Prague

The last major stop on our trip was Prague.  Our expectations for this city were high as we had heard nothing but glowing reports from friends who had visited before us and it certainly did not disappoint.  A city of 2.6 million people Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and the city is bisected by the Vltava River which adds to its beauty with the many boats mingling with the multitude of swans floating under the picturesque bridges.  The most famous and well travelled bridge by pedestrians is the Charles Bridge which was built in 1402 and is lined on both sides with large statues of Catholic saints.  We crossed this bridge many times and the views both of the city and the river were stunning.  At night time looking up at the lit castle and church was an especially wonderful sight.

Prague has a large town square surrounded by a colourful buildings with a diversity of architectural styles.  This city is nicknamed the town of 100 spires and the town square is towered over by the spires of the Tyn Church which is a gothic church built in the 14th century.  The inside of the church is baroque style and is absolutely magnificent.  Another big feature in the square is the astronomical clock which dates back to 1410.  With all its moving parts it is quite a wonder that it was built so long ago.  The clock has just under gone a year long renovation and reopened three days before we arrived so we were lucky to see this famous monument.  Every hour the little figures go through their motions. 

With our Rick Steve’s guide book in hand we did the several city walks that he had so thoughtfully laid out and spent our days enjoying the wonderful areas of old Prague.  We visited Wenceslaus Square to see the large monument as this is where Good King Wenceslas originated in 907AD.  We wandered the castle grounds which afforded us wonderful panoramic views of the city, especially beautiful as dusk approached.  We marvelled at one beautiful building after another.  We don’t think we have been to another city that rivals Prague in this manner.  We wandered through the Jewish quarter which was formerly the Jewish ghetto and now houses an old cemetery as well as holocaust memorials along with the synagogues.  The armed guards outside these buildings made this area fell a lot less welcoming.

And of course we ate. With a myriad of restaurants the choice was endless and luckily we never made a bad one.  Starting our meals with a drink of Becherovka, a local Czech spirit, we enjoyed everything from sauerkraut soup, duck, pork to the best foie gras ever 

Even did a bit of shopping,bringing home a piece of beautiful Czech glassware and a couple of traditional Czech marionettes as forever reminders of our visit to this very special city.

The castle at night as seen from the Charles Bridge 

Church at the Castle 

Charles Bridge 

View from the bridge 

The astronomical clock 

Church in the square

Some of the beautiful buildings in the main square 

Multitude of cobblestone alleyways 

Tyn church spire

Inside Church of St James

Church of St James

Interesting roof tops

Front of the Municipal House

Charming street over passes

Eye candy

Could not get enough of the wonderful architecture 

Tyn Church towering over the town square

Inside Tyn Church 


Picturesque 

View of the Charles Bridge 

One of the statues on the Charles Bridge 

A Canal wing its way through the town

Along a lane

Eric cheering with a fellow we met at dinner one night

Jewish synagogue. Notice the guard.

Statue of King Wenceslas 

The Charles Bridge from the Castle

City at dusk

Entrance to the Castle Cathedral 

St Vidas


Best foie gras ever enjoyed on the side on the canal

Making Trdelnik which is the Czech version of the ice cream cone.  It is made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a sick and then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix.  It can then be filled with ice cream or various spreads. I had one with pistachio spread. It was delicious.

Eric enjoying a latte and strudel and of course a Becherovka