In 2005 I wrote over 50 travel destination essays for the (now reorganized) travel website Travelgator.com. All essays written from research or in some cases actual experience. One sample for my favorite city (outside of Boston!) is below.

Prague, Czech Republic

Ancient, medieval, and thoroughly modern, breathtaking Prague is a city unlike any other. Those who haven’t visited this 1,000-year-old city are in for a shock – it’s as beautiful and romantic as any European city, and as the only major central European city to escape the bombs of World War II, one of the most architecturally intact. But go now if you can. In the nearly two decades since the Velvet Revolution threw off the shackles of Soviet rule, Prague has undergone a rapid transformation from gray Eastern European chic to glitzy urban wonderland. While this means that there are more options for tourists, it also means that the prices are beginning to creep up to Western levels. While it is still possible to drink a glass of the finest pivo (beer) in the world in a 14th-century pub for under a dollar, the days of incredibly inexpensive nightlife, accommodations, and goods are quickly coming to an end. 

Founded in the 9th century, Prague soon became the seat of the Bohemian kings, most notably Charles IV in the 14th century. Under Charles, the ancient city flourished with new construction, including the spectacular Charles Bridge, the New Town, Charles University, and the magnificent gothic Saint Vitus Cathedral. Charles was also a great benefactor of the arts and of artists, who were lured to the city by its beauty and relative permissiveness. Prague was (and is) a city of music – famed for the talents it has nurtured over the centuries. Guests can still hear classical concerts where favorite adopted son Mozart once played, including the shimmering Hall of Mirrors in the famous Klementium. It is no wonder that Prague has become a popular backdrop for so many recent films (Amadeus, Brothers Grimm, and Everything is Illuminated among them). 

There are parts of the city that have simply been frozen in time. In Mala Strana (the Little Quarter), there have been no buildings constructed since the 17th century. And Kafka would feel at home in the amazing Old Town Square, with its famous Astronomical Clock and the soaring twin spires of the Tyn Church. Despite its antiquity, Prague is not a city stuck in the past. It has long been on the cutting edge of culture, and the meaning of the word “Bohemian” did not originate in these streets for nothing. Spectacular Art Nouveau buildings stand next to cubist and gothic structures, and the city attracts the best music, theater, and art luminaries in the country and in the world.