I’ve been a nut for castles since I was small. Prague’s Prague Castle and its 9th century genesis shows on its face and architecture and easily can be seen as a fantasy castle. The last time a renovation took place on that castle edifice was in the 18th century and since then, the looks haven’t changed much since then. It was the center of power for centuries and home to the spiritual role and rule of the Czech Republic for as many centuries. It saw kings like Charles IV and King Vladislav Jagiello and hasn’t had them since the 16th century.
Not too far from that castle is the three towered Charles Bridge, connecting Old Town Prague to the Lesser Quarter. Mostly foot traffic now, the towers hold amazing views of the bridge spanning the Prague River. Not too far from this bridge lies St. Vitava’s Cathedral, but this would have to wait for another day.
I was surprised how easy it was to holiday in Prague for a weekend stay. The Jewish Quarter, or Josefov, isn’t too far from Old Town and the Jewish Museum is housed there. Once there, you’re thrown back into the days of strife in 1930s Europe and how these people were persecuted for their faith in God during Hitler’s tyranny at the time. Many synagogues are still in operation today and the Old-New Synagogue is the oldest operating synagogue in central Europe.
Parks and gardens dot the Prague landscape, as the escape of people while eating lunch was something I was after. To get there, I had to get to Jungmannovo and Wenceslas, which this garden connects nicely. The entrance, or náměstí on Jungmannovo’s side wasn’t hard to get to and, like back home, is a great place to grab some bench and people watch, especially the kids in their sandbox and swings in the playground.
It was nice. Relaxing. And ended all too soon. But I’m glad for the memories.
Independent accommodation in Prague
Here is a useful resource for arranging a weekend in Prague with a list of hotels in Prague which contains many independent hotels and b and b you won't find in any other website. For all hotels on www.hotelbeam.com the hotel contact email, phone, official website are available.