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Like moths to a flame, Prague's countless tourists swarm around the Old City streets, flitting in and out of the endless & identically-kitsch tourist shops, alighting nowhere for long. For most cities, however enchanting, this would be enough to wear the charm thin - very quickly... =/ But Prague is an untouchably magical place - a deep-dreaming city of cobbled lanes, Gothic spires and refreshingly-diverse architecture. And one of the most magical places of all is Staromestske nam, (Old Town square), at dusk. The twin Gothic spires of Tyn Church hang - a pair of sharp-winged bats - over one side of the square, while the other is dominated by the Town Hall, (with its much-vaunted but ultimately anticlimactic - Is that it?! - astronomical clock).

Prague/Krakow: Dreams, Dragons & Nazi Death Camps

Michael Meadows
2007-04-21 21:27:46

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Like moths to a flame, Prague's countless tourists swarm around the Old City streets, flitting in and out of the endless & identically-kitsch tourist shops, alighting nowhere for long. For most cities, however enchanting, this would be enough to wear the charm thin - very quickly... =/ But Prague is an untouchably magical place - a deep-dreaming city of cobbled lanes, Gothic spires and refreshingly-diverse architecture. And one of the most magical places of all is Staromestske nam, (Old Town square), at dusk. The twin Gothic spires of Tyn Church hang - a pair of sharp-winged bats - over one side of the square, while the other is dominated by the Town Hall, (with its much-vaunted but ultimately anticlimactic - Is that it?! - astronomical clock). Wandering into the maze of winding, cobbled lanes that surround the square, you soon lose all sense of direction, and may well emerge onto Karluv Most (Charles Bridge), to amble along between an honour guard of stony saints and watch the portrait artists at work. Or you might find yourself stepping out onto the sloping Vaclavske nam, (Wenceslas Square), the site of numerous demonstrations, (including that of two students who burned themselves alive to protest the Soviet invasion in 1969).

As you wander around these streets, desperate-looking individuals - heavily wrapped up against the biting cold - ambush you on blind corners, and thrust all sorts of flyers into your startled faces. After initially refusing all of these, we started to read them a little closer, and ended up actually visiting two of the places advertised. Firstly, a classical concert in the small but accoustically-rich church of Saint-Martin-in-the-Wall, (so-named because it was built into the original city walls). For an hour or so, a very talented string quartet performed popular pieces by Mozart, Verdi, and others. I enjoyed it very much but have to admit, I was glad it didn't go on much longer. =P As for the second visit, it was also ...