These are the types of apartments in Prague 3 where we are staying. I went for a stroll towards the centre of Prague through this beautiful park, catching a glimpse of Prague Castle through the trees (pictured below). Each neighbourhood appears to have a park, so there are plenty of green spaces in the city.
I walked to the Old Town Square and then followed the signs and the crowds to the West to the famous Charles Bridge, which was the first bridge in Prague. It links the Old Town with the Prague Castle complex, situated on the hill guarding the town from approaches from the West. The river eventually meets up with the Elbe river. Dresden in the first major German city to the North on the Elbe. The Elbe was the demarcation zone between the Western forces and the Soviets in World War 2. It separated the old West Germany and East Germany. In medieval times the river would serve as the major highway of freight into Germany and out via the port of Hamburg. Remember it was difficult and expensive to move freight on unpaved roads and using animal transport.
The Charles Bridge is one of the most popular attractions in Prague, and the most crowded. There are many statues of religious figures on the bridge.
At the end of the bridge is another set of towers and the gate and the approaches to Prague Castle. In medieval times there would have been a chain across the river to stop boats, and so they could be taxed of course. If you were travelling South by boat you would meet up with the other major Czech cities. In other words Prague was an important strategic location, and commercial location. For the ruler of course it allowed for a steady income from taxing the river traffic.
In Europe remember to bring an umbrella, because although it was sunny in the morning, in the afternoon it rained. The weather is highly variable in Northern Europe.
We had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant in Prague 2, which was quite good. There are plenty of different cuisines in the city. We shopped at a Greek deli and went to the Shopping mall.
The forecast is for more rain this week. On the 24th to the 26th we will be visiting Cesky Krumlov in the South West area of the Czech Republic. This was settled by German people, and until 1945 there were 3 million German people in the country.
Travel Tips:
- the river runs South to North and if you head, and if you are in the East of the city eventually you will hit the river either North or South of Charles Bridge if you head West.
- Allow half a day to see Prague Castle and it's best to arrive at 9am before the crowds.
