Prague (Praha)

After Traveling through Germany, now heading into Prague. Prague is in Bohemia in the Czech Republic named after the Bohemians which were the first tribe to settle in the area, centuries ago. So far everyone I'd encountered in Belgium and Germany had spoken English but now here in the Czech Republic that's not the case so a tour guide is definitely the way to go. Our tour guide said that the Bohemians came here with a beer in one hand and a hockey stick in the other. :) This is the home of Budweiser and Pilsner and extreme hockey fans. They were quick to boast that they have more players in the NHL than any other country. They roll out all of their sports stars in the first 5 minutes of any conversation about the Czech Republic - most of which I've never heard of (not being a hockey fan) except a few names I recognized: Martina Navratilova and Ivan Llendl.

When we first started entering the city of Prague it was depressing, graffitied, and blackened from the use of cheap coal fuel. I thought this might be the first city that wouldn't impress me. But as we entered the city center it blossomed. Prague is one of the few cities that was not completely demolished in World War II consequently all of their historical monuments and architecture are still in their original from. When I think of Bohemian I think being free-spirited and au natural but the city is anything but. The city is dressed up and ornate like wedding cake confection -- spires, towers, and domes of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture. Prague is known to have more spires and towers than any other European city. Easter egg colored buildings line the Vltava river then glowering black speared gothic towers loom over them where I am sure the wicked witch of the west lives with her monkeys. Once again it's a place of fairy tales....and Christmas carols.

"Good King Wensalus" was the beloved King of the Czech and now is Prague's Patron Saint. The Good King was progressive, educated and loved by the people and then killed by his brother in 927 in a power grab. They built a shrine around him and then kept building - a gothic cathedral, then a Renaissance tower, a Baroque fountain, a Federalist style building. The Czech Republic's only woman leader, Maria Theres, a woman with 16 children, started designing what would be a massive fortress by pulling all the different buildings together. In 1927 it was finished and became today's world's largest inhabited fortress (according to Guinness World Book)-- exactly 1000 years after Wensalus'es death. The building is massive and sits on top of a hill overlooking the city and the river, completely lit up at night, it's both imposing and incredibly impressive.

Prague has 1.2 million people and 1 million cars. It's crowded but they have their own version of the "big dig" going on, the goal: to put all traffic underground so they can leave the city in tact. They are an interesting mix of provincial and cool, a characteristic that I have a feeling won't last. They are not on the euro but instead use the Czech Kroner which is about 25 to 1 euro so things are relatively cheap but at the same time they have whats called the Paris street filled with Cartier, Rolex, Fendi, Gucci, and Valentino - the 22nd most expensive street in the world - we are warned. Off the Paris street and into the town square their specialties are bohemian crystal and puppets (marionettes). I brought only carry-on luggage so my souvenir shopping is limited to postcards, unfortunately.

Once again, I am charmed by this city too. The Czech people obviously love their city, are proud of it, as they should be - it's beautiful.