So, I visited Prague. Again.
This should not surprise anyone, as Prague is a MUST.
Why???
Just because. 😀
This time – my Prague was without haste. And finally with a good guide; a girl in love with her City, and capable of talking about it with passion.
When we bade farewell, I had enought free time, so – just like a doggie released from the leash – I set off to explore the city. I immersed myself in the colorful and multilingual crowd, remembering however, to tightly hold my bag, as such crowded places are the paradise for thiefs and pickpockets…. I had my city map so deep in my bag that to get to the map, I would have to finish a crash course in archeology… So I set off, entrusting my intuition. Of course the main goal was the Hradčany Castle.
But before I got there from the other end of town, I “hooked” on almost all the churches. Most of them are furnished in barogue alatrs, and confessionals. I still do not like baroque, as I once wrote somewhere in this blog. But sometimes even I have to like it, even for a moment. Prague’s barogue is light, non-aggressive and tactful. I can already hear the voices of experts, outrageous on this description. But whatever … 😉
My favorite Prague church is the Church of Our Lady before Týn. The north portal of this exceptional edifice was supposedly built by Peter Parler, and it is the main reason why I like this church so much… I could photograph it continuously. And of course – I finally had time to almost “sniff and touch” all the walls of the church thoroughly, and guess what! I found fire pits. Fortunately, in Prague almost everyone is smiling, so my smile of joy surprised nobody.
After more than a hundred years or so, I finally reached Prague Castle. Knowing I did not have to hurry anywhere, (that in the worst case I might die along the way from hunger 😉 ) I stopped from time to time for a photo, and even sat on the curb to stare at people. This made me feel quite like on vacation.
My head was ringing Smetana, with his Vltava … The sun was shining, the multilingual crowd around fell into the same childish delight in front of the Golden Gate and the famous “Parler’s rib”. I felt wonderfully.
In addition, while looking into available alleys of the castle hill I found a trace of Ząbkowice (Silesia) – in the form of a small, inconspicuous monument to Master Benedict Rejt near the Powder Tower …
And finally I went inside the castle. The main reason of entering the building was to see the famous room, where the “Second Defenestration of Prague” took place in 1618. A room … Nothing special, but just to think to what symbol it soon grew, makes one look around the room differently.
Therefore it is worth combining the exploration of Prague with a tour of Wroclaw (the second after Prague, favorite city of the Luxembourg dynasty, and besides a beloved city of Emperor Charles of Luxembourg). And it is not at all due to the interest in windows, ie. Defenestration of Wroclaw (in 1418), which is connected with the outbreak of the Hussite wars. The visit to Wrocław – should be treated in conjunction with the Thirty Years War, which was a (much simplifiyng the story) somehow the consequence of “collective falling out of the window” at Prague Castle …
And if Wrocław will be on the route, it is necessary to visit Swidnica with its outstanding and impressive Church of Peace, which became one of the symbols of the Peace of Westphalia.
And so, after nearly 8 hours of sightseeing Prague, when I finally sat down with a mug of beer in my hands – my thoughts involuntarily returned “home”
🙂
Tutivillus and others 