Our trip from Krakow to Prague was our worst transit yet. Not only was our departure delayed by four hours but our bus also broke down on the way there. Causing us to get to our Airbnb at midnight instead of our anticipated 3pm. Since our first day was a bust we decided to retire early and to get an early start the next day.
There were many mixed emotions in Prague as this marked the start of the final leg in our trip. Over the next couple days the four of us who had started in Paris together would all separate. And in just five days my best friend and I, who I had been travelling with for 30 days never more than an arms length apart, would go to completely different countries.
We started our first day by heading to the Market square to see the Astronomical clock. Upon our arrival in the square everything was covered in lavish decorations. After a quick google search we realized we were only 5 days away from Easter weekend. Meaning that this was the Prague Easter market. After exploring some of the specially designed floats we walked over to the Charles Bridge.
Construction on the Charles Bridge started in 1357 and took 45 years to complete. It creates a vital connection between the Prague Castle and the Old Town. Serving as a vital trade route through Europe the bridge has seen its fair share of violence and political turmoil. On our visit we only had enough time to walk halfway across it before on of our group had to get to the airport for her flight to meet her family.
This left two of us to explore another small market we found, one that was full of fun trinkets to pick up as gifts for our families and friends back home. After this we returned to the main easter market for a delicious dessert of chimney stacks (deep fried pastry covered in cinnamon).
The main goal of our second, and final, day in Prague was to see the Castle. Listed as the largest ancient castle in the world, the Prague castle is a major tourist attraction. We lucked out as the clouds and occasional rain had driven most of the crowds away.
The first portion of the castle complex we explored was the Golden lane. Originally built to house castle guards during the reign of Rudolf II. However, its name comes from the goldsmiths who lived there. Now, the houses are brightly painted and house souvenir shops and weapons exhibits.
One of the most amazing parts of the lack of tourists was the unobstructed viewing of the St Vitus Cathedral. The church is the current seat of the Archbishop of Prague and location of many Holy Roman Emperor’s and Bohemian King’s tombs.
One of the most interesting things about the Cathedral is how it ties together a myriad of architectural types together. The first building was built in 930 but the church was not said to be finished until nearly 600 years later in 1929, although the church was used for religious proceedings during its construction. Starting with elements of a Romanesque rotunda the construction quickly incorporated traditional Gothic elements as well as later Baroque and Renaissance ones. The final touches done in the 20th century combine neo-gothic and art nouveau styles into the piece of living art history.
After exploring the castle we grabbed two more chimney stacks and made our way to the very confusing bus station where we boarded our overnight bus from Prague to Frankfurt. Although we only ended up being in Prague for a day and a half it was definitely one of the trips highlights and is very high on my list of places to revisit.
