Prague: A First Time Visitor's Guide

Prague is a City that Speaks of History and Sings to Anyone Who Likes to Listen

Prague is a city that speaks - and sings. When I first arrived, I was still apprehensive about how I would speak to Prague, having spent a few hours with a Pimsleur Basic Czech CD set, and the only member of my little group who had any knowledge of the Czech language. My fear left quickly after my first "dobry den", when the attendant at the transportation desk at Prague's airport responded happily in English. Prague offers much in the way of entertainment, but music is a constant, from our driver's radio blaring 80's U.S. pop to concert halls and symphony orchestras. Prague itself also talks to you about history, so be sure to enjoy some of the main points of interest while listening to the city's music.

On the first afternoon in Prague, we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the top of Wenceslas Square, right in front of the National Museum. This is the place where history changed in 1968 and again in 1989, very near the former Radio Free Europe building and the State Opera House. The Square grabs you right away, mixing a normal hustle with art nouveau architecture, apple strudel, and with a linguistic sound like a modern day tower of babel. Immediately adjacent to the square's centerpiece statue of King Wenceslas is a hopping McDonalds, proof that the rest of the world is mixing in well with Prague's marked sense of tradition and history. Be sure to have a sausage on Wenceslas Square, from one of the numerous food stands, along with a cold Czech beer.