Prague - Golden City

The "Golden City" is a fitting description of this  beautiful city.  We took advantage of a long weekend to take in the sites.  We were probably not as prepared as we should have been as we were only a few kilometers into the Czech Republic and were stopped by the police and handed a hefty fine for not having a required sticker on the car to pay for the use of the toll road we were apparently on.  In our defense, we had seen no signs indicating any such stipulation.  This rather sour start was further aggravated by another violation when we parked in a restricted zone to visit a fortress.  The police were neither friendly nor the least bit accommodating to our overtures for leniency or pleas of ignorance but were willing to be paid cash on the spot.  Unlike the Germans, the Czechs did not indicate or express a willingness to communicate in English, unless they were a vendor; so much for encouraging or accommodating tourists.  After we shook off that encounter, we proceeded on to Prague and fortunately, the rest of  our experience was pleasant enough to turn the tide of our negative first contact.                                                                                                                                               

I had high expectations for Prague as we had heard so much about it. I was not disappointed.  We spent the next two days walking from our bed and breakfast location visiting one chosen destination after another.  Both the appealing and the more distasteful 

aspects of being a tourist haven are present in Prague. As a city that derives most of its revenue from tourists, it has, as you would expect,  both savory and unsavory elements.

On the downside, some of the venues were outrageously expensive.  Most of the churches were roped off to limit access to closer inspection and it lacked the  friendly atmosphere common to smaller sites.  On the upside, the streets and parks were clean and well kept.  There were ample thorough fares designated for pedestrians and the range and variety of eating establishments would appeal to any palate.  Best of all, the city had variety, elegance and general visual appeal.    

There is much already written about this city.  There are countless web pages and tourist guides devoted to the architecture, culture, history and associated legends. One involves the "Good King Wenceslas."  A popular Christmas carol written about is that he used to go out and give alms to the poor peasants on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26).  During the journey as his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather he was able to continue by the heat miraculously emanating from the king's footprints in the snow.  The legend is based on the life of Saint Wenceslas who was actually a Duke in Bohemia (the other name of the area).  


If travelling to Europe, Prague should be near the top of the list with some provisos in mind.  I named my blog "Back Door Europe" for good reason.  I wanted to capture elements off the beaten track which were still worthy of mention.and visits, if time would allow.  I find the routes less traveled provide a more intimate glimpse into the rich, cultural heritage of central Europe without the superfluous accouterments invariably connected with places like Prague, Paris, Rome and Versailles.