Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) at just before Sunrise
In March 2024 my wife and I visited Prague before taking a 10 day river cruise through The Netherlands and Belgium. What follows is a description of our four days in Prague in pictures and words.
We flew to Prague on a Friday arriving just before lunch. Prague is a small, picturesque city in the Czech Republic. The town is very walkable and, in March, was not too crowded. Our first afternoon was spent walking around town to get a feel for the place and to escape jet lag. We had Potato Chips and sweet dumplings in the old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and watched the Astronomical Clock strike the hour.
St. Joseph Church
The Astronomical Clock
Prague Castle from Lesser Town
We stayed at the fabulous Augustine Hotel which used to be a monastery. The staff took good care of us and we even had our room upgraded to a suite. That first evening we had dinner right around the corner at Malostranská beseda. It is an excellent restaurant serving traditional Czech food including Goulash.
Early in the morning of day two Gary went out with the camera and tripod to capture sunrise. The Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) was empty except for a few photographers and the sky was clear. The picture at the top of this post was taken then along with these two.
Looking Toward Lesser Town at 5 AM
Similar Shot after Sunrise
On day two we set out on an all day waking tour with a guide. We met at the east side of the Charles Bridge and walked across the bridge learning about Prague and Czech history. It snowed briefly as we walked across the bridge and rained on and off most of the day. We took the tram up to Prague Castle where our guide took us around the exterior.
After visiting Prague Castle we walked down to Lesser Town and took the subway to Old Town. Our tour included a traditional Czech lunch near the Old Town Square. After which we walked through the Jewish Quarter before taking a boat ride on the Vltava River. That evening we shared a Pork Knuckle and Potato Chips at Pork's Restaurant.
The Moat Garden
St. Vitus Cathedral
Inside Prague Castle
Subway
Karluv Most
View from the Boat
Dinner
On day three we returned to Prague Castle via the tram. Fun fact, people 65 and older can ride public transportation in Prague for free. This time we were on our own and purchased admission to the castle. We went in St Vitus Cathedral and the Basilica of St George, walked through the old Royal Palace and toured the Golden Lane.
St Vitus
St Vitus
St George's
Royal Palace
St Georges
Golden Lane
Golden Lane
Changing of the Guard
We finished our day by walking up the hill past the Strahov Monastery to the Petrin Tower above Petrinske sady. The plan was to take the funicular down the hill to Lesser Town but it had not yet opened for the season. So, we walked down the hill through the park and back to our hotel. That evening we had pizza at San Carlo.
The Entry Gate to Prague Castle
Monastery
Prague from the top of Petrinske sady
Prague Castle
Our time in Prague ended on day four as we flew to Amsterdam to catch our river cruise. That story can be found here.
