The beauty of Prague, day and night.

It was a bright sunny morning. Perfect to look over to the castle and the old bridge in Prague. Dec 18, 2011

Prague is a city that you should leave half a day without scheduling anything, and simply wander around mindlessly. Navigating through the little streets, pretending you were one of the locals walking down the same streets for the 5 billionth time.  It was not hard to discover the beauty of this old city, along with some very strange sight.

Delicious and Hot: Choco Cafe

Something's sweet in the air at Choco Cafe, Prague. Dec 18, 2011

I can’t remember where I read about this little cafe in Prague, but it only took a few second, and I was determined that I *must* pay a visit. Choco Cafe, I doubt there’s any other names that can be more fitting. Located on a street called Liliova (which sounds pretty cute by the way), I arrived on a sunny Sunday morning after strolling around a market nearby. My hands were freezing and I couldn’t wait to get in and have a taste of their finest creation: Hot Chocolate.

John Lennon Wall of Prague

The John Lennon Wall off the main street in Mala Strana in Prague. Dec 16, 2011

I was starving by the time I finished the long tour at the Prague Castle, and it was very late for lunch. However, I still didn’t want to just dine inside one of those places right below the castle, as I felt they were catering to tourists. I walked down the main street until I spotted the name of an Italian restaurant that was recommended by fellow travelers online. After some soup and lovely pasta, I took the city map out to see how to get back to the Old Town Square. Then I saw a place, not far from where I was, marked as the “John Lennon Wall”. So I decided to have a little detour to check this out.

Mini houses at the Golden Lane, Prague.

The cutest corner at the Prague Castle. Dec 16, 2011

The Golden Lane was a row of little houses lining up by the wall of the Prague Castle. The king decided to give this strip of land for the fusiliers, who guarded the fortification, to build houses there. Apparently, the king was a bit stingy, as there was clearly not enough space for all of them. Hence, they had to build tiny houses. Later, craftsmen, servants and alchemists have occupied the street as well. When I first read on the map I bought, it said that the Golden Lane was closed due to renovation 😦 But when I walked by the alley that led up to the Lane, I found people walking in and out. Turned out it was opened! Lesson learned: One can never trusts the leaflets too much.

St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle

I kept looking back to see the view while walking up the stairs that led me to the Prague Castle. Dec 17, 2011.

In order to reach the Prague castle fast, I took the metro to the station Malostanska. From there it was a short work to the castle area, before I faced with a looooong stairs which was decorated with iron lamps. It must be a romantic sight at night… The view on my way climbing up was lovely. Every step I made, I could see a little further out. By the time I reached the top, I was rewarded with a full panorama view of the Prague 1 area. It was fun to recognize some churches’s towers, glazing at the city while thinking of what’s happening in this piece of land. There were also lots of bridges, it wasn’t hard to understand why some would compare Prague to Paris. 

Christmas Markets in Prague

Christmas market at the Old Town Square lit up in Prague. Dec 16, 2011.

After seeing the Mucha Museum, we made our way back to the Old Town Square. This little walk actually became one of the reason for me to fall in love with this city. Prague was a very pretty town, full of old colourful little houses lining up the cobblestone streets; every corner you turn, it’s a different scene. However this city turned magical at night, especially around the time of Christmas when the streets were decorated with a warm glow of light.

The enchanting world of Mucha

Lots of beautiful original prints of Mucha's posters lining up on the wall of Mucha Museum, Prague. Dec 16, 2011.

I don’t even know how to express the joy of seeing a Mucha lithograph up close. After I got off the train from Vienna, I checked in and grabbed a bite for lunch. Then I ran over to the Mucha Museum which was not far from my stay. This museum wasn’t huge, but it houses a great collection of Alphonse Mucha, a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist from around the turn of the century.

From Vienna to Prague

Last glimpse of the Vienna as my train departed. See you in a few years. Vienna, Dec 15, 2011.

I’ve spent 4 days in Vienna, visiting all those museum, palaces and markets. On day 5, we took an 8:25am train and head north to our next destination: Prague. The train that leaves for Prague departs at a station called Melding. It was served by the metro line, and pretty convenient for where I stayed. I must praise that all the public transportation was so easy to use. (Gosh, wait till you read my experience with transportation system in Berlin).