Graduate Student, architecturePrague Institute

Landlocked between Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland, the Czech Republic has served as a crossroads for many cultures over countless centuries. This fact becomes evident in the mixture of cultural references, from Renaissance architecture to a rich, Bohemian history in the “Golden City” of Prague. Far from what we might identify as a city by American standards, the streets of Prague are both intimately scaled and full of a deep and intricate past, made manifest through the physical surroundings. Architecturally, Prague is made up of a dense series of cultural and stylistic layers, to the point where no one building can completely be defined by any one architectural period.

In short, the structure of Prague’s urban environment is like that of an eclectic mixed CD, layering a range of various genres and styles. As an ever-changing representation of the Czech culture, the people provide an even deeper layer of cultural significance that gives life to the streets of Prague. Though many Czech people seem gruff or standoffish, they actually become very welcoming the more they see you on a daily basis, especially if a cold pivo (beer) is involved.