From the Disabled Travelers Mailbag: Disabled Access Prague
Posted April 23rd, 2010 in access guides and Wheelchair Accessible Attractions
Prague in the early evening
Photo by: Michael Mogmil (Stock Exchange)
Hello, everybody! Since I’m in the middle of planning my own trip to Poland and its surroundings, I thought I would tap the old mailbag to talk about wheelchair travel in Prague. Known as the “Mother of Cities” in its native Czech, this city is saturated in its long history. Now, granted, a lot of ancient cities leave something to be desired when it comes to handicapped travelers; but it’s my job to make sure you can know before you go, and besides, we’ve been pleasantly surprised before – now is one of those times!
Prague is an international crossroads that’s attracted big-name guests like the International Olympic Committee and the International Astronomical Union. When visiting here, there are so many beautiful museums, castles, and cathedrals it’s hard to name them all. Luckily, Prague.Net offers a useful sights by wheelchair access guide. You can dig deep into the site for detailed descriptions of some of the attractions, and breathtaking, high-resolution photos. The same site also has a listing of wheelchair accessible public transport routes to make getting around that much easier.
Despite some complaints about the modernity of their transport facilities, the official travel site of the Czech Republic does not disappoint in its treatment of disabled guests. The country is now participating in a wide-scale disabled access project, and working to make its characteristic towers more accessible to people of all abilities. Prague’s tallest tower, as well as several others, already have wheelchair elevators and other useful accommodations. Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Botanical Gardens and Zoo at Troje are also accessible to different degrees.
10 Reasons for the Disabled to Visit Czech Republic is an outstanding resource. In addition to all the information displayed above, it covers accommodations and transport, local UNESCO sites that offer access, access for concerts, theatres, and cinema, natural sites, and even sporting events. There’s enough information here to figure out exactly what you want to see, both in Prague and throughout the country, and it’s really obvious the government is making an effort to extend new opportunities to all.
The Prague Post is the Czech Republic’s English-language newspaper and offers a surprisingly broad range of news stories and information for the disabled. A quick search of the archives reveals fairly frequent stories about disabled rights and the growing handicapped organization in the country. Check out this article on access improvements on the country’s ubiquitous trams.
For more news on accessible hotels, restaurants, and attractions, stop by Prague Guide’s Travelers With Disabilities page. Traveliana, a site for Prague hotels and apartments, also has a guide to accessible accommodations. These offer wheelchair access, but for valuable info on specifics, you’ll have to contact the properties directly. A few properties do mention how many rooms they offer and what the features include, but many just have a range of icons that are meant to represent features – kind of baffling! Luckily, the site is available entirely in English.
That’s the story on Prague, but keep those questions and travel destinations coming, and we’ll keep the posts rolling on Disabled Travelers. Next up: wheelchair accessible national parks! See you then, and adventure on!
Si
