Prague was ready for prime time and the First World competitive pressures that full membership of the European Union brought in May 2004. The first decade of a return to capitalism is well past, and the city has taken on the familiar air of a European metropolis that makes a good living from tourism. The most-visited castles and cathedrals are now surrounded by entrepreneurs trying to make back the bucks (or koruny) denied to them under Communism -- and they're trying to make them back as quickly as possible. For example, a bottle of water that costs just 15Kc (60¢) in most shops can cost 50Kc ($2.05) or more when purchased from a cart in the main tourist areas. Needless to say, vendors have definitely caught on to the theories of supply and demand.
Developers are also making the most of new opportunities. The pounding of jackhammers and the hollow thump of scaffolding being raised and lowered incessantly are the sounds most often blending with the bells and whir of ubiquitous streetcars. There's hardly a corner you'll turn where cobblestones haven't been dug up or sidewalks torn out.
Prague is a city rebuilding its face and its spirit. It's trying to keep up with the massive new flood of cars and visitors and is getting used to the pros and cons of its renewed affluence.
Disaster in 2002--The one flood the city could not absorb struck many riverfront areas as well as villages and towns throughout the country in August 2002. It was the worst flooding on record in the historic lands of Bohemia and Moravia. Entire communities were flattened, and much of Prague's ancient districts of Old Town and Malá Strana drowned under flows that reached high above the door frames. A wide swath of the underground metro system was destroyed. Some of the finest restaurants not only lost their alfresco dining areas for months, but were put completely out of business.
But the city responded quickly to its biggest test yet, and returned to its former glory after just a few months of hard work. The metro has been fully restored, cultural landmarks have been cleaned and polished (though not all of them), and most restaurants and shops have reopened and even improved their decor with the insurance money provided, although some had to call it a day.
