Prague: August 2-4, 2016 (off off Tokyo

It was my first visit to Prague in about 20 years.

I found many changes which took place in the last quarter of the century. The political system has converted from the communist regime to democratic system. The economy has integrated into the EU economy. Many companies have come to the Czech Republic from western European countries.

The Old Town Square is the center of the old city. The Town Hall, churches, palaces and other buildings stand around it. There is a statue of Jan Hus in the center of the square.


Musicians were playing musics and tourists were enjoying their days.

The astronomical clock of the town hall is especially famous.

The Charles Bridge over the Vltava River links Prague’s old city and the Prague Castle. It is more than 600 years old (It was built between 1357 and 1402). It is 515 meters long and there are 30 statues at the sides of the bridge.

The bridge was full of tourists. There were many painters: some of they were drawing the landscapes; others were drawing the facial cartoons of the tourists. (see the top and second photos). 

The Plague Castle is a huge complex of buildings including the palaces and churches. It is more than 500 meters long.

The buildings are in various architechtual styles.

The St. Vitus Cathedral is in the Gothic style.

There are buildings of the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art nouveau styles.

One of the buildings was used as a regional headquarters of the Nazi SS and is now used as Foreign ministry.

Prague is the home town of Franz Kafka. His birthplace is now a coffee. I enjoyed a meat there. (see the 3rd photo from the top)

There stands his sculpture in front of Spanish synagogue in the Jewish area. It is in mysterious design. 

It is banned for buses to go into the central part of the city. Instead, trams are popular.

The Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square), in the central part of the new city, was a stage of the Prague Spring in 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

The square was crowded with business persons and tourists in the evening. I found a monument of the victims.

The Czech's history is full of glory and tragedy. The country is cultural rich -- these are parts of what I have learned in Prague.

I watched the Mochovce nuclear plant in Slovakia when I flew from Prague to Budapest. 

It was so impressive that I post the photo in the blog.