Prague and Cesky Krumlov: The very best of Bohemia in the Czech Republic

The Czech city of Prague, capital of the Holy Roman Empire

After visiting Bratislava, we headed next to Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We stayed at the Hotel Duo, around 30 minutes drive from the city center. However, the hotel is well connected and it takes only 3 minutes to walk to a metro station. We left our car and took the metro to the city center. So, we started with the Old Town Square. It was already a bit dark when we arrived but just in time to watch the famous medieval astronomical clock, the oldest astronomical clock in the world that still functions. The Old Town Square became less crowded after dark, perfect for a dinner in one of the restaurants nearby and enjoy the beaming lights of the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

Visit Prague in one day!

The next day, we went back to the Old Town Square through Wenceslas Square, named after the patron Of Bohemia, Saint Wenceslas. The square is the center for business, however, many historical events happened there. Besides, it is more of a boulevard than a square, where on the upper part, the National Museum is located and a few meters down is the Statue of Saint Wenceslas. While walking our way to the Old Town Square, there was an exhibit about Jan Palach. According to Papa, this man burned himself in 1969 as a protest against the Soviet invasion.

We walked through past commercial buildings in the direction to the old square. It was bustling with people when we arrived and made our way to some of the prominent points of interest like the Old Town Hall where the astronomical clock was mounted, the Baroque St. Nicholas Church, the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn and Kinsky Palace, the art museum. In the Square, the memorial statue of Jan Hus, a religious martyr. My parents were running after me coz I wouldn’t stop walking on the cobblestone streets in the town square. As a matter of fact, I was having fun watching one of the buskers and even went close to him and took part in his little show to the amuse of the onlookers.

Charles Bridge, a masterpiece linking the Old Town and the Castle of Prague

No visit to Prague is complete without visiting the Charles Bridge, the second most visited tourist sight in Prague. The bridge connects the Old Town and the Prague Castle. Walking through the bridge was like being transported to medieval time. In fact, baroque statues on the balusters represent the various saints are gloriously displayed. The views around were spectacular and a postcard-ready. We went back to the Old Town Square and we had lunch at an Indian restaurant not far from it. According to my parents, they had fantastic food. In fact, my mom and dad love Indian cuisine. Finally, happily full, we continued our walking tour to the Prague Castle, to the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, and Romanesque Basilica of Saint George. After a full day of discovery, exhausted but satisfied we took the train back to our hotel.

Cesky Krumlov, a medieval village straight out of a fairytale

The next day, after breakfast, we drove all the way to Cesky Krumlov, about 2 hours from Prague. This is a little picturesque town where most of the architectures are Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The Castle of Cesky Krumlov is a UNESCO Heritage site. Despite the rain, we enjoyed walking and looking around the quaint houses and buildings of the town center. We saw a little shop selling Trdelnik, tasty pastries made with rolled dough, wrapped around a stick, grilled and sprinkle with sugar and some additional flavors like coconut, chocolate, almonds, vanilla, and more. In fact, that was so exquisite and I believe that no one should miss on it when in Cesky Krumlov.

Rain on, rain off, we got back to our car and drove to another beautiful European country famous for the greatest music composer of all time: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

More Photos of the Czech Republic…