Experiential Blog 4

The buildings of Prague were very old and uneven but they were never very tall.  Old Town consisted of much older buildings and the streets were narrow and winding.  New Town had wider streets with the palace being at the top of the hill.  The palace was difficult to recognize because you would not realize that you were in the palace unless someone told you.  New Town was built into the hills and all of the buildings looked different to display the styles of different rulers.  The main city of Prague had a mix of old and modern buildings because Czech Republic is a new country that is jumping into the capitalist system.  There are also many statues and displays of artwork and graffitti throughout Prague.  I was surprised with the buildings and landscape of Prague because when we exited the train station I thought Prague was dirty, old, and crowded but once we walked to the river I was in awe of the beautiful historical districts and the hills surrounding it.  The buildings and landscape influenced my knowledge about the culture because Prague is a very busy and energetic city.  The confusing, winding streets also were symbolic of the confusing bureaucracy of their previous governments.  The cultural insights I gained are that the people are proud to live there because of the new founding of the Czech Republic.  The city is also very proud of its history but some of it remains hidden, such as Konopiste.