标签 布拉格 下的文章
雪后的布拉格，捷克共和国 Skyline of Prague, Czech Republic (© benkrut/Getty Images)
雪后的布拉格，捷克共和国 Skyline of Prague, Czech Republic (© benkrut/Getty Images)
Prague, Czech Republic
As a haze of blowing snow diffuses the streetlights of Prague, try to count the steeples, belfries, turrets, and towers that make up the Czech capital's skyline. You may lose count like 19th-century travel writers did when they dubbed Prague the 'city of 100 spires.' The number is closer to 1,000.
A few 'points' of interest: The Church of Our Lady before Týn in the foreground boasts 18 spires total between its two towers. Looming behind it is Prague Castle, built starting in the year 870 and currently the world's largest ancient castle. And the Old Town Hall, its clock tower brightly lit at left, houses an even more impressive timepiece at its base in the city square: The Prague Orloj, the oldest working astronomical clock, which has tracked celestial movements since 1410.
捷克共和国布拉格
当吹雪的烟雾弥漫布拉格的路灯时，试着数一数构成捷克首都天际线的尖塔、钟楼、塔楼和塔楼。你可能会像19世纪旅行作家将布拉格称为“100个尖塔之城”时那样数不清这个数字接近1000。
有趣的是：前景中Týn之前的圣母教堂在两座塔楼之间共有18个尖塔。它后面隐约可见布拉格城堡，建于870年，目前是世界上最大的古堡。旧市政厅的钟楼在左边明亮地点亮，在其位于城市广场的底座上放置着一个更令人印象深刻的钟表：布拉格奥尔洛伊，最古老的工作天文钟，自1410年以来一直跟踪天体运动。
伏尔塔瓦河上的查理大桥和老城桥塔，捷克布拉格 (© Markus Lange/Offset)
伏尔塔瓦河上的查理大桥和老城桥塔，捷克布拉格 For the 30th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, bridges over the Vltava River, including the Charles Bridge and Old Town Bridge Tower, Prague, Czech Republic (© Markus Lange/Offset)
Remembering the Velvet Revolution
Today we're visiting Prague for the 30th anniversary of the start of Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution. On November 17, 1989, during their annual International Students Day observance, 15,000 students in Prague began demonstrating against the Communist Party's authoritarian rule over the country. After the official end of the demonstration, the students continued marching to the center of the city. When they reached Národní Street, they were met by security forces who, after blocking all escape routes, began attacking. Afterwards, unfounded rumors of an injured or possibly dead student triggered strikes among students, actors, and other theater workers. These groups began calling for a general strike later in the month.
Within days, mass demonstrations were happening in Prague's Wenceslas Square and spreading to other cities. By November 27, the movement had grown so large that 75 percent of the population participated in general strike across the country. Demonstrators and dissidents would successfully achieve the nonviolent end to communist rule over Czechoslovakia on December 10 and within months Soviet troops would leave the country.
伏尔塔瓦河上的查理大桥，布拉格 Charles Bridge over the Vltava River in Prague (© Martin Moxter/Offset)
伏尔塔瓦河上的查理大桥，布拉格 Charles Bridge over the Vltava River in Prague (© Martin Moxter/Offset)
Cross this bridge if you dare
Superstition abounds on the Charles Bridge, dating back to its construction in 1357. Builders laid the original bridge stone on July 9 at exactly 5:31 AM, coinciding with a precise set of numbers—the palindrome 135797531—which was believed to bring additional strength to the structure. But the superstition didn't stop there. The bridge was also constructed in perfect alignment with the tomb of St. Vitus and the setting sun on the equinox. A more recent superstition involves the statue of the revered Saint John of Nepomuk that stands on the bridge—according to folklore, rubbing the plaque at the base of the statue will grant you a wish. Throughout history, the legendary bridge has undergone a multitude of catastrophes, from fighting to flooding. These days, however, it's one of Prague's most visited sites. Whether that's because of its superstitious strength or not—that's up to you to decide.
