Tomb and bust of Antonin Dvorak . and other Prague, Czech Republic Off The Beaten Path Tips

Final resting place of one of the world's best and most prolific composers, Antonin Dvorak. He and his wife Anna are buried in the pantheon of the Slavin cemetary of Kostel Sv Petra a Pavla in Vysehrad complex. The pantheon with its beautiful nro-gothic arches and wrought iron craftsmanship, forms the boundary for most of the cemetary. Many other famous and accomplished Bohemians are also buried in the cemetary. Near the cemetary gate closest to the cathedral can be found a map showing the location of each tomb.

Dvorak was the son of the Nelahozevez village innkeeper and butcher. His many contributions include helping the United States to establish a classical musical identity. He died at the age of 63 from a heart attack, although he also likely had cirrhosis of the liver. He was known to have had a great love of pivo ( beer ).

It is interesting to note that the Czech Republic and seven other former soviet bloc nations were admitted to the European Union on May 1, 2004, the 100th anniversery of Dvorak's passing. What a painful and tragedy laden 100 years it was for these great nations. May the next century be a time of peace, liberty, and prosperity for all of them.

Composer Bedrich Smetana, who is best known for his symphonic poems of the fatherland including Vlatava, is also buried in the Slavin cemetary. Smetana was from the Bohemian city of Plzen, where his father was one of the early brewmasters of Plzen ( Pilsner ) beer. Smetana tragically died of Syphilis in 1884, at the age of 60.

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A modern Prague mall with interesting architecture. This is a four level mall with an open area in the center. The top level houses my favorite part, the food and drink area, which is an excellent place to eat lunch and mingle with the locals. The food is good and the prices are much lower than in " designated tourist zones ".

Here is an Interesting side note regarding fast food restaurants in Czechia: Pivo ( beer ) is one of the beverage options for combination meals or just by itself. That is my idea of a happy meal. American owned fast food restaurant chains in Prague do not adhere to this policy of course. Doing so would harm their puritanical image.

The mall also houses many attractive and tidy shops. Knowing almost nothing about shopping, I cannot provide any specific information or rave reviews about the shops.

This mall and many of Prague's interesting places were placed on " the verboten or forbidden list " compiled by the tourism gods. Don't mind the experts of organized travel. The locals will welcome you to their mall.

Just three stops east of Wenceslas Square on the furiously fast subway trains ( takes about 3 minutes meaning it is very close to the main tourist sites ). Metro line A, station Flora. Disembark, ascend the stairs or escalator, and you will find yourself standing at the floor level entrance to the mall. How easy ! Use your public transportation pass. They are cheap and contrary to popular opinion, tourists are allowed to purchase them.

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This observation tower was the pride and joy of Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este ( Ferdie ). The tower was built for the Bohemian exhibition of 1891. The semi modest funds available in the governmental coffers of Bohemia were much too insufficient to build a tower anywhere near as large as the recently completed Eiffel Tower in Paris, but not to be deterred Ferdie went with this 1/3 scale model of the Paris erector set masterpiece. He put one over on his French rivals by locating this one at the highest elevation in old Prague. By doing this, the relative elevation of his tower pinnacle to city center was much greater than that of the Eiffel. The brilliant and very clever Ferdie had indeed outdone his French rivals for a small fraction of the cost.

Shown in front of the tower are the pavillion and some sort of amusement building ( house of mirrors or some such thing ) that were part of the same exhibition.

The small admission price into the tower is well worth it for excellent views of the city. Warning to the out-of-shape: No elevator to carry you to the observation decks. Use the steps. The tower sways in the wind, but worrying about such trivial matters is only for the faint of heart.

To get there take the funicular train or enjoy the hike through some of Prague's finest greenbelt. By the way the train fare is covered by your public transportation pass. Don't visit Prague without one. A 24 hour pass will set you back a whopping 70 koruna.

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Rest well my friend in this most beautiful and peaceful part of Praha. Your rest is surely well deserved. Your and your parents generations of Slavic people endured many hardships and abuses at the hands of the ruling classes and external enemies. Better times are certainly ahead for you and are most deserved by your great nation of people.

This photo was taken on Easter Sunday, 2003. The weather was a perfect 10. Shown is one of the beautiful gardens in Petrin Hill Park. Prague's 650 year old defense wall provides a handsome backdrop. Most of the remaining 1200 meters of the "hunger" wall are surrounded by masterfully landscaped and well maintained public greenbelt. Excellent city planning in my opinion. They do it so much better than so many cities that have had much more time to hone their planning skills.

See my tip on the Petrin Hill tower for transporatation options. My recommended option is to walk the scenic and low degree of difficulty footpath from Strahov monastary. There are also two scenic footpaths extending from the base of Petrin Hill Park at the Vlatva River to the crest. You can also offer a prayer for peace and tolerance while at the monastary. May we learn from the sorrows of the past never to repeat our acts of hatred and prejudice.

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Zamek ( chateau ) Troja was built in 1679 as the Summer home of the count of Sternberk. ( I wonder what it was used for the rest of the year ). So much for the lifestyles of the rich and idle. The elaborate and detailed sculptures at the palace entrance and throughout the gardens were laboriously completed in 1685. You can stroll around the sculptured and perfectly maintained gardens free of charge. Gates to the chateau grounds are opened at 0900 daily. The nearly tourist free Troja district of north Praha welcomes visitors.

Inside is an exhibit of 19th century Bohemian art, a collection of historic costumes, and a Marco Polo inspired oriental exhibit. Directly across the street is one of Europe's best zoos.

Take Metro line C ( subway ) north to Nadrazi Holesovice station. Go upstairs to the bus depot and take the "zoo" bus. # 5,12, or 14.

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Website: www.zamky-hrady.cz

The gardens of this chateau provide a good place to relax and enjoy the ambience. The many flowering trees throughout the city help make Prague especially beautiful in mid to late April. The gardens are well designed and maintained.

Warning: This is a lonely place for those who insist on being surrounded by numerous other tourists. However, if you want to meet locals in a great city, this is a great stop. The tour buses don't stop within 5 kilometers of here. Virtually all of Troja's visitors are locals. Great food and drinks are available at very reasonable prices in Troja district, or in any part of Praha outside of the officially designated tourist zones. Most of the fun of visiting Praha is going to the places that most tourists miss.

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Website: www.zamky-hrady.cz

Gardens as seen from entranceway to the mansion. Notice the interesting hedge designs.

Directly across the street from Zamek Troja is the Prague ( Troja ) Zoo. This leading natural habitat zoo was devasted by the 2002 flood, during which some of the animals were drowned. By the time I visited in April of 2003, most of the damage ahd been repaired. If you have the time and the interest, follow the signs up the hill to the nearby Prague Botanical Gardens. Prague's residents continue to improve these gardens, and I expect them to eventually rival the best botanical gardens in the world. The gardens are open to the public daily, and the admission fee is small.

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Website: www.zamky-hrady.cz

From the vantage point of the Petrin Hill tower is shown kostel sv Vavrince and the chapel of the tomb of Christ. Both were completed during the high baroque period, which their architecture attests to. Also shown is part of the winding 650 year old hladova zed ( hunger wall ). This was the city defense which is now totally surrounded and complimented by masterfully landscaped and very well kept green belt.

This now pleasant and relaxing part of central Praha is where those accused of witchcraft and others who challenged the policies and doctrines of the mother church ( such as Jan Hus ) were burned at the stake back in the days of religious intolerance and superstition. Contrary to popular opinion, Hus was not executed in old town sqaure at the location where his monument now stands.

Red tile roofs like those covering the church and chapel are the roofs of choice throughout this region of Europe. They will add nice color to your photos of the region.

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In the Holesovice district of north Praha is the exhibition center or fairgrounds, which is situated on the eastern edge of the vast Stromovka public park. The planetarium of the Czech Republic is located in the park near the exhibition center. The photo is from Easter Monday 2003. It shows citizens of Praha enjoying their beautifully landscaped park. The park offers many recreational opportunities for Praha's citizens and visitors, including roller blading. Roller blade ( in-line skate ) rental is available there. The great flood of 2002 temporarily devastated the lakes in the park center. The lakes have since been restored to a better condition than ever.

Adjacent to the exhibition center is the sports arena, where you can treat yourself to a world class ice hockey match. Refer to www.ticketpro.cz or other websites for details.

The neo-classical architecture of the exhibition center is exceptional. Many fine exhibitions are staged at the exhibition center throughout the year.

To get there, take the Metro ( subway / underground ) C-line to the Nadrazi Holesovice station, and then take Tram 12 to the exhibition center.

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Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este ( Ferdie ) purchased ( or helped himself to ) a structurally sound medieval fortress castle nestled in the central Bohemian forest. Built around AD 1250 the castle came complete with moat and drawbridge, and therefore, was the perfect place for our overindulged Habsburg friend to fantasize about being his hero, the great dragon slaying knight Sir George. Ferdie had much in common with mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, wouldn't you say.

Ferdie spared no taxpayer expense in doing a complete neo-gothic remodeling job of the castle. By 1894, the work was complete and ready for the part time habitation of Ferdie and his commoner bride, Princess Sophie. The estate is enormous, although not by Habsburg standards. Wish I could give you the total square meters. The English style grounds are vast and come complete with lakes, gardens, and statues galore. Don't miss the two-faced statue. ( Hmm. I wonder who inspired this art work ).

Tour the chateau exterior, the grounds, and admire the two-faced statue, all free of charge. Three different guided tours of the interior are available.

Zamek Konopiste is just just 2 klicks southwest of Benesov train and bus station. Take either the train or bus to Benesov from Praha. It is cheap and takes about 45 minutes each way. Take a cab or enjoy the walk to Konopiste. See the medieval treasures along the route.

I recommend the Chinese restaurant in Benesov. However, there is a restaurant in the zamek.

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Website: www.zamky-hrady.cz