First Two Days in Prague

Back in '86 I stayed on Wenseslas Square in the middle of things and really didn't see too much of the city other than the tourist areas.  This time I rented a penzione, "apartment guest house" for a few days in a part of town called Florenc, just northeast of old town.
My daughter, Maria, traveling in Europe, joined me in Prague after taking a bus down from Berlin.  The place I rented to stay is across the street from the bus terminal.

We spent the first day doing the typical tourist sites, Vaclavke Namesti, The Charles Bridge, Mala Strana and the Castle (Hradcany) {note: blog formatting doesn't allow me to use the Czech dicritical marks on the letters!}

Looking down, and then from below,  up, Vaclavske Namesti (Wensaslas Square).

Praguers seem not to have got the memo that the Segway is either unhip, unsafe, or both!  They give you tours of the city in them.  Would have been ideal for my poor feet but for the horrendous cost!  I'm only an American you know.

Hradcany from the right bank of the Vltava, entering the Charles Bridge (Karluv Most). Hradcany (The Castle, yes, as in Kafka!), is the seat of government as well as a huge tourist attraction.
 











The pedestrian bridge is lined with baroque statues of serious religious themes. 

This is a view near the end of the bridge.  You walk through that arch under the watchtower and enter the part of town called Mala Strana.  Yes, it is that thronged with tourists, and this was in September.











                     Fun in Mala Strana.  How do they do this?
           
                        
Woman poses next to vintage Skoda while her boyfriend takes a picture.  I snap her myself.

She laughs and insists on taking my picture next.  Maria is embarrassed by her father.

She gets over it and we have a nice light lunch!

This is the entrance to Hradcany.  Note the seriousness of the statues helping those uniforms guard the gates.  The one of the left has a dagger; on the right, a club. Despite the foreboding nature of this, we are invited to walk right in.  That was true even when this was the entrance to the communist seat of government in 1986 when Greta and I were here.

These guys are getting ready to change the guard.  They remind me of a Mad Magazine Spy vs Spy cartoon!

From a tour of a palace in The Castle we look down upon Karluv Most we walked across.  Notice all the people!

Middle floor, left window. The Window through which on May 23rd 1618 the 2nd Defenestration of Prague occurred when three Protestant Bohemian Estates threw three Catholic Counter-reformationist representatives of the now Hapsburg King Ferdinand out the window.  They survived.  Catholics said by the divine intervention of the Holy Mother.  Protestants pointed out they landed in a deep pile of dung. Thus began the 30 years War!  This was the second of three times in Czech history where a major turn of events was signaled by throwing somebody out a window!

Within the Castle grounds is a little lane of very small workingmen's houses called Golden Lane.  Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't dwarfs who lived here.  Maria shows you the scale of the place in this picture.  Down the 'block' is a tiny blue one where Franz Kafka lived and wrote for awhile.

One thing about a touristy place.  You can rely of finding people to take your picture.

Back on Valcavske Namesti at dusk.  The golden building is the Grand Hotel Europa.  Greta and I stayed here in 1986.  It's gorgeous but, upon getting closer, I found it's boarded up for some kind of renovation now.

The second day we did Staromeste Namesti (Old Town Square with the Tyn Church and the statue of Jan Huss) and then went across the river to Petrin Hill.

            Transfers between metro lines can take you deep into the earth.                 

Old Town Square.  Me with the Tyn Church in the background.  Jan Huss was rector here when, advocating the Eucharist in both species as well as other reforms they called him to a council at Worms in Germany and then burned him at the stake.  Thus began the Hussite rebellion and Catholic Crusades against them 100 years before the reformation spread to Germany.

Speaking of my man, Jan.  Here are Maria and myself in front of his statue.  He is apparently under reconstruction.  Probably I should be too.

The Anatomical Clock.  Built something like 400 years ago in the facade of the old town hall, saints appear at the window on the hour and a skeleton rings a bell.  Hundreds of tourists gather to take pictures and then laugh when they realize that's all there is to it. 

Seen from Staromesti Namesti (Old Town Square) around the corner, here is that Old Town Hall tower.  From this tower the 1st Defenestration of Prague occurred right after they burned Jan Huss when zealous Hussites, demonstrating against the Catholic prelates stormed the place and threw the bums out.  This time nobody survived and if it wasn't the fall, it was the mobs below that did them in.  This was sort of like the first skirmish in the Hussite Wars.  Lots of bloody history all over Bohemia from that time.

Took a fenicular train to the top of Petrin Hill on the west bank of the Vlatva.  There is a tower to climb for great views, picnic areas, a rose garden, and various attractions, including a Hall of Mirrors.  This was especially cool with cameras.

Sorry, that was great fun.  Here are some views from the hill, as well as the funicular tracks.

 The city                                                                                    The Castle

North of the main part of town, across the river as it bends east, is Letna hill, another fine place for views.  This is a picture of me sitting there viewing the city.  There is a similar picture of me, taken 28 years ago, in nearly the same spot.