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Member since:21.06.2000
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My husband and I took advantage of a very inexpensive deal this past weekend, and finally got to Prague. With all the things we'd heard about it, we were a bit worried that we might be disappointed, but this wasn't the case in the least.
Since their "velvet revolution", Prague has taken great pride in improving their city, to make it enjoyable for tourists, while keeping its old-world charm. The architecture ranges anywhere from Gothic to Bauhause and everything in between, and then some. Fortunately, during the Communist regime the ugly mass housing projects were built on the outskirts of the city, leaving the central areas unscathed.
There are several places in Prague that any short-term tourist should make a point to visit. First of all would be the old section of the town. There you'll find winding streets, charming squares and, most importantly, the famous Astronomical Clock. Make sure you get there just before the hour so you can watch it go through its mechanical paces.
Another area of fascination is the Jewish quarter. Prague prides itself on having succeeded in saving this area of their city from the distruction of the Nazi occupation. The synagogues have been restored to their former glory, or turned into monuments of touching interest. The most poignant part of the area being the cemetary which displays Jewish gravestones from Prague and other cities that the Nazis had kept to hopefully be a monument to the distruction of the Jewish race.
One should also remember to take several strolling walks over the Charles Bridge where religious sculptures line the sides, and is a favorite to artists and photographers hawking their wares to the passers-by. At the far end of the bridge, one can get a lovely view of the river bank that encases the center of town.
Once on that side of the river, its a short walk to the Palace grounds. This very large complex is where one will find Kafka's house as well as a church that is reminicent of the Notre Dame in Paris.
If nothing else, when in Prague, try to see one of the Black light Theater shows. This uniquely Czech genre of theater is enjoyable to all tourists as the whole show is done in pantomime. We made an excellent choice and saw the performance at the Image Theater - probably the best and least commercial of all the companies around.
For opera lovers, remember that Prague was the city where Mozart's opera Don Giovani was first performed. They are so proud of this fact that they have honoured this in many ways - restaurants are named after it, hotels as well, and then there's the puppet theater production of the opera. If that's not what you're looking for, try going to the opera house in the late morning to see what's playing that night. Returned tickets can be very reasonably priced and the production is bound to be a quality one.
Regarding more mundane subjects, we found that we could get a good meal for reasonable prices even in the more expensive parts of town. Watch out for specials in restaurant windows in the mid-afternoon. It was this way that we found a very pricy place offering us Tea & Strudel or Coffee & Sachertorte for practically nothing.
I could go on with my praise of Prague, but I'll stop here with one word to the wise. You might find the public transportation a bit confusing to begin with. Take your time, read the posted scheduled at the stops and get a good map that includes notations of what bus or tram stops where, and you'll soon be at ease.
In sum, if you ever have the chance to get to Prague, don't pass it up - go and enjoy!
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Advantages: Fantastic city, plenty to do and see, beer still relatively cheap Disadvantages: City is loosing some of its authencity by becoming Westernised with the likes of McDonalds popping up
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