This was part of our 2013 winter family vacation trip to visit Europe’s Golden Triangle. Sister (our daughter), Brother (our older son) and Cutie (our younger son) joined us on this trip.
(Click here to see all our trips.)
Day 1: Prague Castle, Old Town
We arrived in Prague yesterday evening. It was already dark since it’s late December. We simply checked into the hotel to rest.
Breakfast was included. After breakfast, we headed out to Prague Castle by metro. We arrived just in time to see the hourly Changing of the Guard.
Prague Castle has been the traditional seat of the Czech rulers for more than a thousand years. Many famous sites such as St. Vitus Cathedral, the Basilica of St. George and the Golden Lane are all inside the castle compound.
The impressive St. Vitus Cathedral was the most important church in Czech Republic. Since this was Christmas Holiday season, there was a nativity display outside the cathedral.
Inside the cathedral, there’s a beautiful stained-glass window by the renowned Czech artist Alfons Mucha. Another treasure of the cathedral was the Baroque-style Silver Tomb of St. John of Nepomuk. However, for us, the most interesting display inside the cathedral was an array of small winter-themed sculptures made of bread! They are highly unusual!
Golden Lane was full of small buildings originally housed by the castle servants. Many small houses were open to visitors and had detailed information. The most famous building was probably #22, where Franz Kafka once lived.
Afterwards, we walked across the famous statue-lined Charles Bridge to reach the Old Town. There was a big crowd walking on Charles Bridge. The Old Town Bridge Tower was a splendid Gothic building. However, the weather was gloomy today, which affected the beauty of the tower.
The Astronomical Clock was probably the most recognizable symbol of Prague. Everyone who came to Prague would want to take a photo of the magnificent clock in the Old Town, so the place was very crowded. The medieval astronomical clock was originally built in the 1400’s and has gone through many rounds of renovations. It’s now a working clock admired by myriads of tourists daily.
There was a Christmas Market going on at the town square in front of the Tyn Church. We had lunch in a restaurant on the square and then spent a lot of time browsing the market stalls. Besides the ubiquitous Christmas decorations, there were also many delicious snacks.
Day 2: Jewish Quarter, New Town
This morning, we went to visit the Jewish Quarter after breakfast. Despite the cold weather, Brother was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. Two guys passed by, wearing thick winter jackets and hats.
“Indeed!” they exclaimed.
(Later Sister commented that those people must have thought that we came from a freezing region, like Siberia.)
The Jewish Quarter was where the Prague Jewish community lived. There were many synagogues with museums and exhibitions inside explaining Jewish Heritage. The Klausen Synagogue was the largest synagogue in the Prague Jewish Town. It was completed in 1884. Nowadays it’s repurposed as a museum. Old-New Synagogue was a very important synagogue; it was one of the oldest and most valued synagogues. Maisel Synagogue, with Ten Commandments at the top of the building, was another important synagogue.
After lunch, the kids all just wanted to rest in the hotel, so Rei and I went sightseeing by ourselves. We went to the New Town. Wenceslas Square was also full of people during the holiday season. Rei and I walked along Vltava River and took many photos. Frank Gehry-designed Dancing House building, nicknamed Fred and Ginger, was an unconventional modern building at the riverfront that showcased Gehry’s amazing creativity.
Afterwards, we returned to the hotel and took the kids to dinner.
Amy 'n Rei 