Day 2 Sightseeing in Prague

Today we explored Prague, the capital of Czechia. This city has a long and fascinating history. What began as a settlement of Slavic tribes grew into a powerful medieval city, especially under the rule of Charles IV in the 14th century. During his reign, Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and saw the construction of some of its most iconic landmarks—like Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, and Charles University (1348) which was the first university in central Europe!

In the 19th century, Prague experienced a cultural awakening as Czechs began to reclaim their language and identity. After World War I, it became the capital of newly independent Czechoslovakia, but the 20th century brought more upheaval—first with Nazi occupation, then with decades of communist rule. The 1968 Prague Spring offered a glimpse of reform before being crushed by Soviet tanks. It wasn’t until the peaceful Velvet Revolution in 1989 that Prague fully emerged from behind the Iron Curtain. Since then, it has grown into a vibrant, modern city known for its fairytale architecture, rich cultural life, and deep sense of history. Okay, history lesson finished—now for what we got up to in this great city.

We bailed on our walking tour as the group was way too large which made it difficult to hear the guide. Instead, we decided to “drift” and used ChatGPT to learn about the romantic, historic buildings dotted throughout the old town —snapping a photo, asking Chat to—“tell me more about this building”, and then listening. It worked well.

The architecture here is incredible and was spared during WW2. The downside of Prague is the graffiti—it’s been kept from the main tourist areas in the old town but is everywhere on the perimeter (see photo collage).

Our old town drift included a stop for lunch along the river and then we got caught in a downpour (we’re not inclined to drag an umbrella or raincoats when the sun is shining—I guess we’ve been in southern Spain too long.) After the 12-minute walk back to our hotel we looked like two drowned “nutria” (aquatic rats that can be found here!)

We had wanted to see some art (especially Josef Manes) but were tired after the 8-mile drift… we are returning here at the end of the month and will definitely make time for this!Read more