Prague from the Outside

This past weekend, I traveled to Prague with my friend Whitney. We left Tisovec at 6am and arrived in Praha (as it’s called by the Czechs) at 4pm after a loooong train ride in a train car with two other, rather cranky passengers.

Our first stop was English mass at Bethlehem Chapel in St. Thomas Church. Both Whitney and I had been craving English worship. The chapel was small but beautiful.





Then, after church, we headed to the Klepkovi house. Whitney studied abroad in Prague for a semester in 2007, and her host family, the Klepkovi’s, had graciously offerred their house for our stay.

On Sunday, we spent the day as tourists. Prague is absoutely stunning.

Unlike other capital cities in Central Europe, Prague was not bombed during World War II. Here is an excerpt from a Travel Companion’s Guide to Prague:

“On March 14 1939 the President of Czechoslovakia emil Hacha was summoned by Hitler to Berlin. At 1AM on the 15 of March, Hacha was ushered into the presence of Hitler who warned him that the German Army was ready to invade Czechoslovakia. Hitler demanded surrender. Unless the president signed a paper requesting Hitler to take the Czech people under the protection of the Reich, hundreds of bombers would reduce Prague to ashes within a few hours. The elderly, sick Hacha fainted and had to be revived with an injection of destrose and vitamins. Worn out by the bullying and blackmail he capitulated and signed the document. Prague, one of the most enchanting cities in Europe with a history of over a thousand years was saved.”

This is the famous Charles Bridge. This picture was taken from a park above the city. Isn't Prague stunning?



Here is the view I saw as I walked across Charles Bridge. You can see the red roofs that Prague is famous for.



This is one of the MANY famous churches in Prague.



In the sqaure, we saw the world-famous astronomical clock. The gruesome legend that is told about this clock says that a man named Master Hanus built this clock in the 1390s. When the clock was finally finished, the townspeople flocked to Wenceslas Square to see the technological marvel. This one of a kind clock was the pride and joy of Prague's town council. At the debut of the clock, Master Hanus explained the inner workings of the clock to the people who had gathered to watch it chime the top of the hour. While he was speaking, someone approached the governeor and said, "I do not believe that a more magnificient clock could be found anywhere else in the world... unless Master Hanus built it."

This comment frightened the governor, and he began to worry that Master Hanus had already been planning to build a new clock for another city in Europe. His worry grew until finally he decided that something must be done.

One night while Master Hanus was working by the fire, three men sent by the governor barged into Hanus' house. They gagged Hanus and gouged out his eyes so that Master Hanus would never be able to duplicate the clock he had made for Prague.

The next morning, when Hanus had broken free of the ropes that had bound him, he stumbled through town and up the tower where his clock was placed. Just as the clock was about the strike the hour, he began to rip out some of the springs.

The clock that the city of Prague had coveted was no useless, and it remained so for a couple of hundred years. Today, the repaired astronomical clock draws crowds of people from around the world at the top of every hour. Here is a picture of the face of the clock.



On Sunday, we also spent some time in the Jewish Quarter. This is a picture of the Temple that serves as a memorial for the Jews who lost their lives in Nazi-occupied Prague during World War II. There are over 88,000 names of men, women and children written on these sacred walls.



Outside of the temple, the Old Jewish Cemetery is said to contain the bodies of 13,000 Jews. You can see the time-ravaged tombstones that once stood proudly, now lean haphazardly on top of each other.



If you ever have the chance to see Prague as a tourist, take it. The city's rich history and architecture are enchanting. During my stay in Prague, I was lucky enough to see Prague from the outside, as a tourist, but also from the inside thanks to the grace and hospitality of our host family, the Klepkovis. Stay tuned for my next blog entry, "Prague from the Inside."