In search of Bohemia (Bohemian rats ‘n me)
There is something deliciously decadent about Prague.
Ask people what they think of this wonderful city that has been at the heart of European history and culture for thousands of years and their impressions will be mixed – romantic images of ancient untamed Bohemia are likely to be mingled with images of floods of tourists, stag parties and cheap beer.
That’s because Prague is a paradox. The heart of the city is a medieval fairyland of cobbled streets and gas lamps, gothic towers and dark crypts, castles and ancient monasteries. Step outside the bohemian heart though and you enter another world – a cosmopolitan city of designer shops, trendy coffee houses and chic restaurants, night clubs and disco’s. Travel on one of the metro trains beyond the city centre and Prague still surprises – grey menacing tower blocks, the legacy of the communist era, sit beside brand new business parks and shopping malls.
But then everything about Prague surprises. There I was standing in front of the Smetana Museum, looking across the Vltava River towards Charles Bridge when I noticed a small movement beneath my feet. The trees along the river walk are set into ornate circles of ironwork and there beneath the iron circle two beady eyes were looking up at me; a small whiskered nose protruding through the grating. It was a large brown river rat who had found a perfect place to nest and watch the world go by. I watched it with fascination for some moments before it scuttled away back into the labyrinth of tunnels beneath old Prague.
There are so many places to see in Prague that you feel spoilt for choice. In the very centre of the city lies Charles Bridge, its image captured on thousands of postcards and always reverberating to the sounds of a thousand camera shutters. It is the tourist mecca with its fabulous statues and views across the city from the middle of the mighty Vltava River. High above you looms the gothic splendour of the castle and cathedral and a vista of towers and spires. Every building fascinates as almost every style of architecture imaginable jostles for space from different periods of history. There are numerous tourist shops selling Russian dolls, glassware, jewellery, T-shirts, baseball caps, prints and countless pictures and paintings of Charles Bridge. Slip away from the main tourist trails though and there are lots of other shops to explore filled with weird and wonderful things to interest and amuse. Take a turn down cobbled streets and you are likely to find ancient monasteries or gothic cathedrals, pretty town squares filled with flowers and fountains, museums and coffee shops.
If you are wondering how to spend your time in Prague there is something to suit all tastes. A lot of visitors choose the guided tours to see the city sights but if you are not of the herd mentality a good guide book and a map are all you need to explore at your own pace. Prague is a very safe and welcoming city to wander around – the only things to watch out for are the pickpockets on Wencelas square and the mercenary taxi drivers (if you do need to take a taxi agree a price up front and don’t be afraid to haggle if it sounds expensive)
Other ideas? Try to see a ‘Black Light Theatre show’ – in which the whole theatre is completely blacked out and your senses are assaulted by weird lights, shapes and sounds that are truly mesmerising. Alternatively try one of the Puppet shows – you will love it and so will the kids. The Czechs love puppets and staging puppet shows and there are some wonderful shops selling souvenir puppets that are reasonably priced and well constructed. In a bizarre juxtaposition of old and new you might also stumble across the “Sex Museum” sandwiched between more austere premises. If you are in the mood for something more cultural however then there are numerous classical music concerts to choose from. Prague has some stunning music venues ranging from ornate marble halls to ancient chapels with wonderful natural acoustics and fascinating frescoes on the walls. There are professional orchestras, string quartets, classical guitar concerts or opera – whatever suits your mood. I went to see a string quartet perform in an old chapel just off Old Town Square – don’t ask me what piece of music they were playing – I don’t recall – but the amazing acoustics, fascinating frescoes and ancient setting made it magical.
If you enjoy eating out then you will not be disappointed. Prague boasts thousands of restaurants to choose from whether you want to sample traditional Czech cuisine or something more international. Whatever food you enjoy Prague offers a myriad of hidden, mysterious restaurants to suit all tastes. If you want to impress and dine in bohemian splendour try the delights of the Palffry Palace on Valdstejnska but be sure to book first! And don’t be put off by the ancient decaying entrance to the building. A gloomy flight of stone stairs will lead you into a magical room of glistening chandeliers, old paintings and art deco decadence. If you’re after reasonably priced good food with good service and a nice ambience there are literally hundreds of places to choose from. Try ‘Le Café Colonial’ on Siroka Street or the enigmatic underground cellars of the oddly named ‘Architects Club’ – a restaurant carved out of the rock cellars beneath the amazing Bethlehem Chapel built in 1391. If you just want a leisurely coffee and somewhere to sit and watch the world go by then find a table in Hotel Europa’s lounge and sit in the faded glory of this old hotel’s turn of the century interior looking out over bustling Wencelas Square.
You can’t visit Prague though without trying the beer. Czech beer is famous the world over and there is no shortage of places to drink. The city centre bars are all very pleasant if you don’t mind rubbing shoulders with hundreds of tourists. If you are looking for something more authentic then try the places where Czechs drink which are usually only a street or two away from the main tourist trails. I spent many happy hours in a small unpretentious bar in a nondescript back street drinking good beer and superb food. Don’t expect any frills though. I can recommend the underground cellar bar in “Bar Fly” on U Dobrenskych street near Charles Bridge where you will sit at a wooden bench pushed up to a wooden table with one fat candle and a steak knife.
And then there’s “Beer Cheese”! You won’t find it on many menu’s in the tourist areas that’s for sure – but if you ask the waiter for some he will generally oblige with a knowing nod. Beer cheese is ordered by the Czechs in their beer halls and café’s in the same way the Brits order crisps or peanuts in the pub. Such a simple idea too. Take a few slices of cheese, crumple it in your hands until you have a small pyramid in the middle of your plate, cover it in thinly shredded spring onion then pour a small glass of beer over it. Absolutely delicious!
So where does Prague hide her secrets? For me the answer is about doors. It’s all about enigmatic doorways with secret interiors – and endlessly speculating about what might be concealed behind them. Nowhere else in the world will you find so many unusual doors as in Prague. In fact if there is such a hobby as ‘door spotting’ then Prague has to be the mecca. Just wandering around the old city you can see thousands of fascinating doorways to stand and wonder at. Ancient wooden doors with incredible carvings, glass art nouveau doors of many colours, wrought iron doors and doors with strange pictures or engravings. Tiny leathery doors, grand ornate double doors in fact every type of door you can think of. But it’s not just the doors themselves that fascinate. Raise your eyes above the door frame and you will see enigmatic pictures, frescoes or carvings that tell you something about the building itself and what might lie concealed within. All over Prague there are wonderful timeless images above doorways. Exotic creatures – dragons or unicorns, blue bears or black wolves, esoteric Masonic diagrams or alchemical symbols, black Madonna’s or heraldic insignia’s.
If, like me, you are fascinated by the more mysterious or esoteric elements of history then Prague has everything you could wish for and more. A labyrinth of alluring backstreets you will find Prague to be a city of secrets in which Alchemists, Rosicrucians and Freemasons practiced their arts and left tantalising traces all over the city. If you are onthe tourist routes then a ‘must see’ is the incredible Astronomical clock in Old Town Square dating from 1410. What most tourists miss though is all the other historical sites connected with Prague’s esoteric past – forget the Da Vinci code – if you want the authentic city of conspiracies it is here in Prague. Just off Betlemska is the house of John Dee, Elizabeth the first’s personal astrologer and magician. It was here the John Dee conducted his experiments associated with the search for the Philosophers Stone. Nearby in Karlova the famous astronomers Kepler and Tycho Brahe met to discuss their radical ideas about planetary orbits. In another side street called Templova the Knights Templars held their meetings and close by is the house where Komensky, the mystical author, Rosicrucian and Alchemist, worked. Sometimes known as the ‘crossroads of Europe’ Prague is a place that has always been a melting pot of ideas and experiments where secret societies still meet and where history oozes from every corner of the city.
One reason tourists are drawn to Prague is because they want to find the real heart of Bohemia but many of them return disappointed and complain that Prague has turned into a city ruined by tourism and that it has somehow lost its magic. But they would be mistaken – the magic is still there if you make the effort to find it. It’s just that you can’t capture the essence of Prague. You can’t bottle it and take it home. You can’t capture it on film and you can’t find it in a guide book or by following the well worn tourist trail through the heart of the city. Prague is too mysterious for that. She is like a mysterious and alluring temptress who only reveals her secrets very slowly and the more she reveals the more you want to see.
So I’m booking another trip next month. I know there are other places I want to visit but as usual I can’t get Prague out of my head. I too came here looking for the real ‘Bohemia’ – the romantic, enticing, mysterious city of the Alchemists. At first I thought it was all gone – sadly replaced by trendy shopping malls, strip clubs and McDonalds. But Prague is too cunning to give up her secrets that easily.
No, Bohemia is here all right if you know where to look for it.
Bohemia lurks just beneath the surface like the rat staring up from the ironwork. It’s there in the cobbled backstreets, in hidden corners, in the old beer halls and cellars, in the faded frescoes above doorways, in ancient monasteries and mysterious carvings on the sides of buildings. It hangs in the early morning mist over Charles Bridge and in the deep shadows beneath its gothic towers. If you look for it too hard it will slip away from your eyes like a mirage in the desert but if you don’t look hard enough it will remain forever just out of reach.
Czech legend says that Prague was formed when a jewel fell to earth from Lucifer’s crown and yes, I like that idea. For me it somehow sums up the whole essence of Bohemia.
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