Aaah Prague!

Sean told me that he and Jen both thought that Prague was a beautiful city, and I have to agree with them. Its saving grace is that it was not damaged in WWII and so all the historical buildings--some of which date back to the 12th Century--are still intact. The Czechs have invested heavily in their maintenance and it shows. Let me take you on a short journey through this beautiful city.

We followed this signpost to reach our first destination--the city castle--which has a magnificent view over the whole city. When the President is in residence, the flag is flying and it was for our visit.

The view is quite breathtaking, as was the climb up there! You can see right over the whole city with its distinctive red tiled roofs. The Castle itself is full of beautiful antiques and information about the city's history. It is well worth a visit if you ever get the chance.
Next stop is St. Vitas Cathedral, the spiritual symbol of the Czech state. It is a Gothic masterpiece that was commissioned by Charles IV in 1344 but only completed in 1929.

The inside of the cathedral is also astoundingly beautiful with its richly colored stained glass windows, intricate stonemasonry, and beautiful fresh flowers everywhere. And, to top it all, whilst we were there a choir was practicing, their voices adding another element to the building's spirituality. We moved on from St. Vitas down the narrow cobbled streets in search of a typical Czech-style lunch. At the end of a little passageway, we found a small covered area where we were served a nice cold glass of Czech beer, accompanied by a delicious goulash with Czech style dumplings. After all the climbing and walking, lunch was a welcome respite!
No visit to Prague is complete without a walk across the famous Charles Bridge. The construction of this bridge began in 1357 and was only finished in the 15th century. At that time it was the only means of getting across the Vltava River. Sadly, for me, it is really commercialized during the day, with street vendors lining both sides of the bridge selling their wares. If you would prefer a more realistic link with the past, I would suggest walking the bridge at night when all the vendors have gone home. Then you can really enjoy the view up and down the river and appreciate the architectural beauty of the bridge itself.

We stayed on the bridge for quite a while, enjoying the sunshine and the view down the river, and listening to all the different languages that were being spoken by the tourists. This tourist stop is a Mecca for visitors from all over the world!

Our day came to a close with a walk through the new city (relatively speaking). This area was constructed during the industrial revolution and is on the other side of the Charles Bridge. It also had its historical markers, the most famous one being the statue of Saint Vaclav or Wenceslaus (Wenceslas of our own Christmas carol) which dominates Wenceslaus Square.

Sadly, our day in Prague came to an end way too quickly. Should you ever get the chance to visit, a long weekend would be a perfect amount of time. It would give you the opportunity to enjoy the sights, the museums, the concerts, and the restaurants and I am sure that you would be just as impressed with this beautiful city as I was.