An enriching
Christmas holiday in the Bohemian city of Prague which is abundant in culture,
architecture and history.
The “City of
a Thousand Spires” is immersed in the legend of Wenceslas (or Vaclav the Good),
the martyred Duke of Bohemia and exhibits a distinct Christmas culture that
reflects its Central European heritage.
It has a
charisma of its own.
There is the
mystique of the Charles Bridge and the powerful life force of the River
Vlatava, which was of course immortalised by the composer Bedrich Smetana. In
the Old Town is the Astronomical clock and a monument dedicated to Jan Hus, the
religious leader whose refusal at the Council of Constance to renounce his
ideas concerning reformation of the Catholic Church led to his being burnt at
the stake as a heretic on July 6th, 1415. That form of Czech courage and
stubborness is reflected in the memorials dedicated to the British-trained
participants in Operation Anthropoid, the successful mission of assassinating
Reinhard Heydrich, the Acting Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia in 1942.
The miniature
street known as Golden Lane encompasses the magic of Prague while the Hradcany
complex - home of the Bohemian kings, presidents, Communist Party dictators,
and, for a brief historical interlude, Nazi Reich Protectors of Bohemia and
Moravia- exemplifies the grandeur of Prague and its towering achievements in
architecture.
Jewish
culture and heritage is found in the Jesofov (or Jewish Quarter) where the Old
Jewish Cemetery is, and the treasures and the tragedies of European Jewry are
encapsulated respectively in the Spanish and Pinkas Synagogues.
The
distinctiveness of a Czech Christmas was underscored by the tradition of
celebrating Christmas Eve as Christmas Day. The Christmas Markets were quaintly
attractive and the native Czech dishes exotic and filling.
A great city
to visit and highly recommended.
© Adeyinka
Makinde (2017)
Adeyinka
Makinde is a writer based in London, England.
No comments:
Post a Comment