Prague is a feast for the eyes. Every direction you look, every corner you turn, is full of historical character and architectural wonder. The city largely escaped bombing during World War II. As a result, Prague has maintained its historical appearance.

The Vltava river flows through the city center, adding to the dramatic landscape.

vltava river

the charles bridge behind me

The city is a winding labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Endless miles of cobblestone, all so very detailed and intricate. It’s hard to fathom the amount of effort it took to lay. Although the cobblestone is stunning, it’s pretty rough on the feet. Leaves the feet throbbing by the end of the day.

cobblestone everywhere!

old town…aka the part of town packed with tourists

old town square with the Týn Cathedral looming behind

old town square

astronomical clock at the old town hall…at the top of the hour, the 12 apostles appear in the windows above the clock…can you see them?

After some time in Old Town, we made our way to the infamous Charles Bridge. Construction of the bridge began in 1357 under King Charles IV. It was the only bridge over the Vltava River until 1841. The bridge made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. Today it is a pedestrian only bridge and is packed with tourists all day long.

charles bridge

at the charles bridge, prague castle behind us

on the charles bridge 

On the other side of the Charles Bridge is St Nicholas Church. We climbed up to the top of its bell tower. It was a nice respite to get above the crowds, and to soak in the sun and the views.

st nicholas church 

views from the bell tower

so many beautiful terracotta rooftops 

soaking in the sun and the views

Next, we made a quick stop at the church with the Infant Jesus of Prague.

infant jesus of prague 

We enjoyed a late lunch at Cafe Savoy. This place first opened it’s doors in 1893 and being there felt like stepping back in time. Outstanding food and service.

cafe savoy

glass viewing of the cafe savoy bakery…I wonder if they are so accostumed to people looking in that it doesn’t even bother them

We decided to take a long walk down the banks of the river until we reached Vyšehrad (Czech for “upper castle”).

Vyšehrad

the fort walls of Vyšehrad

views from Vyšehrad

more views from Vyšehrad

That evening, I indulged in trdelnik, one of Prague’s most popular Czech sweets. We watched them make it by rolling out the dough, wrapping it around a stick, called a trdlo, sprinkling it with a sugar and spices and setting it over the flames to cook. I had mine filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

trdelnik

We went back to Charles Bridge to watch the sunset that night. A local band of stringed instruments was playing on the bridge. We found the perfect spot to sit on the bridge and enjoyed the music while taking in the sunset. It was the perfect way to end the day.

the soundtrack to the evening’s sunset 

our little spot on the bridge 

soaking in the sunset