By Ruth A. Hill
The Prague panorama surrounding our river barge pulled me rapidly into another century and place. The soaring spires of Prague Castle, Tyn Church and other unique landmarks connected in my view with the iconic 14th-century Charles Bridge across the Vltava River.
The passel of Brits onboard with my friend Carol and me seemed equally mesmerized. And as we got acquainted, I learned they had come for more than the city's beauty.
"Oh, Cyril and I came here from London just for the long weekend. It's our anniversary," said Beatrice.
Other residents of the empire told me they frequently "pop over" for visits to enjoy Prague's cultural smorgasbord. They like the free and low-cost concerts inside ornate halls such as the Estate Theater, where Mozart debuted "Don Giovanni" in 1787.
Our own experiences informed us even more: This Czech capital has more than good looks, history and contemporary dining to lure its visitors. It remains one of the few major cities on the Continent that can be described as affordable — especially when you compare it with London, Paris or Rome. Costs are now about $130 per person a day for double-room sleep and eats. Spending time in the countryside is even more affordable — as low as $50 a day per person.
Lux is plentiful for those who prefer it. Prague has international brands that include Four Seasons, Hilton and Marriott. And there are pricey restaurants and shopping stops, including Hermes, Cartier and Hugo Boss in center city. We went for a middling and charming boutique, Hotel Anna. The tab was just under $200 per night, double, with a hot and cold breakfast buffet. We found reasonable eats for other meals in the quiet central residential neighborhood location that's convenient to public transportation, restaurants, coffee shops and pubs where we could lunch well for as little as $5.
Off our river barge ride, we learned a full three days of touring Prague's juxtaposition of modern and medieval treasures paired nicely with attractions in the scenic Czech countryside. A week in the Czech Republic was just right.
We hit some of the city's major sites, including the Castle Quarter, Old Town Square (Stare Mesto), that dates to the 13th century, and the Jewish Quarter. Old Town is essential for tourists, and we were no exception. Besides stands where one can reserve tours of the city and outlying areas, there's the stunning 14th-century astronomical clock that puts on an hourly show of time-telling and advice about living a virtuous life. Crosses next to Old Town Hall mark the spot where 27 people were beheaded during 17th-century religious wars, and the soaring interior of Old Tyn Church shares narrative about the Reformation era with the Jan Hus Memorial in the square's center.
The nearby Jewish Quarter is probably Europe's finest collection of heritage sites. It's remarkable if only because Adolf Hitler decided to spare it as the "museum of an extinct race." Included are six historic synagogues, a town hall, cemetery and museum of artifacts. The Pinkas Synagogue has a halting memorial to victims of the Holocaust that lists names of many who died in Nazi camps. The old cemetery is a fascinating tumble of ancient gravestones, thanks to limited space and Jewish custom that prohibits disturbance of old graves. Because the site has been covered with earth several times for new graves, there are about 20 layers of inhabitants.
Castle Quarter has been home to the Czech Republic's ruling class for more than a millennium and contains multiple points of interest for the crowds that sometimes overwhelm it. We enjoyed the city view from the hilltop, walked through the gardens, and marveled at the stained-glass windows, kings' tombs, mosaics and Gothic architecture in St. Vitus Cathedral.
Outside the city we ventured into more of the Czech Republic's unique destinations. Many think they've stepped inside a fairy tale upon arrival in Cesky Krumlov, a three-hour ride south of Prague. Like the capital, Cesky Krumlov lies on the Vltava River, which provides scenic reverie and restaurant riverbank eating overlooking the flow.
The town's winding cobblestone streets offer food emporia where patrons enjoy sausages, beer and pastries, as well as shops that contain art and books. The town square is often active with street performers such as jugglers and acrobats.
Krumlov Castle, built in the late 17th century, is a must-see, if only to regard one of Europe's two surviving Baroque theaters. Guides show surviving and original wood and rope stage machinery that was used for sound effects, as well as props and scenery that amazingly still exist. Because of its age and fragility, the theater presents performances only a few times a year by simulated candlelight.
Elsewhere, the castle interior retains enough furnishings and artwork to depict the lifestyles of bygone centuries of ruling families. A cavernous dining hall and Hall of Mirrors are among the elegant spaces that once brimmed with courtesans and candlelight. Outside, bear pits hold a family of brown bears, long symbols of European royal families.
A good half-day trip from Prague is Kuntna Hora, which holds about 300 medieval and Baroque buildings, including the Cathedral of St. Barbara, an excellent example of Gothic architecture with a dazzling interior of frescoes about mining and minting — testimonies to a glorious age of prosperity.
Most visitors put Kuntna Hora on their itineraries to see the Sedlec Bone Church, or Church of All Saints, about a mile from the center of town. Although the pristine little white church looks normal on the outside, its interior is something else. Decorating the walls and ceilings are the bones of 40,000 people who died in 14th- and 15th-century plagues and wars, including those that broke out after Czech church reformer Jan Hus was burned at the stake. The church's centerpiece is a "chandelier" that contains at least one of every bone in the human body.
Why bone decor? The story is about a monk from the local monastery who returned from a Holy Land pilgrimage with soil from the region, and sprinkled it on the cemetery surrounding the chapel. Over time, so many wanted family members to be buried in the hallowed ground that space became unavailable. Older graves were exhumed and the bones stored in the chapel. Guides give varied explanations about why monks began to "design" decor with the macabre contents.
The Terezin Memorial, an 18th-century walled site about three hours' drive from Prague, is an interesting star-shaped piece of architecture that contains stories about the Nazi era. In 1941 the town's inhabitants were removed, and 7,000 Jews were incarcerated in what became another concentration camp.
Most were scholars, professionals, artists and musicians who were encouraged to lead creative lives. They even gave concerts inside the camp where parks, grassy areas and gardens obscured the truth. Though the Gestapo presented it in propaganda films and real time to the outside world as a model "Jewish town" where everyone lived and worked normally, it was all for show. Nearly all the 155,000 Jews — including about 15,000 children — who passed through Terezin during World War II died of disease or starvation in Terezin or were moved to other death camps.
Guided tours of the former camp afford glimpses into what life was really like for camp inmates: crowded prison cells with three levels of beds stacked atop one another and washrooms where fake faucets that were never connected to a water supply fooled inspectors from the International Red Cross.
The camp museum has a display of artwork and poetry by some of the 15,000 children who were held there between 1942 and 1944. The poignant drawings were assembled about 20 years ago by a Terezin survivor, Hana Volavkova. Outside the fortress is the National Cemetery that was created after the war. It holds mass graves of about 10,000 people.
WHEN YOU GO
Trip-planning information is at www.czechtourism.com and www.praguewelcome.cz/en.
Ruth A. Hill is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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