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Published: July 17th 2004
On the Charles Bridge
This is the Charles Bridge where the tourists flocked to take pics of the distant Prague Castle.Prague is one of the most interesting architectually of the cities I have visited thus far. Between the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and the Clock Tower in the Old Town Square, there are countless beautifully stuctured and colored buildlings. With each step, I could barely contain myself from snapping another picture.
I finally got to get some good sight-seeing in on Saturday. For about 7 hours, I wandered the streets of Prague in search of the key sights from my Spy Map, which one of the nice ladies who runs the Boathouse Hostel gave me before I left. Each landmark on my map that interested me, I made sure to walk there. I didn't realize that these sights would be mobbed. Absolutely mobbed! I realize that Prague is a popular summer destination for tourists, but I couldn't have comprehended just how crowded it would be.
From the Old Town Square, I took a winding road through the city to the Charles Bridge. As I walked, I knew that the sun and warmth had brought out all the tourists in the city, I imagine. When I reached the bridge, all I could see was a sea of heads, some with
A Mix of Architecture
Prague has some of the most beautiful architecture I've seen. This is a crop of buildings I came upon while wandering a back street. hats, brown or blonde hair, umbrellas to shade them. I couldn't see the sidewalk extending in front of me, only more people. Since I have quite a fast gait, I found it difficult to navigate through the sea of people. I usually ended up being ushered from in front and behind by hordes of camera-toting, black-sock and sandal-wearing, burnt to a crisp tourists. It was almost unbearable.
I begrudgingly took my time in getting across the bridge and up to the Castle grounds. It was getting later than I thought, I didn't want to miss anything due to time constraints. I climbed the stairs in the sun and heat to the grounds. The grounds and the view of the city were absolutely stunning. It was about 5pm when I started making my way through, which fortunately provided, the perfect soft and warm lighting that brought the colorful buildings to life.
Again, as I climbed down the stairs to the river, I couldn't help but get caught up in the web of tourists. I wondered what the city would be like during a more favorable time of year. If only I could have some of the streets to myself. I
In Old Town Square
I was amazed that building fronts obscure the facade of this beautiful church. think I could fall in love with the city!
I'm going to temper this post with my recommendation. Prague is not to be missed, just be sure to avoid it during the busy months of July and August. Make sure to have Prague all to yourself. If you do, you may not want to leave!
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Bill and Nancy
Bill & Nancy Lively
Prague in June
We visited Prague in June 2004. The bridge was crowded and lots of other places were too. But the weather was perfect. Absolutely fabulous temperatures and the sun felt gentle. If you go to the castle and to the bridge early in the morning, there are no crowds even in that busy tourist month. We will be living there from January through June this year and hope to soak in the music and other things a short visit would not allow.