Famous Czechs – Josef Jungmann One of those hugely influential people that often gets no more than a paragraph in a guidebook. On this post I’ll explain who he was, what he is famous for, why they picked that spot for the statue and a little secret. The Josef Jungmann statue is on the route … Read More
Story of a Photograph I never know where I’ll be drawn next when I’m writing about Prague. This was supposed to be a religious persecution post, but it took a few turns and left me with a big surprise at the end. It started with a picture I took years ago of an empty building … Read More
Prague Old Town Square 1621 Memorial As you wander around the city you’ll pass various memorials to people and events. On the Old Town Square you’ll find the 1621 memorial. Actually you are more likely to walk over it first. It might look old but in reality it only goes back to renovation work done … Read More
Operation Anthropoid – The Hidden Plaques 2018 For most people the story of Operation Anthropoid stops when the 7 soldiers are killed. Tourists will visit the Church of St Cyril and ST Methodius in Resslova street to see the church, to visit the crypt and to look at the window to the crypt from outside. … Read More
Prague Defenestrations Defenestration comes from the German word for window i.e. Fenster. the act of throwing someone or something out of a window. expulsion, riddance, ejection, exclusion – the act of forcing out someone or something; Oxford English Dictionary The First and Second Prague Defenestrations As far as throwing people out of windows goes then … Read More
10 Things You Did Not Know About The Prague Marian Column Having written about it and described the reasoning for the column, I realised that I was aware of things that a fraction of the residents of the city would know, let alone a visitor. So as well as describing some of the destruction and … Read More
Prague Marian Column If you did my Old Town Walking Tour up to February 2020 then you’ll know that in the early part of the tour I show the Prague Meridian line on the Old Town Square and then say, and I quote “before I tell you about the meridian I have to tell you … Read More
Milada Horakova The story of a brave and honest woman who chose to fight. Born on Christmas Day 1901 in what was then called Royal Vinohrady, Milada Horakova was an active demonstrator against the Austro-Hungarians in the first world war. So much so that she was initially banned from her Grammar school but later completed … Read More
Prague New York Firefighters Memorial When I sat down to write this post I thought I had “one or two” minor details to work out. Those “one or two details” took me on a journey through the internet, being inspired, being sad, being shocked and being grateful. This journey is ongoing. Nobody who still has … Read More
Havels Hearts Vaclav Havel was president of the Czech Republic when I first came here in 1996. He was obviously held in high regard by many and certainly those with artistic/cultural backgrounds. He was a reluctant president and known as a politician with a heart. This all started back in 2002. Havel had been elected … Read More