Picturesque Prague

​   Last Easter we travelled to Prague which is located in the Czech Republic; also often called 'The City of 100 towers 'or 'The Rooftop of Europe'. I knew barely nothing about this enchanting city before spending one of the greatest 5 day adventures of my life. This city contains so many hidden secrets and interesting places to see it is impossible to write about them all, limiting me to write about the most memorable moments. 
                                                                 Charles Bridge
   Charles Bridge is a historic bridge crossing the serene and tranquil Vlatava River. Charles IV laid the very first stone of his famous bridge on July 9th at 5.31 am,1357. The notoriously superstitious king was very into astrology and numerology and chose this date because of its written form: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3. You must put this bridge near the top of your 'Places you must visit' list. Its stunning views and 30 saintly statues contribute to its medieval aura  which your bound to love. 
                                                                  Jewish Quarters
   The Jewish Quarter is a heartbreaking and gut-wrenching historical site. The overcrowded cemetery and Europe's oldest active synagogue make this place a sight seeing destination. The strange name Old-New synagogue and a Hebrew clock that runs counterclockwise makes this an amazing and unforgettable piece of history. 
                                                       

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  Prague Castle and Golden Lane 
Prague castle is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the largest ancient castle in the world. If you decide to visit a castle, you must see the Orloj, a stunning golden framed clock which not only tells the time but the position of the planets. Golden Lane is located next to the castle and is filled with quaint little houses full of intriguing history. Here lived the world famous alchemist named Edward Kelly who worked on turning metal into gold. Franz Kafka also lived there. It is a place where only the poorest of the poor lived and built their tiny homes in the 16th century. 
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          Historical Gardens ​
There are lots of beautiful, lush, historical gardens, generally located behind high walls, but they are open to the public for free. My favourite of gardens that I visited was Wallentein itself, the famous 17th-century gardens at the Senate palace, with ornamental pools & baroque. This garden is famous for it's breathtaking views over Prague. The southern side of the Wallenstein palace opens onto its garden with an imposing Sala Terrena, an open space with three monumental archways, creating a majestic transition between the inside and the outside.  This place really sums up Prague in one place and I highly advice you visit it. ​

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                                                              House Signs
​   On our trip, one thing that really stood out for me were the house signs. There are over 200 house signs in the city- paintings, symbols or statues so keep your eyes open on your stroll through the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town and Castle District. These house signs tell you important information about the owner of the house. It was also a type of marketing in the olden days. Nerudova street is a picturesque street leading up to Prague Castle. In this steep street you can find many restaurants, souvenir shops,but what’s most remarkable about this street are the house signs and the people that lived in that houses. The house numbers were introduced in Prague in 1770. Before that the houses were recognized by their signs and Nerudova street has a vast collection of them. One really fun thing to do is to have competitions between your family and friends on how quickly you can find house signs and identify them. You can print them from this website : www.photopragueguide.com 

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