• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Uday K. Chakraborty

A city that is constantly reviving and surprising itself, but at the same time one that loves and cultivates its past... such is the charm of Prague.

Prague is many things and has many names — The Mother of Cities, The Golden City, The City of 100 Spires and The Heart of Europe. This last name is, perhaps, the most fitting, for Prague has always been the place where Europe has seemed the most storybook European, where so much history has been made, and where three great cultures — Slavic, German and Jewish — mingled to form a unique whole, at least until the Germans murdered the Jews and the Czechs expelled most of the Germans. If, as is often maintained, Franz Kafka embodies the Prague spirit, then it helps to remember that he was a Jew who wrote in German but spoke Czech.

During an earlier visit to Prague, in 1990, Czechoslovakia was just past a silent, so called velvet revolution. The city was gloomy and grey yet, at the same time, it was this beautiful European city that became a frequent haunt during this writer's travels.

These days, though Prague is no longer part of the Eastern Block, it is still part of Eastern Europe, and still one of the most beautiful and photogenic cities in the world.

There is an infectious spirit of freedom throughout the city, now bursting at the seams with tourists, comprising organised Germans, large groups of camera-wielding Japanese, businessmen and backpackers. The city's capitalist economy has led to inflation, although prices are affordable for most tourists.

Like Rome, Prague is a city built on seven hills, bisected by the Vltava River. Situated west of Vienna, it lies at the geographical heart of Europe. With an urban history dating back a millennium — the city is blessed with an amazing spectrum of architectural riches. Having managed to survive the destruction of the World War II, Prague's Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, neo-classical and art naveau architecture has remained largely intact.

The best way to explore Prague is on foot. Public transport includes street trams and efficient underground train system. The most important tourist sights centre around the five towns that comprise the city: the Lesser Town (Mala Strana), Old Town (Stare Mesto), New Town (Nove Mesto), Hradcany, where Prague castle is located, and the Jewish Quarter (Josefov).

The main tourist attraction is the Stare Mesto (Old Town) with its maze-like treasure trove of splendid medieval buildings, colourful courtyards, romantic little squares and narrow side streets. Among its highlights are the twin-spired Tyn Church and the Old City Hall with its 15th-century astronomical clock, which was made by Magister Hanus, who was blinded by the town councillors so that he would be unable to create another clock so beautiful for any other city.

Not to be missed is the adjacent Josetov, the old Jewish quarter, with its six synagogues housing the State Jewish Museums, the Jewish City Hall, the famous Old Jewish Cemetery with its craggy landscape of crazily leaning tombstones, and the home where Kafka was born.

A pleasant stroll eastward from the Old City and the Josetov takes you to Powder Tower, the most photographed gate of the Old Town, once used to store gunpowder. Here the Czech kings of long ago, departed for the coronation route. The view past the tower's 185 steps is breathtaking to say the least. This landmark is the starting point of the much-celebrated Charles Bridge.

The best way to shuttle between the banks of the Vltava is to cross this 14th-century bridge, some 500 metres long and lined with 30 Baroque statues, mostly of saints. In keeping with Prague's new spirit, the bridge is now a busy place for artists, street performers, musicians and street vendors who sellsouvenirs such as Russian dolls, Czech crystal, wooden toys, hand puppets, water colours and black-and-white photos of the bridge itself. Some say it will soon collapse under the weight of the visitors.

On the other bank of the river is the Mala Strana — Small Side of the Vltava river — a district of steep, narrow, winding streets lined by Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical palaces, mansions and town houses, many of which are now foreign embassies. The area is one of Prague's most charming sites — streets composed entirely of steps; delightful little restaurants, wine taverns, beer halls and artists' cafes; a profusion of avant-garde galleries; small gardens and peaceful parks.

The Mala Strana winds its way up to Hradcany, the castle district, and a city unto itself. The seat of Bohemia's rulers for many centuries, it is still the centre of the Czech's political and spiritual power. The President has his official residence and offices within shouting distance of the Archbishop's Palace, and towering over both is the St Vitus cathedral, one of the most magnificent Gothic churches in the world.

Within the last reach of the castle courtyard is an extraordinary street called Goldmakers' Alley — a meter-wide lane of diminutive houses where, legend has it, alchemists tried to turn lead into gold and discover the secret of eternal life. Goldmakers' Alley is a typical fairy tale Prague. It was here that Kafka, who lived in number 22, wrote his masterpieces despairing of anger and melancholia.

Prague's commercial, shopping and tourist centre is Wencestas Square in the Nove Mesto, the New Town. Why it is called a "square" is a constant source of bafflement because it is actually a broad, tree-shaded boulevard nearly three-quarters of a km long, lined by the city's most fancy fanciest stores, cafes and numerous hotels. Nor is New Town all that new: It was founded during the reign of Charles IV in 1340.

Liberalisation and tourism have brought their own inexplicable consequences and while Czech theatres are now full for American films, Czech cinema, which is great in its own right, is now in peril. A large number of bookshops have closed; antiques and rare books have become rarer and costlier. And fast-food restaurants are gradually sneaking into the domain of Slav cuisine.

Anything with the name "socialist" in it has changed. Other things such as bribery and bureaucracy have changed a little. The food is still dull and heavy. In any case, you have to book any decent restaurant well in advance. Some restaurants still only take foreign currency. Think twice about eating in a restaurant that has made itself too expensive for its own citizens. There is good cheap food at some of the pubs — and the beer is still the best in the world.

Before you leave, be sure to visit Petrin Hill, preferably in the evening. Climb the observatory tower (a replica of Paris' Eiffel Tower) and admire the view as the sun sets. Perhaps then you will agree with Goethe's description of Prague as `the most precious stone in the jewelled crown of Europe'.

Such is the charm of Prague, a city that is constantly reviving and surprising itself, but at the same time a city that loves and cultivates its past.

Picture by the author

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Child's play

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line