Prague - crossroads of Europe
Written: Oct 05 '99 (Updated Oct 06 '99)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bathe yourself in history, soak up the music, the churches, the castle and the beer
Cons: If you want western commercialism or a wild time - go elsewhere
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| Rob.'s Full Review: Prague |
Prague - a living museum piece, spires, churches, bridges, stunning castle, history, grandiose decadence. Almost untouched - but changing fast. Soak up some history and spend a few days in Prague. The Czech Republic stands proudly in the center of Europe, it's beautiful capital Prague (Praha) is home to over 1 million people and sits upon the Vlatva River.
I would recommend a visit of about three days to Prague, and then perhaps an excursion to one of the more rural or traditional towns for a few days. There are regular flights to Prague from virtually all European cities, to get there from the USA you will probably have to go via London or another similar city. Try to arrange transportation from the airport to your hotel in advance, it will save you all the trouble of negotiating a good price for the taxi at the airport. We negotiated this when we booked with the hotel.
THREE OSTRICHES and CHARLES BRIDGE (Little Quarter)
Before our trip, I soaked up information about Prague and we soon decided to stay right in the heart of this historic city. We made a wise choice - we stayed at "U Tri Pstrosu" a small hotel that seems to completely capture the essence of Prague. It is so well placed right next to the Charles Bridge (Karluv Most). This bridge crosses the Vlatva - the main river through Prague. The name of the hotel literally translates as - 'At the Three Ostriches'
I cannot say enough about this old hotel. It gets its unusual name from Jan Fux, a 16th century merchant dealing in ostrich feathers (popular with the courtiers and officers at Prague Castle), he bought this house. In 1657 the second floor was added - you can still see hand painted vine motifs on the beamed ceilings in the bedrooms. You really feel that you are staying in a piece of history, everything feels original and untouched by modern society. There is even a coffee house from 1714 downstairs - the oldest coffee house in Prague!
We were very lucky to have a view overlooking the Charles Bridge. Get up early - in fact open all the windows and experience all the sights and sounds of Prague waking up. You will see the build up of traders and merchants on the bridge, all from the comfort of your room. You really feel at the center of Europe here. Baroque statues adorn this 14th century bridge, and grand towers are at both ends. The bridge soon gets very busy - with pedestrians (no cars!), tourists, merchants, musicians, painters all making for a very busy scene. I most enjoyed walking the bridge in the evening - just as the merchants were putting down their stalls.
The hotel was a real treat for us - it is quite expensive, but certainly worthwhile - I can still feel myself sitting in the window, watching life go by outside, the smell of the coffee house drifting up to me.
CHURCH of St NICHOLAS (Little Quarter)
Another incredible building is this Church, started in 1703 and completed later that century. I remember the lavishly adorned, gold and copper statues and cherubs, masterpiece paintings and frescos adorning the walls. The most impressive sight was the beautiful dome - decorated with a fresco of the Holy Trinity. As a great example of High Baroque - this church was superlative.
PRAGUE CASTLE and St VITUS CATHEDRAL (Hradcany)
Dominating the skyline of Prague is the Castle and St Vitus Cathedral. Take the 22 tram to Prazsky Hrad (Prague Castle) as early as you can - it gets very busy. The castle was originally founded in the 9th century - you can still see parts of the Royal Palace dating back to the 12th century. To see the most interesting parts of the expansive castle - we took the tour. The best part was the Royal Palace and the magnificent Vladislav Hall. From the Castle we found the views of Prague to be extensive and wonderful.
For me, St Vitus Cathedral was spectacular. Work began in 1344 on this magnificent structure. Twin spires tower above the main entrance, leading to the beautiful Nave. Slender exterior buttresses allow the high vaulted interior. Stunning stained glass adorns the windows. This Cathedral is the resting place of St Wenceslas. A variety of styles are portrayed throughout the Cathedral - from Gothic and Neo-Gothic to modern.
OLD TOWN SQUARE (Old Town)
This busy section of Old Town is made famous by the Old Town Hall. This 14th century tower attracts thousands of tourists - every hour - to see the delightful Astronomical Clock - complete with mechanical figures of the twelve Apostles, animated figurines of Vanity, Greed, Death and The Turk. A full show unto itself this 15th century clock is a great tourist attraction. We found a small upstairs restaurant opposite the tower, and watched from there as the clock 'came to life' on the hour.
It is a wonderful experience to just walk around these small streets - there are Churches and towers everywhere, the two most dominant landmarks here are the 'Church of Our Lady before Tyn' and the 'Powder Gate' - these make great photographs for your collection!
STATE OPERA (New Town)
Located on Wilsonova you will find the recently refurbished State Opera House - we found it easier (and less expensive) to get tickets for performances than at the National Theatre. We simply could not resist dressing up (yes I wore a tuxedo) and mixing with the 'well to do'. It was great fun - we waited for a few days and then saw an Opening Night performance of Opera (in Czech) and enjoyed it all. The acoustics, the warm and luxurious decor, the crystal chandeliers all add to the atmosphere of the evening.
U FLEKU (beer and hearty food, in New Town)
After all this sightseeing, no doubt you will need a good hearty place to eat and drink. You will not find a better place than U Fleku, located at 11 Kremencova in the New Town area. This place is in fact a small brewery - and an old one. Beer was first brewed here in 1459! Strong, dark wonderful beer. Yes this is a wonderful beer hall. They also serve food, and you have a choice of just two meals. Lots of meat, dumplings and strudel. As everywhere in Prague - the food is traditional and simple. The atmosphere here is wonderful - locals, singing, music, laughter. Stay as long as you can and soak in the wonderful friendly warm atmosphere.
MUSIC (Little Quarter, Old Town)
In the evenings it seems that every hall and old church opens its doors, the sounds of Mozart, Dvorak and Smetana pour out. Pick up a leaflet with a list of events. We found ourselves walking from one place to the other - looking and listening for the best places. We found the Atrium in Zizkov, the Church of St James and Rudolfinum to be very enjoyable venues. You buy the tickets at the door. Don't spend too much time deciding - these places fill up quickly.
Normally I would go to dance clubs or nightclubs - but I found the atmosphere here made it much more compelling to experience this type of music... You can go to nightclubs anywhere in the world - but there are not too many places in the world where you have a choice of ten or more classical music venues of such good quality playing in such grandiose settings.
OVERALL...
For a three day trip you can relax, bathe yourself in history, gaze in awe at the churches, soak up the classical music, sleep in truly historic hotels and drink really strong beer, very traditional food. You will have a relaxing and entertaining time in Prague.
Recommended:
Yes
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Rob.
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Member: Robert Martindale
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 140 members
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