From Dresden, Germany, we took a train along the Elbe river down to Prague in the Czech Republic. This was the first time I had ever been to the Czech Republic. The countryside didn't change that much, the small pretty villages along the river and the old fortresses on the clifftops were quite similar. Prague's citizens are generally well educated and speak many languages especially the ones 30 years and younger. They learn English, German, and other European languages in school.
We took a six hour city tour while we were there since we were not familiar with the language, culture, and history of Prague. We took one of the umbrella tours that met below t
he famous Astronomical clock in the Old Town Square. Our guide was a university student who did these tours whenever she had a free moment for extra money, and for the love of meeting new people who wished to explore her city. We walked around the Old Town and New Town, took an hour cruise up and down the river, went for lunch at a restaurant (which amusingly enough was based on a Hamburg cafe complete with nautical decorations) to have an authentic Prague meal, and eventually took a tram up to the Prague castle. Up at the top of the castle, we got a amazing panoramic view of Prague. This city came out of WWII relatively unscathed, unlike Dresden further up the river. It was interesting to see the difference between those two cities. Prague still had its many ornately decorated buildings, courtyards, winding alleyways, etc. While Dresden has been desparately trying to rebuild to its former glory days, it is going to take a lot more money and years before it can be compared to Prague's timeless beauty again.
No comments:
Post a Comment