Prague – a magical city –
Guest post by Roy Mathias
When we told our friends we were going to Prague they assured us that it would be amazing, fantastic, wonderful… and we were not disappointed. Here are a few of the highlights from this atmospheric compact city we enjoyed exploring on foot.
The Cathedral of St. Vitus (near the Park Inn) stands on a hill across the river from the center of town. It has a range of wonderful stained glass, including the Mucha Window from the 1930’s
(detail below)
The exterior is also very ornate. Here is the golden gate
which is part of the south side, which is on a large square:
The East end looks quite different
Another day, we visited the Jewish Quarter and all the Jewish sites there. By far the best was the Spanish Synagogue — very Islamic in style, except for the 6 pointed star everywhere. Every square inch of wall space covered in red, green and gold ornamentation. Ornate columns and simple striking stained glass. Unfortunately no photos allowed. Here are some images from the web:
Imagine being surrounded by:
and looking up
is no less gorgeous
You might think that the remaining synagogues were a disappointment, and they were quite missable. The Old Jewish Cemetery however, was a beautiful, peaceful setting surrounded by high walls and shaded by trees losing their leaves. Imagine your self in a wood, surrounded by old gravestones falling over each other.
Another day we visited the Mucha Museum enjoying the work of the Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist. Most of it commercial – posters for actress Sarah Bernhardt, the lottery supporting teaching of the Czech language, and even JOB cigarettes:
And now a word from our sponsor: Park Inn by Radisson. You can enter a weekly drawing to win a 7 day stay at a Park Inn, and two weekly prizes ofan iPad and a £250 Radisson gift voucher, and a grand prize of a 7 day stay in a choice of 3 Park Inns. To win
1. Play 4 Park Inn and try to get “4 in a row.” (you must be over 18 and a resident of the UK, Austria, Germany or Switzerland)
2. Whether you win or lose, you can enter your email for a chance to win. Each time you play, you can enter. (you must be over 18 and a resident of the UK, Austria, Germany or Switzerland) Good luck.
