VISIT TO PRAGUE!

When was the last time you were in Prague? Although the “Golden City” is only 2.5 hours away by car, I know some people from Regensburg who were last there many years ago, if at all. And no European capital is closer! Regensburg and Prague have a few things in common: both are beautiful cities, both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both have many towers and a famous bridge from the Middle Ages as a landmark. The Charles Bridge is one of the oldest stone bridges in Europe, but our Stone Bridge in Regensburg is even older: the Charles Bridge was built according to its model. Ha! Little is known about the builders, but apparently they were big fans of our Regensburg bridge.
The resemblance is unmistakable, see for yourself! I was totally impressed again on my last visit.

Here are the 11 RegensburgNow tips for Prague!

1. see classic sights

As mentioned above, the five most famous sights include Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest castle complex in the world, St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Town Hall with the Town Hall Clock and Wenceslas Square. Even for visitors who have been to Prague before, these sights are always worth a visit. Of course, you will only be alone there very early in the morning, as Prague has over 7 million visitors a year.

For all those who have already walked across Charles Bridge and seen the spectacle at the astronomical clock on the hour, here are the numbers 2-10:

2nd Hradčany

The historic quarter on Prague’s Castle Hill has more to offer than just the castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. In addition to the beautiful square, there is also the imposing Schwarzenberg Palace. A good way to escape the hustle and bustle around the castle, at least for a short time, is the Jeleni Prikop (Deer Moat). This idyllic park runs north of the castle and is just a stone’s throw away from Golden Lane and the like. Tourists rarely stray here. Depending on the time of year, the Golden Lane is accessible free of charge from 16:00 or 17:00.

3. lucerna passage

The Lucerna Passage is located in a side street off Wenzelplatz. A real gem. Prague has several passages, but this one in particular makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. Inside the passage, you will find music clubs, stores and cafés as well as the Lucerna Cinema, which opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest cinemas in Europe.
The passage is located between Vodičkova (Water Lane) and Štěpánská (St. Stephen’s Lane) in the Lucerna building. The Wenceslas statue by the artist David Černý, which we will encounter again later, is also well-known. The hanging statue is an ironic adaptation of the equestrian statue on Wenceslas Square.

4. admire Art Nouveau

Many Art Nouveau elements can already be found in the Lucerna Passage. Art Nouveau architecture, which took hold of practically all of Western civilization around 1900, also shaped the image of Prague. The most important buildings include the Municipal House, the Insurance House in Spálená Street, the current headquarters of the Goethe Institute on Masaryk Quai, the main railway station with the Fanta coffee house and the Čechův most bridge. My favorite: the Café Imperial (Na Poříčí 1072/15).

5. visit coffee houses

Prague has a large number of famous and beautiful cafés. I just mentioned Café Imperial. Also beautiful are
– the Café Savoy (Vítězná 5)
– the Café Slavia (Smetanovo nábř. 1012/2) opposite the Národní National Theatre
– and the Café Louvre (Národní 22)

6. museums

My favorites are the NGP (National Gallery / Národní galerie Praha), especially the Salm Palace and the Schwarzenberg Palace on Hradčany Square / Castle Square. Also the:
– Mucha Museum in the baroque building of Kaunitz Palace in Panská 7. It is dedicated to the Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha
– DOX, Center for Contemporary Art (Poupětova 1) The Kampa Museum on Kampa Island / Lesser Town (U Sovových mlýnů 2) is great. The former mill has been converted into a museum of modern art without significantly changing the character of the building. The museum includes a café with a beautiful outdoor seating area on the Vltava River.

“34 yellow penguins” in the Vltava. The Italian “Cracking Art Group” installed the artwork in front of the Kampa Museum in Prague.

7 Cubism in Prague

Yes, there is a Czech cubism. This artistic style can be seen at the House of the Black Mother of God on the Fruit Market (Ovocný trh). Originally planned as a department store, the building is a cubist gem and houses a permanent exhibition. On the second floor is historically the first and only Cubist café in the world: the Grand Café Orient. A few steps further on is another Prague landmark, the Powder Tower.

8. the Jewish cemetery

Not an insider tip, of course. If the old Jewish cemetery is too crowded and expensive for you, you can take a free look at the old Jewish cemetery with its hundreds of gravestones at the Guckloch on 17 Iistopadu Street (near the Rudolfinum).

9. enjoy the best view

The view from Prague Castle isn’t bad, but it’s even better from Letná Park. There is also the Metronome and a beer garden with a view. Letná Park is within walking distance to the east of the castle.

Kafka head by Cerny — “Metalmorphosis” – Kafka head by David Černý

10. view the art objects by David Černý

David Černý is a Czech sculptor who has repeatedly caused a stir with his art. His sculptures can be found all over the city. My favorite:
“Metalmorphosis”. 42 moving levels of the eleven-metre-high sculpture form the face of the famous Czech writer Franz Kafka. This 39-ton bust has been standing next to the new Quadrio shopping center, directly above the Národní metro station, since November 2014. The “Miminka” (=babies) are a matter of taste: The baby sculptures are located in the park of the Kampa Museum, on the beautiful Vltava River island of Kampa, which runs along the Lesser Town and below Charles Bridge. Some of the babies also crawl up the Prague TV Tower. The “Horse” statue already appeared at point 3: this horse sculpture hangs upside down under a dome in the Lucerna Passage, with St. Wenceslas sitting on his belly on the lifeless horse. It is a parody of the famous monument to St. Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square.
Other sculptures include:
– Man Hanging Out (Sigmund Freud hanging over the alleys of the Old Town (corner of Husova/Betlémské nám.)
– In Utero (sculpture of a woman on the corner of Kozí and Masna in the Old Town)
– Piss” (near the Kafka Museum)
– Brown Nosers” (in the garden of the Futura Gallery)
– Fast Tuned Skull”, a giant red skull on the roof of the Dox Contemporary Art Museum in Prague 7. Incidentally, David Černý has his own non-profit art gallery in Prague, the “MeetFactory” (Ke Sklárně 3213/15, 150 00 Praha 5).

11. go to the market

I always find a visit to a market in another city very exciting. On Saturdays in Prague there is the Náplavka Farmers’ Market (Farmářské trhy na Náplavce) on the banks of the Náplavka, about a 20-minute walk from the Old Town. It’s a lovely walk past the dancing house along the waterfront. Along the way, there are always cafés in the hatches on the banks of the Vltava or on boats. The market itself offers regional fruit and vegetables as well as traditional bread, wine, honey and, of course, small snack stalls for refreshments.

Extra tip: Tram no. 22 runs through historic Prague and offers views of the most important sights.

By the way, it takes 4 hours by train from Regensburg main station to the Czech capital.

As you can see, Prague is not far away and it’s really worth taking a trip to the neighboring country.

Have fun in Prague, Annette

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