Our man in Prague: day three

2nd Nov 2011 by Travelsphere

Our website developer Steve Brewster continues his blog from the Czech Republic. Today he enjoys an excursion to Prague Castle.

Prague Castle

The events of the last few days have been an amazing experience, leaving me very happy but totally exhausted. This morning I actually slept through my alarm clock and even the hotel wake-up call. Thankfully we still made it downstairs in plenty of time to have a good breakfast before catching our coach for a tour of Prague Castle. During our trip Jana recounted her experiences in Prague during the country's communist era (1948-1989). She told us about both the good and bad points which communism brought and also explained the reasons for its decline.

The buildings in Prague Castle's grounds demonstrate an even more eclectic mix of architectural styles than the rest of the city. According to Jana, every ruler has added their own touches by commissioning new buildings in the prevailing style of their period. You can see stunning examples of romanesque, sgraffito and renaissance design, to name but a few, but the most amazing is the gothic cathedral of St Vitus. Inside can be seen some of the most beautiful stained glass windows and tombs, including an ornate solid silver tomb belonging to John of Nepomuk, the national saint of the Czech Republic.

After completing our tour most of the group went their separate ways to continue sightseeing or shopping. We took Jana's advice and returned to the Hotel U Prince in the Old Town Square, where we enjoyed cocktails on the roof terrace and took in the view from this high vantage point.

An excursion is available tonight to New Prague town, which despite the name is around 400 years old. Here you can enjoy the musical fountains, which feature 3,000 illuminated water jets that dance in time with the music. However, as it is our last night we have decided to spend some time away from the group experiencing the city's nightlife.

Read more here...
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4