PRAGUE - CITY OF A HUNDRED SPIRES

 29th - 30th Mar 2024

A rather misty view looking south over Prague from the Castle

After another detailed 'briefing' session by our 'fuhrer' it was onwards at 9.10am from Vienna to Prague by another comfortable (if slightly delayed) ICE train. We arrived at Prague Central Station (left) at 1.10pm.

Right: Our guide, Radish, I think he was called, (the man in front), who met us on our arrival at the station. We were taken straight off on an introductory walk around the Old Town. Radish, as with our previous guide, was not short for words and with a strong 'Czech' accent. I suspect I missed much of his plentiful and knowledgeable detail.

Left: Václavské Náměsti, or Wenceslas Square as we know it, in the city centre. The National Museum is at the top behind the statue of St.Wenceslas. 'King' or 'Saint' Wenceslaus was a Bohemian Duke assassinated by his brother in the mid 10th century and is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic. Lots of fables surround his life. I'm sure he was a good chap.

This Square has been a famous venue for various demos and riots; notably during the Prague Spring in 1968 when, after violent demos in favour of repealing many of the restrictive Communist dictats (c/o Alexander Dubčhek), the Soviet tanks rolled in to restore the Commie order. Then, in 1989, the Velvet Revolution (c/o Václav Havel) which resulted in the end of the Communist one-party state and a bit of democratic freedom. 

It was Easter weekend and the Czechs take Easter quite seriously. Elaborately decorated eggs form a big part of this signifying 'the start of life'. Right: A stall displaying lots of decorated eggs.

Another quaint Czech Easter tradition is the 'Easter whip', when young girls are splashed with water and  'lightly' whipped with willow branches as a symbol of health and fertility. Rather fun I would have thought. Perhaps it will catch on here?

Left: The old Town Hall. It has a weird 'astronomical clock' on the wall of the tower. It is the source of considerable interest to tourists.

Right: The elaborate clock. I could not make head nor tail of how it told the time. There were several interacting dials with sun and moon symbols and various little articulated statuettes surrounding it. I think something came out of the door on the left on occasions. On the hour (when I was present) there was a little skeleton statuette (top right of clock) which rang a bell and then the clock chimed many times. I was none the wiser.

Left: There were massive crowds around the square in front to watch the clock 'perform'. Indeed, over this Easter weekend the city, especially the Old Town area, was packed with tourists.

Right: The Old Town Square with the twin towers of the Church of our Lady in the background.

Left: A rather elegant form of tourist transport. Is it a Škoda? I have a Škoda (Fabia). A fine car. They originated in Czechoslovakia.

Right: ......as well as the ubiquitous 'horses and cabbages'. (see Vienna).

Left: The very jolly market in the Old Town Square.

Below: There was also a very jolly band, plus singer, performing here. 

The main streets leading north to the wide River Vltava (Moldau in German) were full of very upmarket and expensive shops (Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc.) and even one, I suspect Jewish owned, called Yves Salomon. Just before one of the bridges is this building (right). It was the Nazi SS HQ during WW2. It is now the Office for Trade or similar.

Back to our hotel in the north of the city, called the Vienna House  by Wyndham Diplomat Prague (for short). It was very comfortable; much more so than I am used to and close to a Metro underground station. Interestingly and conveniently, use of all public transport, Metro, trams and buses, for those 'over a certain age', is totally free! I doubt that idea will catch on in UK. The Metro system is very efficient and simple to use.

That evening we had another 'communal' supper in the hotel. I'm afraid that I found what conversation I managed with my fellow 'tourers' somewhat limited and boring. We didn't seem to have much of interest in common. I'm sure they found me equally tedious. Hey Ho, but these meals are included in the price of the trip!

The next morning we set off on a conducted tour of Prague Castle on a hill to the north of the river (left). Apparently this castle complex is the largest ancient castle (complex) in the world and contains several compounds including the residence and workplace of the President amongst other 'grand'  official buildings. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept hidden away somewhere in here. The original build was in the 9th century and became the seat of power for kings of Bohemia.

I'm afraid I got a bit muddled by our guide Radish's comprehensive commentary so not quite sure which bit was what. Right: The entrance.

Left: The forecourt inside the entrance.

Right: Another entrance to something or other.

Left: There were military guards, armed to the teeth, at various points. They were taking no chances with dangerous tour groups such as our bunch of vicious  geriatric militants!

Right: I believe this building is used for State Visits and entertaining and accommodating important guests (not us) who come for conferences etc.

Left: There were two smart guards outside. Having said that I couldn't help but notice that their trousers needed ironing and their boots a bit more polish.

Right: I think this is the Presidential Residence.

Left: The tallest and most impressive building is the Saint Vitus Cathedral (he of St Vitus Dance fame). The original version was built in 930 AD, but enlarged and modified over successive centuries. There was a long queue to get inside.

As with so many of these old religious buildings it is very ornate and expensively decorated. It still holds services and has a vast organ plus several impressive stained glass windows  There are several 'tombs' inside, of whom I can't remember (Kings and Saints). I think the bones of Saint/King Wenceslas are in here somewhere.

Right: This amazing construction covers the tomb of someone or other. It is made of solid silver. No expense spared!

Left: Looking down part of the length of the nave.

We were shown around several other buildings including a vast banqueting and reception area into which, originally, diners and guests could bring in their horses. Haynets 'a la carte' no doubt.

There is also a small room high up in one building which was famous for 'defenestrations'. These occurred on several occasions, notably in 1618, and usually involved Protestants pushing Catholics out of the window to their death. Or it might have been the other way round. They were the cause of much conflict. Look up 'Defenestration of Prague' if you are interested.

There is a line of 'original' shops and eateries built into one of the outside castle walls. Right: This is an example of a medieval McDonalds. It looks similar to my old army Mess dining-room.

Following the castle tour I walked down to the river and, specifically, to the famous 14th century Charles Bridge (Karlův Most). It was the only crossing of the River Vltava from the castle to the city until 1841. There are now several bridges.

Left: It was packed with tourists and very slow going to get across. 

There were stalls along the sides selling jewellery and souvenirs and, curiously, several doing caricature portraits (and good ordinary ones) of willing sitters. Baroque statues such as these (right) stood on the side walls.

Left: There was at least one band playing.

Right: A view north-east up the river. Tour boats are popular.

Back in the Old Town we were taken by our 'leader' on a short tour of the 'Jewish' sector of the city, or at least what was the Jewish sector. It featured several somewhat uninspiring synagogues (some still in use) and stories about how the Jews were segregated and treated rather badly.

Left: This statue, outside a synagogue, is of Franz Kafka, a famous German speaking Prague Bohemian/Jewish writer of very surreal and bizarre stories. The expression 'Kafkaesque' implies 'odd and nightmarish'. He died in 1924.

I paid a visit to the Museum of Communism. It seems that all these once 'Soviet' dominated countries make a big play of demonstrating, in museums, their transformation from restrictive and sometimes brutal communism to the present day capitalist democracy. Right:  It was on two floors and showed the transformation from the Prague Spring in 1968 to 'liberation' in 1989 with all the stories concerning those involved (from Alexander Dubček era to Václav Havel).

Left: There is a photo displayed here of the participants in the somewhat disastrous Munich Agreement in 1938, which allowed Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. 

Lt to Rt: Chamberlain (UK), Daladier (France), Hitler (Germany), Mussolini and Caino (Italy). It seems the Czechs were not consulted.

Right: I spent an interesting hour or two in the Slivovitz Museum (near the western end of the Charles Bridge). It was a very 'high-tech' and impressive demo of how the plum based and powerful spirit Slivovitz was founded (in Czechoslovakia) and made. In one of the rooms (and I was the only visitor at the time) I was given  'virtual reality' goggles to experience the life of a plum from tree, via processing, to being bottled and labelled. It was rather disorientating!

On getting back to the reception area I was treated to three 'shots' of Slivovitz with accompanying savoury snacks. One was 'normal' Slivovitz, one honey flavoured and one made in Chile. Delicious!

Again, as in Vienna (and Poland and Portugal) there were several shops selling cannabis in various forms. I was/am not tempted to try it. I might like it and I have enough vices already, thank you.

My travels would not be complete without finding and sampling an 'Oirish Bear'. There were probably several but this one, Caffrey's (left) somewhere in the Old Town, was a most hospitable place.

I also called in at a prestigious Czech beer establishment called 'Pilsner Urquell' (right) which is part beer museum and part bar. I had hoped to meet a friend of a friend who works here, but he was away that day. I did spend a bit of time in the bar. The beer in this city is, compared to most other countries, cheap. The equivalent of a pint can be less than £3.00. That is about half the price of a pint in UK ( or one third of the price in London!). Apparently Prague is getting a bit of a reputation for 'lad's drunken holidays' as a result. No doubt the Brits are heavily involved.

I'm sure I have missed out on other sights and places of interest, but that will do from Prague. It really is a most attractive and pleasant city, or at least the bits I saw were.

Tomorrow ( 31st, Easter Sunday, and I must remember to put my clocks forward) we are off to Berlin..........Stand-by for more from there. Achtung!

VIENNA. CITY OF DREAMS

26th - 28th Mar 202

Looking south from the Donauturm over the Danube and 'low-rise' Vienna.

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I believe this city is nicknamed 'City of Dreams' thanks to the influence of the late local 'shrink' Sigmund Freud.

....Or possibly due to the proliferation of these dope shops (left), of which I saw at least three. They seem to be popular and plentiful here as I also noticed last year in Portugal and Poland. They haven't yet caught on in UK possibly because the inhabitants are deemed 'dopey' enough already.

Our rabble (right) assembled at the Nuremburg Hbf at 10.00am to catch the 11.01 ICE train to Vienna. It was delayed until 11.30. So it's not just British trains that get delayed. Our tickets were checked regularly by rather officious inspectors. 

Arrived Vienna at 3.15pm and bus to the Hotel Ananas which was comfortable but pathetic WiFi in rooms, or at least in mine.

Then on a group march to see the local sights and to get our bearings. The hotel was at the southern end of town. We were taken around to the local Metro station and it seems that most of the Metro system in Vienna is undergoing renovations with many roadworks in evidence as a result, especially around our hotel. 

The walk towards the centre took us through the expansive 'nachtmarkt' (left) which has four long lines of stalls selling fruit, veg, cakes and sweets plus numerous bars and restaurants. As it turned out the restaurants were rather good (if a bit expensive).

The large Metro station, Karlsplatz (right) was at the northern end of the market. There are several entry points and tram/bus stops over a large area and some had this rather attractive 'art deco' frontage. Pity about the scruffy graffiti. Talking of which, who does all this graffiti, and why?...so common around all stations and on hoardings in all countries. I have never seen, met or even heard of a graffitist (apart from the talented Banksy). Who are they, what is the point of it (the unartistic ones) and what pleasure does it give to those responsible? Answers please! 

The underground Metro system around the city is excellent and easy to use, but the tram and bus system is very confusing and difficult to locate the correct stops.

Just north of this (left) is the gothic style St Charles Church (Karlskirche) which was completed in 1737 (it took over 20 years to build) and was to commemorate the end of the last plague at the beginning of that century. No graffiti there!

We walked back to the hotel for another 'communal' supper at a nearby restaurant. I was seated between a bloke whose only interest and topic of conversation was football, and a lady who never spoke a word. I noticed on the train that she and her husband read The Guardian. Opposite me was a very eccentric man who had been a 'therapist' and judo instructor (long retired) and was now 'into' Germanic culture. He was teetotal and a vegan. As you can imagine we didn't have a lot in common. The food was OK.

The next day featured a bus tour followed by a walking tour of the city conducted by an enthusiastic Austrian lady guide. She said she and her family had only lived in Vienna for 30 years so she cannot be considered properly 'Viennese'. We were all issued with 'Vox' boxes with earpieces to listen to her commentary while on foot. She spared no effort in talking....rarely taking the chance to take a breath it seemed! Verbal diarrhea! The trouble with these non-stop talks giving constant minute detail is that, especially on the bus, it is difficult to assimilate it all and see what she is describing, especially her encyclopedic descriptions of the very complicated Austrian/European history since the middle ages. Our group looked suitably baffled.

Shortly after leaving the hotel she said we should look out for the 'cabbages'. I looked out to no avail. Her accent, not being perfect, she meant 'carriages' ie. posh horses and carts towing, at vast cost, weathy tourists around the streets. There were indeed many of these.

Left: Our first port of call was the impressive 'baroque' Belvedere Palace, built 1723, located to the south-east of the old town. It is, as with so much architecture in this town, a most impressive building.

Right: The palace gardens to the city (north) side were supposedly intended as a smaller version of those at Versailles, Paris. They looked a rather scruffy version to my untrained eye. The grass needed cutting....as does mine at home.

The Palace itself includes stables (probably with 'cabbages') and houses a museum displaying, amongst much else, many works by the famous Viennese artist Gustav Klimpt, including his best known daubing 'The Kiss' (Der Kuss). We did not go in. Why bother? I can easily see his pictures merely by looking them up. I will also save my reader the bother. So here is his 'The Kiss' (left).

His other paintings all look rather similar in style and colouring.  

Right: The Viennese Parliament building located on the Ringstrasse Boulevarde to the west of the city centre. Another fine piece of architecture. We just drove past it.

Left: A line of 'cabbages' outside the entrance to the Hofburg Palace.

Right: The grand entrance to the Hofburg Palace and other regal buildings from the Habsburg, Austro-Hungarian and regal periods of the likes of Emperor Franz-Josef etc. The history of this part of the world is very complicated and our 'guide' tried to explain some of it....but too much for me to take in!

Left: (not my photo). Inside here is the home of the Spansh Riding School and their stables. Another Habsburg invention which features grey Lipizzaner horses ridden by elaborately dressed riders poncing about an arena to display their OTT dressage skills. They go on tours worldwide. I visited to watch a display many years ago so didn't join the queue to see it again. They now have women riders. What is the world coming to!?

Right: At the far end are the quarters of the late Empress Elizabeth (nickname Lisi) who was married at the age of 16 to Emperor Franz Joseph. She was assassinated, by a nutter, in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1898 aged 60. She was a very popular Empress, apparently.

On the right of the photo is the entrance to the main Palace.

Left: Just outside (to the left of the photo above) is the Neueburg wing of the Palace (was the Town Hall) with what is now considered an 'infamous' balcony. From this balcony in March 1938 a Mr A. Hitler gave his rousing speech to cheering Austrians when he announced that his 'birth country' had been incorporated into the Third Reich; an event known as the Anschluss. Nobody is now allowed to use the balcony. I believe the building is presently a museum.

Right: The grand State Opera House at the southern end of Kärnter Strasse in the city centre. Austria is renowned for its classical music and was home to various famous composers such as Mozart, Liszt, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss and Benny Goodman, amongst others. I can't remember what is showing at the moment. Not, I suspect, Mary Poppins. It is normally difficult and expensive to get tickets.

Left: I can't remember what this building is. I just show it as another example of the varied elegant architecture which features throughout this city.  I passed it en-route to the very large, smart and efficient city centre main Post Office. Why do foreign countries (ie. not UK) take such pride in their main Post Offices (see Saigon and Taipei as typical examples). The UK just has scruffy and inefficient little establishments with long queues.

* I have just been informed by that admirable and alert 'research' organisation 'OMPITA' that the building above is the 'Greek Church of the Holy Trinity'. Well I never.

Right: Flanagan's 'Oirish' bar. A decent pit-stop and featured two amusing and genuinely Irish barmen! We discussed the forthcoming Irish Grand National over a pint of Guinness. They told me there are quite a few Irish working in Vienna.

Left: No idea what this statue is, somewhere in the centre. I took the photo because it looked appealing and forgot to note what it represented. However, the research team at the invaluable OMPITA organisation  (they tirelessly monitor my blog) came up with the following:

The Plague Column (German: die Wiener Pestsäule), or Trinity Column (German: Dreifaltigkeitssäule), is a Holy Trinity column located on the Graben, a street in the inner city of Vienna, Austria. Erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679.

Right: St.Stephen's Cathedral in Stephansplatz. It was built mid-14th century and is the central point of Vienna. It is possible to climb, 256 steps, up the large spire. Good views I'm sure, but I didn't bother; went up the Donauturm instead.

Left: I saw this rather charming sand sculpture somewhere on Kärntner Strasse. It was skilfully done and the chap who did it said it had taken him a couple of hours to complete. It would wash away overnight. I was impressed and being incredibly generous I put 50 cents in his hat. 

Right: There are several monstrosities such as McDonalds and other US franchises around town. Their frontages are at least relatively subdued compared to other places. 

Left: The statue of Field Marshall Carl Phillip zu Schwartzenberg (1771-1820) in Schwartenberg Platz, near Flannagan's Irish Bear (see above). This famous soldier led the Austrian army to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and then marched on to Paris. He is a much revered character in Austrian history. I wonder if he visited Flanagan's for a fortifying pint of Guinness on the way.

Right: The monument to the occupying Russians (a Russian soldier is on top holding a shiny golden shield) who vacated Vienna in 1955. It is somewhat controversial as you can imagine. There is some sort of agreement with the Rooskies to keep it there and it is guarded 24hrs a day to prevent 'hostile' attention. The Ukrainian colours are draped along the low wall of the colonnade behind it.

Left: The entrance to the Military Museum (Kriege Museum) in the Arsenal complex near The Belvedere Palace to the south-east of the city. I took a look inside. It is a large multi-room two storey display featuring an enormous amount of military equipment, uniforms, weapons, portraits and diagrams of military campaigns from the early Habsburg days (13th century) up to the 1st World War. 

Nearly all the weapons and uniforms etc. were immaculate and either imitations, reconstructions or over-renovated with few 'original' bits left. That is not my idea of a museum display!

Left: A map of the Habsburg empire between 1788-91. The amount of wars, changing alliances and who governed what land in this part of the world over a long history is, to my unacademic mind, utterly baffling. 

Right: A 1st World War German/Austrian large calibre (35cm?) artillery piece. It was in pristine condition. Rebuilt perhaps? It would have been more impressive if it had looked a bit battered and scarred as though it had seen some 'action'.

The only recognisably original exhibit was this car (left). It is the one in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and Mrs Ferdinand, were travelling in Sarajevo, June 1914, when both were assassinated by a Serb called Gavrilo Princip. PS. Note the number plate: A 111118 (date of the end of WW1). A curious coincidence?

Apparently I had been standing too close to it to get this photo and briefly set off an alarm. I had walked away but was accosted by a dragon of a security woman who was extremely rude and aggressive and threatened me with being chucked out or perhaps jailed for life from what little I could understand from her screeching! I was about to tell her I recognised her as Rosa Klebb (SMERSH) from the James Bond film, but thought better of it. Not the way to encourage visitors if you ask me! These little self-important over-reacting 'Germanic' dictatorial functionaries have no social graces. Same applies to many of the Austrian/German 'officials' in uniform.

I wish I could have shown her the 'amended' photo (right) sent to me by trusty 'OMPITA".

Left: The entrance to the impressive looking 'Arsenal' building in front of the museum. It was completely empty inside.

Right: Another elegant fountain and statue. Haven't a clue what it represents. Another test for OMPITA! 

Yes! They came up with the answer as always. It is the Donnerbrunnen, or Thunder Statue located in Neuermarkt Platz. Completed in 1739. 

Look it up if you want further details!

I called in at one of the smart coffee shops in town, Sluka Café, near Stephansplatz. The most famous being the Café Sacher which invented the famous 'sacher-torte' cake. This and countless other sticky cakes and elaborate coffees are provided in many other establishments now. They are pleasant places but not exactly cheap! Left: A portion of sacher-cake (chocolate with apricot jam and cream). Very healthy.

On a whim I decided to visit the Museum of Illusions, fairly hidden away in the east of the centre. There was a long queue to get in. Indeed the City, especially the centre, was fairly packed with tourists with many flag wielding tourist guides and their following groups. This museum was not particularly impressive. Not a patch on the 'Art in Paradise' museum in Pattaya, Thailand. (See blog from December 2019). It consists mainly of wall-mounted optical illusions with one or two inter-active 'experiences'. Right: This picture was entirely unrecognisable to the naked eye, just coloured stickers, but showed this only when taken with a camera.

Left: If you enlarge this you will see that the horizontal lines are all straight and parallel.

Onwards by Metro to the 827ft high Donauturm (Danube Tower) radio mast (right). It stands in a large park to the north of the city across the River Danube with its long (21km) artificial island, a popular place for beaches and swimming in the summer.

There is a large observation deck and restaurant upstairs. Good views over the city to the south (see photo at top).

Left: ...and a view looking north to the park below.

For some reason unbeknown to me there is an area near the entrance to the Tower dedicated to several statues and busts of Cuban and South American leaders, explorers, invaders and revolutionaries. This one (right) is of Che Guevara.

Left: Up on the top observation/restaurant deck there is the entrance to a glass sided slide which spirals down the outside of the building. It costs 5 Euros for a go. Of course I couldn't resist.

Right: They take a photo of you on the way down (another 5 Euros to print it). It was rather exhilarating..........

Left: ...and I finished up for a snack and glass of wine in the café.

On the way back to my hotel I stopped for supper at one of the restaurants in the Nachtmarkt (see above somewhere). I ordered a large plate of mussels with a very rich sauce. It was delicious (and expensive). It was later that evening I began to suffer with chronic indigestion!

That was about all I had time for in the couple of days I was in Vienna, and I wasn't rushing. There are so many other museums, parks, palaces, exhibitions, music venues, grand restaurants and smart shops etc. etc. and it would take weeks to see them all. Altogether a very smart, elegant and interesting city with remarkably ostentatious architecture.

Off tomorrow (29th) by train to Prague with our 'fuhrer' and 'gang'.