tourist

Airbnb Tour: Prague

The morning after I arrived in Prague, I scheduled a 3 hour walking tour through Airbnb with a local guide, Michael. He presented us with a handful of treasured locations that were off the beaten path.

As we walked around the castle vicinity, we headed into Novy Svet. Dating back to the 14th Century, this unique area consists of a few streets that represent a small village. My favorite attraction was the very low-to-the ground, cottage-style apartments where artists and writers live. Early on, residents hung golden house signs for their homes (such as a Golden Pear, Grape or Acorn) in their fight against poverty. So special!

You could see canons that had been fired into the walls!

Even though it was a particularly foggy afternoon, we got to take in some breathtaking views! The combination of Gothic architecture, sprawling views, lush trees and red roofs was almost too much to process.

While the others guzzled down Prague’s famous beer, I opted for possibly the greatest hot chocolate ever at Garden Cafe Taussig. There, you can relax while enjoying views of Prague castle, as well as a dreamy garden.

There are many buildings that feature alchemical symbolism in Prague. Perfect for a witchy lady like me.

And beautiful frescos that make me feel faint.

The Vrtba Garden is one of Central Europe’s most astounding Baroque gardens. It has elegant staircases, decorated banisters, terraces, statues, flower beds, and hedges.

It also has a great view of the St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Kampa Island Park

These are three sculptures of babies with their faces punched in by David Cerny located in Kampa Park. Very creepy indeed.

View from Kampa Island

A Historical Walk in Berlin

As a Jewish woman, it was very important to me to visit some of the historical sites in Berlin. Still, I couldn’t quite process the acts of barbarity that took place there, even when I was there; it was too much to digest cognitively. I did feel the presence of souls-taken-too soon as I rode from Czechia into Germany, however. It was a powerful experience.

I decided to go on an Airbnb walking tour with Jack, a mightily knowledgable man from London. He was well-versed in German history and shared notable stories.

Here are some places I visited:

Bode Museum on Museum Island
The Alte Nationalgalerie
Berlin Cathedral
Bebelplatz, where a Nazi book-burning ceremony took place. A line from Heinrich Hein’s play, Almansor, is engraved on a plaque in the square; it translates in English to “That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people”.
Brandenburger Tor is considered both a symbol of Europe’s volatile history, and also European unity and peace.
Reichstag: the beginning of the end, where Hitler’s enabling act was passed. This began the removal of rights.
Tiergarten
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
As you start literally going down hill, the the pillars grow and you begin to feel lost and suffocated. There are many interpretations of this installation, including forced segregation, isolation, loss of identity, and the rise and fall of the Third Reich.
Designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold, the slabs are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent an “ordered system” that has lost touch with human reason.
This site is where Hitler’s bunker and office were located. It is now apartments and a children’s playground. So creepy.
This used to be the Nazi Air Force location.
Berlin Wall
SS guard site
Anhalter Bahnhof was a railway terminus. It functioned as a Holocaust deportation station, and from 1942-1945, around 9600 elderly jews were transported from Berlin to their deaths in the ghettos and extermination camps in Eastern Europe.
All that remains of Anhalter Bahnhof today

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