The Darth Vader Statue Long before George Lucas (1976 Star Wars director) was born, actually even before his father was born, a statue was erected in Prague and it looks a lot like Darth Vader so what’s going on? It’s another example of a mixture of fact and legend for which Prague is famous. To … Read More
Church of Our Lady Victorious – Infant Jesus of Prague If you are Catholic then this will be one of the “must-see” locations for you but even if you are not religious it’s still a lovely and historic place to visit. Of course, the main attraction is inside about 20 metres on the right, the … Read More
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
The Water Wheel and the Demon If you are heading to the John Lennon Wall then you’ll likely come across a little bridge with a railing and its here that you’ll find the Water Wheel. If you look carefully you’ll find a character sitting on the far corner that Czechs call a “Vodník” and he’s … Read More
St James Basilica If you have come from the Old Town Square and you’ve walked through the Tyn Courtyard then as you emerge onto the street at the far end (Mala Stupartska) you’ll see the church 30 metres to your left. The church, to be accurate it was made a “Basilica Minor” in 1976, has … Read More
Jan Nepomuk You’ll see his statue in every published guide but there are other things to look for and understand. This post will give a brief timeline and background of Jan Nepomuk so you know how he came to die but mostly it’s about the icons on the Charles Bridge and how to recognise a … Read More
The Prague Golem In Jewish folklore, a Golem is an animated anthropomorphic being that is created entirely from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). Just before you reach for the dictionary….anthropomorphic means onto which human traits may be observed but is not human. SPOILER ALERT: If you believe in the Old Testament then it’s natural … Read More
Prague Old New Synagogue The Prague Old New Synagogue is one of 6 synagogues in the Josefov district of Prague 1 (only 5 synagogues are publicly accessible). Where you see references to the Old Town it’s because the Old Town completely surrounds Josefov. Here I’ll give you an introduction and a few tips for visiting. … Read More
