View of Prague from Petrin Hill
The start of 2009 marked a brief flurry of forays into Eastern Europe for us - a chance to see this great part of the world in the midst of the Winter, while saving other travel destinations until the Summer months!
At Prague CastleOur hotel was right in the middle of Prague and provided a great base for exploring this beautiful city, all of which we could explore by foot. We easily filled a weekend, spending time exploring Prague Castle on the hill overlooking the city, taking in the most animated changing of the guard ceremony we had ever seen (with trumpeters popping out the window of the castle), walking through a nearby icy hillside park which offered panoramic views of the city, passing the time in small smoky beer halls enjoying a Pilsner Urquell with the locals, waiting for the cheesy 'astronomical' clock (complete with little figures which pop out on the hour) and meandering around the small cobblestoned streets.
Changing of the guard - note the band in windows to right
View of the river at dusk from the Charles Bridge
Prague was once a stag capital, but we saw little of this. For us it was a city filled with beautiful buildings, squares, statues and bars, restaurants and cafes everywhere. We had an incredible meal at Monarch (www.monarch.cz) a French, come Spanish, come Italian restaurant with a huge wine list and a great sommilier who was happy to recommend a great wine and a smooth cigar to follow the meal - just one example of what a cosmopolitan city this is. We had a fantastic relaxing time here - just what we felt like after a fairly busy start to the year.
Funky interior design in the tube station
Gargoyle in action during a brief shower of rain
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