PERFECT PRAGUE

Setting new standards in lateness is our 18th post here on the Wee Scottish Blog - all the way from the capital of the Czech Republic waaaay back at the end of May! The reason for the extemely late posting? Life being too busy - perhaps. Laziness - more likely. But that doesn't matter as the the long weekend we spent there is still clearly etched in our minds as one of the most amazing 'city-escapes' we've experienced (hence the title). So we hope you enjoy our brief glimpse into the phenomenal city of Prague..

After an early morning flight, followed by a bus then train journey and finally a short walk to our hotel, we decided the first thing we should do was sample the local brew - St Thomas'. By local we really mean local, as the Augustine Hotel is the incarnation of an actual monastery, where the monks have been brewing this particular beer for hundreds of years!..

After our beers and some lunch we headed up to the top of Petrin Park a short walk away to take in the views of the city. This is Prague Castle and Palace, founded in the 9th Century it is today the largest castle in the world and since 1918 the seat of the President of the Czech Republic..

The Observation Tower, at 60m this mock Eiffel Tower is only a quarter the height of the original and was built in 1891 for an exhibition. Still, the views it offers on a clear day are amazing!..

The furnicular railway that took us to the top of Petrin Hill..

Our first view of one of the most famous landmarks in Prague - the Charles Bridge. Commissioned in 1357 the bridge used to be able to carry 4 carriages abreast but today is completely pedestrianised (and 'street vendorised')..

A closer view of Prague Castle with the neo-gothic St Vitius' Cathedral at its heart. Altogether the castle complex houses 3 churches, a monastery, the cathedral, museums, cafes, and hundreds of government offices. It covers an area of 70,000m2 and is 570m long!..

Streetview in the Little Quarter, walking down from the park and back to the hotel..

Inside the Brewery Bar at the Augustine Hotel - the amazing Rocco Forte hotel set in a former Augustinian Monastery (the monastery is still active although most of its buildings have now become part of the hotel). This is one of the oldest beer halls in Prague and the former cellar of the St Thomas' Brewery, where beer was first brewed in 1352!..

The subterranean bar comes complete with 17th century stalactites and stalagmites and a glass floor set 2 feet above the pebble ground..

Looking back across the Charles Bridge after our first traverse. At 500+m in length and crammed with tourists and market stalls it takes a while to cross, but it's not the sort of bridge you should rush over anyway. It's a beautiful sandstone construction complete with 2 towers at either end, an archway and 30 statues spread along its length..

The Wallenstein Gardens and Palace, adjacent to the the Augustine Hotel, were built by Albrecht Von Wallenstein, the Imperial Military Commander of Emperor Ferdinand II. The palace and gardens are amazing, not surprising as Von Wallenstein wanted them to overshadow Prague Castle!..

This is the 'Grotesquery' - a strange imitation of the walls of a limetsone cave covered in stalactites. Definitely one of the weirder garden decorations we've seen..

The Sala Terrena (Garden Pavilion) where Von Wallenstein liked to dine..

The gardens are actually overlooked by the castle they were intended to supersede..

Inside the Wallenstein Palace, today it's used as the home of the Czech Senate but some areas are open to the public. This hall contained a temporary museum dedicated to Prague in WWI..

The magnificent 2-storey main hall of the palace. The ceiling fresco shows Von Wallenstein as Mars, the god of war, riding in a triumphal chariot. Nothing like delusions of grandeur to leave a lasting legacy..

From the palace we walked around the east end of the castle and through the Royal Gardens. Towering above us were the castle walls and the Powder Tower, named for its former use as a gunpowder store..

The wine bar next to the castle where we spent a couple of afternoons trying the local drop, soaking in the sun and enjoying the views of the city below..

From the castle we walked across the Vltava River and into the Jewish Quarter. This is the Charles Bridge, viewed from a less-congested bridge to the north..

After visiting the (frightening) Jewish Holocaust Memorial at the Pinkas Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery (incredible) and the Spanish Synagogue (photos not permitted) we came across the Franz Kafka monument. Kafka wrote 2 of the most important novels of the 20th Century - The Trial and The Castle, and is one of the most famous and revered Czech writers..

After touring the beautiful Jewish Quarter for a few hours it was time for another local beer, this time a Pilsner Urquell..

Some of the stunning architecture of the Jewish Quarter..

Walking back over the Vltava heading north we headed up to the summit of Letna Park, once home to the biggest Stalin statue in the world! It also offers a nice view looking down the river that divides the city neatly in two..

Meandering through the streets with nowhere in particular to go (and enjoying it!) we were drawn once again towards the castle, bathed in the afternoon sun..

We were glad we did head that way too, as we stumbled upon an international food festival in the castles South Gardens. We could not have planned it better and spent an amazing few hours trying local and international food and wine in this spectacular location..

Definitely a highlight of our trip - timing our stay with a food fest in such an awe-inspiring location is something we'll never forget!..

Good wine, great food, amazing view = stoked!..

The cupola of the Church of St Nicholas bathed in the late afternoon light..

We left the castle via the magnificent main entrance with its 18th Century 'Fighting Giants' statues..

Outside U Kocoura, a (what felt like anyway) traditional Czech pub, after a couple of nightcaps..

Next morning we were up early to take in some more sights. This is the morning view of the Charles Bridge, taken from the Old Town..

The signage on some of the houses and businesses in Prague is incrediblly ornate and artistic. This is The Marionette Theatre - not one for the kids?..

Typical street-view in the Old Town..

Another of the beautifully decorated buildings in the Old Town..

The centre of Prague is the Old Town Square. A beautiful cobblestoned square that has changed little in the past few hundred years. This is the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, built around 1370..

The famous Astronomical Clock of the Old Town Hall below which crowds gather every hour, on the hour, to watch the mechanised performance of bells, whistles, dancing skeletons and puppets. The performance is a little overrated to be honest, but the clock itself is amazing, incorporating Arabic numerals, colours to signify night and day, a calendar and the 4 statues representing (from L-R) Vanity, Greed, Death and The Turk (Lust)..

This is the Jan Hus Monument, looking up to the Old Town Hall tower. Hus was a religious reformer who was burnt at the stake after being pronounced a heretic in 1415 (!) and is now a Czech hero..

Church of Our Lady Before Tyn viewed from the gallery atop the Old Town Hall Tower. If you look closely you'll notice that the right tower is actually thicker than the left - a result of the design trends at the time! In the middle of the facade can just be seen the (solid-gold) statue of the Virgin Mary..

Old Town Sqaure and the Jan Hus Monument..

The Church of St Nicholas..

Prague Castle as seen from the Old Town Hall Tower. It really does dominate the city skyline..

After descending the tower we wound our way through the small cobblestone streets of the Old Town looking at the shops, museums and houses. Here we discovered that - Murray loves Philip!..

The Powder Gate on the eastern edge of the Old Town. A gothic relic of the Royal Palace that used to stand here at one of the 13 original entrances to the Old Town. Originally known as the New Tower it was used to store gunpowder in the 17th Century..

From the Old Town we headed south into the New Town and Wenceslas Square. Originally a horse market the square, overlooked by a massive statue of St Wenceslas, was the location of a protest rally in 1989 that led to the Velvet Revolution and the overthrow of Communism. The building at the end of the square is the National Museum which we toured for a few hours..

After a few hours in the museum we were thirsty and according to the guide books we couldn't visit Prague without visiting 'U Fleku' beer hall, another of the city's beer-related institutions. Needless to say we're glad we did! On arrival they drop a beer in front of you (2 choices - light or dark) as well as a little Becherovka (a strong, herbal spirit) as an aperitif..

Sitting at one of the long tables we were treated to some traditional music from the roaming band, some small talk with (the possibly German?) tourists next to us and of course some local fare - Goulash with bread and speck dumplings. So good!..

Later that day, an evening view looking south over the Vltava River from the Charles Bridge..

And looking NW to Prague Castle..

Next morning we were up early exploring more gardens, this time the Ledebour Gardens that occupy the southern slopes of the castle ramparts. The gardens were laid out in the 16th Century on the site of older gardens and vineyards. Today they are a maze of steep staircases, archways, tunnels, terraces and pavillions. Here's Carly, near the top..

The views from the gardens over the Little Quarter and up to Petrin Park are amazing..

Happy, relaxed and at the top!..

This sculpture was in an alcove at the top of the gardens, just below the castle walls. We've no idea who sculpted it, or when, or who it is, but it's beautiful nonetheless..

Looking over the Little Quarter rooftops to the steeple of the Church of St Thomas and the cupola and bell tower of the Church of St Nicholas..

Who is this beautiful girl who keeps getting in the shot!?..

There she is again!..

At the foot of the Ledebour Garden. Walking through these gardens was so relaxing, particularly as we had them to ourselves..

From the gardens we strolled back to probably our favourite spot in Prague, the little winery/bar/restaurant next to the castle to chill out. From there we walked through the castle complex again to the main gate (this time overrun with tourists) to visit the Schwarzenberg Palace..

Of course, if walking isn't your style you can always take a tour in one of these old classics..

The Schwarzenberg Palace, built betwen 1545-76 as a private residence (!) it today houses the National Gallery's collection of Renaissance art. The amazing stonework you can see in this photo is actually an illusion created by 'sgraffito' (patterns incised on the flat walls)..

To finish our time in Prague we decided a relaxing afternoon in the gardens of the hotel sounded good. This is the small garden adjacent to the bar and restaurant. The building at the rear is part of the (still functioning) monastery..

Inside the immaculately decorated Tom's Bar, the same spot we started our trip with a couple of beers..

And that's where we finished our time in Prague (well, besides dinner that night and a glass or 2 of Absinthe - but that's a different story!). Once again we have to say that photos and short descriptions can never do any location the justice it deserves. So if you liked what you saw here then jump on your bike, in a car, on a plane or on a bus and check Prague out for yourself. We guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Next up (hopefully) will be a flurry of posts bringing us back up to speed and back to the present day! Next, some days out around Glasgow. Thanks for looking!..