Prague | a magical city

"It's like Disney, but it's real."

I was text messaging with my daughter last night from Prague. Through the wonders of internet technology, I was able to download pictures from my camera, edit them in iPhoto, post them in my gallery on MobileMe, and talk with her about them real-time on iChat. After seeing some of the night shots of Prague, she said "it's like Disney, but it's real." That is precisely my own insight about this magical city.

The picture above is taken from within the elaborate library of the Strahov Monastery in Prague. Containing 280,000 titles, these are some of the most fabulous rooms you'll ever see. Off-limits to the general public (the vast majority of tourists can only peer through a small doorway at the far end of the two rooms), our group was able to walk through the library at leisure, look at the ancient books up close, and generally experience these impressive spaces.

One of the most interesting features of the library is a polished antique wooden table; our guide showed us how the table converts into a step ladder that can be used to access books on the higher up shelves. We were also able to see up close the globes and stained glass windows throughout the room and hear explanations of the artwork on the painted ceiling.

How did we get into a place not normally open to the general public? The Virtuoso network includes local experts who can set up exclusive access to special VIP experiences in virtually any destination on earth, giving a whole new definition to luxury travel. Contact a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant to learn what might be possible in Prague — or in any destination you might want to visit.


Strahov Monastery, Prague (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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