Europe Recap #3

After Vienna, we took a train to Prague. We arrive around 6pm on Halloween night. Fortunately our hotel was about a five minute walk from the train station. I absolutely loved our hotel and felt like we were staying in a palace with its tall ceilings, long corridors, wide staircases with red carpet and lots of ornate details. After checking in, we walked to the Old Town for dinner then made our way to the Charles Bridge. It was so magical at night and perfectly eerie for Halloween.

On our first (and only) full day in Prague we headed out early in the day. We enjoyed walking over the Charles Bridge and stopping at the different vendors. Once we crossed the bridge into the Castle Quarter we made our way to the Old Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral. We spent a good amount of our time just taking in the views of the Old Town and enjoying the beautiful fall day. After touring the castle and cathedral, we walked through the Wenceslas Vineyard. For lunch we ate at a restaurant on the river with a perfect view of the Charles Bridge. After lunch we strolled across the Charles Bridge again and then did a little shopping in the Old Town. We were able to see the astronomical clock ring on the hour and the very quick show that happens each hour. For dinner that night we ate at a restaurant on the square and enjoyed people watching.

Our flight to Germany from Prague wasn't until 2pm so we had the whole morning to do a little more exploring. We spent almost the entire time in the Jewish Quarter. As part of the ticket we bought, we were able to visit several synagogues (including the oldest one in Eastern Europe), a ceremonial hall, and the old cemetery. Many of the buildings have been turned into museums that capture the life of Jews in Prague or give details into their daily lives and rituals. the most moving exhibit was one in which all of the Czech Republic Jews who died during World War II were memorialized with their names inscribed on a wall in an old synagogue. There was also a display of drawings down by Jewish children during their time in the ghetto. The drawings were saved in the teachers luggage that had been left behind after deportation. After walking around the Jewish Quarter we decided to go to the Charles Bridge one last time before getting a cab to the airport.

Corridor of our hotel.

Ceilings in the hotel.

First view of Old Town Prague.

More of Old Town.

One of our favorite snacks in Prague. It was similar dough to a pretzel but a little lighter and covered in cinnamon and sugar. Yum!

Charles Bridge on Halloween night.

The astronomical clock.

Charles Bridge.

More Charles Bridge with the Old Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral in the distance.

Walking into the Castle Quarter of Prague.

More of the Castle Quarter.

P with Old Town Prague in the background.

Outside of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Inside of St. Vitus Cathedral.

The Wenceslas Vineyard.

Lunch with the Charles Bridge behind me.

View of St. Vitus Cathedral from Charles Bridge. We ate at the restaurant to the right of the white awnings.

The sun setting over the Castle Quarter.

Coming back into the Old Town from the Charles Bridge.

The cemetery in the Jewish Quarter.

The ceremonial hall in the Jewish Quarter.

Fog at the airport while waiting to fly to Munich.