Thursday, December 25, 2008

† 10 Things You Must Not Miss In Prague†


Prague was my final station to visit during my oversea study. In case you don't know where is Prague, its the capital of Czech Republic. Many local people use the word 'Praha' for the city and you can see most of the T-shirts are printed with the word 'Praha' on them. Okay, so its time for me to share what I love the most in Prague or perhaps this can be some recommendation for you if you plan to pay Prague a visit.

1. ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK



First of all, the thing that I miss the most is the Medieval Astronomical Clock, located in the very center of Old Town in Prague. Its a strange thing I should ask myself why do I rank this clock the first. Somehow I just non-stop thinking about this clock every time I talk about Prague. Okay I won't go detail on how it works because I don't really understand too regarding its mechanism . The only thing I know is that every time the clock strikes 12am, twelve biblical apostles will start coming out from the clock.

2. CHARLES BRIDGE

Charles Bridge is the most important bridge connecting the Old Town and Prague Castle. The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers and as you can see, two of the towers are just right behind me. During the night, Charles Bridge is a very quiet place. But during the day it changes into a very busy place, full with painters, kiosks and other traders alongside numerous tourists crossing the bridge. I did most of my souvenir shoppings here.

3. PRAGUE CASTLE & ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL

This is the best view to see both the castle and cathedral. If they are to see from a close range, they just won't fit into the camera. Nothing much for me to say about these two buildings unless you're really interested with all kinds of historical background and architectural design. They're basically gorgeous and sometimes I think the word gothic suits these buildings.

4. JOHN LENNON WALL

I just love how colorful the wall is. For your information, the Lennon Wall was formerly an ordinary historic wall in Prague, but since the 1980s, people have filled it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.

5. DANCING BUILDING

This building is one of my favorite buildings of all time. I still remember this Dancing Building was just a few minutes of walking distance from the hotel that I was staying. As the name was given, this building just look like a pair of dancers doing ballet. On the roof is a French restaurant with magnificent views of the city.

6. JEWISH QUARTER

The Jewish Quarter, also known as Josefov is one of the recommended place to visit. Jews are believed to have settled in Prague centuries ago and therefore this particular area of Prague has a heavy cultural influence by the Jews. The shops, items, market, kiosks, and even restaurants are influenced by the culture. There's also a Jewish Cemetery in that area but I didn't plan to go because it will cost me 5 euros if I still remember... hehe.

7. WALLENSTEIN GARDEN



If my memory still serve me right, I think Wallenstein Garden is somewhere very close to the Jewish Quarter. There are many statues found in the garden and one of my favorite is a wall called The Secret or Secluded Garden. The whole wall structure is dominated by artificial drip stone rocks, on which frogs, snakes, lions, and even some monsters could be recognized.

8. CAFE & TRADITIONAL FOOD



Talks about Czechish food. Just one word to describe it... YUMMY! Prague has a lot of small cafes and I really hope I have the time to go to every cafe to try out their food. Czechish food is quite simple but I just love 'em. From what you can see above, this is one of the traditional Bohemian food which consisted of bacon, sausage, ham, potatoes, cabbage sauce and bohemian bread.

9. UNDERGROUND PUBS



There are many old pubs in Prague. However if you're not observant enough, you might miss the best food and atmosphere in Prague. Many pubs in Prague are built underground. Why? Don't ask me because I'm not sure what I've heard from the tour guide is true or just a joke. If you ever have the chance, just try out their local beer and you should too, order some traditional food from the pub. They are just awesome!

10. SHOPPING



Its considered not bad to shop in Prague because I even bought an Adicolor shoe stripes for myself. There are many interesting shops in the New Town of Prague. Sometimes you need to be careful enough to discover some sacred enchanted shops at the back lanes of the shop lots.


Other related posts:
10 Things I Miss About Scotland

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