Located in the heart of Europe – perhaps a little further north and west than most people think – Prague (Praha in Czech) is set on the banks of the Vltava River (a tributary of the Elbe). The site was chosen both for its strategic advantages and for its beauty, and the heart of the old city nestles in a bowl formed by rolling hills.
Old Town Square.
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‘Five Towns’
Prague used to be known as the ‘five towns’, after the five historic districts at its heart. These are: Hradčany (the Castle District), the Old Town (Staré Město), the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana), the New Town (Nové Město) and Josefov (the Jewish Quarter).
Some destinations still have the capacity to give even the most cynical tourist pause for thought, refusing to be reduced to a mere list of museums or galleries. Prague is one such. Never destroyed by war, the city’s 1,000-year history is etched into its very fabric, its sublime beauty and unique character forged through its development as a major European Capital. It has been the capital of Bohemia for centuries. During the Middle Ages it rose to prominence as the capital of Charles IV (1316–78), the Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of much of Western Europe. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries the city was the seat of the Habsburg Court and it became the capital of the newly independent country of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The Communists took over in 1948 and ruled from the city, but they were overthrown in the Prague-based ‘Velvet Revolution’ of 1989. And when the Czechs and Slovaks parted company in 1992, Prague became capital of the new Czech Republic.
Prague always was and still remains a city of contrasts. It is famous for its illustrious artistic past and present – in painting, sculpture, music, literature, architecture and design – yet is equally renowned for its beer, hearty food and sometimes boisterous tourist scene. Prague is also a city of protest and revolution, asserting its own identity, from the 15th century Hussites who fought against the hegemony of the Catholic Church, to the struggle against Communist domination in 1968 and, more successfully, 1989. Yet, this is also a city that has gleefully embraced consumerism, seen in the flash new shopping malls that are springing up, and sometimes seems to be trying to subsume its identity into the global shopping culture exemplified by London and New York. But these are all part of Prague’s attraction; there probably is just about something for everyone, especially if you look just a bit beyond the standard tourist circuit of the Castle and Old Town Square.
City of One Hundred Spires
Prague’s architectural tapestry spans almost every major European style, with fine examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Modernist interwoven across the city. The facades show the work of master painters and sculptors, and behind them have worked some of the most famous of European musicians, including Mozart, Dvořák and Smetana. Also part of the fabric are the threads of political and religious intrigue.
Charles Bridge over the Vltava, and Hradčany rising above
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The Vltava
As Prague’s architecture envelops you in all its glory, you could be forgiven for overlooking one of the city’s most beautiful sights: the Vltava itself, its graceful S-shape unwinding in the heart of the city. At times going under its German name of Moldau, for centuries it has inspired writers and musicians alike, notably Bedfiich Smetana whose symphonic poem dedicated to the river celebrates its lengthy journey across the Czech landscape on its way to Prague.
Pride of place must go to Prague Castle, the seat of royal power throughout the Middle Ages. It sits on the top of a low ridge, casting a watchful eye over the city. Royal patronage spawned a court, which in turn drew the rich and powerful. These families spent fortunes building fine mansions and summer palaces using the finest craftsmen of their time. The Church also played its part, but the situation was complicated: Bohemia at this time represented a major battleground between partisans of Catholicism and church reformers. The many impressive cathedrals, churches, chapels, convents and monasteries erected here attest to the vehemence of the struggle – and the eventual triumph of the Catholic Church – and have given Prague the epithet ‘city of one hundred spires’.
These waves of building and rebuilding have formed one of Europe’s most impressive cityscapes. Although there is no doubt that Prague looks beautiful on a bright summer’s day, it is equally enchanting framed by the copper tints of autumn or blanketed by crisp winter snow. Seen at night, it is no less disappointing, with reflections on the Vltava and the buildings highlighted in the waxy glow of streetlights.
Art, Culture and Leisure
Centuries of the cream of music, theatre and art have nurtured a cultured and urbane society: the people of Prague appreciate their theatres and galleries as much as the visitors do, revelling in the artistic legacy of the Habsburg years and the flourish of artistic endeavours that accompanied the growing nationalism of the 19th century. Ticket prices for concerts and other performances in the city are still very reasonable compared to elsewhere and allow people, locals as well as visitors, from all walks of life to take part in Prague’s rich cultural life.
Charles Bridge attracts many visitors
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However, highbrow pursuits are not necessarily dominant: the Czech Republic is one of the world’s leading beer producers, and people are just as at home having a few drinks in the city’s numerous beer halls or going to a smoky jazz club or rock bar. The café society that nurtured many of the city’s artists, from Kafka to Havel, is now largely a thing of the past and you are much more likely to see people enjoying an ice cream, taking the air in one of the many stretches of parkland or driving around town in the ubiquitous Czech-produced Škoda cars than discussing philosophy.
The Modern City
There have been many changes since 1989 for both the city and its people. The younger generation has grown up with the kinds of freedom long taken for granted by teenagers in the West and in many ways Prague is little different from any other large European city. The streets are now full of international clothing chains that sell the same fashions in London, Paris and Milan. Seemingly everyone has a mobile phone, CD sales are dominated by the same names you encounter elsewhere and there is a well-established Czech pop and rock scene.
The Czech economy has been greatly buoyed by the rise in visitor numbers since the Velvet Revolution. This has allowed many historic buildings to benefit from a massive renovation programme. However, not all of of this has been sensitive or preserved the authenticity of the buildings, and parts of the city are in danger of turning into a Central European theme park. You will certainly find it difficult to avoid your fellow travellers, be they honeymooning couples strolling hand in hand along the narrow lanes, students on a budget European tour, or large groups tramping en masse across the city squares.
And yet Prague still remains one of Europe’s most beautiful and fascinating places to explore, and peaceful corners, or even whole districts, are to be found by those willing to make the effort. That it manages to satisfy the disparate demands of all these different groups of people is a testimony to the city’s tenacity in clinging on to its treasures and their diversity.