A Week in Prague

I woke up at 3am and never got back to sleep again. This wasn't helped by an absolute racket when someone bumped the dustbins all the way down the concrete steps inside the building at 5.30! 15 minutes later, they were dragged back up again!

I listened to the radio before getting up, having breakfast, and making my way outside to catch a tram. The tram stop is just around the corner from my apartment. Unlike other stops on the tram route, this one doesn't have a ticket machine on the pavement, so I boarded without a ticket. I know there is a machine inside, so I planned to buy a ticket en route. However, the tram was so busy that I couldn't get anywhere near the machine. I rode the whole 20-minute journey in a state of fear that I'd get caught. Fortunately, I didn't. But I made it my priority when I got off to buy a three-day pass so I won't get caught short again!

I had booked a walking tour for this morning, so I made my way through the deserted streets of the Old Town to the meeting point using my trusted Google maps. After a couple of wrong turns, I found it. I still arrived early! I spent the waiting time chatting to Channi, an Australian solo traveller of Sri Lankan descent. Inevitably, we talked a lot about travel 😊.

At the designated time, we met our guide, Micha, a native of Prague who had lived in York and Sheffield for a few years in her twenties. She turned out to be a very informative and entertaining guide. We were a group of 16 people from Scotland, England, Canada, Australia, and India. Everyone was friendly and engaged.

Our walk started on the edge of Jewish Town. Although we didn't explore the area, Micha explained its history. What affected me most were the small brass plaques embedded in the pavements outside ordinary houses. Known as Stolpersteine, or "stumbling stones", each commemorates an individual who lived at that address and was persecuted by the Nazis, many of whom were deported and murdered during the Holocaust. The plaques record their names, birth dates and what happened to them. Our guide explained that these memorials are still being installed today, as families and researchers uncover and document the stories of those who disappeared. I found it incredibly poignant that, more than 80 years later, these people are still being remembered, one name and one home at a time. A simple but incredibly powerful reminder that behind the enormous numbers of Holocaust victims were real people, with families, homes and everyday lives, who should never be forgotten.

From Jewish Town, we walked to the Old Town Square and learned all about Charles IV (1316–1378), after whom many of Prague's buildings are named. Our wonderful guide, Micha, was clearly his number one fan! Having learned a little about him, I can understand why. Born in Prague and originally named Wenceslaus, Charles spent part of his childhood at the French royal court, where he received an excellent education. He became King of Bohemia in 1346 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, transforming Prague into one of Europe's most important cities during what became known as its Golden Age. He was responsible for founding Charles University in 1348, establishing Prague's New Town, commissioning the famous Charles Bridge and supporting the magnificent Gothic development of St Vitus Cathedral. An unusually educated ruler for his time, he spoke several languages and was passionate about art, architecture and learning. More than 600 years after his death, his influence is still visible everywhere you look in Prague, and he remains one of the most admired figures in Czech history. It's quite extraordinary to think that so much of the beautiful city we're exploring today owes its existence to the vision of one medieval king!

We walked round the corner to the Old Town Hall. Established in 1338, the Town Hall is actually a collection of historic buildings gradually joined together over the centuries, with its impressive Gothic tower completed in 1364. But its most famous feature is undoubtedly the extraordinary Astronomical Clock, known as the Orloj, which dates back to 1410 and is one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world. It's so much more than an ordinary clock! The elaborate upper dial shows the positions of the sun and moon, the zodiac and different ways of measuring time, while the lower calendar dial represents the months of the year and the seasons. Micha, explained how all the different parts work, although there was rather a lot to take in! Every hour, the clock comes alive as a skeleton representing Death rings a bell, figures symbolising human weaknesses begin to move, and the Twelve Apostles appear in two little windows above the clock. Finally, a golden rooster crows and the clock chimes the hour. Unfortunately, we weren't there at the right time to see the performance today, but I'm determined to return before I leave Prague! It's incredible to think that this remarkable piece of medieval technology has been fascinating visitors for more than 600 years.

We then walked through the Old Town to the iconic Charles Bridge. We stuck to the main thoroughfares full of Starbucks, Costa, Pizza Hut, Macdonald, and other global brands, but Micha advised us to return later and explore the side streets for a taste of the real Prague.Read more