My Weekend Adventure in Prague
This post is long overdue! Life has been busy lately with my new job. But without further ado, here is a recap continuation of my September European trip…
After I booked my flight to Paris, I knew I had to pick another country to go to while in Europe. I wasn’t very picky when deciding on a location - the flight just had to be cheap! My ideal spot was Greece, but that was too far away. I looked at various cities in Germany, but ultimately decided on Prague in the Czech Republic.
I heard great things about Prague - it’s known for being beautiful and for having a great nightlife. My heritage is also part Czech so I was excited to see where part of my family is from. Other than that, I really had no idea what to expect or what I should do while I’m there. I’m not one to buy one of those touristy guide books, but a friend gave me one as a gift and I’m so glad they did!
This book, Top 10 Prague by Eyewitness Travel, had everything I needed for my long weekend in Prague - sightseeing highlights, practical information, i.e. translations, currency, etc, restaurant recommendations, etc. My personal favorite feature? The Exploring Prague section, which tells you exactly what to do if you are visiting for two days or four days. I followed the two day guide almost exactly as suggested and was not disappointed!
For those of you who don’t remember, my last night in Paris ended a little late (that might be an understatement - I didn’t go to bed until 6AM!). So when I landed in the Czech Republic and my cab dropped me off at my hotel around 6PM I went straight to bed without even eating dinner. The exhaustion was painful and I wanted to be ready to conquer the day when I woke up in the morning!
Full Day #1
My hotel was located in the Old Town section of Prague 1 so everything was walking distance. I started off my day by walking 5 minutes to Old Town Square to take in the beauty of the old architecture.
From there, I made my way through the maze of tiny streets to walk over the Charles Bridge, which was constructed in the late 1300s. Along the bridge are religious statues which were intended to lead people back to the church.
Me with Charles Bridge in the background
Prague Castle can be pictured in the distance in the upper right of this picture.
After crossing the bridge, I made the steep climb up to Prague castle, which is located in the Mala Strana section of the city. At the top, I had my first meal of the day - kielbasa!
Prague Castle is considered the “throne” of the Czech Republic and is the residence of the Czech president. Entry to the palace grounds is free to the public, but you have to pay a small fee in order to enter the buildings on the grounds. St. Vitus Cathedral sits on the grounds and is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot considering I’ve been to many in Europe, including Westminster Abbey in London, Notre Dame in Paris, etc.
Picture doesn’t even do it justice!
The rest of the day was spent eating delicious schnitzel for dinner, making friends with a couple of Aussies, and drinking really big beers!
Full Day #2
The second day in Prague was my last day of vacation before starting my new job. Because of that, plus the fact that it was cold and rainy, I wanted to keep it low key. I spent the day wandering the Jewish Museum and Old Jewish Cemetery.
The rest of the day was spent eating delicious food, wandering to the Lennon Wall and drinking beer in a pub while watching American football.
Prague was a beautiful city and the perfect spot to spend two days. I highly recommend it for a quick weekend stop in anyone’s European travels.
xoxo - Kim