admin8570The Paris of the East, Praga
Well yes, I have been to Prague twice, the first time back in 2007, and the second time in 2010 as a weekend getaway after the real stop which was LISBON. In Prague for the first time I breathed an air quite different from the usual places I have visited. The air still smelled of ‘communism’, even the atmosphere was quite different. I arrived on Sunday at lunchtime and after settling in the hotel in the Zizkov area, a little outside the centre but well connected by tram. The first thing I did was have lunch. Right near the hotel there was a not bad restaurant with very cheerful people, maybe they had had a bit to drink, the photo speaks for itself. After lunch my first stop was Wenceslas Square, where on one side of the square is a statue of St Wenceslas, protector of the Bohemian State.
Just think that when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, it was in this very square that a philosophy student, Jan Palach, set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet invasion, an event that occurred on 21 August 1968 and became known as the Prague Spring. If you look closely, the square is often compared to the Champs-Élysées because of its shape. From the plane you could already catch a glimpse of something spectacular. As you can see in the photo below, it looks more like a postcard, instead it is nothing more than a real photo taken from the window. A few photos of Wenceslas Square follow.
And what about this fantastic tram 1429 where you can have a coffee sitting comfortably inside while you watch the Czechs’ lives unfold from the window. From there, of course, you can’t miss a visit to Charles Bridge (Karlův most), definitely a priority destination for tourists, but as we know, also the place where some famous film scenes were shot. There, tourists can be seen photographing statues or the Modava River, which divides the city in two.
Also on the Charles Bridge, you can climb one of the towers where you have a breathtaking view of the city.
Obviously also worth a visit is the Clock Tower, in the old town square The Astronomical Clock, a clock that dates back to the medieval period, very nice to see as the whole square and various alleys adjacent to the square is dotted with high-end shops, and if you want to read all about the history of the clock and how it works, I’ll put the link taken from the web with all the explanations https://praga.org/cosa-vedere-praga/orologio-astronomico-praga/.
In the meantime, I post a few photos taken on the spot.
Also, from the old city, you can walk to the Metronome, (actually only later did I learn what this place was called). It stands on a hill, you can also get there by tram, but I preferred as always to arrive on foot.
Apart from the tranquillity of the place and the parks that are important, this place certainly has a bit of history, because where the Metronome now stands there used to be a huge statue of Stalin, which was pulled down only several years after his death, and The Metronome took the place of the statue in 1991 as if to say it is the beginning of a new future. The first time I was in Prague in 2007, I saw this moving pole from afar, but I didn’t go that far, it didn’t look like anything important to me, but I was still a bit curious, so I decided to find out more about it, and discovered that it was a ‘SYMBOL for the city’, so I couldn’t miss a visit, which I did in 2010 after Lisbon.
Seeing a gentleman guiding a group of tourists, I asked a question: why the Metronome doesn’t move sometimes?
The gentleman told me “ehh feels the weight of history.” An answer that leaves room for the imagination of what the nation and the whole of Europe experienced immediately after the Second World War.
As Prague is defined by many as the capital of fun with discos, pubs and clubs of all kinds, I couldn’t help but see for myself. In fact, there are plenty of clubs all over the city, the most popular in the city centre of course being the DUPLEX and Klub Karlovy Lázně (the disco on the Charles Bridge).
The clubs are great, really. The Duplex is located right on Wenceslas Square. Free entry selected and fun guaranteed other clubs on the outskirts. To tell the truth, I have not even looked for them because those in the centre already make you have enough fun. I’ll post a few photos taken inside the disco.
After these few lines, I hope I have aroused your curiosity and you will visit the Paris of the East.
Bye friends, see you next trip
Francesco
