My fascination with Prague started when I was a small child, listening to my Grandfather’s stories about his own childhood in the countryside just outside the city. He filled my head with visions of castles and landscapes, romanticizing the small life he left behind when his family emigrated at the turn of the last century.
But even though my head had been filled with those stories, I had no idea what to expect as the train pulled into the station. My trip was open ended, so I knew I wanted to stay until I could no longer drink in the experience.
My experiences in Prague were a little different than those of most other people. Most people travel to Prague to have a few beers and experience the nightlife. Artists want to see the city, the architecture, and the art. Then there are the Expats that tend to stay there for years and teach English. But me? I was there to discover my roots.
It was not an easy trip. In my way stood culture and language. In my way stood my Grandfather’s stories. When I finally left Prague, I left with more questions than I had when I arrived. My stay in Prague was a confusing, yet enlightening, time.
Prague is a beautiful place. When you get to know the people, which is not easy by the way, you will find them open and eager to make your stay the nicest it can be. I had total strangers extend a hand in helping me trace my family path. I was laughed with on a daily basis when I went to the same bakery and tried to pronounce the name of my favorite pastry. And if you don’t have good people experiences, just eat some potatoes – in any form – to create some outstanding food memories!
Prague is one place where – I can’t stress this point enough – the difference that reading books written by Czech writers can make in understanding the culture of the place. Check out the book recommendations on the site to find something to read before during or after your stay in Prague.
You can read about my experiences in visiting my Grandfather’s homeland, in the Chasing My DNA stories.
– Kimberly
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artist-at-large.com wants to encourage you to get out and explore Prague on your own. So, get out and experience the culture, the local food and color of the area. Plan to spend a night or two away from the city in a smaller town – just for the experience of doing something different.
Even though I’ve decided to use WordPress to build the new version of the site, I am hoping that the theme will keep you from thinking that it is a traditional blog. The stories and information presented here are written in a way that is meant to be valuable over a long period of time, like a magazine or guidebook that you keep by your desk and flip through when you need information, or just want to daydream. Comments on any of the posts are welcome at any time so if something moves you, please let me know.
What’s on When is the newest section on the site. It is the place where arts events, exhibitions, and general travel news is posted on an ongoing basis. If you are a gallery or an artist, to get your event posted in this section, just use the handy form on the Submit Your Event page or send us your press release as text in an email with an attached event .jpg.
I’ve moved the reading and film recommendations directly to the online boutique, the amazon partnered store on the site, where you can purchase not only books to research your trip, but your cameras, or your Moleskines for taking notes and sketching. In the Photography section you can purchase photos to fill in the gaps of your own photo albums, or just watch a slide show. In any case, your purchases are what keep this site alive.
Share your experiences about a place in the comments area. Please keep comments on the topic of the post or story. Please use the comments area for all travel questions rather than emailing me personally. The comments are checked daily for posts and your questions will get answered a lot faster.
If you’d like to write a guest post, or be a regular contributor to the site, please see the Submission Guidelines.
If you would like to find out more about how to advertise your service or product on the site, check out the site’s Public Relations page.
And, once you get back, please consider commenting on the stories, or adding your answers to the With Eyes Open Survey Questions.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy your travels to Prague.
Contributors to the Prague section of artist-at-large.com
Kimberly Kradel – Lead artist-at-large
Philip Hartigan
