Random in Prague

One of my favorite things about the city of Prague is that it is, quite simply, beautiful to look at. When we stood upon the ramparts of Prague Castle and looked out, there were beautiful old buildings in almost every direction. People who truly loved architecture obviously helped shape this city.

Of course, not everything can be perfect, even in Prague. The Dancing House was completed in 1996 and remains, in my opinion, a complete and utter eyesore. I realize that modern architecture has its place in the world and that the old must always make way for the new. Heck, before I saw it in its natural setting, I used to wonder why people complained about this rather cool looking building. The Dancing House simply doesn’t fit in with its neighbours and consequently sticks out like a sore thumb.

Shortly after we discovered the Michael Jackson memorial in the Old Town Square, we happened upon a famous Czech landmark: the Prague Astronomical Clock. The clock dates back to the 1400’s and has components that track everything from the time, the date, the position of the sun and moon, and it even provides its own floor show. The Swiss get a lot of credit for their watches but this clock is truly impressive.

We walked around and through Powder Tower in Old Town Prague both sober and drunk. In the 17th century it was used to store gunpowder, hence the name, and its darkened brick façade still looks like it was part of a recent fire.

We never got a close-up view of the dripstone wall known as “The Grotto.” The wall is made of artificial rock and is part of the gardens built by Albrecht of Wallenstein. Had we obtained a better view, we would have seen carvings of grotesque faces and animals like snakes and frogs. On second thought, maybe it’s just as well we never got any closer.