Castles, cobblestones and clocks compete with cheap beer to make Prague a Europe-lover's paradise. Words: SAMANTHA BADEN
Sometimes it's hard to believe that Prague is a real city and not some
European film set whipped up for Hollywood. With its beautiful skyline
of historical church spires and towers and its romantic Charles Bridge,
Prague is an ogler's dream.
But look around and you'll be
reminded that Prague is indeed a real place, with a real history, real
people and other real tourists. Lots of them. Sadly, it can sometimes
seem as though Prague has become the victim of its own popularity.
There are hordes of visitors who come to stare slack-jawed and
wide-eyed at the incredibly preserved city.
There are reasons so
many tourists flock to Prague (not least because it's still one of the
most affordable European capitals) and you should too. Prague, or Praha
as it's known to the locals, capital of the Czech Republic, escaped
undamaged from World War II and avoided being redeveloped because of
its extended era as a communist country.
The result is a ridiculously large collection of Baroque facades, Gothic houses, Rococo exteriors, Romanesque cellars, Renaissance architecture and Art Nouveau experimentation. This is a seriously stunning town and one of its main drawcards is its strolling potential, which has the added benefit of taking determined travellers away from the more crowded tourist attractions.
Here are the top five sites to see.
1 The clock's ticking
The Old Town Square boasts one of Europe's most picturesque squares and, it has to be said, weirdest clocks. The Orloj, or astronomical clock, dates from 1410, but has changed a bit over the years. It spins its medieval mojo every hour, on the hour, when death rings a bell, inverts his hourglass and the 12 Apostles come out to play parading past the window at the top of the clock and nodding at the gawking crowd.
2 King of the castles
Prague Castle is the city's most popular attraction and almost a small town in its own right. It's huge and old, dating back from the 9th century and is still in use today as the seat of the modern Czech president.
3 Bridge the gap
The Charles Bridge connects the Mala Strana (literally the Little Quarter) at the foot of Prague Castle with Stare Mesto (the Old Town) the home of the Old Town Square. Far from just being a functional architectural feature, Charles Bridge is in many ways the heart of Prague, or at least it is before 10am when it becomes gridlocked with tourists. Early in the morning or late at night the Charles Bridge, its hawkers, buskers and 30 statues stationed across its 500m length have come to represent quintessential Prague.
4 Be square
For a taste of modern Prague head to Wenceslas Square, which has hosted some pretty significant moments in Czech history, including the emotive proclamation of the end of communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989. These days the square is a bit of a shrine to capitalism lined as it is with an assortment of brand stores.
5 In the ghetto
Prague's Jewish Quarter is the best-preserved old Jewish ghetto in Europe but stands forth as a poignant reminder of modern European history. The Nazis preserved these places as a part of their planned museum of extinct races. The six synagogues, Jewish Town Hall and Old Jewish Cemetery are now mainly museums and open to visitors.