The second day in Prague was a lot more relaxed then the first, though there was still quite a drive to see as much as possible during our short time there (the main issue is that the city is so historic and so beautiful that two full days couldn't really do it justice).
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| A synagogue with an ancient graveyard behind it. |
Our morning tour began in the Jewish Quarter. We learned the history of how the area grew and changed over the years. It started out simply as the area where the Jewish merchants would sell their wares. Eventually, however, it became a walled ghetto with oppressive quarantine hours. The Enlightenment saw a brief reprieve, when it was updated to become an official district of the city, but over time it once again became oppressed. Finally, due to flight, displacement, or murder, almost 90% of the Jewish population left Prague, 65% due to murder by the Nazis. In fact, it was Jews from Prague who made up the show camps the Nazis used to demonstrate to the Red Cross how ideal conditions were in concentration camps, before sending them all off to the gas chambers. The Jewish Quarter was saved, however, as the Nazis intended to use it as a museum in testimony of an extinct race...
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| More of the buildings in the district |
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| Another very old synagogue |
The district is no longer primarily populated by Jews, but it has been repopulated and is now a normal part of the city with exquisite historical synagogues and a generally good feel. We had another authentic Czech meal for lunch before being shown the Old Town center square and the various things around it. We got to see places Beethoven, Mozart, and Franz Kafka had stayed, as well as the location of a variety of museums and landmarks. We finally ended up in front of the State Theatre and were loosed again for free time. I made my way back up to the Castle, this time much more easily. I bought the ornament, as well as some postcards and a coin. I then went back down through a park on the bank of the river before ending up back at the State Theatre. I saw a tiny, uninteresting exhibit at the State Theatre that is open while the building is being renovated.
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| Old Town Square |
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| The Natural History Museum at the end of a historic shopping district. It's close for three years for renovations |
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| The interior of another incredible cathedral in Prague |
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A more recent style of architecture: Cubism
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| Mozart stayed here for the premiere of Don Giovanni |
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| Band playing |
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| Czech Minister of Defense |
At this point we took the tram out to see a concert by the Plastic People of the Universe (a hippy, peace-loving, Czech 60s band). This was prefaced by the Czech minister of defense, another Czech minister, and a deputy United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic paying homage to the 9/11 attacks, the sacrifices made during and since them, and the ideals of democracy and freedom both countries share. It was sort of an odd cultural melange, but interesting, nonetheless. After our final Czech meal in a cellar carved out of rock underneath a restaurant, we went to bed knowing we had 9 hours of driving to Krakow the next day!
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| Czech countryside |
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| Probably the most artistically beautiful photo I took while in Prague |
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