A First Look at Prague

I visited Prague in June 2016.

With my time in Krakow, and Poland, coming to an end it was time to farewell my travel buddy who was returning to Australia and get myself onto a bus to start my trip to Prague. I was travelling with Leo Express, a private Czech based company that runs both buses and trains. Today’s trip involved a bus to the Czech border where we would change to a train to Prague. I say we because I wasn’t as alone on this trip as I had expected to be. The G Adventures group from the train four days ago were on my bus!

The transition from bus to train went smoothly, there was a 20 min or so wait at the station in Ostrava, just enough time for a toilet break. The bus and train were both comfortable and clean.

I arrived in Prague early afternoon and, after getting some quick advice from the friendly G Adventures group leader, made my way out of the station to find my hotel.

I stayed in an apartment just a few blocks from the Old Town and just a few doors up from the beer museum. It was a lovely, comfortable apartment and my home for the next 3 nights. Of note, I arrived on a Friday afternoon and I was about to find out that Prague was a magnet for groups of British men for a weekend of cheap beer. It’s not every city in the world where you can hear a group of drunk Brits serenading a clock at 3pm in the afternoon. Yes, a clock. A pretty special clock.

I walked to the main square and sat down at a tourist trap restaurant with excellent people watching potential and had a late lunch while I pondered my 3rd country, 3rd language and 3rd currency in the last week.

After some lunch and the impromptu entertainment I headed off towards the Charles Bridge, passing some lovely buildings along the way.

The Charles Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks of Prague and always full of tourists. I paid a small fee to climb one of the towers to get a better view. People everywhere and a good view across to Prague Castle.

Sigh, isn’t Prague pretty? Blogging 2 years after the fact is a really good way to make you want to go back!

Once you cross the bridge it becomes clear that it is equally beautiful on the other side of the Vltava River.

A short walk from the river are one of two sets of steps that lead up to Prague Castle.

I had only been in Prague a couple of hours but had already seen so much! I continued up to the castle, had a quick look through St Vitus Cathedral then made my way back to my apartment for a rest before dinner.