Prague Walking Tour

The reservations we held for the Free Sandeman's walking tour of Prague - which met at the Old Town Square - were for 10:00, so we quickly ate our Euopean-style breakfast. We had purchased pastries, cheddar cheese, yogurt, and what we were pretty sure were thin slices of ham at the grocery store, yesterday. The temperature this morning was 37 degrees, and it was only supposed to climb into the 40's, so I was really glad that I had added leggings, a thin fleece pullover and a neck scarf to my suitcase at the last minute ! Old Town is only 4 subway stops away from our apartment, and we got to the meeting spot on the main square with plenty of time to spare.

Our young tour guide was Sarah from Milwaukee, who proved to be bright, articulate, and serious yet funny. She led the 20 of us for 3 hours through the cobblestone streets, and provided us with a thorough and passionate history of the city she has come to love. We learned about the beautiful 13th to 18th century buildings, the good and bad kings, religious conflicts, the war years under the Nazi occupation, the post-War era controlled by the Soviets, the Velvet Revolution that brought democracy to Czechoslovakia, and the Velvet Divorce that established the current Czech Republic and Slovakia as separate countries.

After we walked through "Old Town" and "New Town" culminating at Wenceslas Square (home of the 1989 Velvet Revolution and emergence from Soviet domination) it was time for a 20 minute café break, where we could sit, order a coffee or tea, and warm up. The temperature had barely reached 40, and there was a cold wind blowing.

Following our break, Sarah took us to the Jewish Ghetto, the wide streets now lined by Prada, Hermes, Fendi, and Burberry stores and the Diamond Museum - not so much of a ghetto now. Prague was an important center of the Central European Jewish community. The Synagogues, which are still being used, were built in  the 1200's and early 1400's, and the Cemetery is a tangle of tombstones, containing >120,000 burials. Unfortunately, it was now raining (mixed with sleet and snow), but Sarah was able to finish the tour under an archway, where we were able to stay dry and ask her questions.

We wanted some recommendations from her, and once everyone dispersed, she invited Tom and I to join her at a nearby café, where we enjoyed a lively discussion for 45 minutes, and ended up buying her lunch !

Sarah left us to lead another tour, and since the rain had stopped, we made our way back to the Old Town Square, and wandered the streets of Old Town. We were able to watch the striking of the famous 15th Century Astronomical Clock, where "death" rings a bell every hour to remind us of our mortality, wooden statues of the 12 apostles parade every hour and a golden cock crows. The clock shows the movement of the sun and moon through the zodiac, as well as giving the time in three different formats: Central European Time, Old Czech Time, (in which the 24-hour day is reckoned around the setting of the sun), and for some reason, Babylonian time. Crowds have been gathering to watch the "spectacle" since 1490, and it has recently been voted the #1 disappointing attraction in all of Europe - it was just underwhelming !

The Square was hub of activity ! There were groups of tourists, horse-drawn carriages, Segways, performers, vendors, police/security, and our favorite, the man we dubbed "Bubble Man," who delighted children and adults alike - including us !

On the other corner of the square is one of the most important buildings from Prague's Baroque period, St. Nicholas Church. Commissioned by the Jesuits it took three (3) generations, several financial crises, and the demolition of much of the neighborhood between presentation of the first plans to final completion. St. Nicholas is best known as the bearer of gifts to small children, but also the patron saint of municipal administration. Maybe this why the Church of St. Nicholas was restored by the Soviets in the 1950's when the rest of Prague's baroque churches were left to crumble. During the communist era the church tower was used as an observatory for State Security since from the tower it was possible to keep watch on the American and Yugoslav embassies respectively and the access route to the West German embassy.

The Church of St. Nicholas was built between 1704-1756, and contains huge frescoes with scenes from the life of St. Nicholas. The interior has a massive nave with side chapels and an undulating vault based on a system of intersecting ellipsoids. A crystal crown chandelier with glass ornaments from a local glassworks hangs in the nave. The architectural plans involved an intricate geometrical system of interconnected cylinders with a central dome above the transept.

It was now almost 5:00, and we had been out since 9:00 this morning. It was a quick trip on the Prague subway back to the grocery store (which is located within a really nice shopping mall), and our apartment, a 5 minute walk away. The neighborhood consists of 17th and 18th century buildings, many of which have been, or are being remodeled,  mixed with decaying Communist era (1949-1989) buildings. The streets are tree-lined and quiet, and the locals seem to mostly be young and well-dressed.

We were tired and hungry, and ready for a simple dinner of  beef patties with Bavarian mustard (spicy), fresh rolls, frozen vegetables and Czech beer. Now, it's time to get comfortable and hope for warmer weather tomorrow !