I took a bus from Vienna to Prague rather than flying back with the rest of my group to explore the city from Saturday March 15th through Tuesday, March 18th.
This is my hostel...it was awesome! It was a sight for sore eyes after traveling by bus from Vienna and getting into Prague at 9pm and then having to find my way here on my own. Luckily there were three other people heading the same way, one of which I'd find out at the reception desk is also studying in Copenhagen with DIS. I stayed in the 'Girls only' wing that had pink walls and hearts all over....so fitting, ha! But, this hostel had an indoor swimming pool, bar, restaurant, FREE internet, breakfast, and were incredibly friendly...all for $16/night!
Can you see the rainbow? The weather was crazy here, we had good weather throughout our two days there but on the day I flew out it went from blizzard-like snow to sunshine and blue skies within a matter of 5 minutes. I'd get so confused while waiting for my plane as I'd read a couple pages in my book and look up to find the weather completely change.
This is Erin and Lonnie, also two DIS-ers who just happened to be staying in the same hostel as myself. Erin and I walked in together before finally figuring out we're both in the same program. Luckily I met them as otherwise I didn't know anyone else who was going to be in Prague.
And now time for the walking tour...first, the Astronomical Clock. At the hour this clock chimes and the Apostles come out of those two little blue doors at the top. This clock had the numbers along with all the zodiac signs and a sun and a moon depicting what phase they were in. Then below, the 12 zodiac signs were shown again with a rind of names around the outside. Each day the marker moves on this part to show a new name for that day's name. The guide didn't really have explanation as to why they have a name day when I asked him unfortunately.
Next stop, the Jewish Ghetto. One the left marks the outside wall of the former Jewish Ghetto that existed during Nazi reign. All the building's facades have been redone so they look much newer than they actually are. An interesting fact I learned as to why so many synagogues were preserved during the holocaust--Hitler wanted them saved to create museums out of them to show the history of an inferior race, to depict Jews in a negative way. Prague is one of the most historically in tact Eastern European cities to make it through the holocaust because they didn't put up much of a fight when occupied, therefore the city wasn't as heavily bombed.
This is the seal of the Czech Republic, a two headed eagle with a crown on it.
I thought this was funny--it's a gargoyle that was used to keep those who worked/lived in the building safe, but also served a practical purpose as it buffered carriage wheels from hitting the edge of the building. Currently, dogs see it as a good place to relieve themselves.
Marionettes! Prague is all about the marionettes....they were everywhere. This man had a radio playing some guitar instrumental for his marionette to strum along to. Erin, Lonnie, and I considered seeing Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, done completely with life-size marionettes, but it was a little more than what we wanted to pay.
I didn't quite catch which saint this is, but apparently you're supposed to rub it for luck...so I did.
This is the beautiful Prague castle, off in the distance...We're headed there next.
And now for the close up. The castle includes all the presidential buildings/home and a church (the two steeples to the right).
An upward angle of the massive church.
And inside....it seemed that most churches I went into had enormously high ceilings with arches at the top. I'm thinking it's either a Gothic or Baroque architectural characteristic.
This is the view of Prague from the top of the castle. Here's a bit of nerdiness for you...I learned that the castle of medieval cities was usually positioned just outside the city and at a higher elevation so as to watch over the city and here's a perfect example!
The three of us got our picture taken at the top of the castle.
This is a shot of the Charles Bridge from afar. When you google pictures of Prague this bridge is usually part of them. It's the large pedestrian bridge filled with arts and crafts booths and throngs of tourists. This was one of the most touristy cities I've ever been too, in fact you had to have a camera attached to your hand to even fit in when downtown.
Here's Erin and Lonnie at the bottom of the Powder Tower, part of the original fortification of Prague, when the city was just the downtown market area. The tower was so tall I couldn't get all of it and the girls in.
We walked up 173 stairs (I counted) to see these views from the top:
...and then back down them.
Next we made the trek along the river toward The Dancing House, designed by Frank Gehry. He designed the Weismen Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus (the building made of all steel and I've heard is meant to depict dolphins swimming), the Guggenheim in Balboa, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This building is meant to depict a man and a woman dancing...I'll let you decide which is which...I'm still trying to figure it out.
Now, you see why the Charles Bridge is pictured in so many Prague photos...it's so photogenic!
My authentic Czech meal...a Pilsner Urquell (which is actually sold in the US and here but I'd never noticed that it was produced in the Czech Republic), and Bohemian Dumplings. I ordered these with chicken noodle soup because I was craving something close to my Grandma's chicken dumpling soup but instead he brought my soup out earlier, so I ate them separately...still tasty though none the less. Funny fact: beer runs cheaper than water in these parts...the beer was only a little over $2 for half a liter and water was almost $4 for the same amount.
The two steeples of this gothic-style church lit up at night to create an eerie scene.
And, this is the downtown market square. It was filled with lots of crafts including wood carvings, food, and yes, marionettes!
This is the Powder Tower at night...check out the moon in the background!
This is a little out of order, but while we're up at the castle we got there just in time to see the changing of the guards. Here's video of the procession they do when a new shift starts. It's about a minute long, and a little shaky...sorry about that!
Well, that's it so far!! Jordan and I head out Saturday morning for the Mediterranean coast so although I won't be posting for a little over the week, expect more pictures to come. Hopefully it's a little warmer in Nice, Florence, and Rome!
2 comments:
Prague represented our introduction to Central Europe and was a totally wonderful experience. We visited the Castle District, Wenceslas Square, and the Old Town Square area as well as the Jewish Ghetto and found all exciting and interesting. And of course we went to Kampa and walked across the bridge. Prague escaped the most serious damages of WWII and the medieval centre with cobblestone alleys, hidden squares and churches remains intact and inviting. Shopping for selected items was rewarding and we were pleased with the dining experience as well. Not so expensive Prague hotels with gourmet restaurants are now interspersed with the traditional. The residents we met, of course largely in a service setting, were initially reserved and a little aloof in the presence of obvious Americans. But they became warm, hospitable, and friendly very quickly, perhaps realizing that we were not ogres. Prague represents a great vacation experience.
Your photos of Prague are awesome, great steal by the way with the Hostel, I was never able to find anything that cheap and with so many amenities.
My folks will hopefully visit Prague this summer in a bike tour from Prague to Budapest.
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