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Published on April 26, 2008

Carleton Cole

THE NATION

s the tram manoeuvres through Prague's Stare Mesto - the Old Town - my attention is drawn to advertisements for consumer products lining the interior. Though small and discreet, they still say something about the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

So far the Czechs have pretty much avoided the excesses of capitalism, and the "City of 100 Spires" has not become a city of 100 billboards. It is still largely the Prague of Kafka, complete with a lingering aura of mystery.

Governments further west were never quite sure what to do with this ethnic enclave in the heart of Europe. Czechoslovakia - the Allies' concoction created out of the remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I - stood for modest political and economic prosperity, proving well how the Czechs can perform when freed from the German or Russian yolk.

The Vltava River's dark waters carry no reflection and I feel myself being drawn into its grey depths. On the far bank, the towers and church spires pierce the cloudy sky and the green copper patina on St Nicholas Church glistens in the spring rain.

Down the river, small crowds gather atop the centuries-old stone arches of the Charles Bridge, an epitome of Bohemian style.

Prague's coffeehouse tradition of progressive debate may be but a memory now, but its essence survives on the bridge. Walking across the short span can take hours - there is so much to see. Eclecticism thrives under the watchful eyes of the stone saints lining both sides, who seem to approve as the assembled hawkers sell communist-era paraphernalia and handcrafted jewellery to the tourists.

It was under the enlightened rule of Charles IV, for whom the bridge is named, that Prague became a leading cultural centre. Through Austro-Hungarian occupation, an arranged marriage with Slovakia, Nazi invasion and Soviet domination, the country has remained unique.

Every major European language can be heard while crossing the bridge. A local man switches from Czech to English to German as he educates passers-by on the abysmal environmental legacy left by communism.

His devotion to the subject is evident in his lively, often comical approach.

At the end of the bridge are the Mala Strana - the Lesser Town - and eventually Hradcany Castle, to which early Czech monarchs made their way along this route following their coronation.

The drizzling rain doesn't deter the street artists, who make clever use of plastic sheets. Their sketches and watercolours of city scenes tend to omit colourful store signs - that would give too much credence to the modern economy. Thankfully, the Mala Strana Bridge towers are big enough to hide most of it.

Passing between the towers, I make my way up into the higher altitudes of the Lesser Town. Its maze of twisting, narrow lanes is dotted with small cafes with wrought-iron chairs and tables. The atmosphere is more like that of a mediaeval provincial town than a national capital.

At the top of an alley of terraced houses in different pastel hues, St Nicholas Church has an interior so beautiful that non-Catholics will consider converting - indeed, that was the point of the design.

In testimony to Prague's baroque grace, the church's statues and colourful frescoes glimmer in the kaleidoscopic sunlight shining through the elongated stained-glass windows. Further up the hillside is Hradcany Castle, epicentre of Czech political power through the centuries. Here in 1968, Soviet tanks abruptly ended five years of enlightened socialism during the infamous Prague Spring.

It was also here, during the Velvet Revolution of '89, that Czechs resumed the fight once lost - and this time emerged victorious.

The sun breaks through the clouds as if in veneration to a gothic certainty. This time, the Prague spring has reached full bloom.

      city of inspiration

GETTING THERE: There are no direct flights between Bangkok and Prague. A connecting flight from another European city is necessary.

ACCOMMODATION: The Best Western Hotel Meteor Plaza in the historic city centre offers luxurious modern amenities for about US$200 (Bt6,300) per night. Call (420) 224 192 130 or visit www.hotel-meteor.cz/. www.hotel-meteor.cz/.

   The Prague Hotel Golden Age is a beautiful late-Renaissance building close to the Charles Bridge. Rooms are $150. Visit www.PragueGoldenAge.com.

   The Czech Inn is a "designer hostel" close to the town centre and good for meeting fellow travellers. Rooms for $50. Visit www.Czech-Inn.com.

   The Pension Tara offers basic, good-value accommodation near the Old Town Square, with rooms for one to seven people for $100. Visit www.PensionTara.net or e-mail info@pensiontara.net.