By Harrison Leone
Czech Correspondent
Lamentably, classes began last week. After more than two months off from school, I had almost forgotten I was still in college. Eight weeks of self-indulgent squalor had softened my academic skills considerably, and my reintroduction into the world of syllabi, plagiarism warnings and strictly regimented time slots was a rude one.
A foreign excursion would be difficult without some prior planning, so I took the opportunity to become better acquainted with the city where I’ll be spending the next three-and-a-half months. International travel would have to be put on hold for the time being.
With that said, I was far from disappointed to amble through Prague’s medieval alleys and hidden corridors; I feel as though you could spend a lifetime here and still find a hidden gem every day. It was that thought I had in mind as I eagerly set out to see what else the city of a hundred spires had to offer.
My first stop was Petřin Hill, a low, scenic mountain positioned on the northwest side of the city. The mountain stands just south of the Prague castle, overlooking the city center. It was a cloudless day soaked in sunshine, hardly like the mid-February days one would expect in Cattaraugus County. There is a funicular that runs from street level to the observation tower at the summit, but, wanting to avoid the 120 crown ($6) fee, and to get a more authentic experience, I set out on the winding switchback trail that cuts a path to the summit. The hike took about 45 minutes, accounting for a pretzel break at a restaurant halfway up, and the views overlooking the valley below are incredible. Nearly the entire city can be seen, couched peacefully along the river, inching its way into the suburbs on the surrounding hills.
Perched on the top of the hill is the Petřin Lookout Tower, built in the 1920s and modeled after the Eiffel Tower. This time, I bit on the entrance fee and plodded my way to the top. It was a cramped and crowded affair, with steep steps and throngs of tourists. The view from the top observation deck did, however, provide a vista directly into the castle, which was dwarfed from this height, and allowed me to see parts of the city that I never had before.
Concluding my time at the summit, I walked along the “Hunger Wall,” a massive middle-aged fortification built when Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th century. Legend has it King Charles IV commissioned the wall not only as a defensive structure, but to provide jobs for the poor and starving citizens of his kingdom as a sort of Civilian Conservation Corps.
The next stop on my tour of the lesser-seen sights of Prague was the Vyšehrad Castle. This site holds a special significance in Czech mythology and folklore. In the Czech’s creation myth, it was from this castle, the oldest in Prague, that the prophetess Libuše proclaimed a great city would be founded. Next to a statue depicting this event is the Czech National Cemetery, a small and cramped garden filled with some of the most beautiful tombs, graves and headstones I’ve ever seen.
At the conclusion of my local adventure I was sitting outside of a Starbucks across from a Levis and down the street from a Samsung store in a colossal shopping center anachronistically jammed in the middle of Old Town. “Sweet Caroline” was playing over the loudspeakers. The perils of globalization and cultural homogeny were brutally apparent for all to see.
Before coming to Europe, I had considered “globalization” an unnecessary synonym for “Americanization” and, considering the multitude of McDonald’s and KFCs around the city, there is some merit to that definition.
However, it has also been made clear that globalization truly does mean an intermingling of hundreds of different cultures from across, well, the globe. A few nights ago I was treated to a world-class burrito outside of a Russian club; walking along the medieval city walls, I noticed a spray painted silhouette of Africa-adorned watchtowers built by ancient century Bohemian kings. Packs of British tourists descend on the pubs for stag parties while young French and Italians smoke in the cafes.
So I’ll recline, relax, and continue to enjoy my time in this land where wine costs less than Band-Aids and the beer is cheaper than water. However, I doubt I’ll be sedentary for too long; the tickets to Berlin have already been booked.
