Trifter

Image via Wikipedia

The Czech Republic declared it’s independence in 1993, up until then it had been ruled by various forces, over run by Germans in the war, followed by Communists. The Czech mentality is as Eastern Block as you can get while remaining in a central European country, combined with a dynamic and vital capitalistic and western spirit. Although the Czech people do not look back on the communist period of their history with nostalgic longing, it does add an interesting aspect for travelers to experience and discover.

In 2012 Czech will switch to the Euro and inevitably the prices will rise, and the culture will become blandly European as it’s rough edges are rounded, as has happened with other European countries which have surrendered their individuality to the E.U. A united Europe is not the best thing for travelers who search out what ever makes a country unique. So after 2012 the unique Czech character will be packaged in a whole new way.

Visit while the locals still talk their own language and all signs are not written in Japanese. As yet visitors on the whole do just that – visit – but as time goes by the capital could become like any other European capital, a multi-cultural cosmopolitan urban cliché.

Apart from an incredible amount of graffiti the city is still in good condition, and as tourism increases that could change.

When choosing travel destinations always consider what places are slipping away, which natural wonders are drying up or falling down, and go see those places first, while you still can. London and Paris will still be London and Paris, but the naivety of Prague, and the pure nature of the people is already dissipating as they are swamped with endless herds of tourists. As well as Prague now is the time to visit other central European countries like Budapest, Bratislava and Sophia.