Riding the Rails: Prague to Paris
July 21-22, 2011 -- After two days exploring Prague, I took an overnight Deutsche Bahn City Night Line train to Cologne and then transferred to a Thalys high-speed train that took me to my next destination on this summer's rail trip through Europe -- Paris, France.
Prague's modern train station is attached to the historic early 20th century Art Nouveau booking hall, which is now a cafe named after the Czech architect who built the station -- Josef Fanta. The station hall is well-preserved and is an excellent example of Art Nouveau architecture.
At the cafe you can order Mattoni mineral water from the spa town of Karlovy Vary, which is famous for its health benefits.
There is a memorial plaque to former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson with his quote that "the world must be safe for democracy." From 1945 to 1953 the Prague railway station was called Wilson station (Czech: Wilsonovo nádraží).
On Oct. 5 a memorial statue to Wilson, who helped the Czechs gain independence in 1918, will be rededicated in front of the railway station seventy years after the original statue was destroyed by the Nazis.
The couchette cars of the overnight train feature four beds and there was a fun group of Americans on their way to Amsterdam which helped pass the time to Cologne -- a college student from North Carolina, pictured left, and two friends from Texas touring Europe. We drank the original Czech Budweiser Budvar (called Czechvar in the U.S. and Canada) and had a great time into the night as we rolled through the German heartland.
After transferring to a Thalys high-speed train at Cologne, I finally arrived at Paris Gare du Nord railway station the next day and was ready to explore the City of Light.
Here are photos and video of the train trip from Prague to Paris. Click here to see the photo set on Flickr.
Summer 2011: Prague, Czech Republic
July 19-21, 2011 -- Prague was the fourth city in Europe I visited after London, Brussels and Berlin. But it was unlike any other city I've ever seen because its Gothic and Renaissance architecture survived World War II largely intact, and also because the city was behind the Iron Curtain until 1989 and when the Czech Republic became an independent nation in 1993 it rapidly modernized and has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.
In a word, Praha is spectacular. Walking to the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge or Old Town Square you get a feeling that the views aren't much different than what Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV saw in the 14th century when he ruled Bohemia or what early 20th century writer Franz Kafka experienced wandering the streets of this magical city on the banks of the mighty Vltava River.
Everywhere you turn there is a postcard picture to be taken. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, which is why I'm glad I took a tour to help explain the story behind all the amazing buildings and districts in Prague.
Like Berlin, Prague is a place that has survived both Nazi and communist tyranny to become arguably the most important city in Central Europe and certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
But democracy and freedom have not come easy for Prague and the Czech Republic and its citizens have paid a heavy price. The 1930 census of Bohemia and Moravia (where Prague is located) listed 117,551 Jewish citizens. In 1945, 10,090 Jews registered with the Jewish communities as returning deportees, out of a total of 80,614 who had been deported; 6,392 had died in Theresienstadt (a Nazi show camp used to fool foreign observers into thinking that Jews were treated humanely), 64,172 had been murdered in the extermination camps, and of the Jews who had not been deported, 5,201 had either been executed, committed suicide, or died a natural death.
In the former Pinkas Synagogue in Prague's Jewish Quarter there is a moving Holocaust memorial with the names of every Czech Jew who perished written on the walls. Upstairs there are drawings from doomed Jewish children imprisoned in Theresienstadt. This is the Old New Synagogue in Prague's Jewish Quarter. It is the oldest active synagogue in Europe.
Prague was behind the Iron Curtain from 1948 until 1989. During this time of communist totalitarian rule, the Czech people's basic human rights were suppressed, which led to the 1968 Prague Spring reforms and then to the strong Soviet reacton, which involved a military invasion of Czechoslovakia by four Warsaw Pact countries. Soviet troops would be present in Prague until the Velvet Revolution of 1989 that ended communist rule. In 1969 two students separately set themselves on fire in Prague's Wenceslas Square to protest the Soviet suppression of free speech -- Jan Palach and Jan Zajic. There is a memorial for the pair who bravely gave up their lives to protest brutal Communist rule in front of the National Museum. The plaque reads: "In Memory of the Victims of Communism."
Click here for more observations of Prague on Green Center Blog.
Here are photos and videos of this special city. Click here to see the photo set on Flickr.
Riding the Rails: Berlin to Prague
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| Riding the rails along the Elbe River in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. |
The train was an older model and the Czech Republic isn't set up for high-speed rail yet so it didn't go as fast as most trains traveling through Western European nations. Czechoslovakia dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia rather recently on January 1, 1993 following two uprisings against the communist regime -- the Prague Spring of 1968 and the 1989 Velvet Revolution. There are plans to construct a high-speed rail network in the Czech Republic, although operation isn't expected until at least 2020.
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| Prague Main Railway Station and train I took from Berlin -- EuroCity 171 Hungaria, whose final destination is Budapest, Hungary. |
There are four seats to a cabin with a sliding glass door and I had it to myself for most of the trip. There is rolling cart food and beverage service as well.
As en environmental journalist and clean energy blogger, I couldn't stop snapping pictures of the wind turbines in Germany. Every time I looked out the window while traveling through the Saxony countryside I saw enormous wind farms with huge wind turbines.
Not to be outdone, while traveling through the Czech Republic I took this picture of a solar farm. That is a lot of solar panels supplying clean, renewable energy to citizens of the Czech Republic.
Another highlight was passing through Dresden. Almost completely destroyed by an Allied bombing campaign near the end of World War II, the city has been rebuilt since then and is now one of the most important cities in Germany.
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| Arriving at Dresden's main train station. |
Here is video of the rail trip from Berlin to Prague.
And here are more photos of the rail trip from Berlin to Prague. Click here to see the set on Flickr.
The Pleasure Being In Prague
Are you about to have a vacation in Prague? You may have booked yourself for a place to stay there but to give you an overview of what sight to expect, this article may serve for that purpose. Read on and have fun!Prague is the Capital and the largest city of the Czech Republic. It played an important role in the history of Europe. Since the medieval times, it holds the reputation of one of the most beautiful cities in the world gaining these following titles: "The Golden City", "City of Hundred Spires", "Crown of the World", and the "Stone Dream". With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations. In fact, it ranks the sixth most-visited European destination after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Added to that, Prague is known for hosting events like the Film Music, Writers Festivals and as well as Fashion Shows.
Since Prague was one of the few European cities who considerably suffered less damage from the World War II, most of its historic architecture remained true to its form. In fact, the historical center of the city is a monument reserve which was added to the list of natural and cultural heritage of UNESCO in 1992. In 2000, the European Community granted Prague the title - "European Capital of Culture". Tourist flock to visit Prague's historical sights and creative architectural structures from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical to ultra-modern.
When you get to this awesome city, you shouldn't miss to visit the Old Town where the medieval Astronomical Clock is found; get to visit the picturesque Charles Bridge, as well and the vaulted Gothic Old New Synagogue of 1270. Of course, the Prague Castle which is recognized by Guinness World of Records as the largest ancient castle in the world. There are, also a number of museums in the area: the Mucha Museum as an example, showcases the Art Nouveau works of Alfons Mucha. if oyu want to get a good view of the Prsgue skyline, you may climb up the Petřínská rozhlednan, observation tower on Petřín hill, similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. There are many towering cathedrals and churches, as well in the vicinity of Prague, the biggest of which is the St. Vincent Vitus's Cathedral. It is the seat of the Archbichop of Prague, located within the Prague Castle which also contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings.
One can tour around Prague through walking tours, bus tours or boat tours offered by a number of travel companies there. Some even have themes such as the Kafka and legends. If you choose a boat tour, it'll take you a two hour tour on the Vitava River passing through the Prague Castle and the Lesser Town. At night, you can enjoy onboard dining and cruising then, followed by an hour trip to Prague's most beautiful squares. With all these things to experience in Prague, you'll surely find the pleasure you are looking for in this magnificent city.