Old and new capture essence of Prague

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- From ancient religious wars to modern revolutions, Nazism to communism, Prague has been on the knife-edge of history.

And yet the streets of Prague are filled with music, from hot jazz to classic opera.

It also is a living museum of architecture. Novelist Myla Goldberg called her book on Prague "Time's Magpie," describing a city "hoarding beautiful, eclectic bits from each successive era."

Take a look.

Other sights

Cernin Palace: Just up the road from Prague Castle, this 17th- century stone palace is where in 1948 Jan Masaryk, son of a beloved Czech president, the only non-communist in the fledgling Soviet- backed government, fell to his death from a palace window. No one knows whether he fell or was pushed.

The Observation Tower: Some refer to Prague as the Paris of Central Europe; it even has its own miniature Eiffel Tower. Located in a hillside park high above the city, the Observation Tower was built for an 1891 exhibition.

Letna Park: On another hill near the Prague Castle, this park features a massive slab once planned as the pedestal for an equally massive statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. It now features a working sculpture of a music metronome. Sweeping slowly back and forth, it was built in 1991 after the Velvet Revolution.

Prague Castle

On the commanding heights above the Vltava River, the castle is where Prague began in the 9th century. The Royal Palace is worth a look, as is St. George's Convent, home of the Czech Republic's national art gallery.

The most impressive building is St. Vitus's Cathedral, its twin Gothic spires towering over a vaulted ceiling. Built over the course of six centuries, it houses the crown jewels and the ornate tombs of many a Bohemian king.

Within the cathedral, check out the St. Wenceslas Chapel, named for Prague's patron saint. It features frescoes of Bible scenes with a small golden steeple -- as well as the door handle Wenceslas is said to have grasped as he was stabbed to death, the assassins hired by his brother.

Old Town Square

Half-hidden among narrow and winding streets, Old Town Square is bounded by City Hall with its ancient clock tower and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, with more sky-scraping Gothic spires.

The sellers are here, too, as well as the musicians. One recent day, a small brass band played a Dixieland jazz tune. Food is plentiful, in both elegant restaurants and outdoor stalls.

One of the Czech Republic's proudest exports, beer, is readily available, and there are even British and Irish pubs within a stone's throw of one another.

In the center of this activity stands the massive Jan Hus Monument, another tribute to another martyr. Having protested what he deemed to be the Catholic Church's corruption and opulence, Hus was branded a heretic and burned at the stake in 1415. His death touched off what became known as the Hussite Wars.

Charles Bridge

Near the winding steps that lead from Prague Castle, about 30 statues line the bridge that for centuries served as the major crossing of the Vltava.

Camera-happy tourists can stroll past a statue of Jesus Christ bearing the cross, St. Vitus being nuzzled rather then mauled by lions, and St. Francis of Assisi guarded by big-winged angels.

Modern commerce abounds on the bridge, with peddlers selling crystal and kitsch, pencil drawings and wool caps. An old man cranks out a circus tune on an organ grinder, complete with cymbals. A young woman sings a sad aria.

Among the lesser-known icons, at least to Americans, is St. John Nepomuk, a 14th-century Jesuit who ran afoul of the Catholic authorities. Under arrest, he died from torture, his body later bound and thrown into the river from the Charles Bridge.

Wenceslas Square

Another architectural treasure, the neo-Renaissance National Museum, stands at one end of this former horse market, not a commercial square named for the city's patron saint.

A large statue of Wenceslas astride a horse stands in front of the museum. And, in front of that is a much smaller, more modest memorial to a modern martyr: Jan Palach.

This 20-year-old student protested communism by setting himself on fire in 1969, a year after Soviet troops violently suppressed the "Prague Spring," an attempt at free expression.

Today a small plaque, often adorned with candles and flowers, is affixed to the spot where Palach made his stand. The mini-memorial is dedicated to the "victims of communism."

The struggles of Palach and like-minded Czechs triumphed when the Velvet Revolution toppled communism in 1989. Now the street is more a monument to capitalism, lined with clothing stores, bookshops, restaurants, hotels and, yes, the ubiquitous McDonald's.

For information . . .

Czech Center New York, 212-288-0830; www.czechcenter.com

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