European Adventure 2013

Europe » Czech Republic » Prague » Old Town
October 30th 2013

Published: November 1st 2013

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caznced

Prague

Old Square

We have 2 nights in Prague in a pretty ordinary hotel called the Barcelo Praha. We were a bit spoilt by our previous hotel, the NH Muenchen which had a good buffet dinner and an excellent breakfast. We’ve re-discovered that all hotels in Europe are over-heated and these 2 places are no exception…at least the bus temp is set at a reasonable level! We decided to take this bus tour as a rest from driving ourselves prior to returning home but the early starts are preventing this. In spite of this minor problem, we are seeing lots (albeit at a cracking pace!) and learning a lot about Central European countries and cities.

It was very cold for our full day in Prague but after some early cloud, the sun emerged and by the afternoon it was very pleasant. We had a local guide with a dry sense of humour for our City Tour of Prague, partly on the bus and partly on foot. In a city with loads of cathedrals, churches and religious monuments, it’s interesting to note that 65% of citizens in the Czech Republic identify as atheist.

In the morning, we visited the Jewish Quarter, Charles Bridge

Prague

St Vitus' Cathedral

with its multiple statues of kings and saints, the magnificent Old Town Square with its wealth of Gothic and Baroque features, including the Astronomical Clock. We saw the latter chime at midday and the Twelve Apostles filed past. We were advised by the guide that a beautiful view of the Square could be obtained from the terrace of the UPrince Hotel, so Ced & I popped up there for a coffee and a cheese plate, admired the view and took a few pics.

“The Best of Mediaeval Prague” walking tour beckoned us in the afternoon…a chance to visit the castle district for a look at Prague’s history. We visited Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, with the crypt of the Czech kings, the old Royal Palace and St George’s Basilica. The family history of the Czech Royals is incredibly gory and includes strangling, blinding and castration (within the family circle!). Interesting to me was a walk down the Golden Lane, a street of very tiny houses, including those where the early alchemists tried to produce gold from base metals.

So much to see in one day…you need at least a week to appreciate this fascinating and beautiful