Prague (Czech Republic): Jewish Quarter, Alchemists & National Museum
After Gdansk, I went to Prague, still all alone because JB was still in Nepal conquering the Everest Base Camp. We had spent a month in Prague a few years ago but I don’t know why this city didn’t leave me with many memories. Apart from the pretty bridge and the pretty castle, the rest has been erased from my memory, and when I found myself in front of Prague’s main square, I got a shock because I didn’t remember being there!!! aahhahha
I got a private room in an Airbnb with an automatic code, and when I tried to lock my bedroom door from the inside, the key wouldn’t turn. So I lost 1.5 hours with the manager (who came right away), and in the end, he gave me the room next door for the first night, and I had to switch again the next day after repairs. When you travel alone, it’s better to be able to lock your bedroom door from the inside 😀
The trip to Prague was horrible because right from arrival, I lost all my energy, I was completely drained and frankly I had no desire to visit anything at all, not even leave the Airbnb. This has never happened to me before in Prague, and it was so bad that it took me several weeks to recover.
So out of the 4 days there, I visited 4-5 things and slept in my room.
The good news is that there’s a huge Vietnamese community in Prague that cooks divinely well (it’s northern cuisine), and I ate really well. The Vietnamese are even more numerous than on my last trip; there’s a Vietnamese restaurant every 500 meters, much to my delight.
The first visit is the main square. You completely get lost in it. I don’t remember seeing so many people here, and I don’t recognize the place at all! After being in GdaÅ„sk, a tiny city, I feel completely lost here ahahah
But the astronomical clock remains my favorite, and it’s still more beautiful in person than in photos. This time, I have much more knowledge of astrology and astronomy, and I appreciate everything on it much, much more! I would have loved to visit behind the scenes, but oh well, too exhausted.
Next, I went to visit the Jewish Quarter, which I didn’t know at all!
Tours cost more here; there’s a package to visit several sites, but I choose just one synagogue. The Jewish Quarter of Prague attracts me a lot because it’s the origin of many legends, esoteric knowledge, including the legend of the golem. Here’s a summary of the “Legend of the Golem” section from the book “Secrets of a Therapist” by Tobie Nathan which I really liked.
The golem, a creature of clay shaped (according to rumors) by a rabbi, is a fascinating legend. This rabbi, Yehuda Loew ben Bezalel, known as the Maharal of Prague, supposedly animated the golem using Kabbalistic knowledge and the hidden name of God, shem hameforash. This legend is partly rooted in historical reality: the Maharal was summoned to the castle of Emperor Rudolf II in February 1592. Rudolf II, an emperor intrigued by esotericism and science, supposedly discussed the secrets of creating life with the Maharal. Rudolf II, known for his collections of strange objects and his passion for the occult sciences, gathered intellectuals of his time, such as Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, to discuss these subjects. The meeting between the Maharal and the emperor likely revolved around the possibility of bringing an inanimate being to life, a question Rudolf II may have posed to the wise rabbi. The golem legend has its roots in ancient beliefs. Since the 2nd century, Talmudists and Kabbalists have sought to decipher the hidden name of God, believed to grant the power to create life. The Maharal of Prague supposedly used this name to animate the golem, placing a piece of paper with God’s name under the creature’s tongue or engraving it on its forehead. The golem, despite its immense strength, lacked autonomous thought and could only follow its creator’s orders. It was created to protect the Jewish Quarter from attacks at night. Once its mission was accomplished, it had to be destroyed to avoid any danger, which was done by erasing a letter from its forehead. The golem legend has evolved over time. The first complete versions of the story date to the early 19th century in Germany, but it was Yudel Rosenberg, a Polish rabbi who emigrated to Canada, who gave the legend its current form. In 1909, Rosenberg published in Hebrew “The Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal,” a series of tales detailing the golem’s creation. Presented as a translation of an ancient manuscript, the book was long considered authentic, helping to anchor the legend in history. Gustav Meyrink further popularized the legend with his novel “The Golem” in 1915, which was immensely successful. Since then, the golem legend has inspired many writers and artists, making the golem an almost historical mythical figure.
Kabbalists possess valuable knowledge, some of which aligns with ancient Chinese wisdom. It’s a shame there isn’t someone who masters both Hebrew and Chinese to find common points between the two. Kabbalah and I Ching require that those interested have a minimum of maturity, so from age 40 or 50.
Speaking of esoteric knowledge, I visited an alchemy museum (Speculum Alchemiae Museum. The museum is on a really pretty little square. It’s small but the atmosphere is there. You enter a library and descend into the cellar via a door built into the bookshelves. Then you discover the alchemists’ labs. Since Rudolf II was seeking the elixir of life for himself, he funded this research, and they say these cellars lead directly to the castle. They discovered the existence of this passage during a flood. To avoid arousing suspicion, they had their own workshop to make glass bottles, essential for experiments. It was a bit pricey for what you could see, but it was original.
SAPA Market
To eat well, I devoted an entire day to the Vietnamese market (SAPA) in Prague. It’s a B2B market; the Vietnamese import wholesale and sell different types of products in Europe. Since there’s a large concentration of Vietnamese in this market, Vietnamese restaurants began to open. They are particularly good because the Vietnamese here come from the North and they come fresh from Vietnam, so their taste is still intact. It looks like a corner of Vietnam in Europe. It’s really nice! The market has grown so much compared to the last time that I had a hard time finding my favorite restaurants. I also went in the wrong entrance. And without thinking, I forgot to withdraw cash. Luckily, in front of a hypermarket there was an ATM whose logo resembles Société Générale, and I could withdraw without fees. The Vietnamese in this market only accept cash.
With pockets full of cash, I can finally fill my stomach and even bring back dishes for the evening. I also got a haircut for not much (about 10€ I think). If you’re interested in this market, aim for entrance #4 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/7okbS14CTx4rrjh98). However, it’s far from the center, better to come by Uber (9€/ride).
Sima Prague
In Prague there is also one of the best leatherworkers in the world, his name is Sima. His shop is a bit out of the way so I couldn’t stop by. Moreover, he makes custom items, and I don’t need anything, so I can’t be bothered to go. But don’t forget, if you need something, order in advance and go see him. He created a leather punching tool that pros now call the ‘Sima awl’ and everyone admires his unique techniques.
Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge is always beautiful, there’s a joyful atmosphere, especially at sunset.
I then went to see a bookstore filled with English books. But nothing to report, they didn’t have the beautiful rare books I was looking for.
National Museum
On the last day in Prague, I went to the National Museum because my friend O. told me that the mineral hall had incredible energy, even though he doesn’t believe in crystal healing at all. My luggage was stored in a locker at a hostel (there’s an app now where you can find places to leave your bags anywhere in the world, convenient!).
The museum itself is very beautiful, and you go from one room to another to learn more about our planet.
The mineral hall is indeed impressive. They are classified by family.
By observing carefully, you’ll discover, for example, that emerald is in the same family as aquamarine, and the slight difference in composition between the two makes one a precious stone and the other a pretty stone that you can buy without thinking twice.
I think this is a museum that can appeal to both adults and children.
And for the first time, I see these glasses containing uranium, mostly in the form of diuranate. They glow with a green fluorescent light when placed under ultraviolet light. These items are highly sought after by collectors. Because of potential radioactivity, they are decorative; people no longer use them for food consumption.
So that was my stay in Prague, a bit boring but I had absolutely no energy to see more. Then, I had to interrupt my trip in Europe and take a flight to Nice for personal reasons.
