Postcards from prague

Kavitha Srinivas, an artist from Chennai, recently visited the mesmering city of Prague in Czech Republic. She recounts her journey.

When I got the opportunity to accompany my daughter for a competition in the Czech Republic, I was extremely excited. I had heard a lot about its beauty, and how it was inexpensive and not ‘touristy’ yet. Add to it, my education in fine arts, where I had learnt about the medieval art and architecture in Czech Republic. Also, I had never visited a mainland European country before.. so I was really keen to experience all of it.

I was completely taken in by the beauty of Prague as soon as i landed — it is probably one of the few places Hitler left untouched, simply because he was enamoured by its beauty. The river Vltava flows through the centre of the town and divides it in two. The red roof tops and old bridges, like the Charles bridge, that cross the river, take you back to the medieval era, especially during the wee hours of the morning, when there are no trams or buses operating.

The Prague Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in the world and sits atop a lovely hill, overlooking the river. If you happen to reach there earlier in the morning, you can avail an audio tour of this well-maintained castle. If you happen to visit around midday, you can witness the ‘change of guards’.

A leisurely cruise on the river, and visit to castle, where they have maintained the homes of the medieval tailors, carpenters and iron smiths, is a must.

Do not miss the Old Town Square with its beautiful astronomical clock tower and quaint lanes lined with shops, and puppets and chocolate museums.

We also chanced upon a free walking tour online, conducted by students. There is no fixed fee as such, but they work for a tip. This was truly the best part of our trip, which I urge everyone visiting Prague to experience! We walked along, absorbing the sights and sounds, guided by a young enthusiastic, funny, English speaking local. We learnt a lot about the Russian invasion and local history, from a local’s perspective.

The Segway tour along the river, was another of the highlights. With the breeze caressing our faces and lovely clean roads with minimal traffic, traversing the city as a group, was a whole new experience.

Since we had a Schengen Visa, we could take a train to the Vienna (Austria) where we stayed for 2 days and also hopped on to a Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg. I’ve promised myself to go back there one day, just to experience the gorgeous locales of the Lake district yet again.

Being a pure vegetarian, I was rather worried that I wouldn’t have too many options, but indeed, I was wrong! I found a good variety of vegetarian food, wherever we went, including soups, pizzas, salads and pizzas. What stood out was the beer and wine, which were cheap everywhere —most times cheaper than buying water. The pubs here are also famous.

The locals in the tourist spots are extremely friendly and helpful. Most of them can speak a smattering of English, but the older generation struggle with the language — which was a slight inconvenience.

Although the weather was mostly pleasant in July, I believe April, May, June and August/September will be ideal months for travel.

After having tasted a little bit of what Europe has to offer, I am eager to go back and explore more of France, Germany and other European countries!

(As told to Kaavya Pillai)