Prague Czech R

Travelled:92km
Visited:Prague
Stay:Prague-Camp Kotva €22/night (not incl electricty), free wifi, next to the river, 5mn walk to tram, 20mn to centre €1ea for 30mn.

It took us just over an hour to drive to the camp in Prague. It is very basic and dated but clean. It does have all the facilities required. We were ready to go after breakfast and we were half way there on the tram when I realised I had forgotten the camera! So after a double start we were in the centre of the action by 11:30am. By this time it was sausage and beer o'clock. Now we were ready to follow Rick Steve's audioguide to help us get acquainted with the main sights of the new and old town.
We started in Wenceslas Square at the foot of the hugh statue of King Wenceslas on a horse. Behind him is the grand building of the National Museum in Neo-Renaissance style.

The Art Nouveau styled Grand Hotel Europa.

We entered the Art Deco Lucerna Arcade to see a most unique 1999 sculpture of Winceslas Riding an Upside-down Horse hanging from a glass dome. 

We then went through Svetozor mall and looked at the coloured glass window from the 1930's advertising Tesla a now defunct radio manufacturer. 

From here we took a stroll through the peaceful Franciscan Garden with its white benches and pretty garden.

There are lots of shops selling Bohemian Lead Crystal. 

The next stop was the beautiful Neo-Baroque/Art Nouveau Municipal House with its wrought-iron balcony and colourful mosaic. The 500yo Gothic Powder Tower was the main gate to the Old Town. It is the only surviving bit of the wall that was built to defend the city in the 1400s. The road from Vienna arrived here and Empress Maria Theresa who was crowned Queen of Bohemia would have passed through this gate. 

We now entered the Old Town and enjoyed looking at all the varied, colourful and decorative facades. It certainly has a lot of charm. It is also very busy with tourists! In the Old Town Square we admire the statue of Jan Hus who was a Hussite priest who defied the Catholic Church and the Habsburg's. Although he was burned at the stake in 1415, his followers continued the fight for 2 decades. 

The Hussite Baroque Church of St Nicholas.

 The Gothic Tyn Church.

 The Neo-Gothic Old Town Hall Tower, 27 Protestants were beheaded here in 1621 for rebelling against the Catholic Habsburgs.

 We watched the brief hourly show of The Astronomical Clock where Death rings the bell and the 12 apostles parade by the open window. 

We then walked along the busy Karlova Street to the famous Charles Bridge. 

There is also a statue here a Charles who was the Holy Roman Emperor in Prague in the 14th century. He also opened the first university in this part of Europe. 

On the bridge there are many statues. 

One in particular is of St John of Nepomuk, a Czech national saint who was thrown to his death into the river for not divulging the Queen's secrets to the King. If you touch the plaque your wish will come true! 

We continued our walk to the otherside in the Little Old Quarter but decided to come back and do this side of the river tomorrow.

 So doubling back over the bridge we walked through the Jewish Quarter and took a photo of the Old-New Synagogue, the oldest in Central Europe. 

As it was getting close to the end of the day it was time to try out a new beer! The beer is sooo cheap €1.50/.5l... water is more expensive! Crazy. 

On the way to the tram stop we spotted an Australian Pie shop! Unfortunately we had just finished a kebab, so maybe tomorrow.