European Backpacking Adventure 2014: A Walk Through Prague

Prague has so many sights, I felt it was best to get a guide.

On the first stop of the tour was the Prague Museum Building. Two significant events occurred at this location.

Prague Museum Building

After the communists took over government control of the former Czechloslovakia, the leaders of the communist party in Czechloslovakia started to have more liberal policies toward the economy. This upset Moscow who sent trips and tanks to occupy the capital Prague. With little resistance the Red Army occupied Prague. One student, Jan Palach, was appalled at the apparent passive nature of the Czechloslovakian people and so to try and galvanize the people into action he set himself on fire on the steps of the Museum Building. Some citizens put out the fire, but Jan suffered three further days of agony in the hospital before dying. Tragically, the Jan's sacrifice was in vain as it was another 20 years before Czechloslovakia was free from communism.

The second event happened during the fall of communism in Czechloslovakia, also known as the Velvet Revolution. Upon hearing news that communism in Czechloslovakia was coming to an end, leaders and citizens held up keys on the steps of the museum to signify being free from communism.

After admiring the historical significance of the Prague Museum Building, the tour headed into the heart of the town center. There we were shown the Astronomical Clock Tower and the Town Center Church.

Church of Our Lady in Prague

The world famous Astronomical Clock; still ticking since 1490.

The Astronomical Clock is an iconic monument in Prague and a source of great pride for the cty of Prague. It was built in 1490 and has a modern clock face, a clock face that tells the position of the sun and the moon, and a show every hour. Although the show is given the dubious honor of the second most overrated European site, given its construction in 1490 it is quite impressive.

There are many legends associated with the city of Prague. I think the most tragic and possibly the closest to the truth is the legend surrounding the maker of the Astronomical Clock. After completion of the clock, city leaders were very happy with its renown throughout the country. However, their happiness turned to worry. The city leaders were worried the clock maker might go to another town and make an even grander clock. To prevent this possibility, city leaders gouged out the clockmaker's eyes and cut out his tongue to prevent him from indicting anyone. The clockmaker got his revenge a couple years later when he convinced his assistants to guide him to the top of the clock tower. When the clockmaker reached the top, he threw himself into the gears of the clock and broke it. For 100 years the city of Prague had a broken clock and bemoaned their decision to mutilate the clockmaker.

The tour proceeded through the Jewish Quarter, which was where the Jewish community resided during the 18th and 19th century in utter poverty and dismal living conditions. However, in the 19th Century the Jewish community was allowed outside the sector and the whole section was demolished and rebuilt. It is interesting to view the Moorish architectural influence on the synagogues in the rebuilt Jewish Quarter. Due to the openness of the Moors to the Jewish, the Jewish community built their synagogues in the Moorish style to honor the Moorish religious tolerance.

An example of how the Jewish community incorporated Moorish style into their synagogues.

After viewing the historical synagogues of the Jewish Quarter, the guided tour ended just across the bridge from the Prague castle. At this point, the hunger set in and the tour guide suggested a traditional Czech restaurant. Traditional Czech food consists mainly of a meat stew, potato pancakes, and some bread. It was delicious!!!