Experiencing Prague
When I was about 10 years old the neighbor's adopted a girl from Yugoslavia.
She was smart and, although struggling to learn English, described to us her home in Yugoslavia. She told us it was a beautiful place. It was near water. But, people there suffered shortages and were not allowed to travel without government permission.
She was smart and, although struggling to learn English, described to us her home in Yugoslavia. She told us it was a beautiful place. It was near water. But, people there suffered shortages and were not allowed to travel without government permission.
It was confusing to an American kid of the sixties. My world seemed to have everything. I mean, every summer my family packed up our station wagon and drove anywhere we wanted.
Fast forward to today's map of Europe. A glance at my ancient Rand McNally documents how the world looked when I was a kid. Today, most of the artificially "assembled" countries like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have been recomposed to reflect historical boundaries.
Fast forward to today's map of Europe. A glance at my ancient Rand McNally documents how the world looked when I was a kid. Today, most of the artificially "assembled" countries like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have been recomposed to reflect historical boundaries.
After last year's visit to Croatia, I decided this year I'd visit another decoupled country; the Czech Republic - specifically Prague. Like Croatia, today's Czech Republic has emerged from decades of totalitarianism and is reveling in newfound optimism and unbridled energy.
On final approach, looking out my airplane window, the recent history of the Czech Republic is on full display. Dotted throughout rich Czech farmland were nuclear power plants and island after island of anonymous, dense, concrete communist era apartment blocks.
Happily my impressions changed as I arrived into the historic heart of Prague. Where I found a spectacularly beautiful city and a lovely AirBNB!
Once the luggage was dropped, it was time to begin exploring.
We quickly realized the best way to get around Prague is via it's comprehensive, clean, safe and cheap transit system. Everything is just a few steps from a subway, tram or bus stop. Forget Uber. Buy a multi-day transit pass, validate it once (before you get on anything) and then explore.
Day One:
We began the visit with a guided e-bike tour to familiarize ourselves with Prague. I highly recommend it. Our guide threaded us through the City with finesse. He also described modern Czech history with refreshing candor.
We learned that the fact that Prague exists so beautifully preserved is a miracle. Czechoslovakia prior to World War II was a prosperous, highly industrialized and well educated nation.
But in the years leading to the war, Germany, eyeing Czechoslovakia's wealth, laid claim to it. Hitler justified the claim based on the large number of ethnic (Sudeten) Germans living in Czechoslovakia.
Hitler's annexation demand was met no meaningful objection from Italy, France and England (who were in full on appeasement mode). So, in 1938 Hitler seized control of Czechoslovakia.
Hitler expressed admiration for Prague and issued preservation orders to preserve it. The sick bastard even formalized a plan to showcase Prague's Jewish Quarter as a future "museum" to a vanished race.
With Germany in control, Czechoslovakia's prime minister Edvard Benes escaped to England to form a government-in-exile.
His efforts to work within Chamberlain's government were ineffective, so he courted Russia and Churchill. After Churchill took control, and realized Benes might be able to provide actionable intelligence from within Hitler's government, the UK moved to recognize Benes' government.
In his desperate search for strong allies, Benes' sought an alliance with Russia. This alliance would prove fatal.
In 1948, just three years after Benes' return, Stalin engineered a coup wresting control of the nation.
Under Russian control Freedoms evaporated, personal property was confiscated and industry was nationalized. Czechoslovakia slogged through a full generation of stagnation and decline as part of the failed Soviet "worker's paradise".
In 1968, twenty years later, Soviet control was challenged during the "Prague Spring". The Soviets responded with brute force.
Years ending in "8" have not been good for this nation.
Our visit convinced us that the present Czech Republic is churning. Many residents openly expressed disgust for their present corrupt, oligarch led, government.
Happily my impressions changed as I arrived into the historic heart of Prague. Where I found a spectacularly beautiful city and a lovely AirBNB!
An Embarrasment of Architectural Riches
Once the luggage was dropped, it was time to begin exploring.
We quickly realized the best way to get around Prague is via it's comprehensive, clean, safe and cheap transit system. Everything is just a few steps from a subway, tram or bus stop. Forget Uber. Buy a multi-day transit pass, validate it once (before you get on anything) and then explore.
Day One:
We began the visit with a guided e-bike tour to familiarize ourselves with Prague. I highly recommend it. Our guide threaded us through the City with finesse. He also described modern Czech history with refreshing candor.
Cycling Prague via E-Bike
But in the years leading to the war, Germany, eyeing Czechoslovakia's wealth, laid claim to it. Hitler justified the claim based on the large number of ethnic (Sudeten) Germans living in Czechoslovakia.
Hitler's annexation demand was met no meaningful objection from Italy, France and England (who were in full on appeasement mode). So, in 1938 Hitler seized control of Czechoslovakia.
Hitler expressed admiration for Prague and issued preservation orders to preserve it. The sick bastard even formalized a plan to showcase Prague's Jewish Quarter as a future "museum" to a vanished race.
With Germany in control, Czechoslovakia's prime minister Edvard Benes escaped to England to form a government-in-exile.
His efforts to work within Chamberlain's government were ineffective, so he courted Russia and Churchill. After Churchill took control, and realized Benes might be able to provide actionable intelligence from within Hitler's government, the UK moved to recognize Benes' government.
Edvard Benes
In his desperate search for strong allies, Benes' sought an alliance with Russia. This alliance would prove fatal.
In 1948, just three years after Benes' return, Stalin engineered a coup wresting control of the nation.
Under Russian control Freedoms evaporated, personal property was confiscated and industry was nationalized. Czechoslovakia slogged through a full generation of stagnation and decline as part of the failed Soviet "worker's paradise".
In 1968, twenty years later, Soviet control was challenged during the "Prague Spring". The Soviets responded with brute force.
Years ending in "8" have not been good for this nation.
Our visit convinced us that the present Czech Republic is churning. Many residents openly expressed disgust for their present corrupt, oligarch led, government.
Day Two:
Day two was spent exploring Prague's recently restored National Museum. I do not believe the building could have looked any better when it was completed in 1891.
Day two was spent exploring Prague's recently restored National Museum. I do not believe the building could have looked any better when it was completed in 1891.
The Czech National Museum
Afternoon was spent exploring the Czech food scene on a 4-hour Taste of Prague "Foodie" tour. While the average visitor to Prague will find a place where meat, beer and cheese rule, we felt there might be change in the wind.
Our tour let us sample what is good about local foods and catch a glimpse of what is beginning to emerge. Perhaps the most exciting stop was Restaurant Eska in Karlin. Here we found a restaurant embedded in a working show kitchen. Young chefs in Eska work with precision in a surgically clean kitchen using some advanced equipment (wood fired and Josper charcoal ovens etc.).
Restaurant Eska
Don't miss Eska's potatoes in ash (potatoes floating in a cloud of kefir based espuma sauce) or Eska's creative take on a gin and tonic.
A Team Plating Potatoes in Ash
Day Three:
Day three was bright and sunny, so we "checked off all the tourist sites". First, was a visit to the Charles Bridge, then the Astronomical Clock, then on to Vysehrad Castle, the Dancing House and Petrin Hill.
Day three was bright and sunny, so we "checked off all the tourist sites". First, was a visit to the Charles Bridge, then the Astronomical Clock, then on to Vysehrad Castle, the Dancing House and Petrin Hill.
The Charles Bridge From the Lessor Town Watchtower
The Prague Castle
The Dancing House
(Referred to by locals as Fred and Ginger)
Ceremonial Guards at Prague Castle
Loved the kids mugging for mom in front of the guard
(Note to The Czech Government - those are truly hideous uniforms)
(Note to The Czech Government - those are truly hideous uniforms)
Heading home we encountered encountered Olbram Zoubek's moving memorial to the victims of Soviet despotism and totalitarianism emerging from the base of Petrin Hill.
Memorial to Victims 1948-1989
Olbram Zoubek
Day Four:
Day four was pretty relaxing. We got up and visited a puppet shop. Yep, a beautiful three-headed wooden dragon carved from Linden wood by Petr Slama will soon grace Casa Roadboy.
Day four was pretty relaxing. We got up and visited a puppet shop. Yep, a beautiful three-headed wooden dragon carved from Linden wood by Petr Slama will soon grace Casa Roadboy.
Thar Be Dragons
Stop two was the incredible National Technical Museum. Here were displays of industrial art, architecture. aviation, automobiles, photography and timepieces. The huge building complex is only able to present about 15% if its collection. The oldest Audi and Bugatti in existence are both displayed here.
Transportation Gallery
Everything From Race Cars to Regal Railcars
Day Five:
Day five began with a walk to the ruins of Straha Stadium. This immense stadium once held nearly 300,000 spectators (making it the second largest stadium on earth). It was designed for gymnastic spectacles. Last used for a giant Rolling Stones Concert the grounds are now a UNESCO site housing all sorts of athletic activities.
As Straha decays, the City ponders new ways to use the site.
Day five began with a walk to the ruins of Straha Stadium. This immense stadium once held nearly 300,000 spectators (making it the second largest stadium on earth). It was designed for gymnastic spectacles. Last used for a giant Rolling Stones Concert the grounds are now a UNESCO site housing all sorts of athletic activities.
As Straha decays, the City ponders new ways to use the site.
From here we opted for a walk in the Kraslovska Vinoradt neighborhood. We began with Prague's (incredibly ugly) Soviet era Zizkov Television Tower. Built between 1985 and 1992 this odd beast features mini-golf at its base. Going up the tower are nine pod structures housing equipment, an observation deck, a restaurant, a bar. (and in 2013) a single room "luxury" hotel room. I guess the lucky guests here enjoy the only room in Prague where you cannot see the Zizkov Tower.
Perfectly completing this confection of terror are David Cerny's ten creepy giant barcode faced bronze babies crawling all over it.
To build the tower Zizkov's historic Jewish cemetery was excavated, headstones crushed and dumped back into the foundation pit. The bones and human remains were dumped in garbage truck and hauled to thje landfill.
Wow
The Zizkov Tower
Some Nearby "Banksy Like" Wall Art
Just down the hill from the Zizkov Tower we encountered Pavel Janek's 1935 Hussite church. A true masterwork in restraint and understatement. The reinforced concrete church took 6 years to complete over the objections of the city planners of the era.
Hus Congregational House
(Pavel Janek 1935)
A decade later, during the Prague uprising in May of 1945, the church sheltered resistance fighters and used its tower as a radio transmitter.
From here we visited some of the local art and collectible shops and finished with a stop at Prague's urban vineyards which were in full harvest.
After a glass of wine it was time to make our way to the airport for our evening flight to Marseilles.
After a glass of wine it was time to make our way to the airport for our evening flight to Marseilles.
Havlicek Gardens (Vinyards)
Conclusion: Prague is a beautiful study in contrasts. It has endured so much. But now, it has nowhere to go but up.
No comments:
Post a Comment