Don't miss picturesque
Prague when you're planning your trip to Europe
By Casey Balmforth
November 7, 2005 | Prague
is amazing - simply put and straight to the point. I
think anyone who has visited this picturesque city would
surely agree. Its narrow and winding streets, paved
in cobblestone, guide you through a city that is so
embedded with history and architecture it is almost
surreal.
If buildings could talk, those in
Prague would have
an awful lot to say and some pretty interesting stories
to tell. Through literally thousands of years of different
rulers, governments, wars, revolts, and not to mention
floods, the city has survived -- and more. It is likely
more beautiful and romantic now than ever before. There
are seemingly endless things to see and visit, good
food and friendly people, great hockey, beautiful crystal,
and then there's the beer: cheap, and possibly the best
in the world (supposedly anyway - I've never actually
tried it).
Interestingly and unbeknownst to
me however, it remains one of the "hidden gems" of Europe;
a "diamond in the rough" if you will. For some reason
or another, Prague (nicknamed "The Heart of Europe" ) has yet to gain
the international stigma that is attached to such cities
as Paris or Rome. Travelers (especially Americans) still
seem hesitant to accept Prague as a major travel destination,
or at least a "must see" while visiting Europe.
Now don't get me wrong. If you happen
to visit Prague in the summer, you will find swarms
of tourists throughout the city and a thriving tourist
industry that basically supports the rest of the country.
But still it's different -- at least for me anyway.
Many of those tourists end up in
Prague almost by accident it seems. It was just a day
stop on their bus tour that they really weren't all
that excited about and maybe even a little nervous for.
They hadn't heard much about it or known really what
to expect. But then when they get there - oh how they
respond to the beauty and feeling of Praha (Prague in
the Czech language).
Allow me to entertain you with an
example. Now before I begin, I must admit that I did
live in Prague from 2000 to 2002 as a missionary for
my church. I loved it; completely and absolutely loved
it. So, therefore, it is possible that I may be a little
biased when I speak about the city that is so near and
dear to my heart.
Now for my story. Just this past
summer several of my friends and I took a 10-day vacation
back to Europe. We visited Germany, Austria, Czech Republic
and finally Italy. All of these countries were beautiful
and I loved every minute of my trip. There is just something
about backpacking in Europe. It's like a certain feeling
of freedom and carelessness comes over you as you as
you go from country to country, sleeping on tiny beds
in hostels full of young people doing the same thing
as you.
Tanner Burton, a student at Utah
State University, described it this way: "When I was
in Europe I felt like I was accomplishing something
that I had always dreamed of doing. I can't even tell
you how fun it was to travel with my friends and see
so many awesome places."
Another college student, Amy Archibald
who attends the University of Utah, said "I would definitely
encourage everyone who has the opportunity to travel
in Europe to take advantage of it, provided they have
the means to do so."
When we first began to plan our trip,
we really had no idea about how to get around from country
to country and how much money that would cost. So, initially
we had plans of hitting every major city in Europe in
just over two weeks. Well, we quickly figured out that
that wasn't possible and we had to decide which cities
topped our list. This is when I began to realize that
Prague hasn't quite made it to the level of Paris and
some other cities in Europe, at least not in the eyes
of my friends.
Obviously for me, Prague was on the
top of my list. It was cheap, beautiful, loaded with
things to do, and I knew the language and my way around.
However, for a couple of my friends, one in particular,
Prague wasn't extremely appealing. When we talked about
where we wanted to visit, he always came up with a reason
why he wanted to skip over Prague. I didn't really understand
why, but I came to the conclusion that he just wanted
to visit those cities and places that were more "popular."
Each to their own I guess, right?
Well, we did end up going to Prague
(I would have gone there by myself if necessary). I
actually was a little nervous when we were heading there
from Vienna. I had talked it up so much to my friends
and was so ecstatic about going there, that I started
to worry that they wouldn't think that it was as amazing
as I do. I would have felt pretty dumb if it didn't
live up to all of my hype.
Then our train reached the city and
I began to see the buildings, bridges, cathedrals, and
streets -- then I knew. I wasn't nervous anymore. It
was only a matter of time before they realized just
how, for the lack of a better word, awesome this city
really is.
Needless to say, my suspicions were
quickly confirmed. It didn't take long for my friends
to start commenting on the beauty and marvel of the
city. One of my friends, Nate Bench of Logan, said,
"Prague was so amazing and so much more than I expected.
It was definitely unlike any of the other cities I saw
-- it was better I think."
Three of my friends had been living
in Europe all summer and had had the opportunity to
visit many of the major cities there. I think they were
the most impressed of all. By the end of our stay in
Prague, every person that was with us, along with a
number of other travelers we had met and spoken with,
had said at one point or another that Prague was their
favorite city by far.
The kid in me wanted to shout, "Ha!
I told you so! But I didn't -- at least not very loud.
In case I have convinced you that
Prague is a "must see" in Europe, here are a few websites
that are all about the wonderful city:
www.pis.cz/a/
www.czechsite.com
www.a-zprague.cz
www.thingstodo-prague.com
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