With four whole days to ourselves over the Easter break we decided we really should make the most of it and visit somewhere in Europe. After ruling Ireland and Rome out (given the fact it was Easter) we decided to go somewhere we actually knew very little about.
Prague, or Praha as it is pronounced, is the capital city of the Czech Republic. It is the historical capital of Bohemia. The word “Bohemian” was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language – this was before the word “Czech” became prevalent in the English language.
Both Peter and I had heard that Prague was ‘beautiful’ but other than this singularly, over-used adjective we didn’t have a lot else to go on. At least we knew it was part of the EU and part of the Schengen area so that made travel relatively straight forward.
After a some basic research on Trip Advisor and lastminute.com we decided on two days in the centre of Prague. The plan was to treat this very much as a ‘taster tour’ since neither of really knew what to expect when we arrived. Flights operate from Heathrow to Prague with a flying time of less than 2 hours. The main city area is only 15-20 km away from the airport so getting there was no problem at all.
Catching a cab at the airport was also very easy. You can’t miss the yellow taxis parked right outside the airport terminal. Most Czechs speak English, but it doesn’t harm to be prepared with your address written down to give to your driver. I also noticed the cab drivers seem to be a fairly honest bunch with their standard fares published. For this trip from the airport to the centre of Prague you can expect to pay around 650-700kc (which works out at around £22). Incidentally the currency is the Koruna (Crown) and the exchange rate is in the region of 1Kc = 0.033 GBP.
Our base for the weekend was Hotel Jalta located at the historic St Wenceslas Square. Hotel Jalta is a five-star hotel which is considered by many to be a masterpiece of Czech design. It was a beautiful building and there had obviously been much thought put into the interior design and décor too. The rooms were immaculate and tastefully decorated and the fact we had a street view with a balcony was just an added bonus.
Secret past
During our stay at Hotel Jalta we were treated to something a little out of the ordinary.
On the second underground floor, the hotel has its own secret fallout shelter complete with massive concrete walls which prevent any radioactive contamination and aerial bombardment. The shelter has room for 250 people. One room leads through a small entrance onto a semi third floor. In the early days of its operation, there also existed a general staff hospital with a secret entrance. The hospital was apparently serviced by 30 doctors and nurses. In 1997, the shelter was removed from the network of fallout shelters for civilian protection. It was eerily fascinating to see areas such as ‘the listening room’, escape tunnels to the metro and the area where a select few would be able to huddle in the event of a disaster.
Outside and above ground St Wenceslas Square itself has been the scene of many historical events. Most recently in November 1989 a large gathering of over 250,000 people started what is known as the Velvet Revolution. This was the revolution that was responsible for ending the Communist totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia.
Golden Age of Prague
Given the short period of time we had to ‘see’ Prague we decided the Hop on Hop off tour was the best choice to give us the flavour we were looking for. The ticket we bought was valid for 24 hours across three city routes and included a one hour boat cruise. The ‘canny’ Scots in me thought the ticket was good value for money, priced at 450 CZK which works out at around £14.
On the Hop on Hop off you can expect to discover why Prague is known as Golden Prague – or Magic Prague. The historic centre of the capital consists of four medieval settlements. Tours will take you to the Old Town, the New Town, the Lesser Town and/or the Hradčany, which is the largest historical area brimming with national cultural monuments. Quite rightly it has been included in the UNESCO world cultural heritage list. To many Prague is quite simply the beating Heart of Europe.
Eclectic enchantment
If I were to tell you one standalone aspects that I enjoyed about Prague it would be the historical layering of its amazing buildings and architecture. I have never been anywhere that consisted of so many building styles – Romanesque rotundas and basilicas, Gothic churches, Renaissance palaces, Baroque, as well as many Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau buildings.
Look out for Charles Bridge – the oldest bridge in Prague founded in 1357 by Charles IV. The bridge is adorned with 30 statues of sculptures and saints. You can can also hop off at Prague Castle – the most important historic monument to the Czech people. This is the seat of power for the President (and many Kings before him). Rather than give too much away I will leave the rest for you to explore. See how many spires you can count – apparently in modern Prague there are about 500 spires and towers.
I suppose it’s quite telling that when I look back at our photographs – there are very little pictures of Peter and I. They are all of the beautiful buildings.
What can I say – there is just so much to see and do in Prague and –no – one adjective isn’t enough to do it justice – and neither are two days! I can’t wait to go back.
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