We arrived in Prague about a half hour earlier than expected. We arrived in Hlavni Nadrazi Station a little after 10:00. We stopped at an ATM so we could get money. The Czech Republic uses the Czech Crown. I took out 4000 which was only about $200. We walked to our hostel hoping they would let us check in early. We were happy to find that we could indeed check in early. Our hostel was cheap. For the both of us to stay two nights it was about $45 total. Rick and I had our own room with a shared bathroom and kitchen. We had two twin beds, a table and chair, and a wardrobe.
We were both pretty tired from the trip, so we decided to take a quick nap and relax for awhile. We then decided to find somewhere to eat lunch. The first restaurant we came too had a menu posted outside. The choices looked good and we were both really hungry. We decided to eat there. Amanda ordered a chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella cheese, ham, and sun dried tomatoes. Rick ordered a beef dish with a mushroom and zucchini rice and a really flavorful sauce. Both meals were wonderful.
After lunch, we headed out to explore the town. We walked along the river towards the castle. We crossed the Charles Bridge which at one time was the only bridge that crossed the river. The bridge is currently under construction. They are repairing the bridge, looking for any artifacts that may have been missed in previous reconstructions, and making sure the bridge is still structurally sound.
After we crossed the bridge, we headed up to the Prague Castle. The castle is on top of a large hill so there were many steps to climb. This is the largest castle complex in terms of building area in the world. The castle is still in use. It houses the government and the president’s office and residence. The Prague Castle doesn’t really look like a castle because it has been modernized.
We went in through the large metal gates into the first courtyard. We then went through an archway into a second courtyard with a fountain. We went though another archway which led to the third courtyard where the large cathedral stood. It was built in the Gothic style and was very old.
We were allowed to walk through the cathedral for free. There were many large stained glass windows. A silver tomb of a man is located here. There were really neat panels made from carved wood around the main alter.
We walked around the grounds and past one of the powder towers. A long time ago, gun powder was kept in this building. We saw many other buildings but we really didn’t know what they were used for.
We entered into the Golden Lane. This area had a row of little, old shacks that were painted different bright colors. They were really interesting to see.
After we were done walking through the castle grounds, we went to the edge and enjoyed a great view of the city. The castle sits on one of the highest points in the city so it was a great place to see the city.
We then walked around the city for a little while. We found a grocery store and got some pasta for dinner. Our hostel had a kitchen so we made dinner and ate there.
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