Prague

Prague Astronomical Clock (left) and Church of Our Lady before Týn (right)

I arrived in Prague after a six-hour train ride from Munich. I chose to visit Prague because of the city's architecture and because I knew virtually nothing about the country. How exciting to go somewhere you know nothing about? It was exciting, even more so because everything would be a surprise. I arrived later in the day and checked in at the MOOo Downtown. I could not give this place enough praise. It was about $90 a night and was one of the nicest places I had ever stayed in. The decorations were all cow-themed, and it had a big bed, a kitchenette, and a living room area with a TV. They even gave me a complimentary bottle of champagne upon arrival. 

The next morning I began walking around the city and stumbled upon a street being shut down for an event. Little did I know, it was Velvet Revolution Day on November 17. This holiday celebrates the day Czech students held a non-violent protest against the communist regime in 1989, beginning the Velvet Revolution. The Velvet Revolution lasted until the end of December and stopped communism in Czechoslovakia, making the nation the democracy it is today. It is a holiday celebrating freedom, democracy, and resilience. 

It appeared as though the festivities were just being set up as I arrived, but as I walked along the street, I noticed press gathered around a certain individual. There were armed police with large guns and tactical gear. Local TV stations were recording and there were many members of the press attempting to speak to this person, so I figured he was important.

Press and police on Národní Street

I always have my camera attached to me, so I figured I would go ahead and squish my way in to get a picture and find out who it was later. It was the Czech Republic's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavský. 

Jan Lipavský

Walking more into town, I stumbled across a themed sweets shop called Candy Miners. It had so many different types of candy displayed in mining carts—it looked like a store in Disneyland. I could not resist taking home a bag. 

Candy Miners

After candy and a cup of coffee, I walked further into the city center to take a gander at the astronomical clock and the Church of Our Lady before Týn. The clock went off, and I got to see characters move through a window and a skeleton pull a chain to ring the bell. 

Astronomical Clock

After that, it was off to the Beer Museum! I got to have some Czech beer samples and even got to bottle my own beer. I learned about the history of beer-making, common ingredients, and the tools used to ferment and brew. I did not know women played such a large role in the beer-making process, they were known as alewives, brewesses, or brewsters. It was so interesting, and I did not know how much went into the beer-making process. 

After the museum, I walked around some more, going on Charles Bridge to get to the other side of town, where the castle is. This offered a great view of the red-topped town. 

View from Charles Bridge

The sun was going down, and it was a cloudy day, but I wanted to scope out the castle before committing to a tour the next day. The most interesting building I saw on the castle grounds was the St. Vitus Cathedral. Anyone can walk around the area, but to go inside, you have to pay for a ticket. After seeing the inside, I decided it would be worth it to spend the money to take a look at the inside. The next day, I would do just that.

St. Vitus Cathedral

The next day I got to tour the cathedral, Prague Castle, Old Royal Palace, Basilica of St. George, and Golden Lane. My favorite was St. Vitus Cathedral because of the stained glass windows. The colors of this one were unlike anything I had ever seen before. The cathedral appears even bigger on the inside.

Stained glass in St. Vitus Cathedral

To end the day, I went to the Národní Muzeum of natural science and history. It was huge and very informative. I loved the way the museum set up its exhibits. It had a huge collection of all sorts of rocks and minerals. The exhibits were very interactive and beautifully set up. They had models and taxidermy showing different types of animals. The lighting and colors were very aesthetically pleasing. I ended up enjoying this museum more than the Natural History Museum in London.  

Wooly rhino skeleton (left) and wooly mammoth (right)

I ended the day with a delicious elaborate sushi boat from Peony Asian Fusion. It had dry ice to the side and a tree with a lantern on the plate. It was crazy!

Sushi from Peony Asian Fusion

The next day, it was time to say goodbye to Prague and head to my final destination for this trip: London. I had been before, but the city is so big it is impossible to get everything done in one trip, so I was excited to go back and see new things. What surprised me the most about Prague was how nice the buildings, hotels, and restaurants were for so little money. It was impressive how much high-quality service and things I was able to get for so cheap. I enjoyed the Czech Republic's tram system too. It made it a lot easier to get around. I got a pass for the day and it got me onto unlimited trams throughout the city. I loved Prague and it is easily one of my favorite places I have ever been. 

Trams

This blog post was written for HON491C