Youngs Around the World

With multi-style juxtaposed architecture, winding cobblestone streets with antique street lamps, castles and bridges that reflect on the sparkling River Vltava, and a panorama of Florentine elegance, Prague dazzles. While you could easily fill your days inside Prague’s museums and churches, the ultimate Prague experience is walking through the city, marveling at the beautiful Old Town Square dominated by the unforgettable Gothic Tyn Church; lingering on the dreamy Charles Bridge with stunning views of Prague Castle; strolling Wenceslas Square with the powerfully illuminated National Museum at its head; and climbing to one of the many elevated viewpoints to take in the magnificent red-roofed cityscape. And once you’ve let your starry eyes dance around Prague, you’ll want to return again and again to see the stunning views in the changing plays of light.

Of course, there are hidden treasures all around the city – a graffiti-covered John Lennon memorial wall, an Italian palace garden with a stalactite wall revealing faces likely conjured by Dante’s Inferno, and obscure modern sculptures by local artist David Cerny – that inspire touristic scavenger hunts, the hidden fruits of which are discoveries of interesting streets, pretty parks, and romantic nooks along the way.

Beneath the glitter, in dimly lit local pubs and in narrow alleyways, lies an arty, obscure culture of music and literature. You feel it on the streets at night as cool jazz seeps out of doorways, enticing you inside for a spot of warmth and a bitter Czech pivo (beer), and in ambient book shop cafés with brooding literary types sitting solo with a coffee and a well-worn paperback.

With our cheery traveling companions, George (who graciously hosts our website) and Jennifer, we spent five nights in the historic, romanticized city of Prague. We sampled a smorgasbord of Czech beers – the crisp fall air and cloudy skies always seemed to set the mood for a round – and cautiously dabbled in the local cuisine. Like German and Austrian fare, Czech food is heavy on meats, hearty stews, cheese, cabbage, potatoes, bread and dumplings. Street food in the form of pastries and sausages is omnipresent and cheap.

On our third night, when the four of us had the pleasure of meeting up with another friend, Jasmine, for dinner, I discovered a gastronomic delight called Sviloska – thick slices of roast beef with sweet bread dumplings, smothered in a rich sauce and garnished with cranberries and sour cream. Washed down with a half-liter (or two) of Pilsner Urquell and you are guaranteed to wake up a little more plump the next morning.

One sunny afternoon, towards the end of the week, Aaron and I went for a long walk on our own. Heading for one of the many elevated viewpoints, we ambled around the Charles Bridge, browsed some magnificent watercolors of Prague Castle, and ended up in a beautiful park overlooking the city. Yellow leaves lit up the trees and speckled the tree-lined walkways. It was magic. Young mothers pushed baby carriages while old men shuffled along on their daily walks. Teens flirted in the refreshing greenspace. Mountain bikers pedaled around. The park was noticeably free of tourists, which increased its enjoyment factor tenfold, and the view was magnificent. While we have observed the countenance of Prague locals to be generally dour, the faces in the park wore the happy and light expressions that you would expect to see among glorious yellow trees on a bright fall afternoon.

We loved Prague. It is easily one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – a city in which we spent more of our time walking starry-eyed through the streets and watching the world go by than delving into the museums, art and literature, religious influence, and the fascinating history of the Communist grip. Mysterious, hypnotic, jazzy and full of life, Prague’s intrigue and inspiration for artists and writers is easy to imagine. Even days after leaving, visions of Prague are still spinning through my mind and I am utterly fascinated. I am dazzled.

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