prague, 2007
It's a few hours by train from Berlin to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and the former capital of Czechoslovakia and Bohemia.
This is the view from our hotel in Malá Strana, which is on the west side of the Vltava River. Malá Strana is where the castle is, and has
long been the seat of power in Bohemia. The old medieval town is across the river.
In fact, if you squint and look between the buildings you can see the the Church of our Lady before Týn, which is across the river in the old town.
The main street in Malá Strana is Nerudova, which we walked up and down many times because our apartment proviers served breakfast up the hill over half
a mile away. Despite the hike, their vegan breakfast was one of the best continental breakfasts we had in Europe.
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One of my favorite things in Prague was the detail of the city's doors. Doors come in all sizes and materials, and some are quite intricate.
At the top of the hill we discovered ornate lamp posts as we approached the castle ...
... where we were greeted by an amazing city view.
Prague Castle is open at night, which is unusual for a European Castle. The actual buildings are closed, but you can walk around them in the castle courtyards.
This is St Vitus's Cathedral, which is the city's main cathedral and is within the castle walls.
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I went for a late walk down to the old town and came to the Charles Bridge, built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and the city's star attractions.
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The bridge from the south. It's beautifully lit at night, To the left, rising on the hill, is the castle with its massive gothic cathedral.
The next morning we walked around town, first in the local area of Malá Strana.
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The area has a John Lennon Wall for some reason. You can see him in cartoon form (though more graffiti was added over him).
And this is the River Vltava and the old town beyond. To the left is the beautiful Charles Bridge.
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It's a busy bridge.
The tourists didn't particularly bother Andrea, who liked the artist stalls along the bridge walls.
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Looking back at the castle ...
... and downriver toward the opera house.
We climbed the Old Town Bridge Tower, which guards the east side of the Charles Bridge, and caught some great views of the bridge and the city.
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Looking into Staré Město, the heart of the old town.
In the main square in Staré Město is the Old Town Hall.
It features an astronomical clock, or Orloj, bits of which date to 1410.
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Every day at noon a mechanized version of the twelve apostles appear at the windows above the clock. Look, there they are.
The noon show is kind of a let-down compared to the exquisite details of the clock itself. I found it more fun to watch the people watching the clock.
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Rising above the town square is the impressive Church of our Lady before Týn, which looks like something out of Disneyland, albeit authentic.
Wenceslas Square was a major center of the new section of the city, but it's a bit run down today. They're in the process of cleaning it up. At the top of the
square is the National Museum.
I was impressed by the Palác Koruna building, which has a very art deco design.
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Also nearby is one of the town's old gates, the Powder Gate.
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We walked south and accidentally discovered one of Frank Gehry's most famous buildings, the Dancing House. It's nicknamed "Fred and Ginger"
because it looks like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dancing.
The next morning we went into the castle to explore. (So did about 1,000 other people.)
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Inside St George's Basilica, which is in the castle.
The busiest street in Prague is within the castle walls. Golden Lane was hopping with tourists when we arrived. It's also filled with shops.
One shop had a long medieval gallery featuring suits of armor.
Inside St Vitus's Cathedral.
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We were much enthralled by this stained glass window, because it was designed by Alfons Mucha, a Prague native who helped kickstart the art nouveau
movement in Paris. A lot of his works are popular as prints, and in fact we own a copy of a beer adverisement he painted.
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This is the chapel of St Wenceslas, where the saint himself is entombed. He's best known for the title role in the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas."
He founded the cathedral.
It's a rough climb to the top, and not for the faint of heart (or the claustrophobic, for that matter), but the view is worth it. This is the river with
Charles Bridge.
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A manhole cover in Staré Město.
Trams run across the Vltava.
They're rather nicely designed.
