When someone says Prague the first thing that comes to mind is the Prague Astronomical Clock Tower. It’s easy to find this tower that also tells the month, days and horoscopes because it chimes every hour and is always surround with people. It’s in the square of the UNESCO-preserved Old City called Staromestske Namesti. It was built towards the end of the 15th century by clock master Jan Růže, a professor in Charles University. After the bells chime there’s a show featuring the 12 apostles and puppets. With the crowing of the rooster there’s an hour long break until the next chime. You can go up the clock tower and get a bird’s eye view out over Old City Square, Tyn Church, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Jan Huss Monument and Prague’s beautiful architecture.
The next stop of the “city of bridges”, as Prague is known, is the oldest and most famous bridge “Karluv Most” or Charles Bridge. You can easily get there on foot from the Astronomical Clock Tower. This bridge over the Vlatava River has 30 Baroque statues on it. The towers on either end of the bridge are really lovely. Along the bridge there are artists who paint pictures of Prague or your own portrait, and there are people who sell souvenirs and people who do street performances. I recommend you go early in the morning for the best experience, though of course it’s also worth it to go in the evening to catch the scene.
While you’re on the bridge you’ll see a chateau-like structure, which is the Prague Castle, another must-see in Prague. It’s said that this is where settlement in Prague began. Inside are important things like The Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, and St. George Basilica. There are entrances that date all the way back to the 9th century.
The St. Vitus Cathedral inside the castle is really amazing. Under the orders of King Karl IV to house the archbishop of Prague, this cathedral was begun in 1344 and finished about 600 years afterwards. The cathedral has Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque architecture in three different sections. You’ll get to see the tombs of Bohemian kings, gorgeous stained glass, and beautiful gold and silver works. Make sure you don’t leave without having seen the changing of the soldiers and taking in the view of Prague from the top of the castle.
Of course it’s impossible to talk about Prague without mentioning Kafka. There’s a museum dedicated to him in the city. He lived in Prague between 1883-1924 and things to see in the Franz Kafka Museum include both information on his life and some of his original manuscripts.
For people who like museums, the National Museum in Vaclac Square is excellent. This massive building used to be used as a Parliament building. It houses works from Bohemia, Moravia and Siesy.
If you’re wondering “what to buy” in Prague, I’d tell you that it’s just about impossible NOT to buy Bohemian crystal. Goblets, figurines, vases… everywhere you guy you’ll see things made out of Bohemian crystal. Also puppets, pictures of various views of the city, magnets and famous Czech beers all feature in souvenir shops, as well as many other things. People who are interested in Jewelry might want to look at the Czech stone garnet products.
It’s worth it to try to discover something along every street in Prague. Statues, historical structures, cafes… just get lost in the streets of the city and when you get tired try some of the sweets in one of the cafes and let yourself go. Before you leave this magical city make sure you enjoy every moment to its fullest!
