Prague, Czech Republic – The Third Capital on Our Trip

Some might think that visiting three capitals in six days is a bit too much. However, we had visited the places multiple times in the past, so it was really nice to just enjoy our favorite parts. Starting in Budapest we had continued to Bratislava to revisit our old home town and now it was time for Prague.

We had been to Prague together once before and also visited the city by ourselves. For my part, I had never before seen the sunshine on the Pražský orloj – the astronomical clock. It had either been raining or snowing previously. This time was different and we were greeted by the best September weather possible for our two days in the city.

Arriving from Bratislava

We were all quite tired when arriving from Bratislava. After the ordeal with Little A during the night before, that had resulted in a visit to the emergency toom we were more than happy that we had had the possibility to rest on the train. RegioJet’s business class had included really big seats and Little A could even lie down and sleep on hers. So even if we were tired when arriving at Praha hlavní nádraží – the main railway station – it was not as bad as we had thought.

Upon arrival, we started to walk towards the neighborhood of Karlín, to the east of the center of Prague. Here we had rented an apartment for the two nights.

First Afternoon in Prague

Due to Little A being sick we needed to take is easy also during our two days in Prague. After resting for a while in the apartment, we headed out for a walk. Our first stop was the center of Prague. Here it is the majestic gothic towers that what will catch any visitors’ eye. Especially around Staroměstské náměstí (the old town square) where the impressive towers of Kostel Matky Boží před Týnem (Church of Our Lady before Týn) watch over all visitors. The tourist crowds are, however, growing when getting closer to the square and the small streets between it and what is probably the main sight of Prague.

The Karlův most or Charles Bridge stands just a short walk away but was impossible to reach with a stroller. The bridge that stretches the 515 meters across the river Vltava dates back to the 14th century and has a rich history. It was right on this bridge that the Swedish army was stopped from conquering Prague in 1648 during the Thirty Year’s War.

Instead of crossing the bridge, or even get close to it, we headed to the walk along the river Vltava. If you ever visit Prague, we can really recommend you to enjoy the city from the banks of the river. You will probably have a much better view of several sights than you would have if you joined the others standing directly on them. This is especially true for the Charles Bridge.

The walk along the river took us back towards Karlín and we were soon back on “our street”. Just outside the apartment was an Indian restaurant where we decided to buy our dinner to bring with us back. A few hours of fresh air had probably been good for Little A, but she was tired and was soon fast asleep. For the two of us, we had the opportunity to eat some of the best Indian food that we had ever had. It was indeed a really nice end to a day that had felt really long.

A Quick Run to Explore Some on My Own

The next morning I took a walk by myself while Little A continued to rest. I once more headed towards the center of Prague and all the small streets. I had seen the day before that they were selling a new version of one of my favorites from the time we lived in Bratislava – the Trdelník or Chimney cake. This time it was served with ice cream and I was really hoping for something extraordinary. Sadly the ice cream in the one I bought was really boring and disappointing, only causing the dough to get wet. This experience just confirmed that the trdelník is better served by itself, as it has always been.

I was soon pressing myself through the crowds at Karlův most. My goal was to cross the bridge and head up to the castle – Pražský hrad. It did take quite some time to get through and I started to wonder if the bridge ever was empty and enjoyable. It was really impossible to enjoy it with so many people around. As mentioned earlier, you will really get a much better view from a distance.

The castle stands on the hill overlooking Vltava and the rest of Prague. There are a few good viewpoints from where it is possible to see a great deal of the city. But once you enter you will be back on small streets where it is hard to really get a good grip on the size of the castle. Especially when you stand in front of the Cathedral, the Katedrála svatého Víta. It is so huge that you will really have to press yourself to the walls of the buildings around it in an attempt to see it. We can really recommend getting a better view of the castle from the Petrin Hill before actually exploring its small streets.

Being a bit short of time to be back for lunch I was soon heading back down towards the river. There are things to see everywhere and I had to stop both at the Monument to fallen soldiers during World War II as well as on the bridge Mánesův most – from where it was possible to get a great view of Karlův most.

A Walk with Old Friends Along the Vltava River

It turned out to be quite hard to find something small for lunch. It was St. Wenceslas Day, a public holiday in the Czech Republic and a lot of the larger stores were closed. A bit of a warning when traveling, keep an eye out for public holidays and ask around to get to know more about if places usually close or not. On this day the stores had no signs or anything telling anyone that they would be closed, they just did not open their doors.

Luckily we found a place to buy a couple of baguettes and we had something to eat before meeting up with two old friends from the time in Bratislava. Together we took a walk along the river while Little A was sleeping in the stroller. A lot to catch up on after so many years and we could probably go back to Prague just to walk along the Vltava river and enjoy our surroundings.

Flying Home from Václav Havel Airport Prague

The next morning we packed everything and headed to Florenc bus station to take the bus to the airport. It does take quite some time for a bus to get out of Prague, but once it does it is not far left to go to the airport.

A bit about the airport. Václav Havel Airport is not somewhere we would recommend you to spend a lot of time. It might be clean, but it offers very little excitement. Needing something to eat, expect it to be expensive, small portions that tasted nothing. The high price – low-quality ratio here is probably the worst we have encountered.

After three capitals in less then a week we were soon on our way back home. It had been great to revisit our old favorites, reuniting with old friends and enjoying all the good food. It was just sad that Little A got sick and that we really couldn’t enjoy the last part of the trip properly. Well, we will probably be back sometime soon.