First, let me make an admission. Prague was never on my bucket list. It was one of those places I heard about in passing, maybe a mention of WWII, maybe a historical reference somewhere. Prague was whim, an add-on, a “Why Not?” moment.
I had a river cruise booked with friends and relatives, starting in Budapest and ending in Passau. I invited a friend and coworker, Anna, to share the trip with me. This was to be the final adventure of my year of travel. And then I found myself with a couple of extra weeks between my petsitting in Washington state and the start of the cruise. I pulled up a map of Europe, and also my favorite train website, The Man in Seat 61: Themaninseat61.com. One of the recommended train trips was the route from Prague to Budapest; an easy trip of just a few hours and no connections. As I said, “Why not?” Incidentally, that website is probably the best travel site I’ve used, with the possible exception of Rick Steve’s site. The guy provides incredible detail, videos, ideas, and wonderful how-tos.
I found a great historic hotel right in the center of the Old Town area, Hotel Rott. While the building is very old, the service and accommodations are modern and excellent. We did find that the weekend had a somewhat noisy crowd outside our window, given that the Hard Rock Cafe was located in a part of the building. Celebrations tended to spill into the street. Hey, if I was fifty years younger I would have joined them!
What I didn’t expect was to be blown away by this amazing city. While it started out as an add-on, it ended up being my favorite part of the trip. Anna and I spent four days wandering the city, peeking around corners and finding interesting streets to explore.
The first day we were looking for the Clementinum, which houses a lovely ancient library. It turned out we were too late, and all the tickets were sold for the day. But oh, look! There’s a sign advertising a Vivaldi concert in the same building! How amazing is it to go to a concert by members of the Prague Symphony Orchestra, in the very same room where Mozart performed?
We did make it to the Clementinum the next day. Fair warning: the library is on a higher floor, accessible only by a 172-step spiral staircase. And from there you can climb again to the tower, which affords amazing views of the city. I am old, but I’m also stubborn. And also afraid I might miss something! I managed to climb all the steep stairs, with respites on each floor.
The visit to the library was brief but impressive, and the view from the tower was stunning. That’s Prague Castle in the background.
Any trip to Prague requires a stop to see the Astronomical Clock do its thing. This amazing piece of machinery was first built in 1410, and it not only tells time, it tracks the position of the sun and moon, and is a calendar. Before the bell tolls the top of the hour, the Apostles appear through doors and four figures representing Greed, Vanity, Death, and Lust provide a show to the crowds in the square.
We took a hop-on, hop-off tour to get an overview of the city and visit Prague Castle. This was the most unique ride of its kind, because it wasn’t really a bus. It was an old cable car with a driver, a brakeman, and a guide. The guide was a lifesaver when she told us not to get off at the Prague Castle stop, and go to the end of the line and walk from there. Why? Because the walk from the Castle stop required and long slog uphill, while the last stop gave us an easy downhill stroll.
Our visit to Prague Castle took most of the day, since it’s really a complex made up of many buildings. There’s St. Vitus Cathedral, the Basilica of St. George, a monastery, palaces, museums, and the shops and apartments that at one time housed the people who served the castle. I have so many photos and such a variety it’s hard to decide at what point you might fall asleep looking through them. So I’ll just include a random gallery. Hopefully enough to entice you to consider a visit.
If you’re a car buff, here’s an opportunity to tour the city in style. As we were headed for the historic cable car, we passed by several of these cars just waiting to take tourists around the city.
We made sure to sample the traditional foods of the Czech Republic, and it was all delicious. The settings weren’t bad, either!
We walked across the Charles Bridge to the Lesser Town. It took longer than we expected and cost more, too. Why? Because all along the bridge there were performers and artists selling their wares.
In the Lesser Town we did our usual peeking around corners and found it fascinating. We came across a building that is the current home of the Knights of Malta in Prague, and a building where Beethoven lived.
Of course, there’s always the serendipity of finding a place that tickles your funny bone. We found the Spin and Sip Laundry and Wine Bar. What a great way for a weary traveler to get clean clothes and a wine buzz at the same time. The name put me in mind of the Sip ‘N Dip here in Great Falls. But that’s a story for another time.
On our final afternoon we decided to visit the gothic church just off the town square, since we had been looking at the spires for four days. There’s always one embarrassing “Oh NO!” moment, and this was it. It required a bit of searching to find the entrance-they weren’t really interested in hosting tourists. And when we entered there was a mass in progress. We were required to stand in the back, behind a gate, and we were not allowed to take photos. It was so beautiful, though, that we stood for some time and listened to the mass, enjoying the serenity. And then…my phone went rang! Ouch. I rushed out the door, feeling so sorry that I had disturbed the service and the parishioners. And to make it even worse, my ring tone is: “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones.
To the parishioners and the priest: Mea Culpa.
Travels with Billie 
Makes me want to visit! Our daughter loved the city and has a set of photos, that she took, of the astro. clock and 3 other places in the city. She has traveled much of the world yet chose to frame those memories. Thank you for sharing!