A day in Prague

In recent years I have often been in Dresden and visited friends. Each time I thought it would be nice to take a day trip to Prague.

This October (2021) I was there again for a birthday party. And this time it happened. I grabbed the birthday girl on Friday morning and we drove from Dresden to Prague.

The ride is super relaxed and leads completely on highways. From Dresden it is about 150 km, 1:45 hours to drive.

The weather looks very nice. Blue sky and t-shirt temperatures.

We parked, as planned, in the parking garage at the Rudolfinum. But that was the only thing we have planned. So we go off in the direction of the city center. I am directly fascinated by the wonderful and restored buildings. It is a mix of many regions of Europe. Partly I thought I was in Italy.

Next stop: ATM. Unfortunately, the currency in the Czech Republic is not yet the euro. With a few obstacles, we get the czech crowns, which will prove unnecessary in the end, because everywhere card payment is possible.

It's now just after 11 a.m. and it's been a while since breakfast, so a small snack isn't bad. We get the Trdelník, which are advertised on every corner, filled with strawberries, ice cream, Nutella etc.

So we continue to wander haphazardly through Prague's old town, enjoying our pastries and the sun - simply beautiful.

Of course, we are not quite as lost as I put it, because the birthday girl has been to Prague before. So she leads me to the famous Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River, a landmark of the city. We are probably lucky, because at peak times and probably without Covid, one is pushed so to speak due to the crowds over the bridge and can not as today, move freely.

On the other side of the Vltava River it is just as beautiful. In the background on a hill is the Prague Castle with St. Vitus Cathedral.

But before we climb the hill, it is now almost 1 pm. So it's time for a Czech beer right on the Vltava River, with a view of the Charles Bridge and the Old Town opposite, plus the weather continues to be great. We skip lunch and "plan" an early dinner.

Then we continue with a small detour through the historic streets of the city up to the castle and the cathedral. Again, everything is dressed up and beautiful to look at. The Hradčany Square with its palaces looks to me almost like the Place du Palais in Monaco. You also have a fantastic view over Prague from here.

We then stroll further through the castle complex and marvel at the impressive St. Vitus Cathedral. The whole complex is like a small city within the city.

By now it is half past four and we leave the castle hill on the eastern side and are back on the Vltava River. Then the thought of early dinner catches us up again. So we decide to move back to the other side of the river and look for a restaurant there. We end up at a restaurant by the Old Town Hall hoping that from there, we can catch a glimpse of the hourly clock game and I can get a "typical" dish. While we sit in the beautiful outdoor area and browse the menu, we realize that it is October after all. Because as soon as the sun disappears behind the rooftops, it does get noticeably cooler.

Anyway, I get a modern delicious version of a goulash with dumplings and a local beer, which I enjoy without a food pic.

Unfortunately, when the town hall clock chimes on the next hour, we realize that you can only see the game if you're standing right in front of it.

After dinner, we finish by going to Wenceslas Square, which is more of a wide shopping street that runs directly towards the beautiful National Museum building.

Now it is already after 6 pm and completely dark. So we zigzag our way to our car and drive back to Dresden around 7pm.

It was a very nice day in Prague, even though we probably covered 20km in the end and the birthday girl was a bit annoyed now and then by my taking pictures and wondering about the beauty of the city.

Thank you Julia, it was great!