Travel Writing: Prague

The Golden City, city in black and gold, the hundred-spire city. For a place to have this many nicknames you know it has to be good. Prague may not be as epic as Sydney but it’s real, it may not have the future of Tokyo but it holds so much in it’s past, and it may not be as respected as London but it’s beauty excels.

In many ways this city is a well-kept secret, but still it attracts thousands of tourists a day, so how has this juxtaposition become what it is?

Prague has a history that very few cities can compete with. America craves history so much because there is such a lack of it in the States, and while the British history is long and exciting, it gets flashed about due the glory that has come from it.

The history of this Bohemian land is on show everywhere you go in Prague. From Charles Bridge to giant babies climbing up a television tower, the city is a never-ending fountain of knowledge, not flashy but interesting.

A perfect example of history in the making is St Vitas’ cathedral. The cathedral is the central masterpiece of Prague Castle and building it took nearly 600 years to be completed. In 1344 the architects had a gothic architectural building in mind but as time went on, architecture itself changed and when it was finished in 1929, topped off with a renaissance style roof on the top of the tallest tower.

Old Town Square is always a buzz of excitement. Throughout the day there are constant presentations, market stalls, social occasions taking place and at night it reinvents itself. The churches and beautiful decorative buildings are lit up, the restaurants come alive and the beer starts flowing.

Beer in the Czech Republic is something else, to brew it you have to pass several laws and guidelines until it can be sold, so even the cheapest beer is still better than the expensive ones elsewhere. The country cousins of the Czech people always seem to be promoting their flavour of the month as well. Borcak is a Moravian wine with a sweet taste that has the essence of a punch or a cocktail but the character of a zinfadel.

The Orloj is what everyone goes to see on Old Town Square. An astronomical clock that tells you more than just what time it is. While the Orloj is only the world’s third oldest astronomical clock, it is the oldest still working machine and the level of care and thought put in to this clock (from 1410) is truly… astronomical.

Prague is also a relatively safe place. There are of course the stories that someone you know, knows someone who heard that their friend might have had something stolen. And it’s probably true, there are a lot of pick-pockets in the area, but there is never an essence of danger here. As long as you have your wits about you then there shouldn’t be any problems.

Realistically Prague will never be on the top of anyone’s list as a ‘must-see’ city but for every single person I’ve met that may have just ‘passed through’ or had a spare weekend free, all of them say the same thing. “I can’t believe we never went before”.