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| The Vltava River flows past Prague Castle and the Hradcany (castle district). |
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| Statue on Charles Bridge |
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| An astrological clock stands in Market Square in the old town, Prague, Czechoslovakia. |
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| The Staronova Synagogue stands in the Josefov district, formerly the Jewish quarter, of Prague, Czech Republic. |
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| Prague (the capital of the Czech Republic) is a very lively town full of young people studying at uni and also full of foreigners. It's a city of culture - people are usually amazed at how many theatre performances and operas and exhibitions you can see here. With one million and half inhabitants, Prague is the biggest city in the country, and also the most expensive one! But for a western European it still is really cheap. |
| Prague is actually the biggest tourist attraction in the Czech Republic. It is an old town full of historical buildings ranging from gothic churches, renaissance palaces and gardens, to baroque temples and houses. Probably the most famous spot is the Prague Castle towering over the Vltava river, and also the Charles Bridge, a gothic bridge with baroque statues. There also is the historical Old Town Square with the astronomical clock on the gothic Old Town Hall. Moreover, Prague has a beautiful Jewish quarter with several synagogues and an old Jewish cemetery. |
| All the sights are definitely a must... But he who wants to really understand our culture and thinking must spend his evenings in pubs. Yes, we are a beer country.. In a pub, with a pint of Czech beer, you get to know people really. And you can hear beer drinkers babbling about politics and the usual stuff - that's the best way to understand our culture! :-) |
| The most important holiday is probably Christmas - we celebrate it like most Czechs: on Christmas Eve ("the Generous Evening"), we have a big dinner consisting of carp and potato salad, apple strudel and Christmas sweets, and then we go to the Christmas tree under which baby Jesus had laid the presents. We sing a couple of carols and then unwrap the presents together. This is really usual in the Czech Republic but it might be interesting for someone who doesn't live here! |
| In Prague, there is a big club and party scene, too, so young people usually go to parties or to a rock concert. Also, obviously, most people go to pubs and lead sophisticated conversation :-) |
| Typical cuisine? Pork, Dumplings and Cabbage - Vepøo-knedlo-zelo. Czech cuisine includes a lot of dumplings and sauces but I'm no fan of that. Pork, Dumplings and Cabbage is my favourite traditional dish though, and I also love potato pancakes with garlic, onion and marjoram. |
| Ice hockey is the most popular sport. Why? Well, we win most competitions so our team makes Czechs proud of themselves :-) Lots of Czechs play in the NHL and they are pretty good, and people obviously admire them for being so great and famous. Football is also very popular even though our team isn't any good in international rates - every boy plays football here. Czechs usually also love skiing, hiking, cycling and canoeing - maybe we are adventurers? |
| Most people aren't even aware of The Czech Republic's existence! :-) Most educated foreigners only know Prague, Václav Havel (the president) and maybe Miloš Forman (film director) and Jaromír Jágr (a NHL star), but nobody probably thinks anything really. Some people say we are cheerful, others feel we are reserved. And both opinions are right. But generally, our country is being mixed up with Yugoslavia, so the world doesn't really perceive us :-) What I love most about my people is our dry sense of humor (similar to the English humor) and our improvisation capacities. Of course, I am proud of our hockey team too, and of Prague, my beautiful hometown. And also of our picturesque landscapes and charming small towns. If there's one thing I would like people to know about the Czech Republic it's that we know how to have fun and our sense of humor can be perceived almost on every step. Well, I exaggerate a bit, but that's what I'm asked to do here, am I not? :-)) Come to the Czech Republic and get to know some Czech people. We might seem reserved at the first sight, but when you don't give up, you will be surprised how friendly and cheerful and easy going we are. And don't let some remainings of the communist era put you off! We ARE a civilized country, even though some may think we still live in trees. |
| the Charles Bridge |
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| Prague, the Czech Republic by Anna Komzakova |
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