Prague

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A magical city of castles and churches, rich with history and blanketed in a foot of freshly fallen snow, Prague opens its doors to three days of unforgettable photos and of course pub crawls.

Having arrived at 5:30am in Prague there is not a lot one can do to escape the falling snow then check your luggage in early and prepare for a long day of site seeing and immersing one’s self into the culture.

Setting out in to the dark and snow covered streets headed to the famous Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, it is amazing how quiet the streets are, only the sounds of the street workers clearing pedestrian walk paths.

Charles Bridge, whose construction commenced back in 1357, still draws the crowds of tourists and locals alike every day, linking the old city to the Prague Castle, the John Lennon wall, several old churches and local housing. The main attraction of the Charles Bridge besides linking the Castle to the old city is the dozens of larger than life Baroque statues, lining the entire length of the bridge. 7am sees only the very keen tourists out with the cameras and tripods taking snaps of the Czech sunrise, but by the time 12pm rolls around the bridge is bustling with street vendors, selling paintings, jewellery and other Czech trinkets to the hordes of tourists that keep arriving.

The Prague Castle is one of the largest Castles in the world. It not only houses the National Crown Jewels, but too St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Basilica as well as both the old and new Royal Palaces and several gardens. Just like Buckingham Palace, Prague Castle is guarded and changes to the guards are made on the hour. Tourists flock to have their photos talk with these guards, who are unable to show any form of emotion on their face, despite the cold temperatures and the attempts of tourists to get one to crack a smile.

Walking through the Castle grounds one can purchase a ticket to walk through St Vitus and George’s Basilica, the old Castle where replicators of the crown jewels are on show. It also allows you to walk down the Golden Lane, in which houses tiny cottages in which even I at 162cm tall needed to duck to enter.

The old city walk provides tourists many sites to see along the way. From old baroque style buildings, to a town clock which on the hour ever y hour has the 12 disciples move their way around the clock face, drawing in masses of cameras. Not only can one take photos of this tower clock it also allows you to climb to the top (or for those unable there is a lift) to get a 360 degree view of the city. Looking into the square you can see buskers, entertaining people and the street stalls selling all sorts of traditional street foods.

The night life of Prague shows a different side to this magical city. With pub crawls offered every night by several different companies, there is never a lack of drinking partners. Some of these tours take you off the beaten track, into small local bars tucked away only where the locals can find them and of course the others take you to the famous 5 level super club (largest in Europe). With prices half that of Melbourne it’s easy to see why Prague it is a favourite amongst visitors from all over the world.

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