SCOPE: Prague: crowds and romance in the heart of Europe

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SCOPE: Prague: crowds and romance in the heart of Europe	2006-06-21 12:27:04
autor: Asian Economic News
Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the Czech capital of Prague has been a steady magnet for tourists from all over the world. Prague, a sprawling city with 1.21 million inhabitants, is divided into 16 districts. Best known is the city centre, consisting of the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, Jewish Quarter and Prague Castle. The Vltava River adds much to the famous atmosphere. As Prague is convenient to reach from all major European cities, it is a good destination for a spontaneous trip. Local carriers such as Czech Airlines offer connections from all the European capitals. In the city, getting around is relatively easy with the metro and tram system. Taxis are an option as well, but tourists must be very wary as some taxi drivers charge unsuspecting visitors a lot more than the actual fare. Its location in the heart of Europe makes Prague a popular destination for those traveling around the continent, like Hiwaki Sawahara from Kobe, Japan. He and his friend are in Europe for four weeks and have devoted seven days to visiting cities around the Czech Republic. ''If people go to Europe, they should definitely see Prague,'' Sawahara thinks. ''It's so typically European.'' An opinion he shares with about 6 million tourists who visit annually, which include more than 100,000 Japanese and up to 100 million day-trippers. These day-trippers, from the Czech Republic and many neighboring countries add to the crowds, Nora Dolanska of the Czech Tourism Board says. She notes that Prague has a lot going for it as a city -- especially the diverse, and still original architecture from many centuries ago. ''Prague was very lucky in World War II as only very few buildings were hit in the last days of the war. So all the old buildings are really old and authentic,'' Dolanska explains. The picturesque Hotel Pariz definitely benefits from this fact. The exclusive hotel, typical for Prague in that it is small with only 86 rooms, is an Art Nouveau building, constructed in 1904. Jana Chvalova, the marketing director sees an overall trend for small and exclusive hotels in Prague, ''For us, it is important that our guests feel at home, not like in a hotel. We want for them to enjoy our special atmosphere.'' The rich culture of the city appeals greatly to visitors from Japan and other Asian countries. This opinion is shared by the Japanese embassy in Prague. While Europeans tend to like sporting and outdoor activities in their holidays, Japanese visitors tend to prefer culture and sightseeing, the culture council's office thinks. Prague Castle, the so-called ''Hradschin,'' dominates the city. The main attractions on the castle hill are the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, several art galleries and Golden Lane, a narrow street with tiny houses for artisans incorporated into the castle walls. But the crowds at Prague Castle are so numerous that the castle administration decided to introduce an entrance fee for Golden Lane, much to the dismay of many visitors, Maria Sinocka, a Prague tour guide says. When wandering from Prague's famous Powder Tower to the Old Town square and on to Charles' Bridge, one can see why the city is popular with tourists. Time, it seems, stands still in the romantic lanes and alleyways of the Golden City. Another not-to-miss destination is Prague's Jewish quarter where several synagogues and the romantic Jewish cemetery are popular attractions. Many visitors come to Prague to enjoy its many cultural events at very reasonable prices. For opera lovers the cheap tickets at the Prague opera house are a big draw. As Martina Andreas from Munich, Germany, who is queuing for opera tickets with her husband, says, ''We came to Prague to experience the cultural events -- we have not planned a lot, we just wanted to be carried by the atmosphere of the city.'' In addition to the opera performances there are dozens of concerts on every evening, mostly taking place in churches, baroque libraries and other beautiful settings. Especially popular are Mozart performances, often with the typical Prague string puppet theatres which stage operas in a unique way. Even if you don't speak Czech, a visit to the theatre may not be in vain. Prague's famous so-called ''Black Light Theatres'' also should not be missed. In a Black Light theater, black-clad actors move unseen on a black screen, Prague tour guide Maria Sinocka explains. The actors move illuminated things or other actors around to music. Pantomime effects are used as well. For those in favor of good food and drink the possibilities are endless. Hundreds of restaurants offer everything from traditional Bohemian cooking to international cuisine. Bars and lively nightclubs cater to younger customers. It is worth the effort however, to compare prices. Another not-to-miss destination is Prague's Jewish quarter where several synagogues and the romantic Jewish cemetery are popular attractions. Many visitors come to Prague to enjoy its many cultural events at very reasonable prices. For opera lovers the cheap tickets at the Prague opera house are a big draw. As Martina Andreas from Munich, Germany, who is queuing for opera tickets with her husband, says, ''We came to Prague to experience the cultural events -- we have not planned a lot, we just wanted to be carried by the atmosphere of the city.'' In addition to the opera performances there are dozens of concerts on every evening, mostly taking place in churches, baroque libraries and other beautiful settings. Especially popular are Mozart performances, often with the typical Prague string puppet theatres which stage operas in a unique way. Even if you don't speak Czech, a visit to the theatre may not be in vain. Prague's famous so-called ''Black Light Theatres'' also should not be missed. In a Black Light theater, black-clad actors move unseen on a black screen, Prague tour guide Maria Sinocka explains. The actors move illuminated things or other actors around to music. Pantomime effects are used as well. For those in favor of good food and drink the possibilities are endless. Hundreds of restaurants offer everything from traditional Bohemian cooking to international cuisine. Bars and lively nightclubs cater to younger customers. It is worth the effort however, to compare prices. What makes Prague especially popular with younger visitors are the comparatively cheap prices. ''It's really cheap and we especially like to drink the beer here,'' say Ryu Haeng Rang and Yoon Ju Young from South Korea, both first-timers in the Golden City. This however leads to problems, Dolanska says. Every weekend large crowds flock in and spend days and nights constantly drunk. But even there Dolanska sees a silver lining, ''They may come here to get drunk now, but maybe they will return one day with their families -- and hopefully, sober'' Prague also invites you to browse around its many shops to bring home gifts and souvenirs. Especially popular is crystal glass, hundreds of shops around town sell all designs imaginable. Another popular item is jewellery made from garnet stones. The dark red stones twinkle invitingly from many shop windows. ''Gold settings are popular,'' Eva Rakosnikova from Zlatnicvi Jewellery, a jewellery store near Charles' Bridge, explains. Especially sought-after by tourists from Asia are combinations of garnets with diamonds, she adds, and explains that when buying garnets one should pay attention to the color ''the darker, the better'' and to the cut of the stone. The big tourist crowds bring also problems, one of which is crime. An official of the Japanese embassy said that crime, especially pickpocketing, was the biggest problem he sees for tourists in Prague. The Czech Tourist Board admits that crime is a problem, but thinks the city has done much to improve things. A worry of past years, the different restaurant prices for Czechs and tourists, for example are gone due to stricter regulations Dolanska says. Pickpockets are a different story however, while they are present in every large city, Prague seems particularly attractive for these criminals. Experienced guide Maria Sinocka warns that tourists should be especially careful in the Metro. ''Large tourist groups are unfortunately a good target,'' she cautions. This does definitely not deter visitors from coming to Prague, and nor should it. The Golden City is worth a visit at all times of the year, to get a feeling of Central European atmosphere. Prague has gone to great lengths to get rid of its rip-off image it had acquired in recent years, and it seems that it is making good progress in doing so. COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo News International, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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