Prague

[vandermolen]

I've just returned from four days in Prague (investigating, historic and cultural sites, I point out, rather than being on a British lager-lout, stag-night pub crawl).

I thought that it was a fascinating and very beautiful city, especially the old part, market square, old jewish quarter. Unlike London, there are no high-rise buildings and so it retains its historic character. I attended one concert: Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach...not my cup of tea but my wife likes that kind of stuff.

Any memories of Prague?

[sidoze]

Any memories of Prague?

Prague is beautiful. Agharta jazz club off Old Town Square - a hole-in-the-wall box a storey or two down from street level, great music and atmosphere, really intoxicating My favourite memories come from outside Prague though: skydiving over the countryside, goulash to die for in Hradec Kralove, beer (with a proper head!) in those large mugs with large handles. By god it's a great place. Did you see the so-called Fred and Ginger building a short walk south on the eastern side of Charles Bridge? Pretty jazzy.

Unlike London, there are no high-rise buildings and so it retains its historic character.

I don't think there are many high-rise buildings in central London (excluding the city).

[Mozart]

Your so lucky you so and so!

One of our moderators seems to be just the so and so.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I lived there 2001-02, so my impressions may be out of date.

Yes, great & beautiful city, best beer in the world, etc etc. And generally very cheap to live there. And, of course, music: I went to more concerts there than anywhere else I've lived, and the variety was worthy of a city several times bigger. One of my favorite musical memories was the 2001 New Music Marathon, where I heard a great concert of music by Messiaen, Ligeti, and Nancarrow. The hall was full of young people, too.

One friend said Prague was a great city to live as a "marginal intellectual," because of the low prices and the great cultural life. Don't know if that's still true, though.

On the down side: the city had a horrible graffiti problem (I hope they've dealt with that), and the bureaucracy (pre-EU) was a total pain in the butt to deal with. I've even found Russian bureaucracy easier and smoother.

[Hector]

I went there exactly thirty years ago last month when it was still under Communist control.

No graffiti problem in those days!

Sold my currency on the Black Market and then found that there was nothing to spend it on except restaurant meals and glass!

Czech history seemed to have ended with the defeat of the Swedish mercenaries that ended the Thirty Years War and only reastarted at the end of the First World War. As a result there are(were?) many old buildings worth a visit.

The Communist approved guide had Grunwald, I think it was, as a National Hero. I wish I had kept it.

The beer was phenomenal. I have photos of me(somewhere) watching the beer rise through a frothy head.

I, also, visited Karlovy Vary and saw this old geyser!

And Karlstein castle, I think, on a day trip with American tourists coming back to the 'Old Country.'

[rubio]

I will go there for a long weekend next May, and we will see the Czech PO perform Mahler 2. I have been there for a couple of days in 1991 (during interrail). Then I remember it was insanely cheap, as we slept in a suburb outside of the city. We only managed to see the most famous sights, and drink beer. 

[pjme]

Prague is beautiful and has lots of real atmosphere left. But -just like in Pisa, Florence,Bruges, Amsterdam-mass tourism is taking its toll: cheap junk everywhere, kitsch, lots of bad food....
City trips are best made in the low season - during the week.
The last time ( 2 years ago) Cd's were still cheap, concerts great ( stick to the Rudolfinum and the Smetana Hall) - some semi-professional orchestras,choruses & organists must play day-in-day-out Mozart's kleine Nachtmusic, Dvorak's 9th and Orff's carmina....in cold churches.Brrrr
 

[vandermolen]

Your replies have made me want to go back already to do the things I missed!

Sidoze..I saw that building on my last morning in Prague..it is by the river, very near the church where the Czech paratroops, who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich "The Nazi Butcher of Prague", hid out, were betrayed and chose to kill themselves rather than surrender to the Gestapo. For me, as a history teacher, it was the highlight of my trip..very moving. After that we strolled along by the river and sat out drinking wine. it was really nice and I must go back.

thanks for all the replies

[Hector]

Your replies have made me want to go back already to do the things I missed!

Sidoze..I saw that building on my last morning in Prague..it is by the river, very near the church where the Czech paratroops, who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich "The Nazi Butcher of Prague", hid out, were betrayed and chose to kill themselves rather than surrender to the Gestapo. For me, as a history teacher, it was the highlight of my trip..very moving. After that we strolled along by the river and sat out drinking wine. it was really nice and I must go back.

thanks for all the replies

That reminds me, I also, visited what was left of Lidice: open land with a tall wooden cross.

Over to the side was housing which, we were told, were occupied by the survivors.

A strange silence and desolation pervaded the area on the day of our visit.

[Don]

My wife and I were in Prague for a week a couple of months ago.  Great transit system, but I have to say that Budapest was the city that won our hearts.