Prague

We might as well start with my favorite picture. Walking along the street between my hotel and the Old Town Square, I came across this lovely window. The bright sunshine and lace curtain contrast nicely with the dark interior of the house. And the window box flowers accent the whole with splashes of color.

The city of Prague has been troubled by war for as long as history has been recorded. The impact of WW I and WW II seem especially close to the surface. Many buildings have facades featuring modern war themes.

Prague is a city of contrast. Modern (circa 1900) building co-exist with structures built in the middle ages. All seemed to be in good repair. The streets, buildings and monuments are clean and safe. The Czech's obviously take pride in their city.

The 65m-tall Powder Tower is one of the Middle Ages vintage monuments. It was begun in 1475 to form one of the 13 entrances to the Old Town. In 1483 it was left unfinished because the king moved to Prague Castle. Between 1875 and 1886 the tower was rebuilt, and acquired its present name in the 17th century when it was used to store gunpowder. Today, there is a small exhibition about the tower and it is open for great views.

Here's another of my favorites. A side street on the way to the main square had these neat little sky bridges over it. Enclosed in glass with plants growing inside, they were a cultural investment in making a place attractive and livable ... especially in cold winter weather. Wonder if Minneapolis borrowed the idea from Prague?

In many ways, Prague is visually stunning. Partly it's the architecture. Partly it's mixture of buildings, parks, and public spaces. Partly it's the contrast between new and old. For a photographer, it's a treat to spend a weekend here with a camera and plenty of time to kill.

A building off the Old Town Square ...

In the center of the square, there's a massive sculpture. I suspect that it is more impactful when viewed from the windows and roof tops of surrounding buildings.

Pop Quiz: Why are man hole covers round? Send me an email if you want to know the answer. This is just part of the local culture and the attention to detail the city recieves ... even from Public Works.

Okay, I admit I don't speak Czech. All the street signs are in Czech but with a half decent map it's pretty easy to navigate this very manageable city. All European languages are widely spoken here and any American would find it easy to enjoy this place.

The Old Town Square has been Prague's heart since the 10th century and its main market place until the beginning of the 20th century. The spacious Square has been the scene of great events, both glorious and tragic. There are beautiful pastel-coloured buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin with fascinating house signs. Some of the most prominent examples include the Kinský Palace, the House of the Stone Bell and the Štorch House. Today, the Old Town Square offers visitors a tourist information office, and quite a number of restaurants, cafés, shops and galleries.

Tynsky's Cathedral: This Gothic church was built in 1365 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. Its magnificent multiple steeples are 80m high and dominate the square. Between the early 15th century and the year of 1620 it was the main Hussite church in Prague. A beautiful entrance portal decorated with scenes of Christ's passion and a huge Rococo altar on the northern wall are its most striking features. Right of the altar there is a tomb of the Danish astronomer Tycho de Brahe who worked at the court of the Emperor Rudolph II. Týn church has a grand-sounding pipe organ and occasionally, it is a concert venue.

Many of the buildings are richly decorated and many of those feature the crest of Prague. This was particularly beautiful.

I am sorry to tell you this, but I lied in my commentary regarding the top photo. THIS is in fact my favorite photo. On the Old Town Square is a clock tower with cheesy hourly display reminescent of a glockenspiel clock. But below the hoopla was this magnificent mechanical sun dial clock. If you expand no other photo, expand this one. I loved it!