Day 1
From changing to Czech Koruna, to watching the seemingly ordinary astronomical clock show in Old Town Square, to Letna Park's panoramic view of the city, to Josefov's chilly history, crossing the Karluv Most, and getting drunk at a pub crawl - Prague has it all.
Quick Morning Run
Before the city comes to life, I woke with a start at around 645 AM and got ready for a quick run. I always see to it to go running in all places I travel to. My route started from Post Hostel, turning right on Budečská, turning left on Korunní, passing by Námēstí Míru (Peace Square) where Church of Saint Ludmila is, running along Jugoslávská until I reached the Dancing House where I turned right and ran along the Vltava River until I reached Karluv Most. I crossed the city's famous bridge and turned back upon reaching the Lesser Quarter Tower Bridge. The run took about 50 minutes and was much harder going back (because it became an uphill run along Jugoslávská) with a distance of 8 km as per Strava.
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| The Dancing House |
My favourite part of the run was crossing the Karluv Most with just a handful of tourists present as this famous bridge attracts a throng of people later during the day until late at night.
Exchanging to Czech Crowns
If you need to exchange your currency to CZK (Czech Koruna), you need to make sure that the place has a sign saying they have 0% processing fee/interest. For those with GBP, I advise to take your pounds with you and have them exchanged to CZK straight so you get more out of your money as compared to converting them to Euro before coming to Prague and then converting the Euro to CZK.
There are 2 good currency exchange offices near Wenceslas Square: Praha Exchange and Mango Exchange in Jindrišská. They are just adjacent each other and have the same rate, just go where the line is shorter.
Another trusted currency exchange office is the ICE (International Currency Exchange) in Mala Strana near St. Nicholas church.
The Prague Astronomical Clock Show
From Praha exchange, we walked about 9 minutes towards the Astronomical Clock Tower in Old Town Square.
This 600 year old astronomical clock, which seems to have been ripped straight out of the Sailor Moon cartoon series, attracts hundreds of tourists especially every hour of the day when the old clock gives out a clock show.
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| The Astronomical Clock Tower |
The main function of the clock is to tell the movement of celestial bodies. Telling the time is merely a second element. This clock's dial tells the day, its position in the week, month and year. It also tracks Central European, Babylonian and Sidereal time - the last clock in the world which can do so.
Many legends tell the origin story of this magical clock. The most famous of such is that the clock was made by Master Hanuš in 1410. The city counsellors during that time took so much pride of the beauty of the clock, and out of fear that it might be replicated by other cities, they made Master Hanuš blind so he can no longer make a clock as magical.
Every hour, the clock tower delivers a mechanical show that leaves people extraordinarily disappointed because of how seemingly ordinary it is. But on the contrary, knowing the history and significance of the show would give you goosebumps. The figures on the sides of the clock become animated and two windows open up to show the 12 apostles while a skeleton on one side rings the bell. The performance ends with the crowing of a golden rooster and the ringing of the clock tower bell. It may sound and look ordinary, but take into consideration that it was built around the 14th century. During that time, such mechanism is ground-breaking, and is truly a masterpiece, especially since it still works 600 years after.
So make sure to watch this seemingly ordinary clock show when you're visiting Prague. Be sure to check the clock both during day and also at night.
The Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is the oldest and most historical square in the heart of Prague. Apart from the Old Town Hall and the Astronomical Clock Tower, the Baroque Church of St. Nicholas and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, you may find the Rococo Kinsky Palace, the monument to Jan Hus, the Gothic House at the Stone Bell, the memorial stones in the square pavement marking the execution of 27 Czech lords in 1621, and the Prague meridian.
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| The Old Town Hall |
Established in 1338, the Old Town Hall was the seat of the Old Town administration. The gothic Astronomical Clock Tower, also known as Orloj, is the oldest part of the complex.
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| The Clock show gathers a throng of tourists by the hour |
The Baroque Church of St. Nicholas was established in 1732 - 1737 and was built as a twin of the Cathedral bearing the same name in Lesser Quarter. It is now being used as a concert hall.
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| With the Church of St. Nicholas at the background |
The Church of Our Lady before Tyn was built in the mid-14th to the early 16th centuries. It houses an extensive gallery of Gothic, Renaissance and early Baroque works, the tomb of astronomer Tycho Brahe and the oldest organ in Prague dating from 1673.
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| Entrance to the Church of Our Lady before Tyn |
The Jan Hus memorial was unveiled in 1915.
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| At the Old Town Square |
The Prague meridian is marked in the pavement indicating the place where the Marian column cast the shadow at noon of sunny days.
The square now holds events, and is lined by different shops, kiosks of food, and restaurants. It is also the meeting place for most walking tours, and artists are usually seen in the square entertaining the endless crowds of tourists.
Lunch at Cafe Louvre
Tucked along Narodni in Nové Mēsto, this 100-year old cafe serves good Czech food although bearing a French name. They say Franz Kafka used to dine here with his friends, and Albert Einstein was said to have frequented the same during his visit in 1911 - 1912. The cafe is located in the ground floor, and the restaurant serving Czech food is located on the first floor with an indoor and outdoor seating, and a separate billiards room. The place radiates with a comfortable ambiance and is good for families, couples, groups and even solo diners. The staff are friendly and service is prompt.
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| Cafe Louvre's beef goulash with Carlsbad dumplings |
We ordered large beef goulash and roast beef on cream. The serving was generous. I am not an expert of Czech cuisine, but I liked the taste of the food. They actually tasted similar to 2 Filipino dishes; beef goulash reminded me of 'Bistek' or beef steak, while the roast beef on cream tasted like 'lengua.' The meal was reasonably priced and was overall satisfying.
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| Roast beef on cream |
Letna Park
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| 250 steps up to Letna Park |
After lunch, we went straight up about 250 steps to Letna Park for a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Used to be known as Letna Hill, meaning a hill facing the summer (i.e. the Souther side), Letna Park is an extensive park consisting of grassy tree-lined areas on a hill where one can do sports such as cycling and running/jogging, picnicking, relaxing, or having drinks in a beer garden. It also has a viewing deck offering 360 degrees of stunning panoramic view of the city and the Vltava River.
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| View from Letna Park |
There is a giant semi-functional metronome on the top of the hill which has a historical significance for Prague. It was built to memorialise the Czech struggles under communism. Around it, skaters go about with their boards.
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| Letna Park Metronome |
Jewish Quarter/Josefov
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| Josefov |
This quarter is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. This was where the Jews were relocated to stay when they were forced to vacate their homes in the 13th century. Josefov has 6 synagogues, the Jewish Ceremonial Hall, and the Old Jewish Cemetery (the most remarkable of its kind in Europe). There are separate tickets for entry to each synagogue. However, there is a combined ticket to gain entrance to all.
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| The Old Jewish Synagogue |
The buildings were perfectly preserved and were almost untouched during the Nazi invasion because Hitler planned to make the buildings to serve as the "Museum of the Extinct Race."
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| The Jewish Museum |
The Josefov is also where Franz Kafka was born.
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| The Old Jewish Cemetery: Can you see the tombstones? |
The Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov is the oldest and largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. It has approximately 12,000 tombstones, and around 100,000 Jews were buried in up to 12 layers deep as there was not enough land area where Jews were allowed to be buried.
Rudolfinum
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| Rudolfinum |
Ironically, we then headed straight from Josefov to one of Hitler's most favourite buildings in Prague, the Rudolfinum. This building was conceived as a multi-purpose cultural centre combining exhibition rooms with concert halls. Its elegant halls and rooms are suitable not only for music performances but also for conferences and other social affairs. Designed in the neo-Renaissance style, it is one of the most striking buildings in the bank of Vltava River.
Vltava River and the Charles Bridge
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| Walking along the Vltava River towards Karluv Most from Rudolfinum |
The Vltava River is the longest river running through Prague. It separates the Lesser and Greater Quarters. Overlooking the river is the Prague Castle complex at the Lesser Quarter side, and great vantage points of the river and the said complex can be viewed from the Charles Bridge or 'Karluv Most,' making it the most walked-about bridge in Prague.
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| Old Town Bridge Tower |
Karluv Most, the 14th century medieval bridge linking the two sides of Prague divided by the Vltava River, was built under the auspices of King Charles IV. The bridge is made of sandstone blocks, is flanked on each end by fortified towers, and is adorned by 30 statues. It is the oldest preserved bridge in Prague.
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| Crossing the Karluv Most: towards Lesser Quarter |
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| Love locks in Karluv Most |
Restaurace Kravin
We then headed back to our hostel to have dinner at a restaurant in the surrounding area as we needed to be back in time for the Pub Crawl.
Located in Namesti Miru, Restaurace Kravin serves good Czech food for affordable prices. We sampled the famous roast pork knee/knuckle or koleno, and confit duck leg. The pork knee was about 1400 grams and was massive. The meat was perfectly roasted and was very savoury. I have never had such guilty pleasure in devouring such meal in my life. It reminded me of the Filipino dish, 'crispy pata,' except this version is not fried and is not crispy. The meat was tender and the pork skin and fat melts in your mouth, perfectly paired with horseradish and mustard, and Czech beer. The duck confit was also very savoury, served with caramelised red cabbage and potato chunks.
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| Roasted Pork knee and Duck Confit |
The meal was the best I have had for today. The place had an ambiance of a cosy pub. The service and staff were prompt and friendly. I am very satisfied with this restaurant and definitely recommend it as a good place to dine.
Drunken Monkey Pub Crawl
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| Pub Crawl's First stop |
Want a night out in Prague? Go on a Pub Crawl. The crawl begins in Drunken Monkey with a 2-hour open bar plus freebies, beer pong, flip cup, body shots and more. The visit then ensues to other bars (which changes every night) with the Pub guides. There is a free drink/shot on each succeeding bar, and kind of like a skip-the-line privilege. It's a guaranteed way of experiencing a great night out in Prague - make friends, get drunk, dance the night away and go home (or not - wink, wink) with loads of stories to tell (or be kept as a secret).
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| Pub Crawl Freebies |
The last bar we went to was just a few-minute-walk to our Hostel, so it was easy for us to go back and call it a night - or a day rather - at 3 in the morning. I had a blast for just the first day in Prague.
