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Magazine
TIME OUT
Symphony in stone
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Castles, cathedrals, museums, synagogues and art galleries juxtapose with music clubs, pubs and dancing houses. Prague presents an assortment of the old and the new. SANGEETA DEVI DUNDOO
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Photos: Preetam Dundoo
The stamp of time: : The Czech National Museum
Any which way you look at it, you will cherish your visit to Praha as the Czechs call it. A multifaceted city in its truest sense, Prague is rightfully called one of the most spectacular European cities. It stands testimony to the pride Czechs take i
n restoring, preserving and showcasing their culture and heritage. The Czech Republic is less frequented by Indian tourists, but hugely popular among European and Russian travellers.
As you drive into Prague, the city puts you at ease. Its laidback pace is a refreshing break from the clutter of big cities. The quaint buildings (education centres, hospitals, schools, monuments… you name it) wear an air of historical significance. European summer is the best time to visit Prague. Warm blue skies strike a contrast to Prague’s skyline from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the maximum temperature hovers around 20-25 degrees Celsius. As with many European destinations, expect intermittent rains and windy weather. Before you head out, tune in to Germany’s weather report. “We usually experience changes in weather similar to what Germany had 48 hours ago,” Ivana, an amiable guide tells us.
“Art”y trail
Prague matter-of-factly introduces you to different schools of architecture — gothic, neo-gothic, renaissance, art nouveau, baroque and cubic. Appreciating music, theatre and fine arts is second nature to the Czechs. For the connoisseurs, options are aplenty — concerts at synagogues, the Mozart museum, cruises on river Vlatava listening to jazz beats or gigs at the innumerable music clubs. The city has over 2,000 monuments, 47 museums and 100 art galleries.
Discovering Prague is a fun-filled learning experience. Tour operators offer at least a dozen sight-seeing trips in and around Prague and the Bohemian countryside. The local populace categorises the city into Old Town, New Town and the Lesser Town or Lesser Quarter. The Old town, which historically accounts for the first settlement in Prague, is the most popular among tourists and you will find hundreds of them at the magnificent Old Town Square. “How large a town square is will tell you the historical significance of the town,” Ivana tells us. The town square is almost always inundated with tourists poring over route maps or taking in the sights of the gothic-style churches and monuments. Make yourself comfortable at one of the many eateries that dot the Town Square to indulge in people-watching.
At the square, the Prague Astronomical Clock intrigues tourists at the stroke of each hour. The mechanical clock, the zodiac ring and the astronomical dial that shows the position of the sun and the moon date back to the early 15th century. The best is yet to come. Ascend the tower and from the highest point, get a bird’s eye view of Prague and its old world charm.
Surprises at every turn
The by-lanes throw up surprises every few yards. Eateries and pubs fight for attention alongside souvenir shops, museums, synagogues, churches, concert halls and cinema halls. Czechs manufacture some of the finest crystals in the world (especially of the Bohemian kind) and garnet stones. You’ll also find shops peddling Pashmina shawls from Kashmir!
The Powder Tower
Portions of Prague are still reminiscent of the original Jewish settlements, the first of which dates back to 960 A.D. The narrow streets of the Jewish Ghetto now present a cluster of synagogues (of which the breathtaking Spanish Synagogue is most frequented), museums and a cemetery.
Stoned for good!
The cobbled stone streets (re-laid once in a few decades to avoid weathering) make for great walkways (cars zoom on them too). The maze of streets in the Old Town is best unravelled by long walks or cycle tours. For a dash of novelty, hop on to the vintage cars where the chauffeurs double up as guides or hire a horse carriage.
Trams plying through the arterial roads lead you to Lesser Town across the famous Charles Bridge. King Charles IV, credited with resurrecting Prague and preserving its heritage, is revered till date. Named after him is also the Charles University, the oldest education centre in Czech. Historians aptly call Prague a “symphony in stone”. Stones are integral to the churches, schools and hospitals that date back a few centuries.
The Old Town
The 650-year-old Charles Bridge, built of stone, was earlier called Stone Bridge. Three bridge towers guard the Charles Bridge that stands on 16 arches. The statues that dot the bridge makes you feel — to give in to the cliché — time stands still. Charles Bridge, along with Hotel Paris in the city, features in “Mission Impossible”. The bridge and its surroundings come alive in the evenings when music groups take over the eateries across the bridge. Groups of tourists, at times, try an impromptu jig. From the bridge, feast your eyes on the magnificent Prague Castle (one of the largest castles in the world) and the St. Vitus Cathedral.
The castle, which includes churches, gardens, museums and courtyards, still houses the Bohemian crown jewels. Don’t give the St. Vitus cathedral a miss. The construction of the gothic cathedral began in early 14th century but was stalled during the Hissite War in the 15th century, only to be resumed in the 19th century. Complementing the gothic architecture are the stained glass windows painted by renowned Czech arists (the most prominent being Alphons Mucha, who now has a museum dedicated to him) and the chapel built in the 14th century.
In black and gold
Once called a city of 100 spires, Prague today is a medley of old and new-world constructions. The Revolution Square, National Museum, Powder Tower and Czech National Theatre are reminders of the “black and gold” representation in Czech architecture. Gold tastefully adorns these structures and offsets the grey stone walls. The museum reflects the archaeological prowess of the nation. With an audio book that gives you English commentaries, get an overview of human evolution from First century B.C and scan through the mineral reserves of Czech and Slovakian lands.
The Prague Castle
Prague is home to museums of varied kinds — Mozart museum, Frank Kafka museum dedicated to the writer Frank Kafka, Museum of Communism that traces the rise and fall of Communism in the land, and even a Torture Museum that stocks instruments of torture used during the World Wars.
Present day constructions are vividly interspersed with the monuments. The Dancing House salutes Latin dance forms and the TV Tower Praha, the highest building in Prague, stands 100 metres tall. For concerts and operas, browse through the programme lists at the Spanish Synagogue, the Municipal House and churches across the city. How about a remake of Mozart’s Don Giovanni? When in the young nation, which came into its own in 1993 after the “Velvet Divorce” with Slovakia, there’s never a dull moment.
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A quick guide
You’ll find legal foreign exchange counters on every other street. One hundred Euros fetch 2,700 to 2,900 Czech crowns, i.e. Rs. 5,400 to 5,800.
Discover Prague on horse carriages, vintage cars, taxis, trams, buses, conducted tours, walk tours and bicycle tours.
The options for food are aplenty for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians at Indian, Czech, Italian, Mediterranean and Chinese eateries that generously dot the city’s landscape.
Czech is the national language but English (a tad too incoherent) is widely spoken. German, Spanish and Russian are the common foreign languages.
The Czech Republic is yet to wear the air of European supremacy on its shoulders. Be pleasantly surprised at the courteousness towards tourists. Prague boasted of 10 million tourists in the past year.
For Czechs, beer is the national drink. A pint of beer costs lesser (20-30 crowns for 500 ml) than water (30 to 40 crowns for 500 ml).
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Tours from Prague
Cesky Krumlov: A medieval town in Southern Bohemia along the banks of river Vlatava. Founded in the 13th century, it’s now a UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage town.
Karlstein Castle: One of the most popular getaways, the 650-year-old gothic castle is an hour’s drive from Prague.
Konopiste Chateau and brewery: The 14th century chateau stores massive collections of weapons and hunting trophies of Ferdinand d’Este, whose death triggered World War I.
Karlovy Vary: The spa was founded in 1358 by Charles IV. A trip to the spa includes a visit to the Moser glass factory.
Kutna Hora: A town synonymous with silver mining in the 14th and 15th centuries, it’s now a UNESCO site.
Terezin: The Terezin fort, the museum and the graveyard speak about the Nazi occupation and the holocaust thereafter.
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