A Mythical Place Called Prague...

GROWING up, Prague was one of those mythical places.

Well, not mythical as such, but somewhere mysterious that was the capital of every spelling test nightmare, Czechoslovakia. Sited on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain Prague was one of those places you were unlikely to go to anytime soon.

Nowadays things have changed. Prague is one of the more popular European tourist destinations; Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; while the latest country to give students cold sweats on spelling tests in Kyrgyzstan in central Asia.

There’s always the feeling though that Prague is still somewhere a bit different. Even the language when you enter the Czech Republic goes from vaguely understandable to a mish-mash of z’s, y’s, ř’s, ň’s and š’s. Our guide Amy told us a bit about the language on the way in, with a couple of useful tips to try and remember a couple of words (cheers in Czech sounding a lot like someone saying “nice driveway” quickly).

Before we even hit the Czech Republic we stopped in Dresden, home amongst other things to porcelain, the world’s longest tram and the Wonderbra. Although I didn’t stay here, it is a city rebuilt in the last 60 years after being ¾ destroyed at the end of WWII and was disappointed to miss out after Amy’s description.

Just over the border we then stopped at a former concentration camp at a small town called Terezin. Despite being an internment camp rather than an extermination camp as per Auschwitz 2/Birkenau, it’s still confronting to look at the way the Nazis kept prisoners – and in particular Jewish prisoners – in inhumane conditions.

Eventually we arrived at Plus Prague, our home for the next few days. The first night was pretty quiet, just catching up with a few people that had gone on ahead after Daniel and I left the circuit. The first day in was pretty quiet too, not least because after travelling with Daniel around Scandinavia I had to a) sleep, and b) launder!

Important stuff aside though it was time to head across to the Pražský Hrad (Prague Castle to for us monoglot English speakers). Despite there being a direct tram between the hostel and the castle (tram #12 for those playing at home), Cath and I walked across, not least because the walk entails the Letenské sady, a park superbly located overlooking the Vltava River and the old town. That it’s also a good way of working off those Czech beers (pivo) is another bonus…

After meeting Cath’s friend Jaime in town we then had a wander through the centre, with someone deciding that since it was a relatively nice day and it should only be about 30 minutes or so, we should walk back. Five or six detours and at least one very smelly underpass later and it was decided that someone (me) was an idiot… C’est la vie!

My final day was pretty chilled as well. Stupidly I decided to go to the Communist Museum: not a bad move in itself, but because I procrastinated so much earlier that day I was in the museum while the Czechs played Sweden in a World Cup Ice Hockey semi-final, and missed seeing the Czechs win on penalties on the big screen in the centre of town!

The museum was well worth the effort though. It doesn’t just look at the Communist-era Czechoslovakia, but goes back further to the formation of Czechoslovakia before going right through to the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Throughout it examines what life was like under Communist rule, shows propaganda posters used to discredit the West, and gives examples of how Communists used things like sport to promote their way of life.

For me though the most confronting – and disturbing – part of the museum was the TV room. Here on continuous loop is a film that shows demonstrations, includes footage of Wenceslas Square eerily free of McDonald’s or any other western stores – and police savagely beating their own people. For anyone who thinks that Communism was worthwhile, watch this video and be shocked.

To look at Prague nowadays is to realise how much has changed – and how accessible it really is. The beauty of the city still makes it mythical, but in a better way.