Plzen vs. Prague

I have just returned to Plzen from two days of free time and four days in a Fulbright meeting in Prague. In Prague, I grew accustom to comparing towns and cities because some of the other Fulbrighters created a game entitled, “what does Miriam’s town have that mine does not.” Due to the fact that Plzen is the fourth largest town in the CR (not to be confused with Costa Rica), it has many amenities. There is a diversity of restaurants and grocery stores from which to choose. Unlike smaller towns these grocery stores sell peanut butter, which is a rare commodity here. While my amigos' towns have plenty of bars and restaurants, they lack movie theaters and malls (my town has multiples of both). Overall, I feel pretty lucky to be placed in such an accommodating city, not to mention my wonderful school! Yet, I am often envious of the fact that other Fulbrighters are celebrities in their towns because everyone knows them or the fact that they are easily able to meet people our age (the majority of my new friends are teachers and students).

In the spirit of comparison, and because I have yet to fully describe Plzen and what it is like, I will do so in the context of Prague. Prague is the only city in the CR to be considered a major/large city. However, it is so small that it cannot be considered a metropolis like New York or Tokyo. Prague’s 2.3 million population means that the city has a lot less subway lines, bus, and tram routes than the major cities on the East Coast of the US, but more than the rest of the country. Although, there are a few tall lookout towers and church steeples, Prague is also not a tall city – there are no skyscrapers in its downtown. It is a big city in the sense that it offers different genres of food, stores, people, culture, etc, and it is physically more expansive than the rest of the cities in the CR.

Plzen, like Prague, has a main square with a large cathedral and many brightly colored buildings surrounding it. There are shops, restaurants, and cafes overlooking the square, and many side streets lead to more. In fact, a popular street a few blocks from the main square is named Americka – on one end of the street there is a McDonalds and the other end there is a memorial that reads “Thank you America!” General Patton liberated Plzen in 1945, but memorials dedicated to him and the liberation were removed during the communist era and American Street was then called Moscow Street. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which ended communism, the street was named American Street and memorials dedicated to the US were created. Many people I meet in the CR explain that I live in the most Pro-American city in all of Europe because every May there are festivals dedicated to the liberation and thanking the US. Ironically, I have only met two Americans in Plzen and they were missionaries. Side note: there are two vegetarian/vegan restaurants off of Americka, and I have befriended the Nepali owners of an Indian restaurant.

Something that Plzen has and Prague does not is the largest beer brewery and factory in all of the Czech Republic. I took a tour of the bottling factory and old underground cellars, which were pretty enormous. The factory itself bottles multiple labels of beer and supplies the entire country. Plzen is considered more industrial than Prague because it also has a Skoda car-part manufacturing plant.

Plzen also has five rivers and is surrounded by lakes. There are many trails behind my neighborhood of communist era apartment buildings that lead to some of these lakes. The majority of people on these trails are women pushing strollers, people with their dogs, and mountain bikers. Whether it is correct of not, my impression of people in Plzen is that they are extremely fit because there are many trails for bikes and roller-blades. I even went to a special outdoor rollerblading track with two teachers and their two-children each. Additionally, I joined an “outdoor” group that meets every Tuesday to play soccer, hockey, and basketball. Occasionally, this group does gymnastics, and goes camping, hiking, and skiing.

Similar to how “everything is bigger and better in Texas,” things are definitely larger and more glamorous in Prague. Keeping in perspective that I am perfectly happy in Plzen and very content with my situation. An American saying is “the grass is always greener in someone else’s yard.” What looks good is not always a good fit or the most comfortable situation for everyone. All that is left to say is that I am very happy and healthy in Plzen.

Prague's Main Square and Astronomical Clock:

Plzen's Cathedral, Main Square, and Buildings in my Neighborhood: