Prague, Czech Republic

I will be putting a few days of adventures together here in one post to cover the walking adventures through downtown Prague. Downtown Prague is generally considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a lot to see, and the history is crazy. It is one of those cities you should actually read up on. The stories are genuinely wild.

Our flight was significantly delayed, so we arrived much much later than expected. We did not speak the language, we did not have time to change currency, and nothing was open when we landed. We were not able to notify the hotel in a reasonable time as we had been trapped onboard the flight with phones off because we were “about to take-off” any moment from the time of check-in until about 8pm. Needless to say, it was a solid hour of very high anxiety upon arrival.

There was, thankfully, a public bus still operational that headed from the airport to the old town. We were able to hop aboard one of the last runs of the day and get close to the hotel for only a few euros each. We got pretty close on the first bus, but couldn’t figure out the final transfer. We hopped aboard what we thought was our next bus and headed a few blocks in the opposite direction of the hotel. The hotel was very forgiving about our late call to check-in. Aside from walking 2.5 km in the dark on a cold night in December, it was actually pretty smooth.

My first view of Prague was walking the Charles Bridge by night.

Our first view of the hotel at night with everything in town locked up and dark, we were a little nervous. It was one of the cheapest hotels in town, there was a lot of graffiti and the entrance led into a commercial space with a bar. But the place was actually pretty rad. We were at the Charles Bridge Heritage Suites by SALVATOR HOTELS, and I would recommend. It was about 20 seconds walking from the Charles Bridge and not more than a half hour from any other place we visited. The stairwells inside were so incredibly cool. The place just sort of twisted and turned around on itself. I have never seen anything else like it.

We were not sure what to expect in the morning. We had come for Christmas holiday, so we assumed it would be hit or miss on what was open for the dates. We were surprised to find that pretty much everything was open, the streets were packed, and the holiday festivals were underway.

The restaurant in the entryway to the hotel was absolutely INCREDIBLE! The place was called Lokál U Bílé kuželky. A few of the recipes were just like my grandma used to make. Which is weird because she was an all American girl from Kentucky.

Prague was filled with hidden gems. Dragons on the bench seats, frogs on the door handles, murals with ostriches on the sides of buildings. There was no one single thing that made Prague so special, but rather the little secrets hidden everywhere around the city.

There are also a lot of very pretty memorials and statues around the city. Even if it is closed when you come, there is a lot to look at.

I did finally get some changed, which was great because I found this charming cafe (Dobrá trafika na Újezdě) that let me sit to warm up and work a little, but they did not take credit. The money is really beautiful here. I think the phoenix makes them the second most beautiful currency I have seen (Costa Rica is the first).

We found the Story of Prague Museum, near of the hotel and decided to give it a go. It was a cool place, English Friendly, and had a little bit of everything. There were interactive exhibits that were pretty neat once I figured out how to get them to work on my phone. Prague has been around for a really long time, so they had stuff ranging from a torture museum, old kings, World Wars I & II, all the way to Michael Jackson.

Although the castle was closed for the holiday, St. Vitus Cathedral was open! Click the link if you want to see the professional tourism photos and hear about this place from someone who knows more about art and architecture. On Christmas Eve, it was packed. Shoulder to shoulder packed.

I never retouch photos because I think it is important to share the real experience. There is nothing more disappointing than spending years saving for a trip after seeing the magazine photos, and then it’s… well covered in other people that saw the same photo. There were no opportunities to pause for alignment in here. Some people were physically bumping and pushing in a way that would be considered incredibly rude in my home country. I dont know about theirs, so I don’t judge, but be prepared. If you are from a country with a lot of personal space boundaries and you are headed to St. Vitus during Christmas, you will probably encounter people with different cultural definitions of polite behavior.

The presence of people or crowds are not indicative of a bad experience. I just think we are exposed to a lot of advertising, people selling dreams, and we dont get the full reality before investing. Expereiences and places can be magical, and crowded. And for me, I feel a lot better knowing what the experience will really be like so I don’t waste time on something I might find stressful. I loved this place, I am glad I went. These were the dates I had available, and this is what it looked like.

Most of the really beautiful things to see are much much taller than the people in the foreground. The lighting of the church was so warm and soft. The stained glass was incredible.

One of the most incredible things to note in the Czech Republic is the use of precious metals. They have a LOT of gold and silver in the cathedrals.

We decided to extend our stay by a night so we could make a day trip to Kutna Hora, but our hotel was not available. We were able to find a reasonably priced room at the last minute at Nosticova Heritage. They were so accomodating. We needed a place to ditch our bags early so we could make it to the tour bus by 10 am. They let us check in very early and leave our bags for the whole day. The price was very inexpensive. This one felt like walking into a palace. I wish I had a chance to stay a little more time in the room itself instead of hopping between adventures.

And then we made our way to the Old Town. In the center of the festivities, it was nearly impossible to grab a good photo. Between the number of people, the height of the beautiful features, and the proximity of the other buildings, and how early it gets dark, it was really difficult to get anything to turn out. But this is not the same as saying it was not beautiful to look at. If you are headed here the photos, Christmas Eve/Day is not the time for it.

The story behind the Orloj is one of the crazy ones to read up on. It was a highly accurate astronomical clock built in the 1400s. The town council commissioned this incredible work, but upon completion they decided they did not want Hanus to ever build another clock this beautiful somewhere else. So the town council had Hanus’s eyes burnt out to ensure he would never be able to make another. Hanus was a little salty about that, obviously, so he had his apprentice take him to the clock so that he could destroy it. It took another 100 years for someone to come that was able to fix the clock.

On the other hand… If you are headed here for the vibe, you best order some of the mulled wine they are selling in the street and visit the food vendors. It smelled amazing, and I am still a little sad I could only eat so much.

We did try some of the gummies that are sold here. Totally misjudged the quantity on that so the night got pretty interesting. We were hunting for a grocery, and accidentally stumbled into the Sex Machine Museum. I saw a chair there that looked like it might be fun… until I realized what it was actually meant for. Some young woman heard me talking about it and was witness to my expression as I slowly realized the purpose… she was laughing hysterically and began translating my conversation to her partner, who also began laughing hysterically… But I survived.

Prague gets dark really early. I was grateful for how beautifully lit everything is at night.