Prague in Winter
I had been to summer Prague as a student when Golden Prague was the capital of communist Czechoslovakia. I’d walked in the green, sweet gardens and seen the city at its softest. Back then there were few tourists except from other communist countries, and seeing the sights, visiting coffee shops, drinking Czech beer were simple. They were dreary times, though, and a Czech-speaking friend traveling there called Prague the Golden City without the gold. Even so I found the city beautiful and mysterious, satisfying the Kafka in me.
The Golden City
Now the world has discovered Prague, and I understand that it’s packed in the nice months. So, I decided to make my return visit in late winter. Or you could say very early spring, late February into March.
The good: I had quick access to all the major sights, and it was easy to get around walking and by tram. Apartment rental was cheaper than in the high season. Clubs, pubs and restaurants were open, and extra nice for their warmth and cheer.
The not as good: I gave up the pretty gardens and a few sights that aren’t open in winter. The weather was mixed, with some bitter cloudy days and lovely sunny ones. It was usually cold but not intolerable. Just be prepared.
Afternoon reflections
It Was Never Lonely
There are always tourists in Prague, strolling along with local people across Charles Bridge on cold, short afternoons, wrapped in puffy jackets. We tourists ascended Castle Hill and grouped up to watch the astronomical clock. But it wasn’t crowded. I stood alone in some magnificent places and generally had no trouble getting a restaurant table. I bought groceries, cooked at my apartment, ate out, went to the local Anglican church, and had two fine nights at the opera. I was also there for Masopust, the pre-Lenten festival (think run-up to Mardi Gras) that’s full of costumes, food, parades and events. That added texture to my winter wanderings.
Staying there. I used TripAdvisor and other online sources to narrow down a list of likely places, and after more cross-checking, selected Prague City Apartments Residence Karolina. My apartment was close to the historic opera house and the river, walking distance to most major sites and just a short block from major tram lines. It must have been an elegant townhouse once – my foyer was enormous, as were my living room and eat-in kitchen. Some of the decorative plaster crown molding and rosettes remained, and there was a fine staircase to my apartment. The apartment was fully loaded with appliances, a concierge was available 24/7 (and they were efficient and friendly) and it’s not far from the My Národní department store, owned by Tesco, and with a Tesco supermarket downstairs. So I could have lived there indefinitely.
Castle stairs in the afternoon
Eating around. I did most of my meals at home courtesy of the big kitchen and proximity to Tesco. I ate out some, and had a nice lunch inside at the Lobcowicz Palace café while others ate bundled up on the slightly heated patio overlooking the city. The most fun was the Havelská Koruna restaurant. You can find it in the guidebooks. The inexpensive food was as good as I needed it to be. Go for the experience. A woman sat in a raised booth at the entrance and handed me a list ticket with her right hand while on the other side she toted up a departing guest’s bill with her left. As I went to each cafeteria-like station, no-nonsense servers ticked my choices on the list. The cashier adds it all when you leave, and it’s 500 crowns if you lose the ticket so hang on.
The restaurant was full and I grabbed a small booth as a woman left. It pays to hover. Right away, a man asked if he could sit which he did and then hurried through his soup. As soon as looked ready to go, another man began to hover. Man #1 gathered his coat and hat, and man #2 slid into the booth. I finished my fish and cabbage before he finished his goulash, and handed over my place to another hoverer. As I left the restaurant, a woman stopped and asked me something. “Is it open? Is it good? Is it cheap?” Who knows exactly what she’d asked. But I guessed it was one of those questions. I said, “ano (yes)” and she went in. I made a second equally fun visit when I was the one who asked to sit with people.
Top 10 and then some – no need to stay off the beaten track in winter. Grab your favorite guidebook and make your list. I stuck fairly close to mine because I could get to all of the top sights without crowds. Roam the streets and look at the beautiful buildings; climb the Old and New Castle steps if you’re able or take the tram; watch the castle guards in their fur-collared overcoats and commiserate with the guys who stand facing the setting sun’s glare. I saw the Old Town Square almost empty in early morning and lively later with mimes, buskers and umbrella-led groups, but not crowded. Watching the astronomical clock was easy. I revisited and lingered at all the major places I’d seen before, and looked for a list of places I’d made from a book of Prague photographs that I’d bought all those years ago. I also added on a few new sights (most all from the Lonely Planet guide to Prague & the Czech Republic). And if you’ve seen my post about shoes, I spent my first afternoon at the famous Czech shoe company Bat’a replacing old favorite traveling shoes that had decided this was the time to fall apart. Bat’a is even in the travel guides. Not bad for a shoe store.
Of the top sights, only the Strahov Monastery was crowded when I went on a weekend. If you have any inclination to photography, buy a photography pass when you get your ticket. The library is so beautiful it’s like eating cake just to look, but I hadn’t bought the pass, and there were so many people that I didn’t want to go back to the cashier and start over. I arrived during the lunchtime shutdown at the nearby Loreto, a Marian pilgrimage site and Baroque masterpiece full of rare treasures. Check the opening hours – I’d forgotten to – and I got pretty cold waiting in the watery sunlight. In contrast to Strahov, there were few visitors here. I stood alone counting the 6,222 diamonds decorating the Prague Sun monstrance and the gems in its bejeweled siblings. There are lots of jewels on display – the display vitrines are large wall safes. Walking back to my tram stop, I made sure to pass the house where the astronomer Tycho Brahe lived while he was in town. It didn’t look to be in good shape; maybe help for it has come.
At the convent of St. Agnes across town in the Staré Město, I had the medieval art almost to myself, so much so that finally I had to escape into the sunlight. At nearby St. Francis church, I was the only one viewing the burial place of King Wenceslas I. This King Wenceslas was king in the 1200s. A lot was happening then and he could be celebrated, but he’s not the “Good King Wenceslas” of the song. That Wenceslas was a 10th-century duke of Bohemia also known as Vaclav the Good. He was murdered by his brother Boleslaw the Bad, which sums up the times. Good King Wenceslas is buried in St. Vitus Cathedral, so head back up to Castle Hill for that one.
The old Jewish Quarter drew some winter crowds, although they were manageable. Prague had a large and vibrant Jewish community and the historic synagogues and the old cemetery are must-sees. I remember some of these venues as being free in the old days, but everything requires a ticket now. There’s a multitude of tchotchke stands outside the cemetery if you need to take something home.
Gardens Aren’t the Same Though
I didn’t visit many parks and gardens but did rest a while in the Vojan Gardens (Vojanovy Sady) one sunny afternoon. This is one of the oldest gardens in Prague, pretty if a little melancholy, but it was pleasant sitting under trees that were just budding while young moms watched their children playing with giant soap bubbles, and noisy peacocks strutted. I also went to the large gardens on the Petřín Hill and could only sense their potential. Plantings wintering over were covered with evergreen boughs or wrapped in burlap, and flower beds were bare. But it was a sunny day good for strolling and climbing the Petřín Tower, a mini-Eiffel Tower with great views of the city. I took the funicular up the hill and walked down, behind a couple whose dog Alice tried to get them to throw her ball by running with the ball and dropping it on the path ahead of them. If they passed it by, she’d try again. Humans will play ball only so much.
Chasing bubbles in the park
A final couple of places that might be missed. The National Monument to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror is in exhibition is located in the crypt of the Cyril and Methodius Church. It’s battle site where Czech parachutists hid in 1942 after the attack on Reinhard Heydrich, the ruthless Nazi governor of Bohemia and Moravia. Heydrich died from his wounds; the parachutists all died as well when they were betrayed. The museum is thoroughly researched but the crypt was grim, and I exited as soon as the only other visitor did. There’s also a Parachutists Café across the street, which I found a little odd. The Holy Infant of Prague is a small, wooden, wax-covered statue of Jesus in the Church of Our Lady of Victory. It became an object of devotion after the Bishop of Prague crowned it in 1655. Many Catholic homes worldwide still have replicas of the Holy Infant. Research the legend – the main reason for most of us to visit is the small museum of elaborate handmade costumes that the faithful have presented to the Holy Infant over the centuries. The exquisite embroidery, detailing and decoration are well worth viewing as art on their own, and whatever your beliefs, knowing that each stitch was an expression of someone’s faith adds a precious quality.
If Opera is Your Thing, Go As You Are
I saw a lot of very done-up people at the opera, but others were more casual. They won’t throw you out. I wore black uncut corduroy jeans, a red cashmere sweater and black Aquatalia boots. All are multi-use garments and fit in fairly well. A little jewelry would have helped, but I don’t travel with it.
Language. English is widely spoken in the hospitality industry but I didn’t find English everywhere. I had prepared Czech phrases as well as I could via YouTube, made vocabulary flash cards, and was able to say a few things. I learned to say the expected things at the grocery store and the opera house. Once some of my long-forgotten Russian popped out when I met a store clerk who didn’t speak English. “Oh, you speak Russian,” she said in Russian. “Only a little,” I answered and got way as fast as I could before she said something else. But if you speak Russian, try it.
A Petřín plant in its winter coat
Buskers and books. Buskers are part of the charm in every city. There were some but not many in the cold weather, but the accordion duo on the Charles Bridge was in full force. They’re my favorite of the accordion duos I’ve seen across central Europe, and while the bridge repertory isn’t extensive, everything’s a show-stopper. There are plenty of bookstores, and I lingered at a store on Wenceslas Square looking at adorable Little Mole books, great if you have children or grandchildren, and cute even if you don’t. I like the Little Mole drawings better than the animations.
Busking ordinance. And – if you like reading laws and regulations, here’s Prague’s 2016 busking ordinance. It’s inscrutable to me. I’d have to hand over my clarinet and go home.
Trip date: February 2014