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Prague street sign in the lesser town that reads u zelezne lavky which translates as at the place of the iron footbridge

The Iron Footbridge

U Železné Lávky – At the Place of the Iron Footbridge On the Prague Fords post I explained how present-day Prague developed and grew based on the ability to be able to cross here between both sides of the river for much of the year using a number of fords. Later there would be a … Read More

The Jan Palach Square street sign

Streets – Jan Palach Square

Jan Palach Square – Namesti Jana Palacha If ever there was a place in the city that highlights why names of locations change over the years it’s the current Jan Palach Square. The names used here include it’s location, its function, a prince, an empress, two composers, a communist name and a memorial. It’s a … Read More

opening paragraphs of the czech declaration of charter 77

Charter 77

Politics and History – Charter 77 You don’t have to spend too much time watching Czech news to learn that famous people have died. Sometimes however the name is followed by a simple phrase “Charter 77 signatory”. In our current time of being able to say pretty much whatever we like and not have to … Read More

prague street sign that says karlova, old town, prague 1

Prague Streets – Karlova

Karlova – Charles Street Anybody who visits central Prague at some point in their trip will walk along the road called Karlova. It’s the road that links Charles Bridge with the Old Town Square. To be accurate, Karlova links the square on the Old Town side of the Charles Bridge (Křižovnické náměstí – the square … Read More

main prague uprising memorial on the old town hall

WW2 Prague Uprising

The WW2 Prague Uprising A frequent question on my walking tours is whether the centre of Prague was bombed during World War Two because it looks so old. I answer this question more fully on my World War Two Walking Tour but in summary, yes it was bombed but no the majority of any damage … Read More

prague wenceslas square rokoko palace with linden tree outside

The Linden Tree

The Linden Tree, Slavic Icon About 4 months after arriving in Prague I was having a conversation with a local guy and I asked what was the national flower of the country. He replied that they did not have a national flower but they did have a national tree, the Lípa (pronounced like leepa) or … Read More

platnerska red and white street sign in prague old town

Prague Streets – Platnerska

Prague Streets – Platnerska If you are heading from the Old Town Square to the riverside then one of the streets you could choose is Platnerska especially if you are staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. On a map, Platnerska is located to one side of the Klementinum. This area was best known for it’s … Read More

czech president benes and the benes decrees

The Beneš Decrees

The Beneš Decrees As I write this, Ukraine is being invaded by Russia, some towns are being occupied and Russian supporting people are being put in public administrative positions. It made me think of events in Czech in 1945 when the occupying power was kicked out and retribution swiftly followed against those considered, rightly or … Read More

klement gottwald addresses a crowd of people on the old town square in prague

1948 Communist Coup

1948 Communist Coup All over this website on the historical and political posts as well as many of the attractions you’ll see me refer to the “Communist takeover” or the “Communist coup d’etat” which is still referred to historically as “Victorious February” by our local communist party. It’s worth taking some time to see where … Read More

pragues stolpersteine glossy a4 book with stumble stones embedded on the ground

Book Review – Pragues Stolpersteine

Book Review – Prague’s Stolpersteine Stumbling Stones Defiant in Their Memory 2008-2021 On March 24th 2019 an email arrived into my inbox with a single word in the title – Stolpersteine. The purpose of that email was to engage with people who had written about Stolpersteine (I’d called them Prague Stumble Stones) and suggest linking … Read More