Prague, the largest city in the Czech Republic, is famously known as the golden city of a hundred spires, and on my virgin trip to Europe in a summery July, I had the opportunity to find out why. Whether it was crossing Charles Bridge, the most historical bridge in Prague, or stepping into the interior of a church lined with human bones, every corner of this UNESCO World Heritage site had something enchanting to offer.
Charles Bridge
Historical Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava River, and it is considered as Prague’s most historical bridge. The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers. The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and, most of them Baroque-style, erected around the 1700. By night, it is a picture of tranquility and quietness. By day, however, the bridge transforms into a bustling hub of painters, traders and numerous tourists passing by.
Old Town - Thats Me!
I myself ended up walking up and down the bridge several times in a day, soaking in the sights and the glistening calm of the river. I even sat at the edge of the bridge for various photo opportunities with the picturesque backdrop.
View from the Top
Experiencing Prague’s Countryside- Town of Kutna Hora
Nestled outside the bustling city of Prague is a tin-mining town called “Kutna-Hora”. Unlike the bustling atmosphere experienced at Charles Bridge, this one felt like a simple countryside with a beautiful skyscape. As I looked up to the sky, I felt a quiet happiness looking at the bright blue sky dotted with woolly clouds drifting past.
This town was once a rich tin-mining area. But beneath this folksy landscape lay some fascinating surprises. One such attraction that I did not expect to see was the Sedlec Ottuary, which looks like a normal church from afar. But as I stepped in, I was amazed to see that the walls and pillars were lined from the floor to the ceiling with some 40,000 human bones. The human skeletons have been derived from and arranged in different forms to reflect the people that died during the Black Death in the mid 14th Century. Then, come 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver, was employed by the Schwarzenberg family to put the skeleton bone heaps into what we see today.
Sedlec Ottuary - Bones and more bones
Interesting & Exotic Museums
Prague is such an interesting place with quirky attractions. I chanced across a museum that I did not expect to visit – the Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments. This three-storey museum was located just at the brink of Prague’s Old Town, at the mouth of Charles Bridge. Dating back to the 18th century, I took in the sights of a wide array of torture instruments used in the medieval ages. Some may have found it gory and hard to stomach. For me, I found the exhibits original and even ingenious, to a certain extent. So fascinating! The creativity harnessed in the medieval ages goes beyond the requisite electric chair. However, just thinking about the gruesome acts of torture gave me the shivers, as I thought about how cruelly people must have been tortured in the past.
Evening by Charles Bridge
Transport and Communication
As with most Eastern Europe countries, many people do not use English to communicate, but it did not pose as a major barrier for me. I managed to converse with people in simple English. Otherwise, I just ended up using hand gestures to convey my message across. I even had an enthusiastic shopkeeper who spoke to me in Czech for an extended period of time, even though I could not understand what she was saying.
Transport-wise, it was relatively easy to get around Prague. There are several signages and maps which are easily available in English to guide one along.
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Hamidah Aidillah Mustafa
The writer attended a six day International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague sponsored by the following bodies: Yayasan Mendaki, Mendaki Club, Lee Foundation and also the National Youth Council. She is currently an EXCO member of Mendaki Club.