Introduction
Praha (Prague), the capital of the Czech Republic is a truly
spectacular city, with architecture dating back to the fourteenth
century, which remains virtually untouched by natural disaster or war
to this day.
As legend has it, the city was founded in the eigth century when the
leader of a nearby tribe of Slavs fell into a trance and pronounced
that a city "whose glory will touch the stars" should be built at the
site where an old man was found beginning the construction of his
hut. In due course such a man was discovered on Hradcany hill, and the
city was named Praha, meaning threshold. Ever since then, the city,
and the whole area of Bohemia has had a turbulent history, and has
been a part of many different kingdoms and empires, until the
foundation of Czechoslovakia at the end of World War One and then the
division into the Czech Repulic and Sovakia in 1993.
Getting about the city is very easy by public transport.
Combination tickets for bus, tram and metro are on sale in local tabac
shops. The two sort of tickets are valid for either 30 or 60 mins, and
the traveller can use as many trams or buses in that time span. But
as the city is criss-crossed by many bus and tram routes and having a
frequent metro system a detailed map showing all routes is a must!
Staré Mesto (Old Town)
Staromestské námestí, the old town square,
is easily the most spectacular square in Prague, and the traditional
heart of the city. From the 11th century onwards, this was the city's
main marketplace, known simply as Velké námestí
(Great Square), to which all roads in Bohemia led.
In the 18th century the town hall became the seat of the new
council which united the five separate towns of which Prague had
previously consisted. For much of the time since then the square was
the site of numerous violent demonstations and battles, including the
final occupation by the Nazis in 1945 who out of desperation set fire
to the town hall. But now cafés spread out across the square,
and flocks of tourists stream in to gaze in awe at the square's
historic magnificence.
The picture on the above right is taken from the tower in the town
hall, as is the one to the left, which is of the Týn
Church, a giant Gothic structure, and a source of Czech national
pride. It's boxed in by the houses all around it however, so good luck
finding the entrance!
The town hall also houses the ever-popular Astromonical Clock
which comes to live every hour with a fantastic display of mechanical
figures, completely underwhelming the huge crowd of onlookers who
gather every hour. Death Himself, to the right of the clock, starts
the proceedings by ringing his bell.
In a city full of legends, one of the favourites is that of
Master Hanus who sculpted the mechanical figures by 1490, but
was then blinded with a red-hot poker by the councillors so that he
couldn't repeat the job for anyone else. Understandably annoyed by
this treatment he groped his way around the clock and succeeded in
breaking it, before dying of a heart attack. No-one else could fix the
clock at the time, so it stayed broken for over eighty years.
The square is also home to the Church of Saint
Mikulás which was built in a mere three years, in the 18th
century. Not to be confused with the Church of Saint
Mikulás in Malá Strana, the other side of the river,
the interior of this one is dull by comparison.
In modern contrast to its surroundings is the Jan Hus
Monument which was plonked in the middle of the square in
1915. However, Jan Hus is a popular hero from the 15th century, and
so the monument is a powerful symbol of Czech nationalism.
Hradcany (Castle) and Karluv Most (Charles Bridge)
The Karluv Most (Charles Bridge) - which for over 400 years was
the only link between the two halves of Prague - is by far the city's
most familiar monument.
It's an impressive piece of medieval engineering, aligned slightly
askew between two mighty gothic gateways, but it's fame is due mostly
to the magnificent Baroque statues, later additions that punctuate its
length.
The bridge was begun in 1357 to replace an earlier one, which
had been swept away by one of the Vltava's frequent floods in
1342. Charles IV commisioned his young German architect, Peter
Parler, to carry out the work, which was finally completed in the
early 15th century.
While we were there in late July one big problem with the bridge
was that the lights attract a lot of flying bug things in the
evening. Which like nothing better than to feast on the unsuspecting
tourist walking on the bridge (so don't forget the bug spray!!)
Dominating much of the Prague skyline, is the Hrad (Castle)
as seen from the Charles Bridge in the above right picture, and from
Malá Strana in the one to the left. It was built on the site of
one of the original hill settlements of the Slav tribes in the seventh
or eighth century. The first castle was built here in the late ninth
century, and ever since then as been the location of the head of power
over the Czech lands. Although it's the tourist attraction of
Prague, for the Czechs themselves the castle has been an object of
disdain as much as admiration, its alternating fortunes mirroring the
shifts in the nation's history.
In the third courtyard of the caste grounds is the gigantic Gothic
edifice that is St Vitus Cathedral. It is an awe-inspiring
experience to enter the courtyard and suddenly be faced by this
amazing building. There is so little space left in the courtyard, that
you cannot view the cathedral from anything but up close. The picture
to the right is in fact the result of joining two photographs
together, after attempting to correct the different perspective of the
upper portion because of the angle required to fit the top of it in.
The cathedral's chaotic appearance is due to its long and chequered
history. The foundation stone was laid in 1344, but was it was not
completed until 1929. During much of this time the half-built
cathedral became a source of the Czech's frustrated aspirations to
nationhood.
The interior of the cathedral is almost as impressive as the exterior,
with no less than 22 side chapels, a high-relief wooden panelling in
the chancel, the tomb of St John of Nepomuk, a Royal Oratory, a marble
Imperial Mausoleum, the chilling underground Royal Crypt, and the
coronation chamber which houses the Bohemian crown jewels themselves,
including the gold crown of Saint Wenceslas, although the chamber is
closed to the public, secured as it is by seven different locks (each
one more fiendish than the last), with the keys kept by seven
different people, starting with the president.
The main side chapel is that of Sv Václav, known to
us as "Good King" Wenceslas, from the nineteenth century Christmas
carol, which actually contains numerous inaccuracies, starting with
him being only a duke not a king. Also, he was only good in
comparision with the rest of his family - he was murdered by his pagan
brother, Boleslav the Cruel, in 929, at an age of just 22, only four
years after becoming duke. The present chapel was supposedly built on
top of his grave.
If you're feeling energetic you can climb the South Tower, which
takes you up and up a cramped circular staircase and leads out onto
the top which offers a view of out of breath tourists, plus
breathtaking views over Prague, including back down to the Charles
bridge, and beyond.
Nové Mesto (New Town) and Around
Far from "new", Nové Mesto was actually founded in 1348, by
Charles IV. It was a completely new town, intended to link
Staré Mesto to the north and the fortress of Vysehrad to the
south. However, it became one of the city's poorest areas for many
years, until the authorities cleared away and rebuilt most of the
buildings, following the original street layout, during the second
half of the nineteenth century. This created a growth of businesses in
the area, and today Nové Mesto is the city's main commerical
district.
The centerpiece of the modern city is the famous
Václavské námestí, better known as
Wenceslas Square (see the picture to the above left which is the
museum at one end). Not strictly a square, it's actually
more of a long wide street, and is always thriving, well into the
night, long after the rest of Prague has been deserted. It is home to
countless street stalls, bars, cafés, and pizzarias (see
picture right!).
The square has also been the scene of mass pulic demonstations,
particularly following the riots of 1989, when 250,000 people crammed
into the square for several nights in freezing conditions, calling for
free elections and the resignation of the Communist Party
leaders. However, it took an even bigger crowd which amassed a week
later, when the whole of Prague came to a standstill, before the
Communist leaders finally relinquished power.
At over 100 meters in height, the Zizkov TV tower,
is the tallest (and most unpopular) building in Prague. Begun in the
1970's in a desperate attempt to block West German TV signals, it has
only become operational in the last few years, after the fall of
Communism. The new democratic government who inherited it now uses it
to transmit national TV and radio to the nation, a complete reversal
of what it was originaly intended. In the course of its
construction, however, the Communists saw fit to demolish part a
nearby Jewish cemetery that had served the community between 1787 and
1891. A small section still survives to the northwest of the
tower. You can take the lift to the viewing platform on the 8th floor,
where you can enjoy spectacular views across the city.
Kutná Hora
Situated some 40 miles east of Prague, the medieval silver-mining town
of Kutná Hora makes an excellent day trip from Prague. For centuries
the town's importance was second only to that of Prague, after the
discovery of rich silver deposits in the area. At the end of the
fourteenth century its population was equal to that of London. But two
hundred years later the mines dried up, and the prosperity ended. The
town is now a fraction of its former size, with acres of green fields
where once there were bustling suburbs. It now as a sleepy feel to it,
with a picturesque main square, and is a welcome change from the
crowds of Prague.
There is still much of interest here, however. In the suburb of Sedlec
is the fourteenth century church of Panna Maria (St Mary), left, which
is next actually next to the largest tobacco factory in Europe, in
what used to be a Cistercian monastery. Needless to say, there is a
rather strong unpleasant aroma everywhere in the vicinity!
On the other side of the main road is the monks' graveyard, with
its ancient Gothic chapel (pictured right). Beneath the chapel is the
incredibly macabre underground ossuary, which is full to overflowing
with human bones. After holy earth was scattered here in the twelfth
century all of Bohemia's nobility wanted to be buried here, until the
late nineteenth century when the authorities commissioned a former
carpenter to do something with the 40,000 complete sets. After many
years of hard work he had fashioned the bones into four giant bells,
the royal coat of arms, and a huge chandelier made out of every bone
in the human body, before signing his name in bones as a finishing
touch. This rather unsettling display is now the suburb's main
attraction.
Back in the main town itself, the cathedral of sv Barbora
(Saint Barbara) is breathtakingly beautiful, and sits at the top of
the valley like something out of a fairy-tale. It is without a doubt
the real main attraction of Kutná Hora. It was begun in the
fourteenth century, out of direct rivalry with Prague's St Vitus
Cathedral, and is dedicated to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of
miners and gunners. But like its rival it's construction was
interrupted for many years at a time, and in fact it remains
unfinished to this day. Not that that distracts from the spectacle,
from the countless pinnacles, and flying buttresses, to the amazing
three tent-like towers on the roof, with their needle-sharp spires.
Much credit to the indispensable The
Rough Guide series for most of the facts on this page,
and for making our trip a far more pleasurable and informative
experience. Don't leave home without it!
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