This last weekend we took our first field trip, visiting Prague and Dresden, Germany. We travelled to Prague by train on Thursday morning. Once we arrived there, we checked into our hostel, which was right by Wenceslas Square. Two of our professors, Jan and Martin, took us around the city to see some of the sights. We visited the Astronomical Clock when it chimed, the Charles Bridge, and the John Lennon wall. Since it was Easter weekend, there were Easter markets all over the city, with stalls selling various souvenirs, food, and craft items. I had the best hotdog of my life there. There were also various musicians around the city. It was a really neat time to be in Prague, and I am glad that I was able to experience the Easter market. I was surprised at the amount of decorations and celebrations that they had for Easter, as the Czech Republic is a very secular country. Over 50% of the population is not affiliated with a religious denomination, and most of them do not believe in God. A lot of their Easter celebration involves pagan traditions.

                On Friday, we were able to explore the Prague castle. The Prague castle includes the palace, the St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, the Golden Lane, and some museums and exhibits. The St. Vitus Cathedral was absolutely beautiful. In the palace we were able to see rooms that had been directly involved in the history of the Czech Republic. It is amazing when you see a building that has been around since the 13^th century or so. They have such a rich history here, and it is amazing to experience. In the United States it is almost impossible to find a building that has been around any earlier than the 1700s or so. Our country is just so young.

                On Saturday, we took a train to Dresden, Germany. Dresden is the capital of the German state of Saxony, and was the last city bombed during World War II. It was a very controversial bombing, as it killed around 25,000 civilians. They used some of the old stones that had been salvaged from the ruins to rebuild the new structures, so you can see buildings that are a mix of light and dark stones. A famous example of this is the Dresden Frauenkirche. It was originally a Roman Catholic Church, but became a Lutheran church during the Reformation. It was destroyed during the bombing, and was rebuilt in the early 1990s. We were able to climb to the top of the church, which offered an absolutely amazing view.  I was also able to visit the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, which is a famous art museum. I was able to see the Sistene Madonna by Raphael, which is apparently a very famous painting (I don’t know much about art). We had to take a train back to Prague that same day, and I was disappointed that we were not able to spend more time there.

                Before we went back to Olomouc on Sunday, we got to visit the Jewish ghetto in Prague. We went to a synagogue that had the names of all the Czech Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. I was told that there were 80,000-85,000 names. It was a sobering experience. We then went to the Jewish cemetery, as well as two other synagogues. One had been turned into a museum, and the other one, the Old-New Synagogue, is still in use. It is one of the oldest remaining synagogues in Europe.

The  Dresden Frauenkirche.

The view from the top of the church in Dresden.

The view from the top of the church in Dresden.

The John Lennon Wall in Prague.

The John Lennon Wall in Prague.

The Prague castle and St. Vitus Cathedral from across the river.

The St. Vitus Cathedral.