Prague, Czech Republic

04/17/25

Today was the first full day in Prague. We woke up at 6:30 AM and had a leisurely breakfast first.

At around 10 o'clock, we set off for the Old Town. We took the 18 tram, which took about 25 minutes. The weather was heavenly! 25 degrees and clear sunshine. We visited the Charles Bridge and then had a Trdelník, also known as Baumstriezel. This is ice cream in a warm dough roll.

After this snack, we wandered through the Old Town. We saw life-size baby statues, really beautiful murals, cute souvenir shops, and such stunning architecture!

At noon, we hiked up a huge mountain to a viewpoint where we had a great view of Prague. On this mountain, we passed ruins and a witch's hut. At the top, there was a small café where we treated ourselves to a refreshing break.

Afterward, we hiked back down and explored more of the city.

When we got hungry, we went out for burgers and fries. Right in front of the center where we ate was the head of Franz Kafka! It rotates once an hour for 15 minutes. I really wanted to see this head, and I was able to do so spontaneously.

Next, we went to Prague's famous sundial. However, I didn't find it that impressive. There were sooooo many people in front of it!

Right next to the clock, there was an Easter market set up. (We are currently in Holy Week) It was very nice. A children's choir sang 'Stups the Little Easter Bunny' in Czech. Sooo sweet!!

By now it was already 5 PM, and we made our way back. Again, we took the 18 tram home. On the way, we stopped at Penny to shop for dinner. Last night we were at Albert, a Czech supermarket that resembles Germany's Edeka. We wanted to see which supermarket was cheaper today. We think it's Penny.

Upon arriving home, I did some studying while my two friends cooked dinner. :) We had rice with chicken.

04/18/25

Rain!!! Today we slept a bit longer than yesterday. The air was cool and fresh, and it was lightly drizzling. It was a really cozy morning. After breakfast, we went to the National Museum. It was really great there! The building itself was beautifully decorated, and it showcased Czech history. There were old clothes, instruments, writings, and even animals on display! For example, a life-size mammoth.

After the museum visit, we went to a cute café called 'Smetanaq'. It was still pouring, so we took the tram. We really wanted to try the old-fashioned tram. From the outside, it looked like it was out of a storybook, but inside it was just crowded and stuffy, not old-fashioned at all but very modern. Sandrine had coffee and carrot cake, Henny had hot chocolate and a type of Czech caramel pastry, and I also had hot chocolate and a waffle. Everything was very delicious. But the carrot cake was the best! I normally don't like it, but this one was really good.

After this break, we headed to 'Shakespeare's Bookstore'. A super cute old bookstore. There were secondhand books and new books, almost all in English. After spending ages in this cozy bookstore, we wandered through the Old Town again and ended up at St. Vitus Cathedral. We didn't go inside, but even from the outside, it looked very impressive. Shortly after, we arrived at the castle, or rather the fortress. Here we had to climb some stairs again… But the view at the end was fantastic! We didn't go inside the castle, just through the courtyard and all the alleys there.

Today, time flew by. After our visit to the castle, it was already 5:30 PM, so we headed back. In the evening, we ate the leftovers from the past two nights. Afterward, we watched 'Lorax' together.

04/19/25

Today, the weather was neither good nor bad. It wasn't cold, but it also wasn't really warm, and it was very cloudy. But at least there was no rain!

First, we went to the 'John Lennon Wall'. It was very impressive! Of course, we immortalized our names there. For the first time…who knows how long they will be visible, with people painting/sticking/writing new things all the time. Sandrine even stuck on a St. Pauli sticker. ('The big HSV sticker that's already there is ***')

After that, we moved on to the small narrow alley/stairs. It was so packed that we postponed going through it until tomorrow.

So we continued on to Waldstein Garden. Here we walked through a large garden with nicely trimmed bushes. There were small fountains and ponds with huge fish. Additionally, peacocks roamed freely. I felt a bit sorry for them as all the tourists kept taking pictures and completely surrounded the peacocks… Also in Waldstein Garden was the Senát. You couldn't go in, but the entrance area alone was very impressive. Lastly, we looked at a wall that had similarities to a stalactite wall. It was specially constructed to show similarities and connections to nature.

Next on the agenda: 'Koláče'. This is a traditional Czech sweet pastry with a type of filling on top. (Not inside). We bought three different kinds and shared them all. I liked the one with cheese and apricot the best.

After that, we headed back to the Airbnb and took a short rest. Not for long, though, as we had to get ready to head to the jazz club! But first, we had a small meal. Entry was at 8 PM, and about an hour later, it slowly began. We had a really great table with an excellent view of the stage. The performance was so beautiful, and the drinks were great too!! We were at 'JazzRepublic', where entry is free AND you even get a free poster!

After such a lovely evening at the jazz club, we went quickly to the Charles Bridge and looked at the illuminated buildings of Prague. Afterward, we took the 18 tram back to the Airbnb, where we were really tired and could finally sleep.

04/20/25

Today was the fourth and final day here in Prague. It was really warm and not a cloud in the sky. (UV index 6, I actually got half tan lines:))

Our landlord recommended a bakery here, where we first bought pastries. Two Koláče and a cinnamon roll (which was extremely good). Then we took the 18 tram again towards the center, where we strolled through 'Letna Park'. Along the way, we saw many people waiting in line with woven baskets at the churches. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out exactly what that was about. On this Easter Sunday, it was really felt here in Prague. It's been beautifully decorated for a few days, and people here wish each other happy Easter holidays. Today, you often heard organ music that sounded from somewhere out of the churches. That was very lovely.

At some point, we sat/laid down on the grass and ate our picnic. So delicious! 😋 After a little relaxation and writing in diaries/postcards, we played a round of 'Shithead'. I won. ^^

After what felt like an eternity, we left the park and went to 'Letna Café'. There, Sandrine and I had iced coffees, while Henny had chai tea.

Next, we went to Prague's narrowest alley. We had to wait in line for a while, but it went faster than expected. The alley is only 50 cm wide in places, which is why traffic lights are installed outside to indicate whether you can go through at that moment. If people come from both sides at the same time, they wouldn't be able to pass by each other. That was definitely a cool experience.

The sun and heat really exhausted us, so we wanted to head back slowly. We walked back over Charles Bridge and then wandered a bit through the streets until we reached a secondhand shop we saw yesterday after the jazz evening. I actually found something and bought a beige blazer for 4€. To top it off, I had a corn dog. Yummy.

After that, we quickly went to Billa to shop for dinner and then took tram number 18 back to the Airbnb.

Back at the Airbnb, we packed and cooked, and Henny took another shower. Then it was dinner time. Now everything is ready for departure tomorrow at 6:55 AM…

That’s it with our four-day stay here in Prague, Czech Republic. I found it very, very nice.