After my month-long work trip in Europe (read all about it here), I decided to visit the beautiful city of Prague!

I arrived in the morning, and after a short nap I hit the sights. I walked around the narrow alleyways looking for a few key things: Prague Castle (check!), The Astronomical Clock – Orloj (check!) & the Lennon Wall (check!), all which I later found – but my first stop of the day was a little food stall where the chefs were cooking up some delicious traditional ‘Czech’ cuisines. I tried both the ‘Halusky’ and the ‘Svarak’, which were amazing! ‘Halusky’ are a traditional variety of thick, soft noodles or dumplings and it also contained pieces of ham. The ‘Svarak’ was hot red wine, made fresh and served in a styrofoam cup. This was delicious and a great way to keep warm in the chilly fall Eastern European weather.

After my meal at the food stall, I ventured to conquer the list of things I wanted to see. My first stop was the ‘Orloj’ (Astronomical Clock). This is an absolute must-see while in Prague! Every hour on the hour, the clock entertains crowds of people for 3 minutes. The clock is comprised of 3 parts – the ‘walk of the apostles’ (top), the sphere or clock dial (middle) and the calendar (bottom). When the clock hits the top the hour, a skeleton pulls the bell cord. Then the apostles appear out the top of the clock. On the left window St. Paul is first, followed by St. Thomas, then St. Juda Tadeus, St. Simon, St. Batholomew and lastly St. Barnabas. On the right window St. Peter is first, followed by St. Mathew, then St. John, St. Andrew, St. Philip and lastly St. Joseph. After the apostles do their walk, they go back inside. When the window closes, a cockerel flaps and crows in an alcove then the chimes of the hour can be heard (the number of chimes heard depends on what time it is. At 12 O’clock, for example, 12 chimes will be heard). Simultaneously while all this is happening on the top of the clock, the middle and bottom sections are doing their own thing. The details as well as the colors on this clock are beautiful in and of itself, but the show at the top of the hour is truly incredible to see. You have 24 chances to see this each day, so I suggest you do not miss this incredible event!

After my time at the clock, I headed toward the Lennon wall. Truth be told, I had higher expectations for this wall than what I actually experienced. It was still cool to see but would I make a point of ‘dropping everything’ and seeing this if you already have other things planned? No. What I liked: the colors and the positive messages. What I did not like: many of the images and quotes pertaining to Lennon had been covered up by graffiti; it’s a bit hard to get to; and there a lot of crowds. Overall, I am glad I saw this but I am not sure that I would go back and see it again.

After the Lennon wall, I headed to Prague Castle, my final stop of the day. To go inside the castle you have to wait on a line and pay, so I did not go inside. Instead I just took pictures of the outside and the view, which are both incredible. Doing what I did was awesome and I did not feel like I missed out, but if you’ve got the Krona and the time, I suggest going inside. If you do, let me know how it is!

After our busy day in the city, I was excited to head back to the hotel and change to get ready for the opera. I saw ‘Madama Butterfly’ at the Navodni Divadlo and while in Italian, though I did not understand a single word, this was an incredible show! There were actually screens toward the top that had it written out in both English & Czech subtitles, I think it was actually a bit more fun to leave it to your own interpretation about what was happening. The wine here is affordable and plentiful and you are allowed to bring it inside the theatre. Additionally, people dress up to go to the opera so it’s a fun experience and I felt like I was living the high life that night 🙂

That night I slept like a baby and was excited to see what my next day in Prague would bring!

The next day in the morning, I got up and had breakfast and then went into the city to check out the Charles Bridge. This bridge is the main bridge in Prague that crosses the Vltava and the bridge is lined with statues and gargoyles, as well as musicians and people selling things. It’s a picturesque spot, though it’s hard to get a picture without a ton of people in it. Upon crossing this bridge, it led me to another area of the city that had a lot of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. I spent a few hours here visiting cafes and shopping.

Later in the day I visited an absintherie where I tried 4 very potent but amazing absinthe drinks. This absintherie is home to over 100 different kinds of absinthe. Pretty intense if you ask me!… but overall an enjoyable experience. It’s hard to find absinthe here in the States so I feel like this is something to partake in if it’s available… just don’t forget your drinking shoes! 😉

That night for dinner I had the highly-recommend & amazing Pork Knuckle (a Prague staple) and this dark beer which I loved.

My last day in Prague had me wandering the city, doing some more shopping and trying the remaining foods on our list that I hadn’t tried – one being chocolate (Europe is known for having some of the world’s best chocolates) and thinly-sliced potatoes on a skewer. They were hot, gooey and delicious and probably, in my opinion, one of the best thing I ate while in Prague.

That night I had spontaneously booked tickets to a soccer ‘football’ game at Generali Arena / Letna Stadium. The game was Sparta Praha vs FC Banik Ostrava. Despite cold temperatures and nosebleed seats, Sparta Praha won and I had an amazing time! The stadium sells wine, beer and amazing hotdogs. The energy here was intense and the fans were part of what the made the experience so fun. A bunch of Banik Ostrava fans came complete with a full band and had a drum going the entire time. I guess some people are into it a lot more than others. Soccer isn’t as popular here in the States as it is in Europe so I always try to see soccer games wherever I can – and they never disappoint!

Though I had an amazing 4 days in Prague, I feel like it was so beautiful and there was so much to do that I could have stayed forever. Prague is one of my favorite cities in Europe so I hope I am lucky enough to get the opportunity to go back.

Until then, keep traveling, my people!

Where I Stayed:

Courtyard by Marriott Aviaticka 1092/8, 161 00, Praha 6, Czech Republic