Prague: The Importance of History When Traveling

Old Town Square

I know the hipsters are going to disagree with me about this, but I’ll say it anyways. I think if possible everyone should take a guided tour when visiting a new city, because it connects what you’re seeing with history, literature, and culture. Instead of seeing just a castle, you see the years it took to gather the materials and construct it, the sieges that took place against it, the queens who married in its cathedrals, the poems written about it.

As much as you think that you can glean all that from a guidebook, the fact is that you can’t, because you won’t get the local perspective. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see the point in going somewhere if I just kind of walk around and don’t connect with the space at all.

Since Prague was the city I was most interested in seeing because all I had learned in my AP European History class about the Velvet Revolution, Milan Kundera, and the Defenestration of Prague, I made sure that despite the cold and rain, we got out and went for another Sandeman’s free tour. Our tour guide was a little eccentric, but all the best ones are. He was also probably the most knowledgeable tour guide I’ve had, which is obviously what you want in a guide.

Prague’s Astronomical Clock

He explained that most people see the astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall building and are disappointed by the clock show, which consists of a few animated figures moving around the clock. He said that they are disappointed because they don’t know the history of the clock only that it is a must see in the guidebooks. With a tour guide we learned that the creator of the clock, Jan Ruže was basically a genius and created a clock that adjusts itself with the seasons telling the time, day, astrological period, and the saint whose day it is.

Even more interesting if the fact that in order to keep Prague and the clock unique, the Prague Councilors wanted to ensure Jan Ruže never made another clock so they cut out his tongue and eyes. Without a tour, I would have never known this random fact that made the clock that much more of an important landmark.

The day before the tour we had gone to the top of the Old Town Hall in Old Town Square, and the views were breathtaking (sorry, I don’t know a less clichéd way to say that). They are genuinely among the best I’ve seen in my life. The thing I love about Prague is all the red roofed buildings and spires. I could have stayed up there for hours, but being able to identify the buildings on the horizon and their stories made the view that much better thinking back on it the next day after the tour.

View from Old Town Hall

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to finish the tour, because it started snowing and not just regular snow, wet, sloshy snow that soaked our hats, gloves, and boots in minutes then froze over. However, in the beginning of the tour our guide gave us a 2,000 recap of Czech history in which I got to relive the highlights of my AP European History class. One such highlight is the Defenestration of Prague. To defenestrate someone means to throw him out the window, which is a great SAT word to impress your friends with. In the defenestration, the Hussites (the protestant sect started by Jan Hus) threw dissidents of their religion out of the window, and the history nerd in me was so excited that I got to see the actual window of the Defenestration! The first defenestration occurred in Old Town Hall and caused the Hussite Wars. There was even a second defenestration that caused the Thirty Years’ War, and I saw that window as well in Prague Castle.

Me on Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background

Prague Castle was the first true castle I’ve seen this trip that is made of stone and is reminiscent of storybook castles. It’s best viewed from the also gorgeous Charles Bridge, which because it is kind of dirty has a very gothic look to it. I thought it look a lot like the town in Van Helsing, and sure enough our tour guide told us that the movie along with several others were filmed in Prague because of it’s relative cheapness.

Because we didn’t get to take a guided tour of the castle, in a way I feel that I missed out on connecting with the history. I guess that means that I’ll just have to come back! Perhaps to see the world famous Christmas markets. If Prague was the most beautiful city I’ve seen in the rain and slush I can only imagine what it’s like sparkling with Christmas lights and snow.

As much as everyone, at least the hipsters anyways, says that Prague is overdone and touristy, it’s touristy for a reason. It’s absolutely stunning and a must see for anyone traveling Europe.