February 23rd 2018 - February 27st 2018
February 23rd:
We arrived late, so we stopped for groceries real quick and then proceeded to the hostel. There was kitchen so luckily we could cook our own food, but there were so few utensils, pots, pans ... it was a challenge to make do.
Our beds were on the fourth floor of the hostel. On the ground floor, there was a party with a DJ, the cafe was part of the hostel. And we could hear it. It was way after midnight. Complaints to the front desk had no effect.
February 24th:
It was cold. Really, really cold! After the warmth of Greece, this was painful.
Not far from the hostel was a Starbucks. This became our first stop on almost every day, just to warm up and use the free internet to plan the day.
Today we headed for the Prague Castle. From the castle you can get nice views of the city and the castle itself is rich in historical information.
February 25th:
It felt even colder than yesterday. One of the thermometers outside read -12 degrees Celsius. That was a first for us.
After the mandatory stop at Starbucks, we went to the Charles Bridge, which is a medieval bridge crossing the Vltava river.
The Lennon wall has been repainted many times and there is virtually nothing left of the original graffiti depicting John Lennon and Beatles' lyrics. Street art is dynamic.
Petřín Tower was both an observation tower and transmission tower, but now serves as a tourist attraction. It resembles the Eiffel Tower in Paris and this was apparently the intention as the creators were inspired by the French monument at the World Expo.
Speculum Alchemiae is an interesting and somewhat interactive museum dedicated to the ancient art of alchemy.
Right next to the Kwik-E-Mart is the KGB-museum, a shrine to the Russian secret service. The weird owner is very enthusiastic in guiding you through the museum and at the end of the tour, you get to hold and pose with automatic machine guns like the Kalashnikov (don't worry, the weapons don't work anymore).
The museum for Ghosts and Legends is more focused on an audience of children, but it was fun to visit nonetheless.
February 26th:
Still cold. We're not getting used to it.
A beautiful gothic tower dating back to the 15th century is the Powder Tower, or Powder Gate.
Get a nice view of the city when you get to the top.
There's all kinds of stalls near the Cathedral where we bought a cup of hot wine, but it wasn't all that great, unfortunately.
February 27th:
Our last day in Prague.
At the old town square you can find the Church of Saint Nicolas, after which we visited the old town hall where the Astronomical Clock is located. At the time of our visit, however, the clock was being renovated, so you could't really see anything.
And we're off to Vyšehrad, a fortress with a basilica and a graveyard.
At the cemetery you can see the grave of composer Antonín Dvořák. There are many more famous Czechs buried there, but I don't know any of them (which probably says more about me than them).
I really regret this trip. Not because of the location or whatever, but because it came too quickly after the Greece-trip. Back when booking it, it seemed like a good idea, but in hingsight ...
It would only be fair to give Prague (and the Czech Republic in its entirity) a new visit.
