An Ode To The Streets Of Prague

After a long, long day of walking, I just wanted to go back to my room and sleep, even though it was over 30°C and my room on the 18th floor barely had any ventilation. I was waiting for a tram in the square Malostranské náměstí along with a large crowd — all in their own little worlds.

All kinds of people were walking about, and who knows the kind of day they had had? What did they see today, what caught their eye, what will they remember most fondly?

It was almost midnight and things were starting to get drowsy, but there was still a residual cheery feeling in the air. I wasn’t sure if there existed a sense of community and belonging among this group of strangers, or if I was just terribly exhausted. I did notice how every person was standing with a group, or at least a companion, and it immediately reminded me of the Moroccan traveler Ibn Batuta’s words. When he had reached Tunis after a lengthy and arduous journey with a group of strangers, he wrote:

“On all sides they came forward with greetings and questions to one another, but not a soul said a word of greeting to me, since there was none of them I knew. I felt so sad at heart on account of my loneliness that I could not restrain the tears that started to my eye, and wept bitterly.”

My day had been full of explorations, but homesickness had started kicking in lately. I felt a little alienated with my surroundings, but Prague is a theatrical city, so it was hard to be certain why. My three days here marked the ending of a two month-long trip to Europe. This was the first time I had ventured out all alone; as a 20-year-old, I could not have asked for more.

Perhaps the most memorable and striking feature of the Czech capital is the way it presents itself to you with its orange rooftops and vibrant, colorful buildings. World War II had fortunately spared Prague from the bombings, which is why structures from as far back as the tenth century still stand in all their glory, looking brand new. Every section of the city has a new personality to it — the Old Town is naturally dominated by Gothic structures from the twelfth century, while the New Town resonates with the modern times. As you make your way across the centuries old Charles Bridge, you will find colorful paddle boats dotting the deep blue Vltava river. I remember not following a map or a fixed itinerary while walking through the city — even though that’s what I set out to do — as the streets carve themselves and lead you to the most alluring sites.

The coexistence of different eras is reflected in Prague’s architecture, food, art and music. But there is one remarkable feature which unites these distinct elements — cobblestone streets. A major part of the city is paved with cobblestones. This had to be a labor-intensive task, as each stone was placed in position individually by workers.

I was now sitting in a half-empty tram, watching people get on and off. My stop was quite far away, and I sat there for 30 minutes as the bustling tram became almost deserted. It was one long meditative journey.

Having walked through the cobblestone streets all day, I realized that the history of Prague is not all bright and sunny. For instance, there is a spot in the Old Town Square marked with twenty-seven crosses on the ground. Each of these represents a nobleman who was publicly (and quite brutally) executed in that very spot in 1621. On the other hand, this square was also a big, lively marketplace at one point, full of radiant fabrics and spices from around the globe.

Today, after sunset, Prague is lit up at every corner, and glows with warmth and excitement. There are musicians adorning the calm yet lively air of the Old Town Square, and the streets are filled with people from every corner of the world. It’s akin to a city-wide carnival at night — from street dancers and musicians to corner cafes, themed restaurants, nightclubs, and small shops trickling into the street. The city has been built and rebuilt to keep up with the times, but a trinket of each era it has lived through still remains. It isn’t difficult for a newcomer to read the entire story of Prague just by walking its streets.

I finally got down at my stop, and had to endure a long walk to get to my room. The path was lined with bushes and barely lit, and the cool summer breeze swept away all the weariness of the day.