Czeching out Prague!

Hello All!

Kelli and I officially only have a week left of our travels.  While we are sad that we have so little time left we have been loving Vienna and are so excited for Budapest!  We have also been doing a lot of reflecting on all of the adventures we have already had including those in Prague!

We left Nuremberg and headed to Prague on December 27th, we took another bus which we have been really enjoying because there are no transfers and you don't have to worry about your bags.  However, this time I got really car sick which made the trip a little less enjoyable.

Once we got to the city we spent the remaining part of our day wandering the streets of Prague. Prague still had its christmas markets out when we were there so we also enjoyed the sights and sounds of the few we stumbled upon.

Our hostel was in the Mala Strana district and right beneath Prague Castle and a very short walk from Charles Bridge. The building the Hostel was in is a UNESCO protected site as it used to be a palace and still has the original hand painted wood ceiling.  So, falling asleep each night was truly special. We got some of my favorite pictures from the trip that first day while wandering about. Here are a few.

Old town Squares Christmas Market

Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge

The street our Hostel was on

Kelli and I had a nutritious dinner of Chimney
Cakes! (basically a donut with cinnamon sugar
and Nutella!)

The incredible ceiling in our hostel

On our first full day in the city Kelli and I meet up with a retired Luther Professor.  Norma showed us around the Jewish Quarter in the city and introduced us to the cities amazing tour of the Quarter.  She left us with that to do but invited us to her place for dinner that evening.  The Jewish quarter was incredible and I learned a lot about the Jewish culture and religion as well as their history with in Prague city.

This Synagog while no longer a functioning place of worship
is now a memorial to the many Jews in and around Prague
who lost their lives in the Holocaust.  If you look closely
 you can see that the walls are covered in names.  

Jewish Cemetery 

Our Next day in Prague we spent exploring more of the city.  We went to see the John Lennon wall,  Climb the Charles Bridge Tower,  and explore the old town some more.  Overall it was a lovely day falling further in love with the city.

The John Lennon Wall

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Charles Bridge

Our next day Kelli and I headed up the many steps to Prague Castle.  The Castle is actually more of a large complex housing many buildings and residences.  To be honest I found the Castle and the buildings to be a little lackluster.  However, it was fun to wander around the complex and to see St. Vitus Cathedral.  The Cathedral is actually what everyone calls Prague Castle when seen on the skyline and it was filled with incredible stained glass! Here are some pictures from the day.

St. Vitus Cathedral

The Entrance to the Castle

Stairs leading to and from the castle complex

Our Final day in Prague was new years eve! Kelli and I had a great day enjoying time with Norma and seeing the city in new ways!  We started our day heading over to Vysehrad Park with Norma.  The park marks the sight of the one of the first Prague Castles and is now a maze of the Fortisess old walls.  The views from the park looking back on the city were incredible and it was fun to see it all from a new angle!

The View from Vysehard

After spending the day with Norma Kelli and I packed up our stuff for our bus the next day to Vienna and then headed out to enjoy Prague's Midnight Fireworks!  The night was so exciting with the bustling crowds and fireworks being set off all around us.  One of the most magical new years of my life!

Prague is my favorite city I have ever been to its beautiful skyline, wandering streets and friendly people made Kelli and my time in the Czech Republic truly magical!  I look forward to someday getting to go back to this incredible city!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Meghan

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin