Well I do hope that this new habit of blogging doesn’t die down soon as it always does with me
So ya we continue our next day exploring the city of Prague. I should have mentioned this in my first blog, but nevertheless its never too late. Prague is not breathtakingly beautiful as Switzerland or monumentally spectacular as Paris or Rome. But still this city has a charm with its East European architecture, symbols of the war and communism, narrow cobbled streets, and the unusual landscape which makes you feel that there is something in the air which makes this city different.
So..here we continue. The next day started with the hot cup of chai latte from Starbucks located on the road leading to Wenceslas square in the new town area of Prague. It is one of the main city squares and named after saint Wenceslas. At the southeast end it is bounded by the imposing Czech National Museum. Tram 22 directly took us to the Prague Castle (stop Prazsky Hrad), our next destination. The information about this can be found on http://www.hrad.cz/. Prague Castle has several monuments in its courtyard. Some of these attractions are ticket free. We took a the Prague Castle – Long tour ticket (350 CZK) which allows us access to most of the attractions. Below is a brief description
1. St. Vitus Cathedral – It is one of the most important cathedrals in the whole of Czech republic. Things not to miss inside the cathedral include the stained glass Rose Window in the west portal, the stained glass window by Alfons Mucha, the tomb of St. John of Nepomuk made of pure silver, the Royal Crypt underneath the cathedral. If you have the stamina climb the 257 steps to the Bell Tower to get stunning views of the city
2. Old Royal Palace - The original seat of Czech rulers. Visitors first enter the Vladislav hall, the largest high-Gothic vaulted space in Central Europe. Other rooms include the Palace chapel and throne room. At the end of the exhibit is "The Story of Prague Castle" exhibit, which features artefacts from the castle's past.
3. The Golden Lane – it’s a tiny cobblestoned walkway with bright houses. It is here where the goldsmiths lived during the rule of Rudolf II.
4. The Daliborka – An ancient prison and a torture house at the far end of the castle
5. St. George’s Basilica – Second ancient church in the castle
6. The Royal Garden - To the east/north-east of the palace is a large park. Aside from its own beauty, it has an excellent view of the east bank of the river. Entrance is free.
There is a guard changing ceremony everyday at a full hour but its best at noon. In the Castle
Well, so after visiting these attractions and having a nice stroll in the well maintained royal gardens, it was time to go back to grab a quick bite of lunch and then take our luggage form the hotel and head back to our next destination – Vienna. We took the Eurolines bus from Prague to Vienna which was much cheaper than the train (just cost us 8 Eur per person) and cost an hour more, but we realised that this is indeed a good choice as the views on the way from Prague to Vienna are simply described in one word – Stunning. Larges expanses of farm, perfectly manicured gardens, small houses interspersed with trees shielding them, cows, sheep and goats grazing endlessly…everything is still enchanted in our memories.
More about Vienna in my next blog. Just a few words on how I plan my trips
1. Plan well in advance to get the best deals with flights, trains, hotels etc. Most European travel is a lot cheaper if you book well in advance. Also look out for discounts if you are travelling in group.
2. Refer articles on tripadvisor, wikitravel, rick steves guide and talk to friends to get a feel of the place you will be visiting.
3. Find good places which serve veggie food – very imp
4. Unless its not too expensive book hotels near the city centre. Ibis is a good option for me.
5. Don’t spend too much time on eating
6. Always be ready to accommodate something in the itinerary if it sounds exciting
7. Be ready to walk – a lot
Will definitely try and put photographs of our travel
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
My first Blog...Travel to Prague
Well I do hope that this new habit of blogging doesn’t die down soon as it always does with me
So ya we continue our next day exploring the city of Prague. I should have mentioned this in my first blog, but nevertheless its never too late. Prague is not breathtakingly beautiful as Switzerland or monumentally spectacular as Paris or Rome. But still this city has a charm with its East European architecture, symbols of the war and communism, narrow cobbled streets, and the unusual landscape which makes you feel that there is something in the air which makes this city different.
So..here we continue. The next day started with the hot cup of chai latte from Starbucks located on the road leading to Wenceslas square in the new town area of Prague. It is one of the main city squares and named after saint Wenceslas. At the southeast end it is bounded by the imposing Czech National Museum. Tram 22 directly took us to the Prague Castle (stop Prazsky Hrad), our next destination. The information about this can be found on http://www.hrad.cz. Prague Castle has several monuments in its courtyard. Some of these attractions are ticket free. We took a the Prague Castle – Long tour ticket (350 CZK) which allows us access to most of the attractions. Below is a brief description
1. St. Vitus Cathedral – It is one of the most important cathedrals in the whole of Czech republic. Things not to miss inside the cathedral include the stained glass Rose Window in the west portal, the stained glass window by Alfons Mucha, the tomb of St. John of Nepomuk made of pure silver, the Royal Crypt underneath the cathedral. If you have the stamina climb the 257 steps to the Bell Tower to get stunning views of the city
2. Old Royal Palace - The original seat of Czech rulers. Visitors first enter the Vladislav hall, the largest high-Gothic vaulted space in Central Europe. Other rooms include the Palace chapel and throne room. At the end of the exhibit is "The Story of Prague Castle" exhibit, which features artefacts from the castle's past.
3. The Golden Lane – it’s a tiny cobblestoned walkway with bright houses. It is here where the goldsmiths lived during the rule of Rudolf II.
4. The Daliborka – An ancient prison and a torture house at the far end of the castle
5. St. George’s Basilica – Second ancient church in the castle
6. The Royal Garden - To the east/north-east of the palace is a large park. Aside from its own beauty, it has an excellent view of the east bank of the river. Entrance is free.
There is a guard changing ceremony everyday at a full hour but its best at noon. In the Castle
Well, so after visiting these attractions and having a nice stroll in the well maintained royal gardens, it was time to go back to grab a quick bite of lunch and then take our luggage form the hotel and head back to our next destination – Vienna. We took the Eurolines bus from Prague to Vienna which was much cheaper than the train (just cost us 8 Eur per person) and cost an hour more, but we realised that this is indeed a good choice as the views on the way from Prague to Vienna are simply described in one word – Stunning. Larges expanses of farm, perfectly manicured gardens, small houses interspersed with trees shielding them, cows, sheep and goats grazing endlessly…everything is still enchanted in our memories.
More about Vienna in my next blog. Just a few words on how I plan my trips
1. Plan well in advance to get the best deals with flights, trains, hotels etc. Most European travel is a lot cheaper if you book well in advance. Also look out for discounts if you are travelling in group.
2. Refer articles on tripadvisor, wikitravel, rick steves guide and talk to friends to get a feel of the place you will be visiting.
3. Find good places which serve veggie food – very imp
4. Unless its not too expensive book hotels near the city centre. Ibis is a good option for me.
5. Don’t spend too much time on eating
6. Always be ready to accommodate something in the itinerary if it sounds exciting
7. Be ready to walk – a lot
Will definitely try and put photographs of our travel
So ya we continue our next day exploring the city of Prague. I should have mentioned this in my first blog, but nevertheless its never too late. Prague is not breathtakingly beautiful as Switzerland or monumentally spectacular as Paris or Rome. But still this city has a charm with its East European architecture, symbols of the war and communism, narrow cobbled streets, and the unusual landscape which makes you feel that there is something in the air which makes this city different.
So..here we continue. The next day started with the hot cup of chai latte from Starbucks located on the road leading to Wenceslas square in the new town area of Prague. It is one of the main city squares and named after saint Wenceslas. At the southeast end it is bounded by the imposing Czech National Museum. Tram 22 directly took us to the Prague Castle (stop Prazsky Hrad), our next destination. The information about this can be found on http://www.hrad.cz. Prague Castle has several monuments in its courtyard. Some of these attractions are ticket free. We took a the Prague Castle – Long tour ticket (350 CZK) which allows us access to most of the attractions. Below is a brief description
1. St. Vitus Cathedral – It is one of the most important cathedrals in the whole of Czech republic. Things not to miss inside the cathedral include the stained glass Rose Window in the west portal, the stained glass window by Alfons Mucha, the tomb of St. John of Nepomuk made of pure silver, the Royal Crypt underneath the cathedral. If you have the stamina climb the 257 steps to the Bell Tower to get stunning views of the city
2. Old Royal Palace - The original seat of Czech rulers. Visitors first enter the Vladislav hall, the largest high-Gothic vaulted space in Central Europe. Other rooms include the Palace chapel and throne room. At the end of the exhibit is "The Story of Prague Castle" exhibit, which features artefacts from the castle's past.
3. The Golden Lane – it’s a tiny cobblestoned walkway with bright houses. It is here where the goldsmiths lived during the rule of Rudolf II.
4. The Daliborka – An ancient prison and a torture house at the far end of the castle
5. St. George’s Basilica – Second ancient church in the castle
6. The Royal Garden - To the east/north-east of the palace is a large park. Aside from its own beauty, it has an excellent view of the east bank of the river. Entrance is free.
There is a guard changing ceremony everyday at a full hour but its best at noon. In the Castle
Well, so after visiting these attractions and having a nice stroll in the well maintained royal gardens, it was time to go back to grab a quick bite of lunch and then take our luggage form the hotel and head back to our next destination – Vienna. We took the Eurolines bus from Prague to Vienna which was much cheaper than the train (just cost us 8 Eur per person) and cost an hour more, but we realised that this is indeed a good choice as the views on the way from Prague to Vienna are simply described in one word – Stunning. Larges expanses of farm, perfectly manicured gardens, small houses interspersed with trees shielding them, cows, sheep and goats grazing endlessly…everything is still enchanted in our memories.
More about Vienna in my next blog. Just a few words on how I plan my trips
1. Plan well in advance to get the best deals with flights, trains, hotels etc. Most European travel is a lot cheaper if you book well in advance. Also look out for discounts if you are travelling in group.
2. Refer articles on tripadvisor, wikitravel, rick steves guide and talk to friends to get a feel of the place you will be visiting.
3. Find good places which serve veggie food – very imp
4. Unless its not too expensive book hotels near the city centre. Ibis is a good option for me.
5. Don’t spend too much time on eating
6. Always be ready to accommodate something in the itinerary if it sounds exciting
7. Be ready to walk – a lot
Will definitely try and put photographs of our travel
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