But one of my favorite expressions “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” is definitely applicable here, and there was plenty to smile about in Prague. We saw so much that I think I’m better off organizing this by sights and experiences rather than chronologically.
I’m going to start with one of our favorites, The St. Charles Bridge. Despite this place being a clear favorite for many people besides us, it’s a fascinating place to visit day, evening, or night. Every time we walked across this bridge, we experienced something different. Live musicians are frequently found playing a wide variety of music. Other performances are found as well. There are people selling a wide variety of wares from makeshift booths and tables. The statues that line the bridge are fascinating, and looking up some of the stories behind these is worth it if you want to be better informed. The crowds for us provided for entertaining people-watching. On to pictures...
Next, the Prague Astronomical Clock, this beautiful clock is worth seeing. The clock is historical in the sense that it was built in 1410, making it the third oldest astronomical clock in the world, and the oldest one still operating. We happened to time it right that we saw it chime, but don’t go out of your way to see the performance unless you’re really into clocks. The square where the clock is contained is filled with interesting sights and activities, and another good place for people watching even though it can get crowded, especially when the clock is about to chime.
The Museum of Communism was another place we were both excited to visit despite suffering from a little museum overload at this point in our trip. We’re both glad we made the trip. This is one of the most interesting museums we’ve been to, period. The displays and the materials were highly informative, and even though, Jenny and I normally don’t spend as much time reading displays as we should, we read most of them in this place. It was a powerful mix of satire and the history of the rise and fall of the USSR. We both recommend a visit to this place if you happen to be in Prague.
On to Prague Castle, this is a castle complex on the top of a hill that dates back to the 9th century. It also contains the buildings that house the Czech Republic’s government, including the official office of their currently unpopular president (more on that later). You do have to pass through security to explore the grounds, and it is a popular destination, but I recommend it. If you can be there close to 12:00, you can witness a changing of the guard ceremony. There are some remarkable views of the city from the top as well. You can easily take the transit system to get to the top if you’re feeling a little hill-fatigued as we are at this point in our trip.
We also visited Petrin Park which has hillside gardens and a viewing tower. We decided to skip the tower because it would’ve involved a lot of dealing with our old nemesis, stairs, but the gardens and green spaces on this hill were beautiful. You can take the funicular to get to the top which is included in the Prague transit pass.
Now to get political for a second (I know a subject best avoided in a travel blog), but I’m going to return to the unpopular Czech President, Babis because Jenny and I both found the Czech people’s response to him inspiring. If you haven’t been following the news, Babis has been accused of corruption, and he has been doing everything in his power to avoid facing charges for his alleged conflicts of interest and abuses of power. So the Czech people are doing what they did back in the days before the fall of the Soviet Union, take to the streets to protest. The movement was known as “The Czech Spring” and it involved a few mass protests, one in Wenceslas Square and another in Letna Park (which gathered an estimated 800,000 people). I bring all of this up because the current protests are mirroring the previous movement. The first protest a few weeks ago happened at Wenceslas Square (pictured below) and gathered an estimated 120,000 people and the second which happened yesterday had a record number of protesters for the Czech Republic (formed 26 years ago). Early estimates put the number at over 200,000. We happened to see some of these protesters returning from the rally held at Letna Park, and it was cool to see so many people inspired by a perceived injustice just like in the 1980’s.
We also rented a paddle boat to ride around on the Vitava River for an hour. It was a nice way to see some of the same sights from a different perspective. It was also a relaxing and romantic end to our adventures in this city.
I’m going to finish with my favorite part about Prague, the random eclectic, artistic, and bizarre sights we happened to encounter as we explored this remarkable city. This is what I recommend the most: wander and see what you see.
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