easily take most of a day.

Beside the palace sits St. Vitus Cathedral, final resting place of numerous kings and queens. The huge cathedral contains 21 different chapels and amazing works of art, some dating back to the 14th century. Everyone should browse through the so-called Golden Lane before they leave the complex. This row of tiny cottages is actually incorporated into the castle walls. Built in the 16th century, these were originally the homes of palace guards. Now they’re used as shops and galleries.

If too much sightseeing leaves you with a sudden need for peace, quiet and breathing room, Prague Castle obliges with two different sets of gardens. The smaller of the two, the Garden of the Ramparts, faces the city and gives visitors a fantastic view of the rooftops below and of the castle above.

The Royal Gardens on the opposite side are much larger, making the castle complex itself seem small in comparison. This is where you’ll find the copper-roofed Summer Palace and several other 16th-century buildings. However, the gardens are mainly an endless expanse of green broken up by the occasional splash of color from beds of tulips or rows of azaleas. It’s an ideal place for visitors to simply wander and be quietly amazed—just like the city of Prague itself.

Ty Treadwell has written for magazines such as Skylights and US Airways Attaché. His monthly travel advice column appears on the web site www.gkfa.com.