Praha (Prague), Czech

I love the history of each place that we visit, so here it is. 

Chat GPT condensed version:

“Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has a rich and complex history that spans over a thousand years. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the city began to take shape in the 9th century around Prague Castle, established by the Přemyslid dynasty. It grew in importance as the seat of Bohemian kings and, in the 14th century, flourished under Emperor Charles IV, who made Prague the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. During his reign, major landmarks like Charles University and Charles Bridge were founded, marking a golden age for the city.

In the 15th century, Prague became the center of religious upheaval with the rise of Jan Hus, a reformer whose execution led to the Hussite Wars. Later, in 1618, the infamous Defenestration of Prague helped ignite the Thirty Years’ War, plunging Central Europe into chaos. Under Habsburg rule from the 16th to early 20th centuries, the city saw periods of decline and resurgence, especially during the Baroque era, which left a lasting architectural legacy.

Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Prague became the capital of newly formed Czechoslovakia. The city endured Nazi occupation during World War II and came under Communist control after a 1948 coup. In 1968, the Prague Spring—a movement toward political liberalization—was suppressed by Soviet forces. However, in 1989, the Velvet Revolution peacefully ended Communist rule, and Václav Havel became president. After the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Prague emerged as the capital of the Czech Republic. Today, it stands as a vibrant, modern city known for its cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and enduring historical significance.”

Now on to the fun stuff ! We had a smooth departure from our hotel in Vienna, a short one mile walk to the station and I scored at the grocery market for yogurt and a huge water. We were all set for the train, a Czech train this time but it’s a fast railjet that I also booked under the Austrian train site. I think that all of these countries just have their own site to book the same train direct?

We arrived on time and it was a super nice train. Our hotel is not in the Old Town so it was only about 0.7 miles from the train station.

We checked in by 2 and we found a very nice place to eat a traditional Czech lunch. I had garlic soup. Paige had beef tartar and we both had pork and sauerkraut and bread dumplings. Yes we look like dumplings by now.

We headed to the Old Town and we were both blown away by the beauty. It just goes on and on.  We started with visiting St Nicholas Cathedral. Then we wondered around the square, walked by the Astronomical Clock (Orloj), the Tyn Church (we may climb the tower later). We visited the Church of Our Lady and then walked across the Charles Bridge. 

The bridge is lined with Christian statues. It is just unreal. Each has a special meaning. I only googled one, the plaque of St John of Nekomuk. We rubbed it bc we are puppets and could see it was the thing to do lol. 

Per Google:

“John of Nepomuk is a beloved Czech Saint and local icon of Prague. His gruesome demise at the hand of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, in part, led to his notoriety.

Per legend, Saint John was the confessor of Wenceslaus’s wife, Queen Joanna. An increasingly paranoid Wenceslaus pressed Saint John to divulge what Joanna had disclosed to him in the confessional, yet John refused. Incensed, the king ordered for John to be tortured and executed.

On March 20, 1393, the priest was thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River below. It was said that when John hit the water, five stars appeared in the sky over the river. As a result, Saint John is often depicted with a halo of five stars encircling his head. Due to the nature of his martyrdom, John of Nepomuk is considered to be the patron saint of protection from drowning and floods.

In actuality, the story of Saint John and Wenceslaus IV did involve some palace intrigue, but is certainly less salacious than the myth suggests. The contention between the king and the priest likely stemmed from a dispute over who had the authority to appoint clerics to hierarchical positions. Regardless of the reason for his martyrdom, John of Nepomuk was officially declared a canonized saint three centuries after his death.

It is the legend, however, that is the most popular version of events—as well as the one that’s immortalized on the Charles Bridge. The very spot Saint John was said to be thrown from is demarcated by a plaque on the bridge’s northernmost parapet, which bears a cross with five stars. Immediately above the plaque is a wrought-iron tableau depicting Saint John at the bottom of the Vltava.

The Charles Bridge is well-known for being lined with statues of Jesus, the Holy Family, and other saints, including John of Nepomuk. Located a few yards to the left of the plaque marking the location of his martyrdom is a statue of the saint. With a pained face, he is easily discernable by his iconic five-starred halo. If the Charles Bridge has heavy foot traffic, you’ll also be able to find the statue by the tourists lining up to see what is at its base: two placards depicting the saga leading to the priest’s demise. The plaque to the left is a scene in which Queen Joanna is in the confessional with Saint John; in the foreground, a knight pets a dog. No one seems to know exactly why the knight and his dog were incorporated into the scene, but it may be symbolism for loyalty. On the right-hand plaque, Queen Joanna is forced to watch as Saint John plummets into the river.

Visitors to the statue will notice that certain areas on these plaques have a shinier, more golden hue than the rest of their surroundings: the dog, the queen, and the saint. This effect comes from several years of visitors rubbing these plaques out of devotion or for good luck. One of the myths surrounding this ritual is that if you rub the image of Saint John, you’ll one day return to Prague. (Hence the line of tourists surrounding the statue at busy times.)

From these tributes to John of Nepomuk on the Charles Bridge, you can look up to the hilltop Prague Castle Complex to see the final resting place of what are purported to be remains of the saint.

After his martyrdom, a body believed to belong to Saint John was recovered from the Vltava and laid to rest at Saint Vitus Cathedral within the castle complex. These remains were exhumed in the 18th century, when a shocking discovery was made: a piece of bright pink matter, believed to be a tongue, remained undecomposed. Regarded as a miracle, the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk was constructed in the Czech town of Žďár nad Sázavou in 1723 to hold this relic.

The remains of Saint John of Nepomuk, including the purported tongue, were re-examined by forensic scientists in 1973. The bones, which were confirmed to be those of a middle-aged man, showed signs of violence— consistent with the torture endured by John before his execution. The “tongue,” however, was revealed to be congealed brain matter that had been preserved. Both the “tongue” and the rest of the body remain today at their respective resting places: the Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk and St. Vitus Cathedral.”

We walked across the Charles Bridge to another world of beauty. I believe the castle is on the other side but that is for our second day of exploring. 

We chilled for a bit and then headed out to the Jazz Republic to listen to some music. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing. The sax player reminded me of my sax playing brother.

It was raining when we walked home but thanks to Chat GPT we had our umbrellas. 

Happy birthday to my mom Rita in heaven. I miss her so much and I thank God every day for choosing her to be my mom and I know she is watching over me always. We toasted her! 

Prague Day Two

After a really great night’s sleep, we had a marvelous breakfast at the hotel and headed to the Prague Castle. Google maps took us along the river, across a bridge that was at least four bridges away from the Charles Brodge. It was quite nice and no tourists other than the two of us. 

That ended as soon as we got to the bottom of the hill leading up to the castle. The line for St Vitus cathedral was huge.  We found a great spot to wait for the changing of the guards. From my research, the guards change every hour, but at noon, there is more of a ceremony with a small parade and a military group that marches in. The guards are protecting the palace where the president of the Czech of Republic lives. Do not take my word for fact and please feel free to Google! ChatGPT told us to arrive a half an hour early to get a good viewing spot however it doesn’t matter because very rude and pushy tourists go right in front of you and stand in front of you. I was able to hold my ground to a great view, but Paige gave up because he got pushed back so far. It is absolutely crazy how many people just push their way into places and have no respect for other people.  I’m gonna start recording it because it’s very unreal. I hope to never be one of these type of tourists. 

Almost exactly at noon, when the ceremony began, it started to rain. Luckily it was only a little drizzle and my green every day hoodie came through again and kept me dry. We walked back through the square where St Vitus is and the line went down a lot, but we decided not to go in because we didn’t have a ticket. We walked back through the old town to regroup before we grab some lunch and it was still raining

We had delish grilled chicken salads. Paige had tripe soup. Yukko lol. 

After the rain stopped we walked to a different side of town where all of the shopping is. It was bustling. Once we reached an iconic buildings called the Dance House, which they say looks like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing, we headed towards the river and walked across the Chetchuv Most (bridge) for a beautiful view of the River Vltava and site of four bridges including the Charles Bridge.  

And that’s a wrap for Prague. Next up Krakow, Poland. 🇵🇱 

Day One

we had fun walking around Prague logged over 10 miles!

PS

I was intrigued to google the Moravians and Bohemians bc Paige’s mom want to Moravian College in PA and I kept hearing about it in Prague. This is from Chat GPT:

The roots of the Moravian Church trace back to Prague and the surrounding Czech lands — specifically the Kingdom of Bohemia, which included both Bohemia (with Prague as its capital) and Moravia.

⸻

Here’s how Prague fits into the story:

• The early reform movement that led to the Moravian Church began in Prague in the late 1300s and early 1400s.

• Jan Hus, the key spiritual forerunner of the Moravian Church, was a Czech priest and professor at Charles University in Prague.

• From his pulpit at Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, Hus preached against church corruption, indulgences, and clerical privilege. His call for reform sparked a major religious movement.

• After Hus was executed in 1415, his followers (known as Hussites) carried on his message, eventually splitting into various factions.

⸻

The Moravian Church itself was not formally “founded” in Prague, but…

• The church was born from the Hussite movement, which was born in Prague.

• The Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren) was officially established in 1457 in Kunzvald (Kunvald), a town in eastern Bohemia, near Moravia.

• So, while Prague was the birthplace of the ideas that led to the Moravian Church, the formal founding occurred in rural Bohemia, inspired by the Czech reform movement centered in Prague.