Day 20: Prague

“The streets of Prague were a fantasia scarcely touched by the twenty-first century—or the twentieth or nineteenth, for that matter. It was a city of alchemists and dreamers, its medieval cobbles once trod by golems, mystics, invading armies. Tall houses glowed goldenrod and carmine and eggshell blue, embellished with Rococo plasterwork and capped in roofs of uniform red. Baroque cupolas were the soft green of antique copper, and Gothic steeples stood ready to impale fallen angels. The wind carried the memory of magic, revolution, violins, and the cobbled lanes meandered like creeks. Thugs wore Motzart wigs and pushed chamber music on street corners, and marionettes hung in windows, making the whole city seem like a theater with unseen puppeteers crouched behind velvet.” — Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone

At the Prague Castle, overlooking the Old Town beyond the Vltava River

This weekend we hopped on a train to Prague.

That's the dream, isn't it? Exploring Europe on a whim. Waking up in one country, and falling asleep in a different one, less than 300 kms away. I have to admit, I didn't have much interest in coming to Prague before we left, but it was Dave's choice, and I was happy to follow. 

But, after spending the day exploring the curving cobblestone streets, castles, bridges and street markets, I'm absolutely smitten with everything Prague has to offer. Over dinner a of delicious Mexican food in a quiet stone basement, Dave and I joked about abandoning our plans for Australia, and making our home here instead.

If I lived here I would need to adopt a Czech name #StarbucksFail

Since the decision to go to Prague was somewhat last minute, we didn't have much planned. It's possible this added to the charm of the place, as we had a whole day to walk and explore, following our every whim and urge. The first gorgeous sight we stumbled upon (quite literally) was the famous astronomical clock to sits in the Old Town Square, a short walk from our hotel. 

The astronomical clock

This astronomical clock was made in 1410 (!!) and tells various astronomical details, including the position of the sun and moon in the sky, and the months of the year. Of course, we had no idea how to actually read the thing. But it was very pretty.

 

From there we made our way to the famous Charles Bridge which crosses the Vltava River on the west side of the city. Over 30 baroque statues line the bridge, which are stunningly beautiful and date back to the 14th century.  Unfortunately, I've since read that the Czech government recently replaced all of the statues on the bridge with replicas—the originals were moved to the National Gallery. This takes away from the magic just a little, but the beauty and scale remains the same.

Statues on the Charles Bridge

All smiles on the Charles Bridge

Love locks on the Charles Bridge

Next stop on our impromptu walking tour was the Prague Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was founded in 880. The Prague Castle towers over the west side of the Vltava River, giving way to sweeping panoramic views of the Old Town.

The Prague Castle from across the square

Dave believes this statue outside Prague Castle is holding a baseball bat. I disagreed.

Dave at the Prague Castle, overlooking the Old Town

Next, we stopped for lunch at a small Italian bistro, tucked into a corner down a narrow, winding alley. Dave had pizza (for a change) and I had a really delicious basil pesto pasta. It was fun when the bill came, totaled in Czech korunas, and Dave got to pay using a totally baller 1,000 dollar bill. Of course, with the exchange being roughly 1 euro to 27 kornuas, it was actually quite affordable.

Our delicious Italian lunch in Prague

We felt very rich with our thousands of kornuas

After lunch we walked back across the river in search of the Kafka statue, which we found quite easily. Compared to the other European cities we've been to so far, I felt most comfortable wandering the streets of Prague this afternoon, not worried about getting lost or turned around. 

The Kafka statue in Prague.

So far, I've really enjoyed our time in Prague. It's such a beautiful city, full of action and gorgeous views at every turn. We're planning to wake up early tomorrow and explore more, before heading back to Vienna for the second last leg of our European adventure. 

Until then, 
Heather