Prague : A Bohemian Rhapsody

This post was written in the run up to my travel to Eastern Europe via Prague. However, for the first time in my life (45 years) my visa application to a country was rejected and I have been travelling since I was 2 years old or so. This was by the Czech Embassy at New Delhi citing "justification for the purpose and conditions of intended stay not provided" for rejection despite have a clear travel itinerary, hotel bookings and insurance in place all paid for in advance. I also had solid financials and reasons why I was not going to "defect" or "seek asylum" given my family back home and a thriving business. Anyways, if planning a trip to Prague from India, I would suggest you avoid Prague as an entry point to your Europe trip. You are more likely to get your tourist visa from Poland or elsewhere and therefore should plan it as a mid point of your travel through Europe. Do not make the mistake I did of investing so much of myself in seeing Prague and surrounds as clearly their attitude to tourists from India is of disdain. I had hoped to populate my below post with pictures and anecdotes from my trip, alas I have been forced to cancel my plans and this post shall remain bereft of illustrations for the time being.

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When Freddie Mercury wrote the chart topping "Bohemian Rhapsody" for his 1975 album, it was toted as the most expensive to produce combining rock with opera interspersed with a ballad and acapella. The song was said to marry bohemian individualism with progressive art rock. The city of Prague is the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of Europe blending medieval architecture with the dramas and dilemmas of modernism of Franz Kafka, David Cerny and other artists whose installations dot the city.

Illustration of Prague by Anna Simmons

"The City of a Hundred Spires,” Prague or Praha is capital of the Czech Republic, iconic for its baroque architecture the examples of which can be seen at the Prague Castle, the Clementinum at the Old Town (famed for its medieval Astronomical Clock) and several churches. The Vitava river flows through the city's historic centre, flanked on either sides by historic sites and gothic churches. One of the most photographed bridges in the world, the 700 year old Charles Bridge cuts across the river to connect the Old Town with Malá Strana or the lesser quarters of Prague.

There was a time when a moat and wall separated the Old Town of Prague from the newer settlements. Over the centuries, the moat was covered up and streets running from north to south-west emerged as the visual boundary. In 1689, a large part of the Old Town was destroyed by a great fire, leaving a few architectural remnants such as the Old New Synagogue, Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock. The Prague Castle's Matthias Gate from the early 1600s is believed to be the first example of Baroque that became characteristic of Bohemia. It was during the reign of King Mathias (1611–1619) that the Italian Baroque architect Carlo Lurago came to rebuild the Clementinum and several churches of Prague.

If the fairy-tale like architecture is not enchanting enough, I am intrigued by Prague's lesser known tradition of occult arts as a result of King Rudolf II's extensive patronage of Alchemy and Sorcery. Also the city has some fascinating places like the almost underground Deer Moat, a fabulous library within a monastery, an astronomical clock from a time when people were still contesting that the world was flat, piles of haphazard but ornate tomb stones within a graveyard and the charming options where the East meets the West on a plate.

1. Explore the Gothic and the Baroque at the Prague Castle, Wallenstein Garden & Precincts

The Prague Castle :The Prague Castle Complex is one of the most elaborate and largest such castle complexes in the world. With some buildings dating as far back as the 9th century, with newer buildings been added over the years including ones from the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance periods. The castle has five halls and several museums, including the National Gallery of Bohemian baroque and mannerism art, a Toy Museum, an exhibition dedicated to Czech history, and a picture gallery of Prague Castle. While the gardens are serene, it was not so long ago that the conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics came to a head with the 1618 act of throwing the representatives of Roman Emperor Ferdinand II out of the palace window that led to the Thirty Years’ War. While the representatives survived the fall to trigger a war, the ugly "defenestration of enemies" became a part of the lore of the Prague Castle. More recently in 1939, shortly after the Nazi's took over Prague it is said that Adolf Hitler spent a night at the Prague Castle relishing the luxurious spoils of the war.

Dripstone Wall at The Wallenstein Garden (Open only between April to October): The Wallenstein Palace and gardens were once the luxurious private residence of Albrecht von Wallenstein built in the early 1600s. The property was taken over by the state after World War II and now houses the Senate of Czechia in the main buildings. The Wallenstein Garden offers some of the best views of the Prague Castle and also boasts of some unique features including a palisade of statues, a fascinating 'Grotto' and a pretty Koi pond. And then, there is this wall that actually stares at you - a hundred eyes upon you. Eerily enough the wall is surrounded by some of the most stunning gardens. There are stories that the Dripstone Wall itself hides clues to a secret passageway that keeps thrill seekers busy staring at it.

The Deermoat Tunnel : Along the north side of the Prague Castle, there exists a glen that once was part of the fort grounds, subsequently converted to a hunting ground for the King. Its called Jelení příkop or the Deer Moat. Today the Deer Moat has become a picturesque public park with its own woods and a stream running through the the middle, numerous stone steps, wooden walkways and most of all its 275-foot (84 m) tunnel under the Powder Bridge. This arching brick work was built to give visitors better access to the Castle grounds. One can enter the Deer Moat from Na opyši street, Klárov–Chotkova street, Královská zahrada (Royal Garden) from Letohrádek královny Anny (Queen Anne´s Summer Palace) downward along Fíkovna (Fig Garden).

St. Vitus Cathedral : Considered as one of the most photographable churches, St. Vitus Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague and until 1997 was dedicated only to Saint Vitus. An example of Gothic architecture now managed by the Czech government, it contains the tombs of Bohemian kings, Roman Emperors and patron saints. Originally founded by the Duke of Bohemia in 930, this church continued to add chapels and newer buildings right into the 20th century, contributing to nearly 1000 years of narrative history of Christianity in Europe. The church survived through the Hussite Wars and multiple fires. Not to be missed are the beautiful frescoes and the famous mosaic depicting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Crown Chamber is said to contain the Crown Jewels of Bohemia but is locked not available for viewing.

Charles Bridge : As previously described one of the best photographed bridges in the world, this was originally a wooden structure, this structure was repeatedly rebuilt to connect the two sides of town - the Old Town and the Lesser Town. The current structure was rebuilt in 1357 and decorated and renamed in the honour of King Charles IV. The bridge has 15 statues of saints on each side and had a tram line running until 1976. There are numerous legends of people living under the bridge or being thrown off the bridge.

Prague Castle Golden Lane: Once the home of the lesser than nobility - servants, smiths and soldiers, it is a neat cobble street with houses built into the wall, quaint windows and ornate furnishings. After the Northern wall of the Castle came up, some dwellings wer built for the helpers of the Castle. Czech writer Franz Kafka stayed occasionally at No.22 while House No. 20 is an authentic display of a 16th Century abode. The staircase in house No. 12 gives access to the terrace in front of the Daliborka Tower (the round cannon tower where knight Dalibor of Kozojedy was imprisoned).

Lennon Wall : In a nondescript street away from bustle is the Lennon Wall covered every inch by graffiti inspired from Beatles' songs. The first image that appeared was of John Lennon shortly after his death on the wall opposite the French Embassy. But it soon became a means of airing political and civic grievances, with the police making every effort to cover the graffiti and the artists repainting new graffiti everyday. The wall though owned by Knights of Malta, now stands tall a monument of public interest.

2. Go Back in Time at the Old Town Square & Jewish Town

The Old Town Square is a historic square located between the Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge which boasts of a Gothic Church (Our Lady before Týn), a medieval astronomical clock, a Baroque Church (St. Nicholas) and the more modern Czech National Gallery.

Prague Meridian at the Old Town Square : All but a brass strip, the Prague Meridian was installed in 1652 in the Old Town Square as time-teller for over 250 years. Prior to the industrial revolution, Prague maintained its local time by the shadow cast by a Marian column until it was destroyed by a mob in 1918 protesting the Habsburg Monarchy. Even today the meridian remains in the Old Town Square to remind people of an era when it set the "time in Prague".

The Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Square : A fabulous clock with a dark past, the Astronomical Clock was built by the great horologist Mikulas in 1380. To the consternation of the Prague Councilors, the Clock's fame brought many to seek Mikulas to better his feat by making an even fancier clock. Not willing to take a chance, the Councilors decided to blind Mikulas, who could not bear his misfortune and committed suicide by jumping into the clock. The clock's gears never worked for several centuries and it is said that Mikulas' curse turned those who tried to work it either insane or sent them to an early death. The clock displays Old Bohemian time, German time, Babylonian time, and Sidereal time with four moving automatons and 12 rotating apostles. Till recently one could tour of the insides of the clock, however since May 2018 it is under repairs.

The Powder Tower : Meant to be a store for gun powder at the entrance to Prague, the Gothic tower was originally the first line of defense. It was later the location of coronations in the 19th century. Immediately behind it is the Municipal House.

Municipal House : Truly the most beautiful building in Prague, it opened in 1912 and today serves as a concert venue, besides housing three restaurants and the oldest bar in Prague. Frequently an exhibition venue for pieces from Museum of Decorative Art, the Municipal House used to be the site of a now demolished Royal Court Palace. The mosaic over the entrance by Karel Špillar pays homage to Prague and the Mayor’s Hall is decorated with Alphonse Mucha’s painting of notable historical figures.

Speculum Alchemiae at Old Town : The recently discovered lair of alchemy, the Speculum Alchemiae is at the center of Prague jostling among the oldest buildings of the Old Town. The small frontage of the building does not prepare you for the places you are about too discover beyond the building which houses portraits, books and various curiosities. A small lever hidden in a statue in the library when twisted reveals a secret door that leads you down into a sprawling laboratory underground where the alchemists of the bygone days tried to turn lead to gold.

Idiom Installation at Old Town : Artist Matej Kren’s Idiom is a cylindrical tower of books that seem to endlessly goes on with a narrow opening on one side. This installation though a fantastic photo-op for the bibliophobes and a wonderful tome for bibliophiles actually has a catch, you cannot afford to pick one book for the dread of collapsing the tower. Originally displayed at the Sao Paulo International Biennial in 1995, the Idiom is now permanently housed at the entrance of the Prague Municipal Library. Kren who has been fascinated by the theme of infinite knowledge captures the dream-nightmare situation of being overwhelmed by knowledge in several other works including the "Gravity Mixer” at Hannover, Germany and "Passage” at Bratislava.

Old Town Hall Viewing Gallery : The town hall tower offers 360 degree views of the city and its colourful rooftops. The best way to buy a ticket to the viewing gallery (about 120Kc) is online else opt to buy at the ticket office on the 3rd floor. Its a great way to catch some candid shots of the city and people.

Thief's Arm at Church of St. James (Kostel Sv. Jakuba Vetsiho): The 400 year old baroque Church of St. James the Greater is also the home of a mummified arm dangling from a meat hook on the wall as a warning to thieves after a thief supposedly tried to steal the jewels off the statue.

Jan Palach Memorial : A memorial has been erected in memory of Jan Palach a student who committed suicide in 1969, after the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in Wenceslas Square marked by a bronze memorial plaque.

Old New Synagogue : At the centre of Prague's Jewish quarter Josefov, this synagogue was built in 1270, purportedly with stones that originated from Jerusalem (Temple of Solomon). Till today serving as a main house of prayer for the Jews of Prague, in its 700 plus years the synagogue has only seen four years of closure during Prague's Nazi occupation, having miraculously escaped destruction during the great fire. Legend has it that around 1580, Rabbi Loew following instructions from a dream formed the Golem from mud as protection for the Jewish populace. Over a period of time, the Golem became powerful and beyond control that it had to be confined in a sealed attic room with no entry access at the Synagogue - the puzzle of a tower with no steps.

Old Jewish Cemetery : A cemetery that houses over 100,000 graves with 12000 medieval headstones propped erratically, covered in ivy would seem like a setting for a horror movie. It is Prague’s oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the city dating back to the 1400s. Jewish customs forbid the removal of old graves, so the dead were piled and the headstones remained. Some famous people buried here include Rabbi Loew and astronomer David Gans. The Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, almost erased all evidence of Jews barring the Old Jewish Cemetery and some artifacts collected by the Jewish Museum. Prague’s Jewish Museum offers visitors a chance to visit the Old Jewish Cemetery through its tours and people leave their prayers on the grave stones.

3. Ride the Funicular to Petrin Hill & Meditate in a Library

The Petrín hill in the Lesser Town precincts is formerly a vineyard for King Charles. It offers fabulous views of Prague and is recognizable by a miniature of the Eiffel Tower. While the climb up the hill is breath-taking literally, it can be a bit steep. The quickest way up is to take the funicular which operates from 9.00 a.m. upto 11:30 p.m. (summer) or upto 10:20 p.m. (winter). The places to visit include Petrin Tower, Mirror Maze (Bludiště), the Observatory and the Rose Garden. Some weekends pony and horseback rides are available to children during the summer months. Another place of interest close to the Petrin Hill is the Strahov Monastery .

The Prague Eiffel Tower / Petrin Lookout Tower :The Prague Eiffel Tower or the Petrin Lookout Tower (Rozhledna) stands only 63.5 metre and 299 steps tall on building and is located on the grounds of the Petrin Park. Built in 1891 by Czech tourists inspired by the Paris Tower, in time for the General Land Centennial Exhibition. Between 1953 and 1992 it served as an observation and TV transmission tower. The tower also houses the Karel Zeman Museum devoted to how special effects were achieved in the early 20th Century

Stefanik Observatory : Inaugurated in 1928, the observatory is named after Milan R. Štefánik a co-founder of the Czechoslovakian state, who apart from being a soldier, was also a scientist and astronomer by education. After studying astronomy at Prague's Charles University, he worked in the observatory close to Paris. The observatory has three domes and one observation lodge. The Western Dome houses the Maksutov - Cassegrain mirror telescope since 1976, while the Main Dome boasts of Koenig's double Zeiss astrograph and the Eastern Dome houses a Meade mirror telescope since the ate 90s.

Magical Cavern at Petrin Hill : This modern day cavern dubbed Argondia, is the work of the artist Reon Argondian (nee Jan Zahradnik), who sought to show his pieces in the most appropriate way - by redecorating his home which used to be an old mill, just on the Petrin hill overlooking Prague. Aptly to get to this place , one has to explore the beautiful woods of Petrin. The psychedelic art pieces are on every wall, the hand-sculpted facades that mimic stone have unusual decorative roots turning the gallery into almost unreal fantasy world.

Mirror Maze : This is housed in a building that looks like a miniature Gothic Castle and is a remnant from the Prague Exhibition Grounds of 1891. It features a hall with distorting mirrors and a diorama of the 30 Years’ War.

The Strahov Monastery : Built in 1140, the Strahov Monastery sits on top of a hill benevolently overlooking the town. While the monastery buildings and chapels are quite beautiful, its the two blocks of library with over 18000 theological texts and over 42000 philosophical treatises that blows you away. The rare volumes, the gilded wood carvings and cartouches and the beautiful cabinet of curiosities are enough fodder for an imaginative mind. In the vicinity of the monastery, is the Museum of Miniatures featuring miniatures of Siberian born artist Anatolij Konenko.

4. Look for Examples of Surrealism, Franz Kafka and David Cerny

Cerny's Man Hanging Out at Old Town : It may look like a suicide in progress, it is just a statue of Sigmund Freud dangling above the cobbled street in Old Town at the intersection of Husova and Skorepka. Created in 1996, it signifies Cerny's uncertainty about intellectualism in the 20th century.

Dancing House of Prague : The co-architect of the 1996 building, Frank Gehry once called it “Fred and Ginger," while locals named it “The Drunk House”. Over time it has become "The Dancing House of Prague" that sits facing the Vitava river oddly amidst historical architecture.The 1945 bombing of Prague destroyed the previous period building, leaving the spot in rubble til 1960. The building though not open to public otherwise, has a lobby and restaurant with a patio on the 7th floor that afford great photos of the Prague Castle and the Vltava River.

Cerny's Hlava Franze Kafky (Franz Kafka's Head) : This is a beautiful moving sculpture that celebrates Franz Kafka, a celebrated literati of Prague. It signifies the self-doubt and depression that plagued Kafka by recreating the moving pieces of his face that disintegrates once the layers twist. The sculpture consists of 42 different layers that move as a result of gears to the control of a program. This installation is close to the place where Kafka worked.

Cerny's Statue of King Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Dead Horse : An upside-down, apparently dead horse hangs from the ceiling of the Art Nouveau Lucerna Palace.

Statue of Franz Kafka at the Jewish Quarter : Installed by sculptor Jaroslav Róna in 2003, this statue of Kafka is placed in the Jewish Quarter where he is supposed to have lived, depicting a scene from one of his stories. It portrays Kafka as the narrator and a large empty suit as the unnamed acquaintance.

Franz Kafka Museum & Cerny's Proudy : Just off the Charles Bridge, in a quaint square is a pair of double doors that lead t the brooding galleries of Franz Kafka Museum that include personal artifacts to graphical representations. The museum is divided into two parts one that talks about the “Existential Space” and another about “Imaginary Topography”. Also a part of the museum are moving statues that illustrate Kafka's ideas, such as Cerný’s Proudy pissing fountain in the courtyard. This installation depicts two bronze men pissing and waving at passersby. The two figures are programmed to spelling literary quotes with their pee. One send a message via text message to a number (+420 724 370 770) to spell out the words sent to them.

Cerny's Trifot : This installation outside the Czech Photo Centre signifies dystopian future of surveillance and privacy with a 40-foot-tall statue bulging eyes swivelling to watch passersby and broadcast on one of six monitors in the area.

Cerny's Brown-Nosers : A 17 foot tall permanent fixture in the back garden of Futura (art museum), it depicts the gigantic, naked lower halves of two bodies bent over and leaning against the building with rather gaping orifices, through which visitors to stick their heads inside their derrieres. Inside the visitor can see screen playing a video of Czech politicians feeding each other with Queen’s “We Are the Champions playing in the background.

Cerny's Crawling Babies on Zizkov Tower : The Zizkov TV tower is a modern oddity 700 feet tall piercing above the charming baroque architecture. Once toted as the ugliest buildings in the world, the tower has gigantic metallic installation of babies crawling. The 10 babies are each six feet in height and sport faces bereft of features and are placed on all sides of the Tower.

Cerny's London Booster : This installation commemorates the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a double decker bus as an athlete, with muscular arms and poised in a "push up" pose. Every day at 3.00 p.m. the bus lifts itself above the heads of onlookers while making groaning sounds.

Cerny's Quo Vadis : This sculpture has an East German car on four legs paying a tribute to those who sought asylum from East Germany in 1989. In doingso many had to leave their favourite cars behind. Today it is a permanent fixture in the garden of Prague’s Federal German Republic Embassy.

Podobenství s Lebkou (Parable With Skull) : Tourists at the Prague Castle are usually surprised when greeted by a giant-skull bearing beggar on all fours. Jaroslav Róna, is a prolific surrealist sculptor who depicted in bronze a beggar weighed down by a large skull. Found at the eastern end of the Golden Lane by the Prague Castle’s Daliborka Tower, the "Parable with Skull" reflects one of Kafka’s characters.

If Prague leaves you feeling out of breath with all that has traversed this city, its because you can see how each of its people have contributed to building and rebuilding it many different ways. Also the power of faith and surrealism is deeply woven into the cultural fabric and the Czech take pride in the marriage of the two different philosophical views of life, a veritable Bohemian rhapsody of the old and the new.