The Charles bridge stretches across the Vltava river, with a single tower on the right bank and two towers on the left. Built in 1358, the bridge epitomizes Prague, a town that for 1,000 years has been a cultural and commercial capital of Eastern Europe. The center of town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a person walking the cobblestone streets is transported back in time.
European coffee culture is said to have begun in Vienna in 1683, after the Poles helped stop the Ottoman army from invading the city. According to an apocryphal tale, a spy named Kolschitzky was instrumental in providing intelligence to the army, allowing for the defeat of the Turks. When the Turks fled, leaving behind their supplies, Kolschitzky recognized bags of coffee beans that they had brought along for their troops. When asked how he could be adequately repaid for his services, Kolschitzky asked for the beans in tribute. The request was granted, and Kolschitzky reputedly opened a café in neighboring Vienna. Its success led to other cafés opening in Europe, and Prague, the third-largest city in the world at the time, soon had cafés serving the new beverage.
The Bohemian culture of Prague includes quintessential cafés everywhere in the city, many serving espresso from well-known Italian brands such as Illy and Bristot. Grand establishments dot the city, where people drink their coffee, read their newspapers, smoke their cigarettes (a sight seldom...
