The outdoor game Wandering Prague 2 invites you to a route leading through a church with nativity scenes
The pilgrimage to the nativity scene begins in the Vinohrady Church of St. Ludmila. Photo: Jan Puci
Last year, the city hall of the second district launched a website with tips for outdoor games from the series Putování Prahou 2. There are several routes that people can walk on their own whenever they want. Now the Bethlehem route is coming to life. The initiator of the project, Jaroslav Šolc (ODS), councilor for the area of culture, informed what the participants can expect.
Can you rearrange the Bethlehem route?
Christmas traditionally includes not only a tree and presents, but also nativities with cribs and baby Jesus, which remind us of the true identity of Christmas. We have them in various forms at home, but beautiful nativity scenes are also displayed in churches. That is why we have created and recommend the route of our outdoor game, which will introduce nativity scenes displayed in ten selected churches of Prague 2 to those interested. Actually, it is a slightly updated version of the route already created for last Christmas. Nativity scenes, however, are usually displayed in churches from December 25 to Hromnice, i.e. until February 2. After that, they travel to depositories again. So we cordially invite all interested parties right now.
What interesting awaits players on the route?
During the game, they will learn a number of interesting facts about churches and their nativity scenes, they will remember the Christmas story of the Holy Family and the traditions associated with it. The route has 10 stops, is 6 kilometers long and can be completed in about two hours. But it can also be browsed in parts. The pilgrimage to the nativity scene begins in the Vinohrady Church of St. Ludmila, which received the title of basilica minor this year. It continues through the churches founded by Charles IV. and other stops in Nové Město to the next basilica at the memorable Vyšehrad. They will admire nativity scenes with cribs and baby Jesus in many forms. Nativity scenes themselves have interesting stories, they are of different ages and sizes, with different numbers of characters and are always an interesting landscape. They are all reminiscent of Christmas. The birth of light and hope. It belongs to our traditions. By the way, not everyone knows that nativity scenes appeared in churches and homes much earlier than the Christmas tree. At each stop, points can be collected for correct answers to two questions, the first relating to the location and the second to Nativity traditions and Christmas in general.
How can interested parties play these games?
On the website putani.praha2.cz click on the Bethlehem route, register and you can start playing. We recommend that you first familiarize yourself with the route and read the information for each stop. A booklet in the form of a jigsaw puzzle Traveling Prague 2 for nativity scenes, published by Prague 2, can also be an aid and a souvenir. It can be obtained free of charge in the information center at the office or in selected churches.
Itineraries can be browsed with a smartphone or tablet and questions can be answered on the spot. But there is another option. If you prefer paper and pencil, you can print or request a printed document with questions from the information center of the ÚMČ Prague 2. Fill in your answers later on the website. In this way, you will be able to see immediately after filling in whether you have the correct answer, read additional information and compare your point gain with other participants. Those who do not have access to the Internet can submit the completed form at the information center. However, without the mentioned benefits for an online registered participant.
How will the results be evaluated? Will there be competition again?
With regard to the possibility of filling in the answers later, we will leave space for users until February 6. After that, we will evaluate the route of this year’s nativity scene. We will publish it later. About three weeks after the deadline. This time, on the Betléma route, we are not running a competition for non-material prizes, but the participants’ point gain will be included in the total score, and at the end of the year, or already in the mid-term, we will announce the participants with the highest number of points, who will then be rewarded with non-material prizes. That’s why we recommend to those who haven’t done so yet to walk as much as possible in the other six of the seven routes published so far (Princess St. Ludmila, Josef Lada, Milada Horáková, Dvojka ladí jazz, Sokol, Anthropoid) and collect the maximum on them. We are preparing other routes for the spring and summer of next year.