The stunning city of Prague has been considered to be one of the best holiday destinations in Eastern Europe pretty much since the fall of the iron curtain.
This gorgeous, historical city of is for many the perfect fairy tale image of an Eastern European city. I, like many others before me, found the true jewel of this city’s many treasures just had to be the castle. The castle really towers over the old town and can be seen from many of the main attractions around the city. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The buildings amazed me ever further when i discovered that a great majority of them had been built in the 1300′s however I discovered too that the site was of roman origins, and the evidence of this remained – all I had to do was dig for it.
Many people also flock to the Charles Bridge which crossed the Vltava River from the Old Town to the castle district. The bridge is lined with stunning statues and if you look carefully you will see that touching one of them is lucky. It is obvious that over the centuries many people have rubbed the stone hoping for fate to favour them because you can see the wear in the statues from the contact. During the day crossing this bridge brings you all of the benefits of artists and tradesmen, selling their wares to tourists, but at night it is a much more peaceful, lonely place and somehow even more beautiful. Many of us could appreciate a river cruise along the Vltava; a break from walking, a chance to rest our legs and a who new set of views to take in.
Yet another wonderful idea of a visiting place within Prague would be the astronomical clock. Each hour the square fills with tourists who have gathered just to watch the dancing figures come to life with the chimes. The clock is the oldest example of an astronomical clock, still working, in the whole world, it is no wonder so many join the crowds to see it. Another handy tip is to get up early and walk to the town hall to see it in action before it gets busy. I was told by locals that after the completion of the clock town officials decided to have the clockmaker blinded, so that he could never create anything to match it. The legend then went on to say that the clockmaker was so angered by this that he climbed up the tower and stopped the clock, which then remained silent for more than fifty years. In fact this is now thought to be a myth, although you will quite often still be told it on the walking tours.
I found Prague to be an enjoyable location and i understand that it remains so all year round. The summer holidays bring a more crowds and excitement to the city, but, if I were to be honest, Prague is a very popular holiday destination throughout the year, you certainly should never expect to find the Old Town empty, even if you visit in the middle of winter. In fact, the build up to Christmas is a popular time to visit as the Christmas markets are fantastic.
Remember that although Prague can at times seem like a quaint little town, it is a living and breathing city and not all of its history is from a fairy tale. A visit to the Communism Museum can help to take you back to reality and show you a bit of Pragues real history.