Travel Log: Prague, Czech Republic Part One

 You may have seen on my Instagram that I recently visited Germany's Pfalz wine region, famous for its Riesling Trocken (dry Riesling), with a full week's itinerary planned by our dear friend for our group of 22 people. After our week in this stunning wine region, my husband and I decided to visit two new-to-us cities to complete our European adventure: Prague and Budapest. We went to Prague first, and spent two days exploring the Old Town area. Please continue reading to see more photos and details of our first day exploring Prague's historic sights.

Prague, Czech Republic Part One

Exploring Prague’s Historic Old Town

We booked a quick one hour direct flight from Frankfurt to Prague on Condor Airlines, and since the Czech Republic is part of the EU/Schengen Area we did not need to wait in passport control and our airport exit was fast and smooth. We decided to stay in the Old Town section, since we only had two days and we wanted to stay in a central, walkable location. Once we dropped our things at our hotel and had some lunch, we set out to explore. We walked through the Havelské Tržiště market before heading to the Old Town Square that is home to the medieval Astronomical Clock with its astronomical dial representing the position of the sun and moon. Every hour you can watch figures representing the 12 Apostles rotate through a space above the astronomical dial. It is a unique sight to see! Just to the left of the Astronomical Clock is another unique sight: the House at the Minute. The exterior is black and white sgraffito artwork that depicts scenes from the Bible and Greek Mythology--the detail is incredible to see in person. This building's unique name came from the products that used to be sold here: short cigars that could be smoked in just one minute. 

A Walk Across Charles Bridge

After exploring the Old Town Squrae, we walked to Charles Bridge (Karlův Most) via Pařížská Street, known for housing a variety of fashion brands and luxury boutiques. Visiting this medieval stone bridge is a must when in Prague--it was built between 1357 and 1402 under the direction of King Charles IV and is one of the most famous sights in Prague. The bridge was extremely busy late afternoon, but we enjoyed walking across and back to take in the views.

Sunset in Old Town

After walking across the Charles Bridge and back, we headed back into Old Town to soak in more sunset views, grab dinner, and head back to our hotel for rooftop drinks to close out the evening. We walked past the Powder Tower, one of the original city gates that separates the New Town from the Old Town, and the Municipal Tower, a gorgeous concert hall that we returned to the next day to see a classical orchestra and ballet performance!

I hope you enjoyed this recap of our first afternoon and evening in Prague! Have you visited this beautiful and historic city? If so, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below to let me know your favorite sights and must-see tips. Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope you have a fantastic rest of your week!