Monday, May 28, 2007

Prague - a Capital City

Somewhat ambivalent about visiting what we thought might be an uninteresting city, Prague proved to be an energetic and relatively prosperous city with numerous sites to ogle. In common with every other ex-Eastern bloc city that we visited, the campsite, and suburbia generally, are apparently still struggling with their transition from a command economy to a market based economy. Nearly twenty years after the "Velvet Revolution", that peacefully severed the country from Soviet control in 1989, and almost nine years in the European Common Market, the Republic has yet to be invited to join the Euro currency system. Prague, located in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic, is the Capital - a large city with a population close to two million when the entire metro area is considered.
Prague Castle, with the massive St Vitus Cathedral sprouting up from its interior, was founded in 870 CE and has been around in one guise or another ever since.
For additional information on the long and tortuous history of the city, click here.

Looking west across the Vltava River to the castle


This guy was a really big cheese, not only in Prague,
but
throughout Europe. Born Wenceslas of Luxembourg
he
chose the name Charles, inherited Luxembourg and
Bohemia and became King Charles IV. Apparently, he
liked
Kinging so much that he went on to become
King of Germany and
then the King of Italy and later
the King of Burgundy as well,
not to mention being
the Holy Roman Emperor for 20
odd years.
Pretty good resume material, don't you think?


The Charles Bridge crosses the river from
the Lesser Town to the Old Town

The bridge is about 600 yards long and is lined by numerous
statues. The statues on display are, for the most part,
replicas, the original having been stored in a museum
for preservation and security


The gate at the Lesser Town end of the bridge


St Nicholas' Church


The square behind St Nicholas


Steps up to the castle


A total of 208 steps gets much of the "upping" done


At the top is the first part of the castle complex -
the largest ancient castle in the world


These poor fellas must have been on some kind of
punishment routine wherein colorful and torpid
tourists took turns draping themselves all about
their sentry boxes and mugging for the camera. Yikes!

Castle courtyard


More courtyard


St Vitus Cathedral, built inside the castle
walls, is clearly visible for miles around


Another view of St Vitus


An intricate elevation


Detail of the clock tower


Ornate downspouts


Detail of flying buttresses


St Georges Basilica

Loreto Sanctuary


Strahov Monastery


Looking east across Lesser Town to Old Town


Panorama from Strahov Monastery


No way a person could get lost


This comely wench was busy fixin' up a bit of history


Sign outside of Marionette Theater


Help at a local restaurant


A Prague Tram


"Our" Prague Tram


Great confidence booster for public transport


Local youths commit their free time to community works


Their tireless efforts are to be seen everywhere
outside of the UNESCO protected areas

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Prague continues to be one of the most popular cities in Europe, coming behind only London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin in terms of the number of foreign visitors last year. And what's more that number is increasing, says Czech Tourism in a new report. Prague has become more visited since The Velvet Revolution of 1989. Because of such a big amount of tourists visiting Prague, the range of Prague hotels is provided for all budgets from comfortable, low-cost hostels, to the most luxurious hotels. You can find fast efficient services and the largest choice of accommodation in exciting Czech Capital - Prague. You should really see this city, centuries of construction gave rise to an exceptional integrated architectural complex, unique in the world as regards its size and concentration of cultural heritage. Different architectural styles mingle and intertwine here, and their symbiosis creates the city’s unique atmosphere. The most valuable part of the city’s centre was declared the Prague Heritage Reserve in 1981, which was included in UNESCO’s world cultural heritage list in 1992.