Prague has always been a mysterious and exotic location to me, even though I was never quite sure where it was (I am terrible at geography). Prague has a certain allure as one of the "must-see" destinations in Europe.
So, it was no surprise that everyone we talked to recommended that we must visit Prague. More than a few people have told us that Prague is THE most beautiful city in Europe. And apparently, alot of people in Europe must agree with this, because of the huge crowds of people we encountered there.
When Czechoslovakia split up after the fall of Communism in the early 1990's, two separate countries emerged: The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Beautifully intact historical sites, an "Iron Curtain" past and the openness of her people all contribute to Prague's becoming one of the most popular tourist cities in all of Europe.
We arrived in Prague during the late afternoon and immediately headed into the city to get our "feet wet". And we soon found out what the big deal about Prague is. It is absolutely a stunning city! Although we are no students of architecture, we do know there is definitely something different and beautiful about the city's appearance that grabs your attention.
First, we stopped by at the crowd waiting to see the changing of the Astronomical Clock. This interesting clock tower houses the oddest clock you will find anywhere. This clock has hands and dials that not only tells the date and time, but also can track the position of the earth, sun, moon, and indicates the current sign of the zodiac. If all this isn't enough, at every hour the "walk of the apostiles" occurs where two sliding doors above the clock opens and the apostiles appear to "walk by" and peer down at the crowd... cool. All this in a clock that dates back to the 1400's!
Later, we walked just a little further out to see the Charles Bridge, which crosses over the Vtalva River and leads up to the Prague Castle (the largest ancient castle, according to Guinness). This bridge is perhaps one of the most popular and photographed site in Prague. Popular, for sure, judging by the huge crowd of people and vendors on this bridge. We crossed the bridge, and walked back again, saving the hike up to the castle for another day.
By this time, it was getting close to dinner time and so we stopped off at the Restaurant Klementinum and had dinner, while watching the endless tourists parade past our outdoor table. The meal was very good, but it was here where we encountered the "not-so-subtle" Czech custom of padding the bill. We found that we were charged extra for the bread basket that we didn't ask for, as well as for the generous tip that we may forget to leave...
Returning to our hotel, we got the girls bathed and changed and put them down for the night. Jo wanted to go out and get some nighttime sightseeing in, so she headed out again. I was just as happy to lay in bed and watch Czech TV... (However, she did return with some spectacular night shots of the city)
The next morning, we headed back out after breakfast and this time, crossed over the Charles Bridge, walked through the city and up the hill to Prague Castle (do all castles HAVE to be on the highest hill overlooking the city???). Prior to our hill climb, we stopped and had a Czech pastry called a Trdelnik. It's a flat, doughy pastry, wrapped around a steel drum and turned over hot coals. Sprinkled with sugar and cinammon, and served hot, it gave us the energy to head up that castle hill!
The view from the summit is what you would expect. Spectacular! And even though I was loaded down with my backpack full of diapers, snacks and water, and pushing our stroller with 1 broken wheel ready to give out any time, it was well worth it!
The rest of the day was spent looking for some gifts and walking around Wenceslas Square. It was here where I had my best meal of the trip. Grilled (and expertly seasoned) chicken breast, wrapped around a warm, lightly-toasted flat pita bread - in essence, a Czech Chicken Burrito. Plus it was only 89 Czech crowns (about $6)...
Below is the Fred and Ginger Building (or the Dancing House)...
The next day, we headed out of the city toward Cesky Krumlov, a small city about 175KM south of Prague. We didn't know what to expect here, but it was recommended as a nice town to visit by a Czech colleague of mine at Toyota. When we arrived, what we found was a quaint town on the Vtalva River, known for its art colony and fine architecture. The Cesky Krumlov Castle is quite large for such a small town and the girls did take a look to see inside.
We had a late lunch in a small outdoor restaurant, overlooking the river, and did some more sightseeing afterwards. Since the weather here was so warm (about 88F), we treated the girls to some ice cream as we walked along through the town.
Our stay in Prague was a wonderful introduction to this beautiful city, but if we were to do it again, we'd probably choose to come during off-season. It's no accident that this is one of the most popular sites in Europe. Just try to visit when everyone else is working...
The next morning, we headed back out after breakfast and this time, crossed over the Charles Bridge, walked through the city and up the hill to Prague Castle (do all castles HAVE to be on the highest hill overlooking the city???). Prior to our hill climb, we stopped and had a Czech pastry called a Trdelnik. It's a flat, doughy pastry, wrapped around a steel drum and turned over hot coals. Sprinkled with sugar and cinammon, and served hot, it gave us the energy to head up that castle hill!
The view from the summit is what you would expect. Spectacular! And even though I was loaded down with my backpack full of diapers, snacks and water, and pushing our stroller with 1 broken wheel ready to give out any time, it was well worth it!
The rest of the day was spent looking for some gifts and walking around Wenceslas Square. It was here where I had my best meal of the trip. Grilled (and expertly seasoned) chicken breast, wrapped around a warm, lightly-toasted flat pita bread - in essence, a Czech Chicken Burrito. Plus it was only 89 Czech crowns (about $6)...
Below is the Fred and Ginger Building (or the Dancing House)...
The next day, we headed out of the city toward Cesky Krumlov, a small city about 175KM south of Prague. We didn't know what to expect here, but it was recommended as a nice town to visit by a Czech colleague of mine at Toyota. When we arrived, what we found was a quaint town on the Vtalva River, known for its art colony and fine architecture. The Cesky Krumlov Castle is quite large for such a small town and the girls did take a look to see inside.
We had a late lunch in a small outdoor restaurant, overlooking the river, and did some more sightseeing afterwards. Since the weather here was so warm (about 88F), we treated the girls to some ice cream as we walked along through the town.
Our stay in Prague was a wonderful introduction to this beautiful city, but if we were to do it again, we'd probably choose to come during off-season. It's no accident that this is one of the most popular sites in Europe. Just try to visit when everyone else is working...
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