Czech It Out: Prague

Before leaving Europe, there was one place particularly on my hit list: Prague

I had heard wonderful things from my friends in chorale, who sang there on Spring Break tour last winter (I chose to save my pennies for study abroad instead). And, after enjoying Budapest so much, I really wanted to experience more of Eastern Europe - well, the nice, tourist friendly parts at least.

So, even though none of my friends were free to travel with me, I decided to embark on a solo trip.

Traveling alone was a completely foreign experience. I had to plan my own itinerary, learn how to take decent "selfies" on my camera, and befriend strangers just to have someone to talk to. It was certainly a worthwhile adventure and I proved, mostly to myself, that I am capable of branching out on my own.

That being said, I think my ideal travel setup is with a buddy. With two people, it isn't too overwhelming to organize a trip and you can still meet interesting new people in your travels. At the same time, you also have someone to eat meals with, to take pictures with, and to talk to. Pros and cons, I guess.

Back to Prague though: the city itself is beautiful. I say that about every place I have been, but really: the architecture in Prague is unreal. Unlike many Eastern cities that were ravaged by bombs during World War II, Prague is incredibly well-preserved. Rumor has it, Hitler wanted to retire in this gorgeous city after the war, so he avoided inflicting any heavy damage.

I spent a lot of time just wandering Prague, but I also took several free walking tours of the city - one of the perks of hostel travel is that hostel workers are great at helping their guests plan travel on a budget! Here's some of the sights from my first day: 

Old Town Square 

Astronomical Clock, built in the 1400s
(The sun circles the Earth on it, so it's a bit outdated nowadays) 

The oldest still-standing theater where Mozart performed (Don Giovani premiered here).
Mozart, in fact, had a special affection for the people of Prague.
He once said "Meine Prager verstehen mich" (my Praguers understand me), a well-known phrase among Praguers still

Czech composer Antonin Dvorak
(Music nerd alert: he is one of my favorite composers so of course I listened to his New World Symphony while walking around the city)

The "Dancing House," a standout amidst the city's Baroque architecture

Statue of Czech writer Franz Kafka, inspired by his short story "Description of a Struggle"

Charles Bridge, decorated by a continuous stretch of 30 religious statues  

One of the Charles Bridge statues

The John Lennon Wall

The next day, I took a free castle tour. Prague Castle is a pretty big deal - it's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ancient castle in the world. The entire complex is the size of 6 footballs fields! 

But it isn't just one large palace. It really is a "complex" filled with buildings from every era and from every architectural style. In fact, the styling is so disjointed and intermixed that Hapsburg ruler Maria Theresa famously hated it. 

It makes for quite an extensive tour though - and it was 90+ degrees every day I was in Prague! Thank goodness ice cream in the city costs less than a dollar (about 20 Czech Koruna). I must've eaten three or four cones a day just to survive!

St. Vitus Cathedral, inside the Palace Complex

I became an expert at taking "selfies" while traveling solo

Since dining alone can be a little bit of a downer, I did my best to make some travel buddies. The walking tours turned out to be great for making friends - I met some nice people my age from Ireland and Australia. We got beers at a monastery-turned-brewery, ate dinner in Old Town Square at dusk and took in a little bit of the nightlife. It's nice to know there are always other twenty-somethings traveling and in need of companions!

Czech beer

New Aussie friends

Sunset view

Dinner in Old Town with a view

 For my last day in the city, I did a solo tour of the Jewish Quarter, or Josefov. The area was renamed "Joseph City" in honor of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II who emancipated the Jews, but it was originally the Jewish ghetto.

Currently, Josefov is home to six synagogues, the Jewish cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall. Of all the sites, the Spanish Synagogue was by far the most beautiful. I couldn't take pictures of the interior, but I attached a picture from the Internet: it is gorgeous. Heavily inspired by Moorish influence, it's very ornate and immaculately designed.

Spanish synagogue

Interior

Old Jewish cemetery
12,000 tombstones are crammed in there but it is estimated that over 100,000 burials took place on the grounds

All in all, Prague was an amazing city and certainly an up-and-comer for European tourists. It was packed with visitors, many of them couples on romantic getaways. My Swiss host parents, for instance, are taking a summer trip there in just a few weeks! Apparently Prague is the new Paris?
Even if it had to be solo, I'm so glad I took this trip.


NOTE: For the record, I am writing this post from good old Wakefield, MA. I'm catching up on blog posts from my last few weeks abroad - I wound up a little behind. Hang in there and I'll make it to the end! :)