Prague: City of Statues

Prague was our second stop on our mini eurotrip in January/February this year. We arrived in the evening and I must admit, first impressions were not that great. The train station was dirty, the language was alien and the lady that helped us scared me with her wonky eye and debilitating body odour.

Taken from the Charles Bridge

We had to navigate our way through the city at night while it poured with rain and I was the only idiot who didn't bring an umbrella. To make matters worse, the rain stopped as we reached the hostel. Just my luck.

The next morning though, we woke up to a beautiful winter's morning and the city blew us away. The city has been preserved throughout history and takes you back into the world of ancient Bohemia.

On the Charles Bridge 

There are a few prize tourist attractions that bring people to Prague, come rain or shine. The famous Charles Bridge, for example, was the most prominent connection across the river from the Prague Castle to the city's Old Town. It was an integral trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.  More importantly, it's about 600m long and I ran that one winter's night at 3 am in my drunken state from a pub crawl I had with the girls. Along the bridge, there are 30 statues that line the bridge wall, mostly of saints.

Saint John of Nepomuk

One famous statue is of  Saint John of Nepomuk. Legend has it that he was the court priest who was tortured and then ordered to be drowned at the behest of the king because he refused to tell of his queen's confession and whether or not she was having an affair. He was thrown from the bridge and 5 angels saved him, hence the 5 stars around his head. It is meant to be good luck to touch the statue.

Prague is, in my humble opinion, most famous for its fully functioning, medieval astronomical clock. It was made in 1410 and still works today! Impressive by any standards. It is made up of 3 parts; the astronomical dial, the calendar dial and the 'Walk of the Apostles' that appear at each hourly strike. Dozens of tourists wait on the hour to watch the mini spectacle.  Legend says that the clock maker was a brilliant man beyond his time in engineering. The councillors of Prague did not want him sharing the mechanics with other cities so they lured him with a 'celebratory' feast where, instead, they blinded him. In his revenge, the clock maker committed suicide by throwing himself into the gears thus breaking the clock, leaving it damaged for the next hundred years. 

Death tolls the bell of time

Above the clock is a tower that you can go to the top of and see the whole city as far as the eye can see. We went at night. The city is as breath taking in the evening as it is by day.

Old Town Sqaure

A beautiful example of Gothic architecture is the Roman Catholic cathedral, St Vitus, within the Prague Castle. A monster of a church, it is the resting place of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors. 

The other side of the cathedral.

The main face of the St Vitus

To those that don't know, and neither did I don't worry, Hitler had intended Prague to be the capital of his new empire and so ordered that the city not be destroyed. He also wanted to save one Jewish synagogue as a testament to the 'exterminated race'. 

The view of Prague from the Castle

All in all, Prague is a beautiful city that is definitely worth your while to stop and visit. Transport is easy, the exchange rate is fair, the beer is amazing and the people are friendly. Although it's my second time visiting this city, I would definitely go again.