In March I traveled to Prague for the World Figure Skating Championships and took the opportunity to do some touring as well. To acclimate ourselves to the City, we took an Old Town, New Town and Jewish Quarter morning tour with Petra. I booked it through Trip Advisor. Petra was very personable and did a great job and we learned a lot about Prague history. She was also very patient with our questions.
Probably the biggest disappointment was Prague Castle. I’d read it was a must-see but, for me, it would definitely be on the “skip” list. I was expecting something like Versailles or the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. It was not. To be fair, I may have gotten more out of it had I had a human guide instead of relying on the audio guide but it was a disappointment. There were three others in our group and two of the three felt the same way.
I visited the Ruckl Glass Factory for a tour of the facilities (they also offer hands-on experiences such as glass blowing) and it was a definite plus. All the crystal is made by hand and is gorgeous. The talent of these artisans is amazing. The factory is located in Nizbor which is outside of the city. I took an Uber both ways due to time constraints but you can also get there by train.
While walking through the Lesser Town Market, I ran into Janek Rubes and his cameraman, Honza Mikulka, who produce the Honest Guide videos on YouTube. I introduced myself and told him how helpful his videos has been to plan my trip.
I climbed up the Charles Bridge Tower on the Old Town side and the view did not disappoint. I really enjoyed walking around the city, marveling at the old buildings, narrow streets and the various sculptures and memorials around the city. The Astronomical Clock was impressive and, of course, I was there at the top of the hour with a few hundred of my closest friends to record the show on my iPhone.
I also walked up the hill to see Petrin Tower as the funicular is closed for reconstruction. I should have gone up to the top of the tower but somehow I missed that it had an elevator and I was too tired at that point to walk up the 299 steps. Instead of going down the same way I walked up, I walked down the steps on the other side of the hill and ended up passing the US Embassy. Ironically, while was a security barricade to stop and check the cars entering the plaza, there were no security checks for the peeps walking down from Petrin Hill.
Because of the Easter Markets and construction, I couldn’t see much of the actual Old Town Square or Wenseclas Square. However, the hot chocolate and crepes were always delicious! Best hot chocolate ever – no Swiss Miss powered mix for the Czechs!
A friend went to the Prague Zoo and said it was fantastic.
Can’t tell you much about the restaurants. We stayed at the Hotel Carol near the O2 Arena and ate at the Jerusalem Prague restaurant and Svejk Testaurant u Brazdu. Both were good but I tired of them. Unfortunately, time was limited between skating sessions so we had to stay close to the arena.