The Captivating Beauty, Historical Depth, and Cultural Richness of Prague

Not until recently did I become interested in traveling to Prague. I had heard so much about it from friends who had visited there, so I gradually became more and more interested in seeing it myself. I anticipated that it might be the highlight of our European trip of 2024.  I was almost right.  It is hard to compete with the Swiss Alps, and the Dolomites too. Yet, it is such a beautiful city, rivaling Paris in its architecture and history.

So when we arrived at our hotel in early evening, I wanted to immediately start exploring the city.  After we checked in, we took a walk on the nearby Charles Bridge (Karlův most) before dinner.  Construction of the bridge ended in 1402 under the rule of Charles IV, but it was not officially named Charles Bridge until 1870.  Entrances to the bridge on each side are guarded by huge towers, and statues of saints were erected on the bridge over the course of hundreds of years, beginning in the 1600s. 

The views from the bridge of the surroundings were magical.  From the middle of the bridge you can see the majestic Prague Castle in the distance, as well as all the palaces that surround it.  At night it is even more impressive.

The area around Charles Bridge features Gothic architecture, but you can see other architectural styles sprinkled around the city, such as Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo.

Prague, or Praha as it is known locally and in Japan, was very fortunate to survive WWII with relatively little damage, which means that much of the city looks like it did hundreds of years ago.  

So the next day we officially started sightseeing.  We walked across the bridge to what is known as Old Town.  We kept going straight, on the street named Karlova.  It's a fairly narrow street starting out, but it gets a little wider as you go on.  You will pass countless shops geared toward tourists, so this walk may take longer than you expect if you have professional shoppers with you as we had.

Eventually, after a twist and a turn, you will find yourself in front of the astronomical-clock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prague Astronomical Clock, a huge timepiece at the old city hall tower.  The clock, built by Mikuláš of Kadaň with assistance from Jan Sindel, was installed at the tower in 1410. The clock shows the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Zodiac constellations. It also tells the time and date, and even provides a bit of medieval robotics on display every hour. 

The clock is at what I will call the entrance to the Old Town Square, which is a large open space bordered by shops, restaurants, and other notable buildings.

At the far end of the square is the Church of Our Lady before Týn (Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem).  If you get a chance to get inside, you will notice that there are signs stating that no pictures are allowed.  Well, I saw that sign after I took all my pictures; that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  Seriously, it has a stunning interior with an imposing exterior, so I consider it to be one of the top churches to visit in Prague.

We had bought tickets online for a tour of the Municipal House (Obecní Dům), so we made our way across town on the tram.  The tour was in English and was quite informative. Considerable money was spent on the creation of this building, and it shows.  With a distinct Art Nouveau design by Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek, it opened in 1912 as the center of social life and a place of important historical events. In 1918 the Three Kings Declaration was adopted here calling for the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia. Subsequently the first law was issued here, and the first parliament and state government assembled here.

The tour was great if you like to learn about some of the background of this country, as well as see a well-preserved and maintained example of Art Nouveau design.

The next day we ventured out to see our first museum. It was a rainy day so it was a good way to stay dry and soak up some culture.  We took a long tram ride out to the National Gallery Prague – Trade Fair Palace (Veletržní palác).  I should note up front that there are multiple museums that are under the umbrella of the National Gallery Prague.  The one we visited today is up on the northeast side of the city.  It features a few Picassos, and a few other well-known artists, but mostly local artists and sculptors.  

After we returned to the area near our hotel by tram, we decided to do a little exploring of the Prague Castle plateau. We made our way by tram to the Malostranská tram stop, and found the street that led to the Old Castle Stairs (Staré zámecké schody). Well, there are a lot of steps leading up to the top of the hill, but we are in our sixties and we made it just fine, though slowly, so I'm sure you will be fine.  At the top you'll be treated to some wonderful views of the city.  And needless to say, with another short walk towards the castle complex, your photo opportunities will increase exponentially.

There are a number of museums either inside the castle gates, or in the general vicinity.  The first one we entered was the National Gallery Prague – Schwarzenberg Palace (Schwarzenberský palác). Though there are works from quite a few artists presented in the museum, the only ones I recognized were Goya and Rubens. 

The next day I was given an opportunity to explore on my own, as my fellow travelers wanted to do some souvenir shopping.  I am not into shopping of any kind, so I decided to see a few things in the eastern part of the city towards New Town. New Town, the largest of four historic districts in Prague, was founded by Charles IV in 1348. (The other districts are Old Town, Hradcany and Lesser Town.)

So I hopped on the tram and made my way east. I had to change trams at Charles Square (Karlovo náměstí). There to my surprise I found a nice little park of the same name.  At the entrance to the park was the statue of Eliška Krásnohorská (Socha Elišky Krásnohorské), who was a poet, writer, and feminist.

In the distance, I could see an epic building that demanded my attention, so I proceeded to walk through the park to the main street to see what it was.  It turned out to be the New Town Hall (Novoměstská radnice).  I did not get a chance to go inside - perhaps next time.  One particularly historic event that occurred here was the First Prague Defenestration in 1419, which marked the beginning of the Hussite movement and eventually the Hussite Wars. In case you were wondering, defenestration means literally "throwing somebody out of a window," and in this case several members of the city council suffered this fate. Today, cultural and social events are held at the town hall throughout the year. 

The next place that piqued my interest was the Army Museum Žižkov (Vojenský historický ústav Praha: Armádní muzeum Žižkov).  The museum features the history of the Czech military from the Middle Ages to present day, with many related artifacts such as weapons and uniforms.  One exhibit in particular really made an impression on me.  A recreation of trench warfare in WWI was an exhibit that really impressed me.  You walk through the winding trench, with walls made of sticks, and rooms carved out for command, communications, and medics. Sounds of warfare echo through the trench - screams, gunfire, and explosions. I just happened to go through it all alone, and it was an eerie and profound experience.

My next stop was the National Memorial on Vítkov Hill (Národní památník na Vítkově), where I saw a monument in commemoration of the "unknown soldier."  Adjacent to the monument is a large building that houses the beautiful Ceremonial Hall used for awarding medals to soldiers, as well as the Presidential Lounge, where dignitaries could gather and meet.  There's a patio on the top floor of the building from which you can see a panoramic view of Prague Old Town.

My last stop on my solo jaunt was to the Church of St Cyril and St Methodius (Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje).  Don't confuse this church with the cathedral near the river of the same name.  This church in the Karlín district was built in 1854–1863, and designed by Carl Roesner and Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann.  Because it is out of the major tourist districts, it is a relatively quiet place to come and gather your thoughts, or for me, to rest and get out of the rain.

The next day the weather was considerably better, so we decided to tour the Prague Castle.  Instead of walking up the long stairway like we did last time, we opted for a tram ride to Pohorelec, and then a walk from there.  Our first stop was Loreto (Loreta), an important Christian pilgrimage site in Prague.  The target of Christians' pilgrimages is a replica of the Virgin Mary's home, known as the Holy House, built by the countess Katerina Benigna of Lobkowicz in 1626. The Holy House was the place where the archangel Gabriel informed Mary that she would bear the child Jesus - an event known in Christianity as the Annunciation. The walls of the original Holy House were transported from Nazareth to Loretto, Italy in 1294. 

We wandered onward down the cobblestone streets towards the castle. You'll first reach Hradcany Square (Hradčanské náměstí), which widens and opens up into a manicured courtyard lined with sidewalks and park benches - and a monument at the far end. On every side of the square there is a palace, or perhaps better to call them museums, as many of them serve as museums now.  I mentioned the Schwarzenbersky Palace earlier.  Others are the Toskansky Palace and the Sternbersky Palace.  

If you keep walking you will eventually see the Matthias Gate (Matyášova brána), which provides an entrance to the inner courtyard and the New Royal Palace (Nový královský palác).  There are two guards posted at the gate in a style that reminded me of what I had seen at Buckingham Palace in London. There's even a changing of the guard that is quite popular.

We made our way past the palace entrance, through the tunnel to the interior of the castle.  There you cannot help but marvel at St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála sv. Víta). The size and dark color of this imposing Gothic cathedral gave me a spooky feeling that I could not shake.  The interior is quite exquisite, with very colorful stained glass windows and wall murals.

The other church within the castle walls is St. George's Basilica (Bazilika svatého Jiří), the second oldest church in Prague.  Its Romanesque architecture is quite a contrast to the Gothic Vitus Cathedral, as is its size.  Inside you'll find a modest, subdued interior; again, a sharp contrast to the cathedral.

Finally, we stopped into the Lobkowicz Palace (Lobkowiczký palác), a relatively new museum and cafe that features the history of the Lobkowicz family, as well as a variety of historical artifacts that the family had acquired over many years. To me, the rooms dedicated to music were the most interesting. There you will find original scores of music, and even receipts for concert venue expenses, by  Beethoven and other well-known musicians.

Lastly that day, we popped into the Old Royal Palace. We had high expectations, but it is rather dull compared to other royal palaces we had seen in other great European cities.  

By the time we got through the museum it was getting late in the afternoon, so we called it a day. We took a shortcut to the tram this time, picking it up at Pražský hrad.  To get there, cross over the Powder Bridge (Prašný Most).  As you cross the bridge, look back at the castle for some great parting pictures.  

A brief note about tickets for Prague Castle.  There are four types of tickets. We got them all, but ran out of time so we did not take in all we could have seen.  You can buy them at the castle.  There are multiple ticket offices inside the castle walls. 

Our last day in Prague was just going to be a quick tram ride tour through some parts of Old Town that we had not seen, but we ended up doing a bit more than that.  Our flight was in the afternoon so we had the morning to do a few things there were not on the list. 

We jumped on the tram near our hotel and proceeded to get off near the entrance to the Petrin Hill funicular at Újezd.  It is near an excellent exhibit entitled Memorial to the Victims of Communism (Pomník obětem komunismu) that you will get a kick out of.  Anyway, we proceeded up the hill, and arrived at an area with an expansive rose garden and observatory.  If you are into walking, you can make your way to the Petrin Tower from here.  

After a nice walk through the garden, we descended the hill and caught a tram to Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí).  By then, Toyoko had persuaded us that we should visit the Mucha Museum.  The museum features the work of art nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha.  His work is apparently quite well known in Japan, which was news to me.  

Seeing the work of Mucha at the museum, it seemed familiar to me. I had seen it somewhere else, perhaps in a museum in Japan. Mucha might be best known in Prague for his design of a stained-glass window for St. Vitus’ Cathedral. He's also known for his portraits of French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Some parting notes about Prague that I will leave you with...

Trams and buses are free for senior citizens.  Otherwise, nobody actually checks your ticket on trams anyway, so they are optional in our experience. 

There are many concerts for which you can buy tickets on the day of the show.  We attended one at the Mirror Chapel. They are reasonably priced, and only last about an hour.  We also attended a dinner show featuring Mozart music and opera. We arranged that months in advance. 

There are plenty of Czech restaurants to choose from, but three out of four of us are from Japan, so that kind of food is not something they will want to eat every day.  So, we did find an Indian, a Thai, a Vietnamese, and a few Chinese restaurants sprinkled about the city. Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done.

Lastly, you should not leave Prague without trying the local specialty snack, the chimney cake.  That's the name in English that I found online; in Czech it's trdelník.  As you walk the streets of Prague you are bound to run into several shops that feature this treat. I think it is best described as ice cream inside a sweet pastry cone.  Don't miss it!