I’m a budget traveller at heart. The cheaper I travel, the longer I can travel. So the word “free” gets me excited. A popular little trend in Europe is free walking tours. They are held in most major cities; I’ve done two in Barcelona and one in Edinburgh. There were none offered in Italy – too much money to be made I guess.
The largest company to offer these tours is New Europe – it organises them in 14 cities. Curious as to why this company would offer free tours when so many people are willing to fork out big time for such things? Well there is a catch. The tours are free, however the guides rely on tips for income. The best tours I’ve done have been this type – you get (usually) young, energetic, knowledgeable guides, who are entirely aware that if they don’t do a good job, they don’t make rent.
Our guide today was Karel, a native Czech. It makes sense but it isn’t always the case. While most guides have studied history or something similar, Karel has a degree in psychology and drama therapy. The latter made for an interesting show. Our tour was three hours, with a 25-minute break. We spent most of the time in the Old Town before moving into the Jewish Quarter. I’m not even going to touch on what we learnt, but it covered a lot of history. But Karel, ever so entertaining, didn’t make us feel like we were back in school.
I have to add a note here about how amusing I find foreign English sometimes. Karel explained how as well as a birthday, Czech’s also celebrate their name day. “You go to pub two times,’’ he said. Karel also described the end of the Velvet Revolution (when the Czech Republic and Slovakia were formed) as the Velvet Divorce. He was clever.
We finished the tour overlooking the Prague Castle and then walked back to the Communism Museum, which we had passed on the tour. The entrance to the Museum is flanked by a McDonald’s and a casino. Seeing that alone is worth a visit to the museum. After visiting China and Vietnam I’m well aware of Communism and its effects on a population, but it’s still hard to take in. However, unlike China and Vietnam, the Czech Republic fought for its freedom.
Later, in search of dinner, we walked crossed the river and enjoyed another hearty Czech meal, this time on the other side of the river. We came across a statue Karel had told us about. Two guys peeing into a map of the Czech Republic. I’m sure art critics have a field day with this. We walked back home over the Charles Bridge.
