Fodor's Citypack Prague

"Golden Prague," "Prague the hundred-towered," "the most beautiful city in Europe": such cliches are certainly true, though they tell only part of the story. Ocher in color, many of the city's buildings can gleam like gold, especially in the glow of the late afternoon sun; the skyline is punctuated by the uncountable towers, turrets, and steeples; and Prague's beauty is incontestable. The site is superb, with rock bluffs above a broad and curving river, and steep slopes rising through orchards and woodland. Human activities have enhanced what Nature provided so generously, crowning the heights with great churches and palaces, emphasizing the slopes with terraced gardens, precipitous streets, and flights of stairs, and marking the course of the river with a sequence of foaming weirs and bold bridges. Over a thousand years of history is expressed in stone: the foundations of the first Christian churches can still be seen, while below the sidewalks of the Old Town are vaulted cellars that once formed the ground floor of medieval merchants' houses. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Baroque style transformed the city's appearance. In the 19th century came great landmarks such as the National Museum and National Theater -- testimony to the Czech nation's self-confidence -- followed by the extravagances of art nouveau. Even the radical architects of the first half of the 20th century managed to insert their innovative buildings into the urban scene with a minimum of disturbance. In spite of (or perhaps as a result of) military defeats, occupation, and denial of citizens' rights, the four distinct quarters that form Prague's historic core are in a near-perfect state of preservation. They are the Castle district (Hradcany), the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) at its foot, the Old Town (Stare mesto) across the river, and the New Town (Nove mesto) laid out in the 14th century. Beyond is a ring of rundown suburbs, largely 19th-century, then an outer circle of high-rise housing projects and satellite towns built during the last 40 years. These suburbs are where most Praguers live. For many, life after Communism remains gray, the struggle to make ends meet greater than ever. Others have embraced the new freedom with alacrity; there's an obvious enjoyment in the previously forbidden pleasures of making and spending money. The continuing stream of visitors from abroad adds an extra element of vibrancy and has vastly improved the places to eat and to stay. Entrepreneurs are everywhere, opening shops, cafes, and bars. There's excitement in the air, particularly among the young, as Prague claims its rightful place in a Europe from which it has been long excluded.Fisher, Robert is the author of 'Fodor's Citypack Prague' with ISBN 9780679002529 and ISBN 0679002529.