I arrived on a rainy evening and stayed in the Pytloun Old Armoury Prague, charming old hotel next to a gymnastics training center. (It was odd to pull up and see bodies flying by the three-story windows). While the rooms are old Europe (including tiny showers and no central air), the highlight is the arched dining room where they serve a terrific breakfast every morning.
The night I arrived, I went walking through the streets and found a small out-of-the-way pub for a wonderful local beer and cabbage-mushroom-sausage soup. Walking back in the dark, I passed little pubs with groups of Czechs, including a couple where small groups were singing folk songs around accordion players.
The Czechs have a respect for history and lovingly preserve these buildings. To put it simply, if it is Baroque, why fix it?
You will actually find a wonderful mix of Baroque, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture – a reflection of the fact that Prague was not only a global hub, but, at one time, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia. It was also the home of Holy Roman Emperors and Kings, including Charles IV and Rudolf II. It thrived under the Habsburgs and Austria-Hungary empire. It also has some of the regrettable architectural contributions of the Communist period. (There is no love for either Russia or communism in this city, as you will quickly find in any discussion of contemporary issues. These days the only invasion is by tourists, making Prague the fifth most visited city in Europe).
Any walk in Prague will inevitably take you by the glorious Charles Bridge. Originally built by King Vladislaus I in 1170, it had to be rebuilt in 1342 after it was destroyed in a flood. It offers lovely views of the city, including the distant Prague castle. One of the statues is of a saint with five stars who was thrown into the Vltava River. He would become the patron saint of sailors due to his famed death in the water (though historians have concluded that he was dead from the torture and beatings that he endured before he was tossed over the side of the Charles Bridge).
I was able to visit the Prague Castle by walking up the steep hill in the morning. It was a great choice. I beat the tourists and took the first available tour at 9 am. The castle is immense and stunning.
The Cathedral is one of the largest and oldest in Europe. (Taking the tour gives you access to the center area of the Cathedral). One of the rooms houses the national jewels, which are secured behind a door that can only be opened by seven keys. All must be used to open the door and they by tradition are held by seven office holders in the church, government and academia. If any were to lose their key, the door could not be opened.
The cathedral still has the emergence balcony from where the King and his family could cross a bridge from the royal apartments and enter the Cathedral without mingling with the commoners.
Across from Cathedral is the home and offices of the current Czech President and his staff.
After the tour, your ticket allows you to venture down the “golden street” with little dwellings, medieval shops, and even a torture chamber.
It is possible to take public transportation up to the Castle, but the steep walk allows you to see more of the lovely winding roads and buildings. It also allows you to enjoy the fanatic Czech beer and food as well as seeing such sights as the Prague astronomical clock built in 1410, the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working.
You will also find a church on every corner with soaring domes and ancient carvings and paintings.
It is impossible to do justice to the beauty and culture of Prague. You have to come and experience it yourself. Believe me, you will never forget the experience.
