I started slowly waking up. The sun was shining so bright I didn't want to open my eyes! We were driving into the city it was around 7am when I finally came to. It was still 0 degrees Celsius displayed over the bus drivers head on a large digital screen. But that sunshine made us all giddy as we approached the center of Prague!
My coworker Emily has been my recent dedicated travel buddy! She is reliable and adventurous!! She asked me if I had plans on a particular upcoming weekend. She asked "Wana go to Prague?!" I was like "Heck Ya!" It was a bit short notice and we didn't have time to plan and research much but that me it so fun in the end!
Having no plan or itinerary really left us to find the city and all its hidden gems on our own time!
We walked from the train station where the tour bus dropped us off to the tourist information center by the cities Astronomical Clock.
Appropriately enough the hour was a few minutes after we got our information, maps and Czech Krona.
The bells chimed and the windows opened pushing the circular displayed little figurines around for everyone to see. After a few characters passed by the gold rooster in the center let out a cock a doodle doo and that was the end of it. Overall it was a beautiful clock and a cool tradition, it managed to gather a crowd despite how early it was.
Tour companies congregate here to work the crowd so be aware. We were approached by a "student" to join his free walking tour and we saw several other tour guides toting red umbrellas or their Segway's for tours.
So off we were on our day adventure!
Breakfast & coffee was on the top of my list! We managed to get a little lost on some side streets but it made it all worth it when we finally found The Bake Shop!
When we walked in it was an instant local spot feel. There was a dog under a chair relaxing with his owner. The place felt like a cool vibe of an everyday coffee & pastry shop where people pop in just to grab and go while some stay and meet friends to catch up. The staff was friendly when we were finally able to order after scoping the displays and waiting in a short line. We found a seat and dug in.
The options were tough to decide upon but the ham and cheese croissant really delivered! It was flaky in all the right places and the inside was a surprise to the taste buds! They had a great selection of amazing pastries and the cheesecake looked life changing... But it was too early for all that! The coffee was delicious, strong and unique. We jumped on the wifi from James Dean restaurant across the street. Full signal and good speed to text home and let everyone know we were safe.
We wandered the streets to visit some attractions after we fueled up. Fancy cars like Maserati's and Bentley's passed us. Shortly after that we passed a variety of upscale clothing stores so it was fitting.
There were restaurants & statues everywhere. The art cannot be ignored. It's literally on every corner! It's intriguing and you just want to snap photos and google it because a lot of it leaves the mind curious!
The castle grounds are up a few flights of stairs. A small workout if you ask me. Apparently it's in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest coherent castle complex in the world! It is also a world heritage site. At the top we were met with amazing views of the city and a ton of people trying to capture it through photos.
The cathedral is huge and equipped with beautiful details. You can walk through it for free. The entrance to the cathedral has live guards. They were straight faced and meant business. We captured a change of the guards on our way out. It was quick but neat. Hopefully I can figure out how to upload the video!
We walked for awhile up there! Taking in sights and snapping photos of the detailed amazing cathedral and all its surroundings. You could walk through it for free and photography was allowed.The complex is large and neat. There are small stores and restaurants up top too. You feel like it's is its own little town.
Not too far from the castle complex is The Prague Tower, and it is awesome! It has amazing views of the city and for a small additional price you can take the elevator instead of the stairs. Time is unlimited up there so crowd permitting you can get your money's worth. We spent about $10 each to take the elevator up. Our feet were too tired for all those stairs at this point. Its 299 stairs to the top! No thank you that afternoon. Maybe if we did this first! The tower is 60m tall while also sitting atop a 318m high summit. It does feel like you are looking over all of Prague and I am very proud of my panoramic photo I took at the top from out a window!
We stopped for some lunch at a place near the Charles bridge. It was so cheap! We had a 3 course meal and drink for like $10! The traditional food was very excellent! We tried Goulash and Dumplings and a delicious traditional soup.
I tried the 'Budweiser' beer ... Not what you're thinking! The Prague version is not the American Budweiser. It was great! Not at all what I expected! Light and flavorful. Like everything else there, it was cheap as well! Beers run between $1.50-$3 after converting.
Emily and I spent the later part of the day wandering and taking pics of cool statues and this. As the sun set we visited a few souvenir shops. Had to grab a couple things to send back home to mom! And postcards of course!
During our last couple hours we decided to rest and chill in a restaurant near the meeting point. It said outside "Traditional Czech Food" on one sign haha! The place is called Cafe Svateho Vaclava. Really nice place! We were greeted instantly and taken back to be seated upon our approval. The food selection was broad and the waiters were very friendly. Food and drinks were extremely inexpensive. I had a couple more beers and we both enjoyed some Creme Brûlée! It wrapped up a really awesome day! From the city's center with the large man riding a horse statue it is on that Main Street.
There is so much to see and do in Prague! I loved every bit of the city. It was unique in so many ways. The statues and art are fun and just intriguing! It's a great place and I can't wait to go back to trace my family heritage with my mom and Grandma. My Great Great Geandmother came over to the US on a boat from Czechoslovakia! Now known as Czech Republic. :)
That's all for now... Until the next adventure!!
