Prague has always been a dream for many, and this dream has been mine for ten years. Why this city has become such a dream for so many people is still a question I haven’t found an answer to. Ten years ago, there was already a travel book about Prague at home. At that time, I had never been to Europe, but the photos of the buildings in the Old Town deeply attracted me. In fact, I didn’t have any concrete idea of Europe back then; I just told myself that when I eventually went to Europe, I definitely had to see Prague. Back in university, I thought Europe must be so romantic, and I never really considered going elsewhere. But that dream was postponed. It wasn't until a few years later when I started working in the UK that I finally made up my mind to go and see this long-cherished dream.
Powder TowerPraaná brána
On the way to the Old Town Square, on Celetná StreetCeletnáIt was dusk
Old Town SquareOld town square
The Old Town Square at dusk
A street concert in the Old Town Square — you absolutely must catch one when you're in Prague.
Church of Our Lady before TýnChrám Matky Bo~í Pred Tyne
Astronomical ClockPrague Astronomical Clock
It’s the most popular attraction in Prague, located at the Old Town Hall. Every full hour, you can watch the little figures come out as the clock chimes.
After watching the clock show, there was still time, so I went up the Astronomical Clock tower.
From the Astronomical Clock, you can see a panoramic view of Prague. I was lucky enough to be there at sunset, and the weather was incredibly nice, giving me a stunning view of the sunset.
The sunset cast golden hues over the buildings.
Enjoying the view of the Old Town Square from the Astronomical Clock.
Church of Our Lady before Týn
After dinner, I walked past the Old Town Square and admired the night view.
On the second morning in Prague, the weather was fantastic, so I headed to Prague Castle.
Charles Bridge
Prague Castle is on the other side of the river, so you have to cross Charles Bridge first.
Passed by St. Nicholas Church Kostel sv. Mikuláae
The castle is situated on a hill, so you have to climb some stairs first.
The view from the stairs is absolutely gorgeous.
When I arrived at the entrance of the castle, I saw a crowd gathered — it turned out to be guard-changing time.
There is a guard-changing ceremony every hour.
The courtyard
St. Vitus CathedralSt. Vitus Cathedral
Old Royal PalaceStary Královsky Palác
The view from the Old Royal Palace
St. George's Basilica St. George's Basilica
Golden Lane Zlatá Uli ka
This attraction preserves medieval burgher houses, which were once the residences of guards.
Street performers encountered in the Old Town
ClementinumKlementinum
Finally, we visited Prague’s last attraction, the Clementinum, now the National Library of the Czech Republic. We had thought it would be hard to find, but it turns out to be right behindHostel . Admission to the college requires joining a guided tour. The only thing I knew about this college was its famous Baroque library, but because the books inside need protection, we could only view it from the entrance and weren’t allowed to take photos.
Since I came to this college specifically for the Baroque library,Barokní KnihovnaI thought only the library was open to visitors. Unexpectedly, we could keep climbing up and explore some instruments in the astronomical tower. The guide was an elderly Czech man. At first, he looked stern and his accent was hard to understand. But then he asked where we were from and suddenly switched to speaking Mandarin with us. It turned out he had studied in Beijing and had also been to Taiwan. He also mentioned that he speaks other languages such as German and Russian — what an impressive person he is indeed. At first, I thought he seemed very serious, but actually he was quite humorous. As the tour went on, his stories became more amusing and he grew more excited. At the top of the tower, we found a quiet spot to enjoy the view of Prague, with clear views of both the Castle District and the Old Town.
Castle District
Old Town
Original text: 【Czech 2】Prague — A Dream
Central Europe & Baltic Travel:
【Czech1】 esky KrumlovMedieval Town
【Czech2】Prague — That Year’s Dream
【Lithuania1】TrakaiTrakai’s Water Castle
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Text Photos: Travis To