Praha, the Most Beautiful City in the World

Hello everyone,

Again, the point has been driven home that I muse be leery of first impressions, especially when in a strange and new place. Prague was one of these circumstances.... My first impression was the not-so friendly, inviting, or happy Praha train station. To be honest, it was a giant wreck of metal and concrete, falling apart and run down. I took this as the first of many hints that I was in a post-Soviet country and I assumed that I would experience much of the same throughout my stay in Prague. Little did I know just how wrong I could be. The city is by far the most beautiful city that I have seen in Europe, with Paris as a close second. Having escaped the destruction of both World Wars, Prague has maintained its charm--small, winding streets, impressive medieval castles, and hauntingly beautiful cathedrals.

The Czech Republic is an interesting country. A member of EU and the Schengen Agreement, it is having trouble adapting its currency to the Euro, shifting its economy to be competitive with other EU nations, and is still trying to find its identity as a nation (as it became a state in 1993 after splitting from Slovakia). It is also a place of immense historical (King Wenceslas anyone?) and strategic importance. It if it able to successfully transition from a post-Soviet economy to a successful EU member, it will be able to serve as a model for the rest of Eastern Europe. It is also the home of Pilsner beer, named after the town of Pilsen and Budwar, the namesake of Budweiser beer. The land is truly enchanting, as were all of the Czechs that we had the opportunity to meet.

Prague, itself is a conglomeration of winding streets, large plazas, and daunting towers. It is situated along a the banks of Vltava and offers scenic views of an impressive castle from the Charles Bridge. The main square of town is just as impressive, with the towering Gothic Tyn Church and the town's astronomical clock at the base of the city hall. Around every corner is a new area to explore... the world's largest metronome, one of the largest (intact) Jewish quarters in Europe, and more towers than any tower should have. Despite the overwhelming amount of tourists (especially around key attractions), the city has a very youthful feel to it. It reminded me of a small college town, much like Oxford--lots of cheap food, bars, and students/youth all around.

The building on the left is one of the 5/6 intact synagogues left in the Jewish quarter of Prague. The food on the right is Bohemian goulash (different from Hungarian goulash) with bread dumplings and a salad with local cheese, which reminded me a lot of feta/goat cheese.

A view from one of the bridges along the Vltava River. In the picture on the right are (from l to right) me, Michelle, another MU student, Molly from the University of Idaho, and Daniel from the University of Illinois. (Michelle Fakler, please notice the goatee...)

The tower on the left is one of the guard towers of the castle. One the right is one of the gate towers to the Charles Bridge.

St. Vitus Cathedral, inside Prague Castle.

Praha's town hall along the main square and the astrological clock at the base of the tower. At the hours, the clock performed and showed statues of saints... lets just say that there was a lot of 'hoopla' for nothing.

On the right, this house on the main square is decorated with stories of Prague's history. The picture on the right shows the view of Prague Castle from the Charles Bridge.

Prague at night. The Prague Castle from the Charles Bridge. On the left is the hauntingly spooky Tyn Church--this image is something that I thought I would see in Transylvania. I don't do vampires... or scary churches.

I am headed to Brussels tomorrow (Wednesday) and then to Amsterdam on Friday night. We have meetings with NATO and the EU in Brussels so it should be a great time to learn about these major international/intergovernmental organizations.

Internship Update: I am currently helping to author an paper about the health effect of migration on those "left behind" in the process. This publication will eventually reach the WHO and I am excited that my hard work will pay off as a serious study that can make a difference in the international community. I have also really enjoyed working in such a positive working environment. I have learned so much about public health, the role of international organizations in policy making, and have seen how passionate people can be about the American Presidential Election. Overall, I cannot say enough about how positive this experience has been for me.

Hope all is well.

Love & Honor,

Matt