Happy St Paddy’s Day from Prague! ☘️Huge sleep (it was absolutely required) and smart feeling breakfast at the Hotel (it was included). Enjoyed coffees and watching a traffic jam just outside (two guys left garbage truck in the middle of the street to go to bathroom 😂). Lots of excitement! I think we kind of threw out the itinerary for the day other than a couple of key elements, and are going to basically freestyle and hit the streets of this beautiful city.
Little sightseeing dalliance, but our first stop landed us outside the Dancing House Hotel, so named due to the very interesting architectural design. Built in the mid 90’s (post Soviet era), this riverside property looks as though it could slide right into the Vtlava River! Almost as head turning as Černý’s Kafka head kinetic art installation that we face walking out the main doors! Ah… when art and architecture meet!
Our first attraction of the morning was a visit to The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror. Gotta say, this one we had prepared for before leaving Antigonish, as we purposefully watched Operation Anthropoid, a movie based on the team that assassinated Nazi SS Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich. All this rolled out in Prague, so we followed up on the memorial that honors the group of seven that carried out the orders and eventually died as part of the “retribution” levied by the Germans on Czech participants and civilians! The Memorial is “sacred ground”, and the museum aptly describes the planning, execution, and fallout much better than I. We thought of, as we read of a confectioner, shoemaker, lawyer, boilermaker and others thrust into a war, how seemingly ordinary folks can accomplish extraordinary feats!
Time for a walk after the “heavy” nature of our first stop. We crossed the Legions Bridge and strolled the Kampa in the Malá Strana District. So picturesque… the calm and quiet let one quickly relax and forget they are even in a bustling city centre. Of note, we stumbled upon several Černý sculptures, known as the “Babies”. Interestingly, the baby faces are bar codes… a clear statement on the influence of big tech and data on our lives and the world at large. Further on, we viewed the “John Lennon Wall” loaded with graffiti and once a point of struggle as Soviet era restrictions collided with free thought and pro-democratic protest! All the while the serenity of parks, canals, quaint side streets and the preening of soon to be summer flower beds.
Mid-morning, after crossing back over the Charles Bridge, we arrived and purchased tix for the Prague Jewish Museum. In essence, the museum is a collection of sites (in separate locations) in the city’s Jewish Quarter. We selected a ticket that included four specific attractions; Old Jewish Cemetery / Pinkas Synagogue / Ceremonial Hall / Klausen Synagogue. It was specifically chosen to advance our understanding of Jewish culture and to make more connections in regard to European Jewish communities and the impacts of the holocaust. Moments for us included the walk through the Old Cemetery, bursting with ancient headstones, and the Pinkasova Synagogue, with its walls covered with the names of Prague holocaust victims. Another UNESCO heritage site, visiting this complex is an important part of understanding where these people have been, where they are, and their journey forward.
Using Google maps we sought out a place to get a coffee hit and snack. Totally by mistake, while searching for a selected Bistro, we tumbled into Prague City Hall and a small sign inside for the Paternoster elevator. We had seen it on an episode of the YouTube Prague tour guides, Janek and Honza @realhonestguide. Basically, it is an elevator without doors in a continuous loop. Disconcerting entry and exit for newbies but worth the cheap (free) thrill ride. Janie might have stayed on longer if she didn’t really need another coffee.
You may have to work a little bit to locate this space , but Bistro Mezi Řádky is a keeper. So many options as you visit this part of the city – but this café is gold. The staff are friendly, lots of food and drink choices. Mainly local clientele – at noon they all seemed to be ordering a huge breakfast deal. Fun people watching, delicious break from a “many steps in” morning. We ordered a scrumptious open-faced sandwich (chlebíčk) with pork / pickled onion / apple / light Dijon mustard and yummy Apple Square. Once you’ve tried the City Hall’s Paternoster Elevator, go back outside, the café is accessed from the other side of the building.
We settled into the Old Town Square area just before 1:00 PM to beers and the veritable Astronomical Clock! The clock “cuckoo’d” as expected with a plaza full of onlookers… not exactly climactic but fun to watch the crowd. We finished our Staropramen Černý Light / Dark Beers, then wandered, sat, viewed nearby churches & monuments, and even managed a tour of Havel Market. Finally, with a half hour to spare before our next tour, we wandered for a beverage and landed at the Prague Beer Museum to enjoy a beer and be reminded how great the Led Zeppelin II album is.
We moved across the square to the meeting place for our afternoon timed event: the “Prague: Communism History and Nuclear Bunker Guided Tour”. Our guide was a great storyteller and had grown up in Czechoslovakia during the cold war period. He stopped us at a few key landmarks – the Nazi/Communist/now police station on Bartolomilisit Street, and the site of the largest protests during 1968’s Prague Spring. The tour included a streetcar trip to a real nuclear bunker which gave us a great opportunity to see more of the city. It was here we witnessed a difficult interaction between our guide and an angry man who berated him in his best English vulgarities. Post incident he noted that the man was Russian, and a young Russian woman (bystander) on the tram interjected and was quick to challenge our guide, saying that the man was not Russian. Very eye-opening to witness the tense and very real impact that politics plays in their lives.
Our guide was unflappable as we continued our tour to the nuclear bunker ☢️. The 1950’s bunker was designed to accommodate up to 5000 people but in truth was only productively used as a bar in the 90s. The space was loaded with pictures and Soviet artefacts that had been collected since the attraction opening. The return home was another city watching tour by tram car. [Janie pointed out that it would be better to avoid the beer before a Walking tour next time.] This event was excellent.
This evening we really wanted to partake in some traditional Czech food. I think we did that, sort of! We walked in (without reservation) to a busy (with very young patrons) Pilsnerka Národní just minutes from our hotel and enjoyed a superb meal… one I think that did “takes” on traditional Czech dinners. Firstly, the Pilsner was entirely drinkable… and we sampled both light and dark beer options. For mains Janie ordered roasted beef larded with bacon in cream sauce, served with Karlovy Vary and bread dumplings, cranberries and whipped cream. I had beef goulash with dumplings and onions. The dumplings were very unique… looked almost like rice cakes. Of course, we tried each others meals. Loved the food, atmosphere, and setting. Thumbs up for sure!!!
The evening finished with us doing some last minute arrangements for our travel home (ie Boarding Passes, Left Luggage options, commute links) in the hotel restaurant. It had been a huge day of the sights, sounds and tastes of Prague. Couldn’t think of a better way to end the European leg of our trip. This is truly a beautiful city… not only in the incredible scenery, architecture and attractions, but in the passion brought to everyday life!