I’m not one for parades. Growing up, as the lights on Main Street dimmed and the crowds of people pushed and shoved to get a better look at a dancing Mickey Mouse and a electrified Princess of something or somewhere I tugged, kicked and moaned about being there.  Standing outside Buckingham palace, during the changing of the guard in London I realized that this aversion to pompous, non participatory, boring spectacle (albeit a respectful ceremony) still lived inside of me.  Still, the sheer number of tourists / travelers lined up and being shooed off the fences and statues can only mean that many people do enjoy such things.  For those in-between I offer up the suggestion to forgo the Guards shift-change in England and experience a lighter version at the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic.

The changing of the guard at the Prague Castle (Hrad) lacks in two of the three things that usually incite me to avoid such occasions: 1. the long duration and 2. the pushing and shoving crowds.  Finding such things a tad boring is simply a matter of taste (good or bad).  Now don’t get me wrong the ceremony in Prague can last awhile but you do have your choice of show and fanfare.

Every hour on the hour the guards change in a simple ceremony where two new guards are brought in to replace a couple that has been on duty for awhile.  The event is …well, not much of an event and can go unnoticed.  If you are just dying to see foreign military go on break this would be the event for you; complete lack of crowds and a quick speedy process.  For a more complete experience you will want to try to make your way up to the Castle about 20-30 minutes before noon.  It is then that a longer (although not quite as long as the one in England) ceremony is performed with a brass orchestra playing from the windows of the castle and a flag hoisting.  Finding the castle is not difficult in Prague, in fact you can see if from much of the city.

The crowds that can be experienced in London are huge.  Police on horse back are needed to maintain order and their constant whistling at tourists climbing the Victoria Memorial out front can be almost incessant.  The Prague experience is generally a bit more relaxed.  For sure the quick change draws almost no crowd and even the noon performance is less a contest of will to see than its English counterpart.  This may have to do with the smaller area in which to pack a crowd as well as the nature of the event being less a tourist attraction.  Traveling during the off season will no doubt reduce the crowds in both locations.

The Castle Guard have been in existence in some formal fashion since around 1920 being officially recognized in a 1922 document, “Organisation and functions of the Castle Guard”.    Over the next few decades the Guard underwent changes in uniform as well as status as military.  In 1945 following the end of the war the Guard was even temporarily replaced by the Presidential Guard from Great Britain.  Between 1952 and 1990 the Castle Guard was actually not part of the Republic’s military and at times had the sole function of guarding the castle building.  Following the revolution in 1989 the Castle guard was once again subsumed into the official Czech military and new uniforms were issued which were designed by film artist Theodor Pistek.  It was at the start of the 90s that a fanfare orchestra was developed and included in the ceremony that takes place now at noon each day.   Since 1999 the Guard has been included as 1/3 of the Republics armed forces and each soldier must pass stringent tests and requirements (among which is a minimum height) to be allowed to perform the guard duties. 

If you are in Prague then you’re sure to make your way up the hill to see the Castle and the surrounding area.  Hanging around out front of the entrance gate around noon can afford you the opportunity to at least say you saw a changing of the guard in Europe.  It may not be the attraction that crowds flock to in London but it sure beats the end of a shift of a “guard” in the US.  Give it a try and who knows you may be up for bigger shows elsewhere.

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