Lost and found

I'm not sure if it says more about me or the layout of the city, but I did a fair amount of getting lost on this visit. It's fascinating to find clues about a town or city's growth through its layout...

A good part of my home city, Philadelphia, was arranged on a grid by colonial city planners, who had the luxury to be intentional about its design. Other places that grow more organically out of the changing needs of their populations tend to be less geometric. Or geographical features force a city to work around them, like Lake Michigan in Chicago, for instance. These are the theories I have about Prague, which will serve as my defense for getting lost so frequently.

I'm still quite an amateur when it comes to navigating this city. (Granted, I was only there for a long weekend.) But landmarks seemed to be a bit misleading. "Oh, I recognize that spire. Must be close to the castle! If I continue to wander in this direction, I should end up somewhere I recognize." Nope. It is actually a very similar spire in no kind of relation or proximity to the castle/Powder Tower/church that I might have been thinking about. "Oh good, I'm heading downhill. We must be getting close to the river. Then I'll know where I am." Wrong again. My husband and I wandered for twelve miles one day til we finally were able to navigate back to our hotel. Maybe we're just newbs. Or maybe it's something about this city.

Regardless, getting lost led to some discoveries we wouldn't have made otherwise. I stumbled across the amazing Jubilee Synagogue, not on the radar that day, as I was trying to make my way to the shopping district. (I ended up on the wrong side of a highway and had to retrace my steps for about twenty minutes.)

Although it's čau for now, Prague, give me a few months and I will be back to tackle your labyrinthine layout!