Prague Perfection (and a Nuremberg stop)

As we exited the train station in Prague, large, gentle snowflakes fell through the blackness, and we knew it was going to be a fantastic stop. It had been a long day (a full day in Berlin followed by a 4.5 hr train). It was dark, it was fairly cold and it was late. The Airbnb we were staying in was managed by a company, so we picked up the key from their offices. The guy was super lovely and super helpful and all we really wanted was for him to shut up. Eventually, we used the "app that is just like Uber" - 'Taxify' to squeeze through the narrow streets to our apartment. We dithered around for a bit, did some washing (all our Airbnb's have washing machines - A+ for planning for us) before going to bed.

The next morning, we stuck to the "Old Town' side of the river. Jaime was joining us about 5pm, (we didn't want to visit her in Cardiff, and she hadn't been to Prague before) and everything she was keen on seeing was on the other side of the river. We took some local advice that paid off handsomely for a stunning breakfast and Sarah was blissful. Then we meandered back through the Old Town, down the river and circled back to our apartment. The location was breathtaking. We were about 40 steps from the Astronomical Clock and the square with the Town Hall.

The Town Hall with the Christmas Market in front. 

Looking upriver to Charles Bridge.

As the sun went down, we retreated to the apartment to wait for Jaime. When she messaged to ask how to find the place, I suggested the fact that it was next to Hooters would help. It did. We caught up in the apartment for a bit before exploring the Christmas Market and then heading to the 'Beer Museum" for dinner and beers.

Beer tasting

In the morning, I discovered itchy bites and I think there might have been a light dose of bed bugs. I can't think what else would survive the cold. We decided to 'Taxify' up the hill to Prague Castle and walk back down. This was a great move - it cost about 6$. We paid more to climb the 270 very windy steps to the top of St Vitus Cathedral, which was also worth it. 

St Vitus and the Castle from the entrance.

Just inside the Castle gates.

Prague Castle sits on top of the hill overlooking the Old Town of Prague. It is a large site, and consists of more than the Cathedral, though that is certainly what catches the eye. It was (probably) founded in 880 and is recognised as the 'largest coherent castle complex in the world'. It is a hodgepodge of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings in a variety of architectural styles and ages. It is currently the

Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions. It is now the official office of the President of the Czech Republic.

St. Vitus Cathedral a centrepiece of Prague architecture. It domineering Neo-Gothic style is visible from most of the city. As well as being an important religious site, coronations of the Czech monarchy also took place inside. Despite the construction beginning in 1344, delays meant the cathedral was only finished and consecrated in 1929.

Climbing the stairs.

The view from the top. Charles Bridge is in the centre and the town hall is over the river to the left.

Looking straight down.

 We mosied around until we were concerned about the light failing for the last few things for the day, though we ended up timing it perfectly. We had enough time at the John Lennon Wall before stepping onto Charles Bridge as a slight pink tinge broke through the thick cloud cover with the setting of the sun. We retreated to a bar on the other side of the river and came back to climb the Bridge Tower after dark - with stunning night views across Charles Bridge to the Castle and Cathedral.

We accidentally stumbled across a flock of peacocks. There were perhaps 20 of them!

The John Lennon wall.

Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River, connecting the Old Town to the 'Lesser Town' and the Castle. Designed by the same architect at St. Vitus Cathedral, it has the same impact and grandeur. Also, apparently egg yolks were mixed into the mortar during construction to 'strengthen' the bridge. 30 baroque statues adorn the bridge, with the elements turning most completely black. At each end of the bridge, there are large towers, which afford incredible views of the city.

We climbed up of the towers at the end of the bridge after sunset.

After dinner, we packed and tried to get a good night's sleep for our early bus the next day. With an hour before it departed, we ordered a 'Taxify' and waited about 10 minutes for the time to drop '3mins'. We made our way outside and waited some more. The app seemed to have frozen, so I closed it and discovered, upon reopening it, that the driver had bailed on us. There were no more in the area. Luckily, we could walk it in about 20 if we motored, which we did, and we heaved our luggage over the uneven and precarious cobbles of Old Town Prague speedily. We arrived at the train station with 20 minutes until the bus left. Plenty of time!  (lol no. Just wait) The station was large, old, confusing and very Czech. No English at all. We asked at the information desk and they were not very helpful. "Upstairs," she said, dismissing us with a wave of her hand. Upstairs there was a large departure board and our bus was not on it. We guessed where it might go from. We were wrong. We were fast running out of time. With 5 minutes to go, I left Sarah with the bags and streaked back to the information desk. I tried the other window. "Not us." He said. "Who can help me, please?" "Downstairs." Great. Downstairs was this bank-like arrangement with cute little queues. I stood in it until 1 minute before our departure time. "Excuse me," I pushed in. "Where does this bus leave from" "No, I only sell tickets. Look at the departure board." Arguing got me nowhere. I ran back upstairs. We tried the "Historic Train Building, the only other level we could think of. "There's a bus there!" We ran up to the driver, brandishing our ticket. Is this the right bus? It was. He was kind, friendly and we made it. Once again, we made it by a hair, and were sweating at the start of a long journey, but, miraculously, we made it.

I remember very little of the bus ride - I was dead to the world for a good 75% of it. But soon we arrived in Nuremberg. We took a tram to the Nazi Stomping Grounds just out of the city, and then bussed to the castle and wandered back through the Old Town to catch our evening train to Munich.

Hitler's incomplete amphitheatre. It was massive.

The Nuremberg stomping grounds. I didn't realise it was blurry :(

The area can hold 200,000. Hitler regularly addressed the Nazi's here.

The medieval Nuremberg Castle was beautiful and gave fantastic views of the very pretty town. We were pressed for time or we would have explored more.