As I had a cousin's wedding to attend in London and a friend who is curious as the world as I am, what better thing to do than to plan a trip around the wedding! We wanted to go somewhere more 'unorthodox', hence, we decided to venture into East-Central Europe.....although Prague isn't!
Prague, to me, = to A Brit's Stag Paradise! We were there in the summer and everywhere I looked, there was a stag party!
 |
| View from Prague Castle |
The Prague Castle is located in Malá Strana (Lesser Town).
 |
| Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. Today, it is the seat of the Czech president. |
Prague was one of the leading cultural centres of Christian Europe during the Middle Ages, hence, most of the architecture are Romanesque and Gothic.
 |
| The Gothic St Vitus Cathedral (in Prague Castle) |
 |
| Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane) (in Prague Castle) |
The walk down from the castle, through the gardens, towards the St. Nicholas Church, at Malostranské náměstí, is something that should be done. You will see many beautiful sights and pass by many interesting stores.
 |
| Malostranské náměstí |
As we were there right smack in the summer, it was scorching hot! There was a truck going around sprinkling water to cool the streets down - now that's unorthodox!
Across the famous Karlův most (Charles Bridge), which crosses the river Vltava, is the overly crowded Staré Město (Old Town), Nové Město (New Town) and Josefov (Jewish Quarter).
 |
| Karlův most (Charles Bridge) |
 |
| Along Charles Bridge |
The Old Town
 |
| Old Town |
 |
| View from the Old Town Hall Tower |
 |
| Overcrowded much?! |
 |
| Orloj (The Astronomical Clock) on Old Town City Hall |
 |
| View from the Old Town Hall Tower |
 |
| The Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn |
 |
| My favourite building in the whole of Prague |
 |
| Watched an opera in The Estates Theatre, Old Town |
The New Town area
 |
| Nové Město (New Town) |
On the way to the Jewish Quarter
There is a rather large Jewish community in Prague. The beautifully decorated Spanish Synagogue is worth a visit. Prague was significantly involved in the Jewish history, especially in the 17th century, known as the Golden Age of Jewish Prague. To learn more about the Jewish culture, customs, and history (especially during the Second World War), spend some time at the Jewish Museum, which includes the Old Jewish Cemetery.
My favourite place in Prague is the Petřín Hill, Kampa and Old Mill (under Charles Bridge) area, which is located in Malá Strana (Lesser Town), like the Prague Castle. As the name suggests, there are fewer people there! Lol.. (I am not a fan of overcrowded places!).
I don't only love the place due to the number of people (lol), the view is beautiful and the vibe, tranquil. You can just relax on the bench by the river, for hours, and not get bored!
 |
| View of Lesser Town from the river |
 |
| View from Petřín Hill |
 |
| Taking the tram to the foot of Petřín Hill |
 |
| From Petřín Hill towards the river bank |
The well-known Café Savoy is located nearby. It has the atmosphere of the cafés of the First Czechoslovakian Republic. Its interior is dominated by a listed Neo-Renaissance ceiling dating back to 1893.
 |
| Wide selection of cakes and pastries |
 |
| The famous namesake cake - Savoy Cake |
It is known for the Savoy cake. If you are a fan of Black Forest cake, you may enjoy this. My only issue with the cake is that it is slightly on the drier side.
Prague, although beautiful, is extremely crowded (and overly commercialised! :S). It is not a place I fell in love with. I think it is one of those places that will always be crowded regardless of the season. However, don't take my word for it - you may love it! Every place leaves a different impression on different people :)
From Prague, we hoped on the train, headed to imperial Vienna!
No comments :
Post a Comment