Prowling around Prague

Today starts with the longest journey so far, a 6-hour train ride from Budapest to Prague. Fortunately, a dining car makes the trip much more bearable.

I arrive in Prague late, so the next day, I get out and explore the city.

My apartment is a bit outside the city center, and as I’ve been biking everywhere, I decide to keep it rolling.

I was told that Prague is one of the worst cities for biking in Europe, which for the most part holds up. Although, there is this paved path that runs alongside a park that I get to take, which crosses over a busy road 2 stories up!

I stop to look over the edge on either side. It’s a bit dizzying, but I’ll never get tired of seeing how cities can be built in such creative ways.

I enter the city center, and when the road turns to cobblestone and my bike starts complaining, I park it and continue on foot.

First stop? Old town square, the main square of the city which is always bustling with tourists.

As soon as I step foot into the square, it’s clear why. In every direction I look, there’s a tower topped with a spectacular spire, carved delicately into ornate shapes and finished with Prague’s signature, shiny clock.

I stop in the middle for a few moments to admire the surroundings, turning in a different direction to see something equally as impressive.

When I’m finished, I figure I have to find somewhere to get a better view of the city. I cross over the Vltava river, which cuts right through the city, and is also the longest river in the Czech Republic!

After climbing up the many steps to the top of Letná park, I’m rewarded with a view of the city that’s hard to beat.

Stopping in the park to have lunch, I see a castle in the distance that catches my attention. After meandering through the pretty but basic castle gardens, I find myself at the entrance to Prague Castle.

I even get lucky enough to see the changing of the guards! At once, they leave their posts and march in unison through the gates and across the courtyard.

Prague castle is a bit of an unusual-looking castle, but that doesn’t take away from how cool it looks. It wouldn’t surprise me if some bad guy from a movie lived here.

It turns out that the castle dates back to 870 AD as a wooden fort, and was gradually added on to in whatever style was popular at the time. That’s why the front of the castle looks more modern, while this side has a more gothic look.

With that, I spend the rest of the evening wandering around the west side of the river, which feels in many ways like a small town.

The area is mostly residential, with a few shops and restaurants scattered around. Even so, you might not believe that there’s actually a café down this alleyway.

You have to push the button to tell people on the other side you’re coming through; it’s famously the narrowest alleyway in Prague!

To get back, I cross the river on the Charles Bridge, which is a beautiful bridge with statues of saints lining the sides. It’s crowded as any place worth visiting in Europe is, but to be fair, not many cities have a bridge this cool.