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"A Magical Place" a Prague Travel Page by iwys

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"A Magical Place" a Prague Travel Page by iwys

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iwys   
I came, I saw and I had a good time


Real Name: Ian
Lives In: Salalah, OM
Member Since: Jul 28, 2004
VT Rank: 101

 

Page Views: 2,243            Last Visit to Prague: August, 2001      

A Magical Place

by iwys - last update: Dec 15, 2004

Prague has to be one of the leading contenders for the title of most beautiful city in the world.

I spent one week there, which was long enough to see all of the tourist attractions, but I still want to go back and see them again.

It might be nice to visit in the winter, when the streets are not so crowded with tourists and the city is covered with snow.

Good King Wenceslas

This is, after all, where, more than a thousand years ago, Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen.

"Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen.
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel.
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling.
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain.
Right against the forest fence, by St. Agnes' fountain." John Neale(1857).


Good King Wenceslas, later to become Saint Wenceslas - he was that good - is buried at St. Vitus's Cathedral, in the castle that he looked out from, and you can visit his tomb there, in the Chapel of St. Wenceslas. He died on September 20, 929 and is the patron saint of the Czech people. The Feast of Stephen is celebrated on December 26.

The Castle

The most famous Prague resident in recent times was the great writer, Franz Kafka. If you have read his novel, "The Castle" - one of my all-time favourite books - you can see where he got the inspiration from, and visit the places where he used to live.

"It was late evening when K arrived. The village lay deep in snow. Nothing could be seen of the Castle Hill, it was wrapped in mist and darkness, not a glimmer of light hinted at the presence of the great castle." The opening lines of Franz Kafka's, "The Castle," written in 1922 and first published in 1926.

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Pros:"It's beautiful"
Cons:"It can get VERY crowded in the summer"
iwys' Prague Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 17 - Photos: 17
 
Restaurants
Tips: 5 - Photos: 4
Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Nightlife
Tips: 3 - Photos: 2
Off The Beaten Path
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Tourist Traps
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Warnings Or Dangers
 
Transportation
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Local Customs
 
Packing ListsShopping
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips

iwys' Prague Travelogues
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
Jewish PragueMarch, 2001 6

Comments for iwys about Prague
TheWanderingCamel Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:07 UTC
 My memories of Prague date back to 1971. I returned in 1991 and 1993. No crowds then, just a beautiful city coming into its own. A Christmas visit was magical. leyle
sikorka Sun Aug 13, 2006 22:37 UTC
 Hi Ian, I am going to Prague this October and I'll try to go to Agharta Jezz Center. Thanks for your advice!
Ciambella Thu Jan 26, 2006 00:51 UTC
 Beautiful pages, thank you very much. Charles was there when the country was still under the Communist regime, and it will be my first visit in March. Thanks again for the good tips. --Nathalie
FruitLover Mon Dec 5, 2005 14:51 UTC
 Excellent page of a BEAUTIFUL city, a symphony in stone! I had 2 days visit there in 1st January [too cold, around zero celsius] and still wonder if it was real or a dream.
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