Prague is called the city of a thousand spires - one visit to the city and it's not difficult to see why. Although at first we were a bit uncomfortable being in a country in which the native language was unfamiliar to both of us (Ian speaks German but neither of us speak a lick of Czech), we quickly began to feel at home starting on the night we arrived.
After a somewhat perilous, albeit exciting, adventure driving through the back-roads of the Czech Republic, we finally arrived at the Plaza Alta Hotel on the north east side of Old Town, Prague. The hotel itself was very nice and surprisingly spacious, but the neighborhood it was situated in sadly had a notable remnant of communism with grey, bleak buildings lining the street. Communism had not stripped out all vibrancy for good though. We began our stay in Prague by visiting a pub a few blocks down from our hotel. When we entered the place we asked the hostess if anyone spoke English or German. She looked at us oddly and walked away. We were greeted by another hostess who did no more than say "Hallo", show us our table, and give us our menus. She looked rather afraid, probably because of the apparent lack of foreigners that come to the restaurant. The place was bustling with patrons chattering away in Czech. We knew we had found a popular place with the locals - a good sign! A few minutes later we were greeted in broken German by the restaurant owner. He sat down next to us and carried on a short conversation in German with Ian. He took our orders and tended to us personally. It was great to have such a nice welcome, and the food was great!
The next morning, we decided to walk from our hotel to Old Town Prague. This was a little over 2.5 mile walk but it was so enjoyable.
This was the river several blocks south of our hotel. Once you found the river, all you needed to do is follow it and take one of the many beautiful bridges across the river into Old Town.
Before we continued on, we took a walk in a huge beautiful park just north of Old Town. It was sprawling with huge trees and looked even greener after the morning rain.
View from the bridge we crossed to get into Old Town.
It was a hazy day, but the spires are still clearly visible!
This is literally what every alley looked like after crossing the bridge into historic Prague.
This is the Old Jewish Cemetery. Jewish people in Prague were confined to a ghetto of no more than several blocks wide and deep up until 1700. Because of the lack of space allowed to them, this cemetery houses around 100,000 bodies - 12 layers deep in some places.
This is what greeted us in the first church we visited in Prague. This is the beautiful chandelier in St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Square.
St. Nicholas Church was completed in 1735.
One of the most well-recognized sites in Prague (and all of Europe) - the Astronomical Clock. It was built in 1410 and is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world.
Memorial to Jan Hus. Founder of the Hussites - an early protestant group. Jan Hus came to be seen as a hero to many Czech folk as he embodied a type of rebellious spirit against the corrupt government of the time.
"Love each other and wish the truth to everyone" - Jan Hus
An entrance to the Prague Castle gardens. These gardens are walled off by a tall fence and are easy to miss if you are not looking for them!
The gardens were beautiful, filled with statues, fountains, ponds...
And peacocks! Look at her just posing.
That is Prague Castle in the background. The castle grounds consist of many buildings.
St. Vitus Cathedral is perhaps the most well-recognized and iconic building on the Prague Castle grounds. Construction of the cathedral began in 1344 and is the largest place of worship in Prague.
The inside of the Cathedral is just as breathtaking as the outside.
The Basilica of St. George - also on the Castle grounds.
The Loreta on the Castle grounds.
The view walking down the hill from the castle grounds was stunning.
I loved the vines growing on these buildings.
The John Lennon Wall.
Lyrics and quotes from John Lennon, as well as general peace and love sentiments, crowd the wall in layers and layers of graffiti.
Right next to the John Lennon wall is the Love Lock Bridge!
Lovers fix their locks on the bridge, often etching their names or wedding date on the locks, and throw away the key in the river symbolizing their undying love...
Old Town Prague from across the Mala Strana.
The Charles Bridge is perhaps the most well-known bridge in Eastern Europe. Construction began on the bridge in 1357 and was the only means of crossing the river until 1841.
Baroque silhouettes on the Charles Bridge.
There are 30 statues on the Charles Bridge!
Sunset behind the Prague Castle.
About half-way down the Charles Bridge is a statue of St. John of Nepomuk. Legend says that if you rub the plaque you will one day return to Prague. Maybe someday this legend will come true for me Ian. Prague was absolutely beautiful, and I hope to return one day.
