When Franz Kafka wrote that his home city had ‘claws' that prevented him leaving, he was not paying nefarious Prague a compliment. These days Prague has a similarly
magnetic, though much more positive, appeal for the
soaring numbers of tourists and business travelers who flock to the Czech capital every year.
Prague is quite simply one of the most
stunning cities in Europe, a
UNESCO World Heritage listed
gem, eulogised as the
‘City of a Thousand Spires'. Prague has become the archetypal post-communist city success story with seemingly
not a month going by without another city being hailed as the ‘New Prague'.
This is a city where just ambling around the impressively well-preserved
historic core, stopping off for a fortifying glass of one of the excellent
local beers, popping into
boutique shops or one of the many museums is the real pleasure.
Prague's story goes back to the distant days of the Celtic tribes, as early as 400BC. The city's real golden age commenced when
Charles IV of Bohemia was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1346. The ambitious
gothic building program, including St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, the University, and the New Town, centered on Wenceslas Square and transformed the city into one of the greatest and
most powerful in Europe.
The 20th century brought massive trauma for
Czechoslovakia and Prague as the country was occupied by the
Nazis during
WWII and then spent the best part of five decades subjugated under
Soviet communist rule, with all attempts to win greater democracy in 1968's
‘Prague Spring' brutally crushed under the weight of Russian tanks.
The Czech spirit remained undaunted and in 1989, as the Berlin Wall tumbled, the Czechs finally broke free of communism during the
‘Velvet Revolution', which was quickly followed by the
‘Velvet Divorce' as the Slovak portion of the old Czechoslovakia chose to go its own way.
With poet and president
Vaclav Havel at the helm, Prague became the hub of the post-communist
eastern European revival with expats flocking to the city in the 1990s, quickly developing a buzz that brought comparisons with 1920s Paris.
This post Velvet Revolution buzz has faded to some extent and these days there are as many foreign as Czech voices on the streets with the city massively popular as a tourist destination and as a
business hub. In 2004, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, further cementing the city's importance and popularity.
Part of Prague's charm is that it is a rewarding place to visit at
any time of year. Winters can be long, harsh and dark, but spring and autumn are often idyllic with summer bringing some very warm central European temperatures.
Whether easing under Charles Bridge on a rowing boat on a
balmy summer evening, or trudging across the
crisp snow of the Old Town Square and enjoying a
glass of mulled wine at the
Christmas Market, this slick, but still deeply characterful Czech capital seldom disappoints.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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