Prague is only a 90 minute flight from Rome. We took the bus to the subway to get to our hotel in Prague (Praha 2 neighborhood). Their public transportation is pretty good. There was a tram stop close to our hotel that got us to the Old Quarter in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, our subway line was closed the entire time we were in Prague for some unknown reason. Strange, as it was Easter weekend and tons of tourists were there.
We had a delicious albeit super heavy dinner on our first night. Had to try classic Czech food. I’m oversimplifying but it basically consists of lots of red meat, pork, sausages, bread and gravies. Things like beef knuckle and headcheese. Huge portions too.
On our first full day we visited the Old Quarter where most of the tourist attractions are. Gorgeous old gothic churches, cobblestoned streets, food stalls offering sausages, pork straight off of the pig, lots of sweets and of course beer – something they are famous for.
After checking out the Old Quarter we walked across the lovely Charles Bridge. The bridge was packed with tourists, artists and musicians. Actually heard some great Jazz here. It has spectacular views of the many bridges over the river and Prague Castle.
We walked over the Charles Bridge and up the big hill to Prague Castle. Construction began in 870 and it was dramatically added to under the reign of King Charles IV in the mid-14th century. It’s a big complex with a huge basilica as a focal point.
We headed up another set of hills and through a gorgeous park to the Petrin Tower. It’s an Eiffel Tower look alike, but not nearly as tall. Jason and I spiraled our way up to the top on the outside of the Tower. I definitely had a moment where my fear of heights kicked in when the wind started blowing super hard, but it passed. The panoramic views of Prague from the top made it totally worthwhile.
Had a relaxing Easter Sunday. We walked around town and checked out the Old Jewish Cemetery in the afternoon, but it was closed. Fortunately, we still had good views from the outside. In the 1400’s Jews in Prague had to have a separate, much smaller cemetery. There are as many as 12,000 tombstones and over 100,000 burial sites in total.
Had a fantastic dinner aboard a huge boat on the river next to the Charles Bridge. After dinner we crossed the bridge again to check out a wine bar I read about called U Stare Studny. It’s in an old 2 level cellar, had a great ambiance and large selection of wines and cognacs.
For us, Prague was a departure city that allowed us to fly to South America without having to go back to the U.S. For a 3-day stopover, it really lived up to all of the great things people have told us.