Istanbul : Prague : Vienna : Trieste & Milan : Stresa : Switzerland : Art
Monday morning found me heading for Prague on a Eurowings flight from Geneva. This left punctually and I arrived in Prague mid morning feeling a little anxious as I had had some negatives reviews of the city from friends. Some said it was expensive and others that people were unfriendly and tried to rip off tourists.
It was relatively easy to get into the city by catching first a bus and then the underground. However I had a problem finding my hotel once I emerged from the underground. I had not bought a European Sim card this time, relying on wifi, so I had no data to use Google maps. Hoteliers assume everyone uses Google maps and they simply provide their address, not directions. After wandering about looking for the correct street, I was befriended by a local man who guided me to the address for a tip.
My hotel had old fashioned décor, but was comfortable and the staff friendly and helpful. After dropping off my bag I set off to explore Prague. I soon realized that this is a tourist mecca. Even though it was Monday, the place was crowded with people having a good time.
Exploring the old town (Staré Mĕsto)
As I was only in Prague for a day and a half, I had targeted a few “must see” sights. One was the Mucha museum, dedicated to the work of the Czech artist Alfons Mucha, well known for his art nouveau posters. The collection of his works is disappointingly small, but the museum shows an interesting film outlining his life. He spent the latter part of his life composing large works depicting the struggle of the Czech people for freedom. I am not sure where the paintings are now.
After visiting the museum and by just following the flow of tourists, I happened upon a building with an impressive dome and façade, next to an extremely tall tower. The tower was one of the original gates to the city and is now known as the Powder gate as it was used to store gunpowder at some stage. The impressive building was Municipal House built at the beginning of the 20th century in flamboyant art nouveau style. I did not take a guided tour of the building, but enjoyed an excellent lunch of Prague ham, pickles and rye bread in its café which still boasts its original décor.
Here is where I discovered the delights of non-alcoholic beer, cheaper even than a cup of coffee in Prague, most thirst quenching after a morning of sightseeing and with no debilitating after effect. Prague is famous for its beer, and there were a few of the “lager louts” somewhat the worse for over indulgence about, but very few.
Municipal House has two halls and I was tempted to attend a concert that evening, in part to see the venue, but didn’t get there. Many of the local churches also advertised concerts in the evening; lots of places to hear Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in Prague.
Following the stream of tourists again after lunch, I found the Town Hall with its famous astronomical clock. Every hour some figures on the clock tower move, as the chimes ring out. I am afraid I was unable to figure out just how the astronomical side works. The square near the clock was packed with people milling about and enjoying the sidewalk restaurants. Lots of beer, ice cream and chimney cakes (Tredelnik) were being consumed. The latter is a cake made from dough wrapped round a cylinder and baked on a spit. The outer coating of sugar melts and caramelizes while it cooks and the sweet smell abounds. Sometimes these are filled with ice cream when cooked. I lacked the capacity to try one!
The old town in Prague is a higgledy piggledy amalgam of narrow streets and squares and I kept getting lost, but a good rule of thumb was to follow the crowd, go with the flow. I found myself at the Charles bridge. Everyone was surging over, but I broke away to find the Decorative Arts museum. Unfortunately being a Monday, it was closed.
I decided to follow the river upstream. The Vitava river bisects Prague and is one of the reasons it is such a beautiful city. Graceful bridges cross the river, boats cruise by and there are nice walkways and small parks along its banks. Across the river the Prague Castle with St Vitus cathedral graces the skyline. Further upstream are some islands and gracious 19th century houses line the banks. This walk was a very pleasant way to end the afternoon.
Dinner was a bit of disaster. Following the recommendation of the friendly hotel receptionist, I tried the nearby restaurant specializing in authentic Czech food. It was popular and packed, but potato dumplings and roast pork was not a good choice. Why ruin perfectly good potatoes? But I got to try more non-alcoholic beer!
Prague Castle and Malá Strana
I planned to visit the Prague Castle across the river as soon as it opened next morning to avoid the crowds. As it is on top of a steep hill, I decided to use a tram to get there, and walk down later. The friendly hotel receptionist advised that public transport was free for seniors so I leapt upon what I thought was the correct tram only to head off in the wrong direction. Never mind I saw a bit more of Prague!
One tip I followed was to go further up the hill to the Loreta (Tram 22 to stop Pohořelec) and then to walk down to the castle. This is a broad walk, with attractive buildings lining the way. As one nears the castle one has a splendid view over the battlements. The entrance to the Castle has smartly clad guards which change hourly. Once inside, I opted for the short tour which starts with a visit to St Vitus cathedral. This has the most splendid stained glass windows including some designed by early 20th century Czech artists including Mucha. It is is very attractive church and my highlight of the visit to the Castle.
After admiring the cathedral, I visited the Old Palace and followed the crowd through the large Vladislav hall with an amazing late gothic vaulted ceiling. Off this leads the Diet or Assembly hall containing a case with replicas of the Bohemian crown jewels. The Romanesque Basilica of St George and a lane of tiny old houses (now shops) called Golden Lane, completed the tour.
I was quite keen to escape the Castle crowds and set off down the steep hill to the suburb of Malá Strana. Here I hoped to find the Wallenstein gardens I had read about. I did find a very pretty garden at the bottom of the hill, but cannot be sure of its name. Aside from ponds and fountains, hedges and formal beds, it contained a strange dripstone wall which was rather eerie and a large aviary inhabited only by very big owls that blinked down at one.
Near this garden I found St Nicholas’s Church. Inside it was full of baroque splendour and I see from my guidebook that it contains Europe’s largest fresco on the ceiling. After this busy morning, I was ready for lunch. I opted for more of yesterday’s Prague ham, so I hotfooted it back across the Charles bridge to the splendid café for a repeat.
Decorative Arts museum
After lunch I visited the Decorative Arts Museum. What a treat for glass lovers in particular. Bohemia has always been famous for glass and Prague is full of shops selling a wide range. The museum contains modern glass as well as beautiful items from previous centuries. And it is not just glass; clocks, jewellery, furniture and many other exquisite items can be found there. Compared to other places in Prague, it had almost no other visitors which is a pity.
Good bye to Prague
My time in Prague was drawing to a close. I wandered the streets window shopping, falling for an enamelled mug decorated with elephants ( Czech elephants?). I was also tempted by lovely Xmas decorations of glass angels and large flat glass Xmas trees in glowing colours. I should imagine Prague Xmas markets must be splendid. Near my hotel was a street market selling Czech sweets and chocolates as well as biscuits and fresh produce. I do feel sorry for Prague residents though as shops selling tourist tat have taken the place of shops selling provisions and the necessities of everyday life. I struggled to find a supermarket/ corner cafe.
I also decided to find the station I was to leave from early on Wednesday morning. The station building was surrounded by a park full of flowering lilacs and it was a comfortable walk from the hotel. Lastly I decided to give the local Czech restaurant another try and this time I had a very nice fresh trout with potatoes.
Early the next morning I set off with a generous packet of “padkos” from the hotel in lieu of breakfast. Before boarding the train for Vienna, I admired the old station hall which is not in use but has been preserved. In a way, I felt it epitomized Prague; a very beautiful city which is preserving and making the most of its heritage. It is overrun by tourists, but they are the lifeblood of the city and the local people seem to accept this graciously. Despite my misgivings, I had a very pleasant time in Prague and would be happy to return and explore it further.
2023 Prague Gallery
