March 10 and 11
The drive Vienna, Austria north to Prague, Czech Republic is quite pretty. The drive took me through small towns, villages and vineyards that dotted the otherwise quiet landscape There were long stretches where I saw no other cars. I loved that.
As I crossed into Czech Republic, the afternoon was turning to evening. I watched as the sky turned from blue to gorgeous orange and red.
And just as the sun melted down into the horizon, I passed by a gorgeous, still, mirror-surface lake. I snapped photos as I drove.
I arrived into Prague around 8 pm exhausted. My hotel is the spectacular art deco Hotel Paris. It's located next to the Municipal House, which was the former site of the Royal Court Palace, the home of the great King Wenceslas IV (from the song!) from 1382 to 1486. At that time, the Habsburgs took power and weren't interested in using the palace. It fell into disrepair and was later torn down. In its place, the Municipal House was built in 1905. It is the best example of Prague Art Nouveau architecture standing today. It's simply gorgeous.
I was super excited to find I'd been given a suite (for no extra cost) simply because I'd asked for a room with a view. I was on the top floor, corner room with views on two sides. My room was pretty great...and fairly inexpensive! The benefits of traveling during the off season!
The entrance door was French doors... ALWAYS a good sign.
It had a big, comfortable bed...
And a massive bathroom...
The next morning, I could truly appreciate the views. From the bathroom, I had stunning views of the top of the Prague Municipal House directly next door.
And from the other windows, I had a view out over Old Town Prague and the Astronomical Clock Tower.
The next morning, I headed to Prague castle. The castle is across the Charles Bridge and up in the hills overlooking the Vitava river. It's the highest building in the below photo.
The Prague castle complex is very large and full of museums. I focused my tour on St. Vitus cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George Basilica, the Golden Lane, and the Powder Bridge.
At the entrance to the castle are armed guards and much like in London, there is a hourly changing of the guards.
It must be so hard to stand perfectly still while tourists like me take selfies with you. Ha!
Inside the Prague Castle complex, the St. Vitus' cathedral was absolutely stunning. The below photo is one of my favorites, but the cathedral's massive size makes it difficult to get it all in one shot.
The second shot gives great perspective for the scale of the cathedral. Just look how big those doors are...about 20 feet tall!
My favorite part of the Castle was the Golden Lane. A row of tiny, miniature houses are literally glued to one of the walls of the castle. Legend says that the row of houses was originally inhabited by the castle goldsmiths, hence the name Golden Lane. Throughout the years, the tiny houses were inhabited by merchants, goldsmiths, alchemists and marksmen who worked at the castle.
The tiny homes are only about 8-10 feet deep, so as not to intrude out into the street. The entire street feels as though it was built for hobbits instead of real people. You have to stoop to get through the small doorways. I stopped at each house and loved how cozy and charming they were. Some of the houses had just a single bed, a small dresser, a chair, and a wood burning oven for both heat and cooking. Originally, the homes didn't have running water. In fact, the last house to get indoor plumbing was in the 1970s. I just loved how charming the houses here were.
After touring the castle, I went back to the hotel to rest and get gussied up. That evening, I went to a chamber orchestra performance at the Municipal State House next to my hotel. I absolutely loved listening to the violins, violas, cellos and basses play Vivaldi, Handle, Mozart, Bach and more. They were truly exceptional.
I had dinner at a steakhouse in Prague called Casa de Argentina. Because what do you want to eat in the Czech Republic but Argentinian food, amiright? I had an amazing steak there and plenty of red wine. I was the only woman in the restaurant and that made for great people (men)-watching. The men at a nearby table bought me dessert, which was delicious. My server was gorgeous and we flirted wildly for the 2 hours I was there. There are certainly many benefits to solo travel...flirty waiters is one of them! I blogged while I ate, finished my half-bottle of wine and strolled back to my hotel enjoying the warm evening breeze. All in all, a great day in Prague.
On Wednesday, I spent the day walking around the Old Town Square of Prague. I went to the top of the clock tower and even tried to make sense of the Astronomical Clock, which is impossible!
Next, I strolled along the Charles Bridge and did some great shopping for friends and family. The bridge is beautiful...second only to the Chain Bridge I saw in Budapest.
I kept wandering the streets and found an old used bookstore with English books. My tradition continued when I bought a book by a Czech writer recommended to me by the owner. Can't wait to read it.
In the afternoon, I toured the Jewish Museum and Cemetery. I'm always drawn to the Jewish History Museums but leave crying, depressed and disgusted by how evil human beings can be. But, in my opinion, travel throughout Europe just isn't complete without trying to understand and learn about the history of each country and the events leading up to the World Wars.
The history, scenery, architecture, art and people of Prague were wonderful. I loved
the city and would visit again in a heartbeat.
The drive Vienna, Austria north to Prague, Czech Republic is quite pretty. The drive took me through small towns, villages and vineyards that dotted the otherwise quiet landscape There were long stretches where I saw no other cars. I loved that.
As I crossed into Czech Republic, the afternoon was turning to evening. I watched as the sky turned from blue to gorgeous orange and red.
And just as the sun melted down into the horizon, I passed by a gorgeous, still, mirror-surface lake. I snapped photos as I drove.
I arrived into Prague around 8 pm exhausted. My hotel is the spectacular art deco Hotel Paris. It's located next to the Municipal House, which was the former site of the Royal Court Palace, the home of the great King Wenceslas IV (from the song!) from 1382 to 1486. At that time, the Habsburgs took power and weren't interested in using the palace. It fell into disrepair and was later torn down. In its place, the Municipal House was built in 1905. It is the best example of Prague Art Nouveau architecture standing today. It's simply gorgeous.
The entrance door was French doors... ALWAYS a good sign.
And a massive bathroom...
The next morning, I could truly appreciate the views. From the bathroom, I had stunning views of the top of the Prague Municipal House directly next door.
And from the other windows, I had a view out over Old Town Prague and the Astronomical Clock Tower.
The next morning, I headed to Prague castle. The castle is across the Charles Bridge and up in the hills overlooking the Vitava river. It's the highest building in the below photo.
The Prague castle complex is very large and full of museums. I focused my tour on St. Vitus cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St. George Basilica, the Golden Lane, and the Powder Bridge.
At the entrance to the castle are armed guards and much like in London, there is a hourly changing of the guards.
It must be so hard to stand perfectly still while tourists like me take selfies with you. Ha!
Inside the Prague Castle complex, the St. Vitus' cathedral was absolutely stunning. The below photo is one of my favorites, but the cathedral's massive size makes it difficult to get it all in one shot.
The second shot gives great perspective for the scale of the cathedral. Just look how big those doors are...about 20 feet tall!
The tiny homes are only about 8-10 feet deep, so as not to intrude out into the street. The entire street feels as though it was built for hobbits instead of real people. You have to stoop to get through the small doorways. I stopped at each house and loved how cozy and charming they were. Some of the houses had just a single bed, a small dresser, a chair, and a wood burning oven for both heat and cooking. Originally, the homes didn't have running water. In fact, the last house to get indoor plumbing was in the 1970s. I just loved how charming the houses here were.
After touring the castle, I went back to the hotel to rest and get gussied up. That evening, I went to a chamber orchestra performance at the Municipal State House next to my hotel. I absolutely loved listening to the violins, violas, cellos and basses play Vivaldi, Handle, Mozart, Bach and more. They were truly exceptional.
I had dinner at a steakhouse in Prague called Casa de Argentina. Because what do you want to eat in the Czech Republic but Argentinian food, amiright? I had an amazing steak there and plenty of red wine. I was the only woman in the restaurant and that made for great people (men)-watching. The men at a nearby table bought me dessert, which was delicious. My server was gorgeous and we flirted wildly for the 2 hours I was there. There are certainly many benefits to solo travel...flirty waiters is one of them! I blogged while I ate, finished my half-bottle of wine and strolled back to my hotel enjoying the warm evening breeze. All in all, a great day in Prague.
On Wednesday, I spent the day walking around the Old Town Square of Prague. I went to the top of the clock tower and even tried to make sense of the Astronomical Clock, which is impossible!
Next, I strolled along the Charles Bridge and did some great shopping for friends and family. The bridge is beautiful...second only to the Chain Bridge I saw in Budapest.
I kept wandering the streets and found an old used bookstore with English books. My tradition continued when I bought a book by a Czech writer recommended to me by the owner. Can't wait to read it.
In the afternoon, I toured the Jewish Museum and Cemetery. I'm always drawn to the Jewish History Museums but leave crying, depressed and disgusted by how evil human beings can be. But, in my opinion, travel throughout Europe just isn't complete without trying to understand and learn about the history of each country and the events leading up to the World Wars.
The history, scenery, architecture, art and people of Prague were wonderful. I loved
the city and would visit again in a heartbeat.
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