Prague Czech Republic

 

#Prague_Czech_Republic

Prague (sometimes called Praha) is the capital of the Czech Republic & is the 14th largest city in the European Union
Its nickname is the City of a Hundred Spires (as you can see here) & so you can view that plus much more with the four free walking tours that includes a local guide;
Old Town, Castles & Charles Bridge, New Town & Zizkov Neighborhood

Other Fun Things I Recommend;
For $15 US you can rent a row boat (four people) & see the Vitava River plus the City in a different way 
The Prague Castle cost ($17US) to tour most of the interiors but its free to roam its grounds & gardens 

KeyTip : you pay in Czech Crowns instead of Euros so a huge dollar saving on the exchange rates, plus plan on the free Museum Days & other attractions being offered at no cost    

Prague is one of the most visually striking cities in Europe
 Some reasons are; is its Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque & Art Nouveau architecture plus all the history that happened here 

In 2021 the city introduced the Tram 42 Route
Its a hop-on-hop-off service that uses vintage trams that takes you around to all the favorite streets & landmarks of Prague during its 40 minute loop ($11.00 US for the day.....a great deal) 

Prague suffered minor bombing during World War Two (compared to other European Cities) 
So because of this fact most of its original architecture remained intact

This historic house known as Wiehluv Dum in Wenceslas Square was in built in 1896 during the Neo-Renaissance Period.
The facade murals are of the Ages of Man, Allegorical Figures & Rhyming Proverbs 

The Grand Hotel Evropa is a Art Nouveau structure first built in 1872
The ornate interiors of the Hotel has been used for films such as Mission Impossible, Titanic & Men in Hope

Walking the streets of New Town (1348) located outside the City Walls & near Wenceslas Square  

St. Vitus Cathedral construction started in 1344 but took six hundred years to complete it
The temple has overseen the coronation of Czech Kings & Queens plus there is a mausoleum inside which is a crypt of the royal tombs

The Vltava River (433kms or 270 miles long) is the longest in the Czech Republic & has 18 bridges that cross it into the City of Prague
The river within the city is mostly used for pleasure crafts; paddleboats, row boats, pedalos & kayaks

Did you know weathervanes have been around for over 2000 years & was first invented by the Greek astronomer Andronicus 
The first weathervanes (besides being built to determine the wind direction) acted as a sundials for time keeping also

 Did you know it was the Romans who first started using cobblestones in road building, eventually constructing over 400,000kms (250,000 miles) of roads from Scotland to Egypt, Portugal & Syria. 
So indeed, all roads did lead to Rome 

Part of the Prague Castle complex with various architectural styles of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance & Baroque

The Jewish Quarter is located in Old Town of Prague
The first Jews came to Prague in the 10th century & through history suffered injustices & attacks up to the Second World war they were completed wiped out
Moving forward, six of the synagogues, the old cemetery & the Jewish town hall survived which are now open to the public 

Prague was voted the most beautiful city in the World by Time Out Magazine.
Speaking from experience (i have been to over 200 cities) i agree 100%!
It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992

The City was founded in 1306 & now has a population of 1.5 million which by far is the biggest city in the Czech Republic
By comparison the cities of Brno at 380,00 & Ostrava with 300,000 residents are a distant 2nd & 3rd in citizens

Here are some of the favorite food dishes you will find here
Now if you like pork you will not go hungry in Prague 😅

A) Pork Knuckle, Pork Schnitzel Pork Goulash.....you get the idea
B) Cabbage Pancakes; served with garlic sauce or yoghurt
C) Potato Soup; carrots & mushrooms served in a bread bowl
 D) Fried Cheese; covered in flour, egg & bread crumbs then fried
 E) Duck with Cabbage & Dumplings
 E) Beef in Cream Sauce

Th city now attracts over 8 million tourists per year with sites to visit like the oldest University in Central Europe (Charles University) plus it has one of the largest castles in the World (Prague Castle takes in over 18 acres of land)

Most think of Prague as far north in Eastern Europe with harsh winters, not so.
It has the same latitude line as Frankfurt Germany, Paris France & Vancouver Canada 

As i look for a seat 😄 why you ask
 Prague is know for its Pilsner Beer (as i found out happily) & it costs $2 US for a draft beer
Now i learned early not to try & keep up with the locals as they consume on average 155 litres PP each year, so for my North American friends that is around 475 (12 ounce bottles) of beer
That is more then the Germans & Americans combined or so i have been told & certainly way more than me

As i get ready to leave this great City of Prague, i am reminded of Vaclav Havel who started as a political dissident fighting the communist rulers then became President of the Czech Republic
 Then finally he led it to democracy in which us visitors can be tourists & then visit this amazing city

St Wenceslas Vineyard  near the Prague Castle
During the Communism era traditional wine lands were seized from the owners (the land was then used for farming) & that knowledge of wine growing was lost
Thankfully through government subsides the return of vineyards is back as historically this area was known for its wine
 As under Charles IV rule (in the 1300s) he was very passionate of the beverage, so he built numerous vineyards around Prague & so now the industry has rebounded back

On a cruise to Devils Channel which takes you to historic district of Prague & also to the area of the John Lennon Wall, for you Beatles fans 

When i took this photo i KNEW it was how i was going to end this blog;
 With Culture, from the City of Culture!