The Adventure

Prague, known locally as Praha, was not a city that I heard anything about from people around me, unlike the past two travel days. However, I had seen many posts about the city from travel vloggers on Instagram, once again promising one of the most beautiful cities out there. I arrived in the central station with high expectations, but also more ideas of what to do compared to the cities I had visited previously. The first impressions of the city were exactly as I hoped. Just walking down the road from the station I passed an impressive museum, and deeper into the city I was practically overwhelmed by buildings that I would consider landmarks if they were found in another city. But in Prague, it was just another building on the block. There were cool arches, a building with a detailed painting on the outside, and of course, churches. One of the most iconic spots in Prague is the old town square, where the Christmas market was set up this time of year. This is also where you can find the old town hall, with the famous astrological clock on its tower.

On the other side of the river, there was much more to be found. I quickly located the smallest pedestrian walkway that I had heard about on Instagram and waited in the long line to go through. The walkway is so small that they needed a light to indicate when you could walk through and to manage the two-way traffic (which didn’t fit in the walkway at the same time). After going through the walkway, I unfortunately realized that it led only to a fenced-in area behind some restaurants or something, and I then had to wait again to take the return journey. Somehow, though, this wait wasn’t as long as the initial walk. After this, I explored the surround area a bit, discovering the smaller, hidden gems by the water. There were some very aesthetic photos to be taken, tucked away where there were fewer tourists. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about Prague was that the city is so beautiful that even in avoiding the main attractions, you can find things to enjoy and have a good time.

On top of a nearby hill was firstly, a great view of the city, and secondly, a massive church and castle combo packed with tourists. It was a very cramped area, but I managed to survive and get in to see the buildings up close. The St. Vitus Cathedral reminded me a bit of the Cologne Cathedral in terms of colour and style. Very cool and impressive. Another building which I can’t identify also had some detailed paintings on the outside. At this point during my travels, the exterior artwork was a unique feature of Prague. On the way back down the hill, there were street performers and street vendors, and of course, more great views of the city.

My next stop was a complete accident. I tried taking a shortcut through a park, only to realize it was a dead end. Luckily, the park was filled with peacocks, so I ended up hanging around for a while. I got many, many photos, and stuck around long enough for the males to spread their colourful feathers. The peacocks were surprisingly friendly, getting really close to me at times. I wasn’t sure whether I should take advantage of that, or if I would accidentally provoke them if I tried to get closer or something. I just let the peacocks do whatever they wanted and it was a good time.

Then, I walked up another hill. And once again, there were great views of the city. This hill was different from the last because it was more natural, with lots of trees and rocks. Interestingly, many of the rocks had deep engravings that were seemingly left by tourists? At the top, there were some cool old buildings, and there was an old wall running up the whole hill. I feel like this has to have some sort of significance, like the Berlin Wall, but I’m clueless. The constructions themselves were mostly a cobblestone look, with some other parts appearing unnaturally smooth. Maybe they were at one point coated with something, similar to how many castles were whitewashed? I also enjoyed just the path that I was walking on, which was also made from just stones fit together. At the end of the path there was a neat waterfall going into a pond, where I stayed for a while. There were some ducks in the pond, which I was told I should name Greg and Ophelia. After leaving Greg and Ophelia, my full exploration of the city was unfortunately almost over.

On the journey back to the train station, I did manage to find some cool new buildings (because it’s Prague). I went through the mental list of bucket list things to do in Prague that I had stolen from the internet and realized there were a couple I hadn’t seen yet. Unfortunately, the infinite elevators were closed at the time, so I guess I’ll have to try that next time. I also found the famous tower of books, which also had some closures. I was still able to see it, though not as well as I would have liked. Another item for next time. I walked back through the old town square, and got dinner at the train station. A wrap on my day in Prague.

Highlight

Of everywhere I travelled, Prague might be the hardest to choose a highlight from. From the less-crowded but still beautiful streets, to the old town square, to the busy castle, to the hidden gems by the river, to the natural area on top of the hill, Prague had so much to offer. If I had to pick just one thing, I guess I would say the walk up the hill. It was a different vibe compared to a lot of the other travelling I did, and I could see so much from up there. Realistically, though, the whole city of Prague was a highlight.

Cost

During my day in Prague, I bought the usual souvenir flag, as well as some food, including dinner at the train station. This cost me a total of 353 CZK, or $21.84 CAD. I spent an additional $3.04 (€2) on a train reservation, either entering or leaving Prague (I forget). As much as I tried to avoid seat reservations, I did have to give in for this one. But for just 3 dollars, I’ll take it.

Concluding Thoughts

I am very confident when I say that Prague was my favourite city I visited on this holiday. I always talk about the highlight of the trip in each blog, but to highlight one city from the entire 3-week vacation, I choose Prague. The influencers on Instagram did not let me down with this one. It’s wild to me that I even went into the city with a rough itinerary and still found that I didn’t see and do everything I would have wanted to. I definitely see why it is the favourite city of so many tourists, and I definitely recommend going there. I know that I, for one, will be back.