The Capital City of the Czech Republic is the largest city they have with a population of about 1.3 million people for good reason...once you are here, you never will want to leave this time capsule!
My time in Prague was by far one of the most interesting experiences I have had. Not knowing much about this city, I went in with an open mind ready to learn and experience something new...and boy did I! In the 4 days I spent here, I was blown away by the mix of old and new.
Prague is one of the rare cities with a lot of its architecture still intact from the 1200s, maybe even going back further than that. Mainly because it was mostly not affected much by World War II surprisingly. According to my tour guide, there were a couple of bombs dropped accidentally by allies. Luckily the bombs avoided hitting anything major and the damage was kept to a minimum.
One of the many attractions in Prague is the Charles Bridge. It was ordered to be built in 1357 by then-King Charles. It is the longest Bridge in Prague and it has 30 statues of various saints and 16 spires. It took 50 years to complete!
After walking across the bridge, you can catch a tram that takes you up the hill to Prague Castle, the world's largest castle. Fortunately, our guide knew of a less crowded back entrance and we were able to avoid a long line and a long flight of stairs to the main entrance. You will pass a beautifully manicured garden and some smaller buildings that lead to a protected entrance onto the grounds. Eventually, you make your way to the castle entrance. Once you enter the grounds you will run into the very gothic and impressive St. Vitus Cathedral. As you make your way out of the compound, you will get a scenic overview of the city before you make your way back down.
Next, we were taken into Old Town or the Old Jewish Quarter. Once regarded as the largest Jewish settlement in Europe, Old Town is lively with restaurants and street entertainment all around. It is also home to the world's oldest working astronomical clock. It operates on the hour, every hour between 9 AM and 11 PM daily.
Prague has many layers to it. It feels small but large at the same time. Within all the well-preserved structures and history, there are modern city vibes as well once you see Louis Vitton, Hermes, The Nike Store, and such. On my 3rd day in Prague (which fell on my birthday), I took another tour of Prague, only this time it was spent riding around town on an electric trike getting to see some other low-key spots in the city like the John Lennon Wall, The Dancing House, and making our way thru Lenta Park to catch a birdseye view of the city! Another cool sculpture in the middle of the shopping center in Prague is the rotating 42-layer sculpture of Franz Kafka's head! (a famous Czech writer).
Rotating 42-layer sculpture of Franz Kafka's head in action.
Did I mention the great variety of food? From Chinese cuisine to ice cream...I can say I did not have 1 bad meal throughout my entire stay!
This bears repeating...Prague was by far one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had.
I also learned that Prague has a growing community of ex-pats here from all over the world. Prague has officially made my list of one of the places I may relocate to!
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