I’m not certain if it says more about how many places we’ve been to since we moved to Amsterdam, or its position at the crossroads of Europe (the silk road between China and the west passes through, as does the Amber road from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, and the yellow brick road is just a few miles out of town), but the city of Prague seems reminiscent of many other places.

The architecture sings of Paris, beautiful buildings, graceful bridges, abundant statuary, even a small scale version of the Eiffel Tower constructed only a few years after Gustaf Eiffel built his.  Stand on the sidewalk of Wenceslas Square and you could swear you were on the Champs Elysees.

Take a stroll around the main square in Old Town and you could be in Brugge Belgium, another treasure that thankfully avoided the destruction of WWII that altered so much of Europe’s urban landscape.

The parallels extend to the shops and restaurants.  The former are chock-a-block with nesting Matryoshka type dolls that recall Russia, elaborately dyed easter eggs that look similar to the Ukranian ones my mother used to buy years ago, and Murano style glass like they make in Venice, Italy.  The later offering specials of Goulash, a dish I’ve always associated with Hungary.

One particularly unexpected similarity came from visiting Prague in February, not exactly peek visiting season. We planned for cold, packing multiple hats and mittens and scarves, lecturing the girls on the importance of layering. What we hadn’t really thought of was snow. Amsterdam hasn’t offered much in the way of replicating our Minnesota winters, but Prague gave us a nice taste. The highlight of the trip for me, was wandering out of our hotel one morning, watching huge flakes of show nestle upon the red tile roofs,  church spires and narrow cobblestone streets and then slipping and stumbling up a hill to a huge park where we built snowmen and had a great snowball fight. Priceless!

Of course, Prague has it’s own unique characteristics as well.  I’ve never encountered a place with as rich and varied cultural options. Operas and plays and jazz abound.  We passed by the main orchestral hall to see a sign announcing an afternoon performance of the “Greatest Hits” of Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Strauss. The city is also a center for marionette puppetry, not to mention home to a multitude of shops selling a dizzying variety of pinochio’s kin.

An even more unique theater experience is the Black Light performances. We attended one such show featuring the songs of the Beetles. Imagine a lurid yellow submarine floating along the stage. Fun, if not a little strange.

The result of this amalgamation is a truly wonderful city. Everyone who heard we were going raved and for once, the problem of raised expectation did not diminish our experience. From the night train we took to get there, to the most gracious hotel we’ve ever visited, Prague was truly a delight.

Advertisement