Prague: Still Full of Secrets and Surprises

Well - here I am again! It's been five years since my last trip to Prague, when I lived and worked here for almost a year. A lot has happened since then - in my life and in Prague's. But I'm happy to say that despite all the changes, some of the best things about this city are exactly the same. Sure, Wenceslas Square is more crowded than last time; the Old Town Square too is even more packed with tourists. And yes, there are definitely more restaurants, bars and shops, and of course the prices have gone up. But these things haven't managed to change the heart and soul of the city - which I'm happy to say - seem to be much the same.

Prague: Still Full of Secrets and Surprises

Just as before, it's quite possible to escape the touristy side of Prague. And just as before, it requires knowing just which street to turn down or even which unsigned door to open. Knowing where to turn from the Old Town Square, you can leave all the crowds behind and find yourself shockingly alone in a twisting Medieval street, quiet as can be - with only the sound of your shoes clicking against the cobblestones or a tram swooshing by a few streets away.

And in this street, it's also still possible to find the most interesting places when you least expect it. The houses and doors often look the same from the outside. To the naked eye, the street may even seem residential. There are no big flashing lights or large windows to tell you that in fact, the coolest bar in the city is just through this door, or that a thriving jazz club is just behind this other one. The street won't tell you. You just have to know it is there. Usually you find this out because a good friend shows you. You meet, walk a bit, turn down one street, and then down another. Suddenly your friend will open a non-descript door in this non-descript street, and you find yourself in divine French café or a very hip club that you never would have known was there otherwise.

I'm happy to say that this part of living in Prague hasn't changed a bit.

Something else that hasn't changed is the transport system. I come from a city in Canada which has a transportation system that unfortunately lacks timeliness, reliability, and a few other key elements that ensure good service. Coming to Prague my faith in the possibilities of public transport have once again been renewed. In addition to having three metro lines and a large number of buses, 25 tramlines cover the city with 500 kilometres of tracks. The trams zoom across Prague by day and night. During the daylight hours, they come every 8 - 15 minutes without fail. I had forgotten how very useful this is. No matter what time it is - I don't have to call a cab and can always rely on the trusty 22 to get me home.

I am lucky to be on this particular tramline. The 22 is special - it can take you by Prague Castle, across the river to the National Theatre, and whizz through the centre of the city, towards Vrsovice, where I live, all in the span of a half hour. It really is nice to have to take that tram to get home - to take in the castle, the river, the theatre and to snake through lesser known areas. It's hard to believe that what I'm doing would, in any other place, be called commuting. Here it is more like entertainment - like watching a film.

So yes, Prague is feeling bigger and busier, more crowded and more expensive. But it still has all its old ways of defending against these things. It still has secret meeting spots, magical doors and the reassuring reliability of its buses, subways and trams.