The Nomadic Joys (TNJ): Prague for my Birthday !!

Hi readers ! This year it was decided to bring in my birthday in a new place and so it was Prague for me. A three day long trip, Joy boy was dropped into his Dog care and there we went...

We booked an apartment through airbnb and drove to Czech Republic. The distance from Cologne is about 650 Kms and the major part of our drive was in Germany (I'd say about 4.5 hours) and the rest 2.5 hrs through Czech Republic. We drove on my birthday to Prague. The drive was made lovely with a whole lot of German countryside, farmhouses and rolling green hills, castles and forests on the way were an absolute feast for the soul. As we were closing in on Prague I could see a beautiful city, hilly and lots of castles and churches in the setting. The city roads were kind of steep and curvy, was a sudden change from the drive of last few hours. Quirky is the word I'd use for the neighbourhood where our Apartment was and you know when I say that 'East European' vibe to it was so just so fascinating. It felt like I had travelled back a couple of decades. Anyways, apartment we stayed in was super cute and our host this young lady, was very helpful and took time to explain. (Note: we have stayed at lot of places through Airbnb and always found this as the best option if Hotels is not your thing). We were staying only 5 mins walk from Vysehrad National Cultural Monument which is this huge park with a) amazing views of the river and city b) an Old Church c) a Cemetry that has memorials of famous Czechs d) Cafes and Restaurants. The best part about Vysehrad is the real Prague feel to it since this as a sight is off the beaten path and not many tourists end up visiting it but believe me its a shame if you miss this one. We used to go for our morning jogs there and loved the whole historical, cultural start to the mornings. On our first evening, we celebrated my birthday over a nice meal and wine at a local restaurant.

German Countryside

View of Vltava river and city from Vysehrad Park

Vltava River

Morning Charge

Over the nest two days we visited the Prague Castle, walked through the old lanes of the city in past, spent time on the ever-famous Charles Bridge. This city is History Galore. I loved it, however, one thing about Prague is no matter when you visit this place is always inundated with tourists. That might be a put-off for some and if that is the case then I suggest you visit places like Charles Bridge early in morning to get a better view. The city's old quarter also referred to as 'Old Town Square' was an absolute winner for me for the baroque structures, the oldest working Astronomical Clock in the world, loads of classy boutiques set in those old buildings and you can find the very famous Czech Crystal Art pieces to adorn your home/Personal space here. I could go on and on about what all you can shop there...Nevermind !! To add to this, a lovely line of restaurants and cafes serving authentic Czech cuisine to whatever otherwise under the sun you wish to eat. CZ is very arty, bohemian and you will always find people playing music or performing for on-lookers, painting sitting in an odd nook....dream place for an art lover or a creative mind. The city offers really endless options in terms of tours, guides, it is a matter of your personal taste. One can take up a Czech food tour, Beer tour, guided club-hopping, Prague castle tour by night, Night ghost tour and what not. Prague was rather chilly for me in April too and I was indulging in lots of coffee, steamed corn, Czech sausages and had a lovely authentic meal of slow-cooked beef Goulash with the steamed bread dumplings....Yummm it was. Prague is very tourist friendly, is well served by public transport like trams, buses, taxis and most of the people understand and speak English.