Prague has always ranked high in my bucket list and I was more than trilled to finally tick it off! We spent a week in this city of charm, basking in the medieval atmosphere with the well-preserved buildings and castles, along the cobble-stoned streets. Without further ado after months of procrastination and a season later, here is a recap of that amazing week.
Day 1
It was November- notoriously cold, grim and wet, but the Sun did appear at times so it was not all gloomy!
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| Some basic Prague information: They use the Czech crowns (1 SGD is around 16czk.. a weird number and needed some time to adjust to), main language is Czech and they have an easy to comprehend public transport system within the city, consisting mainly of trams, buses and the subway. Also, the centre is compact and being able to walk around helped us save $$! |
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| We were here late morning and there were A LOT of people which meant a packed bus! And I mean the squished-like-sardines kind of packed! |
First impression matters and my initial view of Prague was less than ideal. We arrived in Prague, heavily disoriented, Crown-less and I was deeply confused. Long queues greeted us at the manned ticket counter for the public bus and my card failed me at the ticket machine. Great preparation JJ. I did do my research (mostly blogs and videos) but I underestimated the amount of people. It was off peak and I foolishly expected almost empty but no, there were still LOTS of people!
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| I am unsure if there is a cabin where phones are not to be used because my friend got told off for using his. |
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| Typical subway platform |
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Also, please validate your tickets! I was kind of skeptical that there were officials checking, but we got checked a few times!
We even saw other tourists getting fined and the usual rhetoric of 'We are tourists, we don't know' didn't work based on what we have witnessed. |
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| Less than a dollar doughnuts! So famished by this point! |
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| Our stop! |
After a short tram ride, we had reached our hostel. Being my first hostel experience, it was honestly intimidating at first. The grungy looking men smoking outside the hostel didn't help either. By the time I plopped on my bed after that long journey, I was still confused. I expected Disney land, instead I got a living city with all its glamour and drab. Looking back, this was so stupid and extremely naive of me! But Prague was not heavily praised and popular for no reason.. and my image of the city would change soon.
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| A rainy Prague welcome! |
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| Our hostel was very close to the Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge and we were constantly surrounded by all that gorge! |
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The very friendly hostel staff recommended us places to see and restaurants to eat in!
Czech food was carbo-heavy and did not appeal very well to my very Asian taste buds. It was
worth trying though! Their dumplings were so dense and filling! |
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| We ended the day across the bridge (where we got slightly lost) at the stunning and bustling Old Town's Square. |
Day 2
The first day in Prague was a bit overbearing- the crowds, the hustle and bustle, the excitement, the grandeur (too many grand and stunning views coming at me at such a short time period that I felt attacked), and I was yearning for a slower pace of life where I could compose myself, breathe and better prepare for the plunge back into the city teeming with life and culture. This made me appreciate our day trip to the town of Kutna Hora even more! I enjoyed it so much, I will be making a separate post on it! [UPDATE: here it is! Day trip to Kutna Hora!]
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| We went on a day trip to Kutna Hora! |
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| It was being advertised at the back of the city map and I had no regrets going for it! |
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| Kutna Hora is famous for its human bone decorated church at Sedlec.. but there was definitely more to it than that! |
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| Churches, history, food, castles, different kinds of architecture, bones all in that area.. too much to add to this post! |
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| Also, we got to see Old Town's Square in the morning! |
Day 3
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| I went on an extremely early morning stroll to Letna Park |
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| Lovely |
It was a Sunday morning and I went for mass at St Thomas Church, a stone's throw away from the hostel. With its very grand interior and the church not charting high on the Prague must-see lists, I thought it was a hidden gem. Though being a functioning religious site, I think the Church would prefer to leave it that way.
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| Early morning Prague |
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| The church interior |
Our sightseeing began late after lunch. We went past Old Town Square (with quirky and interesting performances and displays) and ventured towards Wenceslas Square. Here, modern shopping malls sprouted among the preserved buildings, which made for an interesting juxtaposition of the old against the new.
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| Modern brands on historical buildings |
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| It was turning great until I got scammed at a hotdog stall. Hotdog stalls were aplenty and I'm not saying that this is the rule of the thumb, but if that stall has very few people compared to other stalls nearby, it MIGHT be an indication of something rather sinister regarding their work ethics and service. Again, I might be wrong but let's learn from my experience. Further purchases from other hotdog stores were harmless and some vendors were very friendly! So there's hope in humanity! |
After the hotdog misadventures and redemption, we headed to the Dancing House and it began to rain; and in bitter cold November, that meant to FREEZE.
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| I really love the light pastel hues among the monotone grey |
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| Rainy Prague |
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Dancing House in the distance!
Taken from our detour at Slovanský ostrov, an isle on the Vltava with a cultural centre and park. This was the part when the cold started to creep in. |
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| The dancing house, a famous Prague landmark. |
We slipped into the Dancing House building for a short while. There was a bar with a view on top but the rain made the skyline gray and grainy. At this point, we were in desperate need of warmth and rest (bed!!), so we decided to head back to the hostel. We made it to a Metro station but we ran out of coins to buy a ticket! After failed attempts in changing our bills into coins with the locals (stores claimed that it was a Sunday and they did not conduct much business, which somehow correlated to having no coins, and also mistakenly asking a homeless man for change), we decided to walk. The rain was weaker at this point, but we were still wet and shivering. Google maps claimed that it took more than 30 mins, and yes, we made a triumphant return!
Day 4
I loved going for morning walks in Prague and this time, I went to the Charles Bridge. The Prague I had envisioned and romanticised came into life! It was almost empty (except for budding photographers with their long lenses and tripods and the casual wanderer) and it was just so peaceful and tranquil! I highly recommend these early morning walks around the city. Yes, even in the stinging cold.
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| There was an eerie silence as the city remained undisturbed in deep slumber |
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| The throngs of tourists were gone and nowhere in sight! |
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| The entrance to one end of the Charles Bridge |
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| :) |
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| With the silence, one could comfortably take their time to inspect and appreciate the many sculptures dotting the bridge. |
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| Just in case my joy and complete and utter satisfaction were not made obvious yet, I LOVED IT |
For the day's excursion, we started at the Prague Castle. It was kind of strange that we only had the chance to visit the castle, which was literally just above our hostel, on our fourth day in the city!
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| There was a security check upon entry |
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| It was free to explore the grounds and only entrance to churches and certain exhibits required admission tickets. We gave these a pass. |
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| Tour groups were starting to arrive at the same time as we did which was kind of a bummer |
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| MAJESTIC |
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| Money saving tip! This church, for instance, required admission tickets to enter past a certain line. So, we just peeked at the interior of the church from the 'free area' before the line and did not have to queue, pay and squeeze with others to get in.. This way, we were able to see the interior, though admittedly not in close in range, and saved ourselves a couple of bucks! |
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| So many view points, we were spoilt for choice |
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| View of Prague from one of the viewpoints in the castle grounds |
Afterwards, we went to Petrin Hill which looked close to our hostel on the map (it actually was), but there was a hike up. But come on! After that route march in the rain the day before, this was nothing.
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| Started the hike up.. |
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| But with this view, what are muscle aches? |
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| Empty trail! |
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| The Eiffel Tower inspired, Petrin Tower. We did not pay to go up to the viewing deck. |
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| St Lawrence Church |
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| I felt that the view on top of the tower would be relatively the same, just unobstructed by the trees. |
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| Prague castle in the distance |
After figuring our way down, we went to the Lennon Wall. In the past, this was a tangible reminder of hope during the authoritative Communist period. Fast forward to the present, it was heartwarming to see people from all over the world coming down to appreciate the ideas of freedom, non-violence and peace, as promoted in many of Lennon's songs. (I do concur that some were there just for their OOTDs to add to their instagram feeds but that is also a way to express one's self somehow.)
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| The Lennon Wall- a symbol of freedom for many |
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| Positive vibes, love and support. |
We spent the rest of the day leisurely. Just walking around the river area, and coming across new places and going back to the hostel multiple times for naps..
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| Memorial to the victims of communism |
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| Church of the Infant Jesus of Prague |
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| We came across this very homely neighbourhood park |
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| Also we tried Czech Mcdonalds! They charged for ketchup! |
Day 5
Having ran out of ideas, the hostel front desk staff recommended more places and we settled on one- Vysehrad. But before that, we went to tick some of our must dos.
There was an art exhibit at the Rudolfinum so we went to take a look. Definitely interesting (non museum goers might find it boring) and it was along our way anyway so it was worth the stop. Also, it was free of charge.
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| A morning view of the Charles Bridge on our way to Rudolfinum |
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| Interactive exhibitions! Kids loved these |
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| Symbolism at its finest |
Our next destination was the City Hall near the Old Town Square. Tourists usually take a photo of the exterior but we went inside to search for the pasternoster!
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Paternosters are one of the earlier versions of elevators where the lifts go around non-stop and door-less!
Banned in many European countries due to safety and dropping in popularity for more energy efficient modern elevators, we rode these to our hearts content |
And off we went to Vysehrad! It was a bit far out so we took the subway but it was so worth the trip down! The Sun was up, it wasn't crowded and was very tranquil. There was a castle and some BREATHTAKING VIEWS!!!! This is a must! Maybe its location prevented it from being as crowded as the Prague Castle or maybe it was just our timing but it was delightfully peaceful and lovely! Really enjoyed it, and I am going to make another post on it and it alone, because it definitely deserves one. This was single-handedly the best experience I have had during my stay! (Here you go: Vysehrad post)
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| Just a sneak peak to all that perfectness! |
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| Just WOW |
Day 6
I was considering going on a day trip to Cesky Krumlov but after further scrutiny and also part mismanagement, I did not go for it. I ended up at the bus terminal, ticket-less and I sadly looked on as two bus loads of tourists left for the small picturesque town, but I think this was a blessing in disguise! I concluded that going for the day trip was forcing it (a total of 6 hrs travelling!). Instead, I would have preferred to stay at the town longer, enabling me to take my time to roam, as well as being able to enjoy it in peace in the off peak after the day trippers have left.
Anyway, this freed up more money for... *drumrolls* ASIAN FOOD! I couldn't believe how food-sick I was for rice and noodles. Also, the bus terminal was at Andel, an area we had not been to and we went around to explore!
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| We went to NH hotel for this free cable car lift.. It was meant to be taken literally. It was a lift. |
At Nový Smíchov shopping mall, there was a TESCO store. I enjoy local supermarkets because they give insights to what the locals eat for snacks.... at low non-tourist prices! Also, they had free wifi so that may or may not be the reason as to why we spent a long time inside.
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There was a Filipino store near our hostel and I took my time to relish these homely flavours.
This, by the way was udon so closer to home at least HAHA |
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We stopped by Prague Chocolate. Their hot chocolate tasted divine on a cold winter day!
Also, they had chocolate samples which were delicious! |
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| For dinner, some Chinese with the delightfully thick hot chocolate and a gingerbread. |
While my friend went to the bar at night, I decided to go on a walk up to Prague Castle. The crowds ruined it for me previously, but they were gone this time. Furthermore, I found myself alone many times in the sprawling grounds amongst all that beauty, it almost felt like I owned the place. There was an amazing night view as well and I took a while for myself, inhaling the night air and being lulled by the view and the relaxing atmosphere... it was almost romantic (There were mostly couples around.. and then there was me. It might sound sad but no, it was surprisingly empowering!).
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| All lit up and looking even more gorgeous! |
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| I had this all to myself! |
Prague has charmed me. It went on a total 180 degree change from my first impression.. In fact, I was ashamed of my unreal and naive pre-conceptions and expectations. Prague was nice just the way it was. And with that, I took the walk back.. reenergised, relaxed and at peace.
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