Czech It Out: Prague Part One

Hello from the Czech Republic!

Our time in Prague has felt simultaneously long and incredibly quick. Though we've only spent four full days here, I was able to see and do so much!

Our first morning set the tone that this leg of the course was going to be an adventure. We were set to see the Benda Quartet perform at the Lichtenstein Palace, but after arriving at the venue we discovered that there are in fact two Lichtenstein Palaces in Prague and we had gone to the wrong one on the other side of the river. With only five minutes to spare before the concert began, our class of twenty-two hurried over the Charles Bridge in search of the correct palace. It took us quite a while to find it and we missed the first piece, but alas, we found it. It was an incredible concert! It was fascinating to watch the communication between the members of the quartet and how seamlessly they played together. There were times they passed the melody back and forth from one player to another, but it was so smooth that you couldn't tell it wasn't one instrument playing the whole time. Definitely worth the slightly chaotic journey to find the correct palace.

Malá Strana 

After the concert we met up with a local tour guide who showed us some of the historic sites in Prague. We spent much of the afternoon in the Prague Castle complex where we saw the St. Vitas Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, and Golden Lane. I know very little about the Czech Republic's history outside of the 20th century, so it was fascinating to get a quick crash course in the important things that happened in this city throughout the many centuries of its existence. It was freezing on the castle hill, but we were able to get some absolutely incredible views of the city from up there.

St. Vitas Cathedral

Inside of St. Vitas Cathedral

View from the Prague Castle complex

On our second full day we toured the Lobkowisc Mansion, the home of one of Prague's prominent families. The mansion itself is now opened up to the public as a museum of their possessions including paintings by Czech artists, ceramic ware, a collection of musical instruments, and original manuscripts such as Mozart's arrangement of Handel's Messiah. I was most intrigued to learn that the Lobkowisc family lost and regained their possessions twice in the last century: first under the Nazi Regime and second when Prague was under communist rule. The tour discussed the immense responsibility the family feels towards maintaining their art collection now that it is back in their hands which is clear in the level of care and quality of the exhibits in the mansion. That evening we saw an opera called The Bartered Bride. I would not necessarily call myself an opera fan, but this one was quite enjoyable! The story was quite funny and overall much more engaging than the opera we saw in Vienna last week.

Coming in Prague Part Two: a tour of the Jewish Quarter and a hike for panoramic views of the city. Stay tuned!