Prague Travel Diary

I didn’t know much about Prague before visiting besides its reputation as a cheap European travel destination popular with backpackers. Since I was traveling with my family for two weeks, I didn’t do much research since my dad was the one who planned the trip. I was in charge of the France leg of our journey. I had no expectations going into Prague, but it turned out to be one of my favorite stops on our tour through Central Europe.

After spending Two Days in the French Riviera, we arrived after flying from Nice to Munich and Munich to Prague. We got a cab from the airport and our driver drove crazy fast and dropped us off at the Hilton in the old town where we would be staying for the next two nights. 

After settling in we went out to the old town to explore. I was instantly mesmerized by the cool medieval buildings and tiny streets. On practically every corner, you could smell sweet chimney cakes being made. I overheard a guide saying they are not actually Czech, but Hungarian and that an actual specialty of Prague was a type of traditional round pastry with fruit. I spied one in a bakery but didn’t try it.   

We found a place to eat in the little square. I got a traditional Pilsner, which was good; I’m not a huge beer gal, but it was pretty neutral, so it was drinkable. For some reason, my stepmom wanted to try snails since they offered them at this restaurant. I don’t know why she didn’t try them in France! Anyway they convinced/bribed/peer pressured me into trying one. I know it would be garlicky. The taste was ok, but I spent too much time trying to chew it and it was horribly rubbery. I grimaced and swallowed it as my family laughed at my facial expressions. For my meal, I ordered a a portobello halloumi burger since most traditional Czech food is meaty. 

We then did some souvenir shopping. There was a cool place that had some t-shirts and Knick knacks from a local artist that I liked so I got some beer and bicycle t-shirts and tote bags for the family. We tried on some hats from a hat shop and the shopkeeper explained they were Tonak hats, from an old Czech company and good quality. We all ended up getting one! 

After smelling them all afternoon, we finally tried the chimney cakes. I got one with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries with chocolate and peanuts on the rim of the cake. It was cinnamon sugary and very tasty, but messy. It was so filling though, I think it’s better if you share one! 

The next day we had a full day tour. We met our guide at the foot of the Charles bridge. She told us about the history of the city and many legends. She talked about “good King Charles ” whom everything was named after. He was their first educated king and he founded the university there. We crossed Charles Bridge which has many statues, each with a story behind it. One such stature was the priest who was thrown off the bridge because he wouldn’t say if the king’s wife confessed to having another lover!

From the bridge, our guide pointed out Prague’s own Eiffel Tower called the Petřínská rozhledna. It’s a lot smaller than the original, but it’s actually at the same elevation as the original. She joked that the Czech didn’t need to go visit Paris because they have their own tower and the views are better. I didn’t visit this viewing tower on this trip, so I cannot corroborate her claim.

We walked into the Lesser Town, and saw St Nicholas’s Church, Malá Strana where Mozart played the organ. Our guide mentioned that there were more of his admirers here than in Austria during his life and death. Apparently, they don’t know where his body went and any grave does not actually have his bones. 

From the Lesser Town, we took an old touristy style tram up to the palaces. The president lives up there and apparently is corrupt, but luckily doesn’t have as much power as the prime minister.  Since he gets threats that’s why there is security at the entrance. 

There are some nice gardens and the St. Vitus Cathedral which is modeled after a French Gothic style. It started being built in the 14th century and was finished in the 19th.We didn’t go inside because it was Sunday and there was a church service, but we heard the bells ring and even saw a guy ringing the bell in a tower! 

As we walked back down the hill, our guide told us about the history of the 30 Years’ War as well as the World Wars.  In 1620, Austria triumphed over the Rebellion of Bohemia, which was not great for the Czech, and the years afterward were considered to be a Dark Age. Then in 1918, after the collapse of the Hapsburg Monarchy, Woodrow Wilson helped liberate it, and Czechoslovakia was created. 

She explained that on the brink of WWII, Chamberlain decided that Hitler could have Czechoslovakia and would will not intervene (Czechoslovakia was not involved in this decision). Because of this, the city of Prague was preserved. One of the disturbing anecdotes our guide told us was that the synagogues were not destroyed because Hitler wanted to keep them to have a museum about a race that would “no longer exist.”

While near the statue of Rabbi Loew, she recounted that up until the late 18th century, the Jews lived in a Ghetto. Then one ruler (whose name escapes me) said they could be equal to Christians and they lived in peace until WWII. You can actually visit the five synagogues in Prague now, plus the Jewish cemetery. Some of the synagogues are now museums. We were only there for a day and a half so we didn’t have time to check them out. 

For lunch, we ate at a traditional place on the main square ( I think it was this one) and I had fried cheese with boiled potatoes, tartar sauce, and a beer of course.

We walked around the old town and learned about the astronomical clock, but didn’t see its mechanisms in action. An unsettling legend about the Prague Orloj is that its maker was blinded because the councillors didn’t want him to make another one in different European cities since it was so unique. Other dark relics of the past can also be found in the squares like “cages of shame” in which one could be humiliated if one was a cheating wife or butcher selling bad meat. 

The end of our tour included a historical river cruise. We hopped aboard a wooden and enjoyed the citiy from another perspective. We savored complementary ice creams, gingerbread, and beers as we listened to the audio guides. After the cruise, we could also look inside a small museum associated with the boat tour company.

This all-day walking tour was enriching, but exhausting. Before heading back to the hotel to rest and pack, we shared one more ice cream-filled chimney cake. I’d love to go back to Prague someday and discover more of its gems and see more of the Czech Republic too.

Thanks so much for reading and make sure to follow the blog for more stories about this Europe trip and France travel guides of course!

À la prochaine,

Camden