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Walking through the city of Prague, it is easy to be dumbfounded by its beauty. I have always been almost breathless looking out over the red rooftops and the amazing architecture at every corner, not knowing quite where to point my camera first.
There are many things to see and do while touring the city. During my visit with my son, I was anxious to show him some of the quaint attractions that I have grown to love in the city.
Exiting the Prague Castle’s main entrance, we walked through the Castle District (Hradcany) down to the west side of the Charles Bridge. The first thing on our agenda was the John Lennon Wall.
Once a regular wall, young Czechs decided to make it their slate for recording grievances during the communist regime of Gustáv Husák. Eventually, this led to a clash between hundreds of students and police on the nearby Charles Bridge. The movement these students followed was described ironically as “Lennonism”.
John Lennon, a hero to the youth, produced songs that praised freedom that did not exist in the communistic country. Western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities and some musicians were jailed for playing them. When Lennon was murdered in 1980, his picture was painted on the wall with graffiti defying the authorities. The threat of prison didn’t stop people from sneaking to the location during the dark of night to inscribe graffiti in the form of Beatles lyrics and odes to Lennon. Eventually, they returned to write their own feelings and dreams on the wall.
The original portrait of Lennon remains, but buried under many layers of new paint. At one time, the wall was repainted by authorities, but after a day passed, it was full of poems and flowers. On November 17, 2014, on the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the wall was painted over completely with white paint by a group of art students, leaving only the text, “wall is over” a play on Lennon’s song, “War is Over”. Today, the wall, owned by the Knights of Malta, changes constantly. On the day that we were there, people were selling paint and paintbrushes. Many young tourists were busy decorating portions of the wall between the dozens of other tourists posing for pictures.
After a couple of quick pics, we moved on. Our next quick stop was at the Kampa waterwheel near the Lennon Wall. Always a favorite of mine, I love to stop here and watch the wheel turn in the Certovka river across from a small restaurant, Velkoprevorsky Mlyn. The restaurant has always been a source of fascination for me with its romantic small balcony hanging out over the river and two small tables. On impulse, I ran into the restaurant and made a reservation for the following night for my son and I, something I have always desired to do.
We were now getting a bit hungry…it was time for a snack…Trdelník. The sweet pastry, made from rolled dough, wrapped around a stick and grilled, then topped with sugar and walnut mix, is something anyone visiting Prague should have…at least once! There is a great little place on the end of the right side of the Charles Bridge in the Lesser Town. You can watch the skilled craftsmen roll the dough, wrap it around the round metal forms and bake it on the rotating rollers.
While devouring our Trdelnik, we ducked under the bridge and inspected the many “locks of love” that hang from the gates that line the canal. These locks are padlocks which couples secure to a public object, most often a bridge, to symbolize their love. Once the lock is fastened, the key is thrown away into the body of water to symbolize their unbreakable love. Though not as plentiful as what can be found on the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris, there are many here and it has become quite a problem, as in other cities, as it damages the structure to which it is fastened.
As we continued our journey through the city, we stopped every so often to admire the many street performers that secure prime spots on street corners and in the Old Town Square. While everyone loves a good musician, there were some interesting acts that were quite mesmerizing. I have to admit, it took me a while to understand the floating man!
Later that evening, we headed toward one of my favorite spots to have a drink…the rooftop terrace at the U Prince hotel. When you enter the U Prince hotel, inform the hostess that you would like to go up to the terrace and she will direct you to the elevator. After exiting the elevator, a few more steps will lead you to another hostess who will seat you at the Terasa U Prince. Expect higher prices than other eateries or bars, but it is most definitely a trade off for the beautiful view of Old Town!
Finally, to cap off the evening, we grabbed some gelato right outside of the U Prince and decided to watch the Astronomical Clock put on its hourly show one more time! A great way to end a busy but wonderful day!
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Lennon Wall
- Address: Velkopřevorské náměstí, 100 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Open continually
- How to Get There: From metro station Malostranska (green line A) take trams no. 12, 20, 22, 23. The nearest tram stops to Velkoprevorske namesti are either Malostranske namesti or Hellichova.
Velkoprevorsky Mlyn Restaurant
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Velkop%C5%99evorsk%C3%BD-Ml%C3%BDn/143838909015104
- Address: Hroznová 489/3, 118 00 Praha, Czech Republic
Terasa U Prince
- https://www.terasauprince.com/terrace
- Address: Terasa U Prince, Staroměstské náměstí 29, Praha 1, 110 00, Czech Republic
- Hours: 1100-2330, daily
- How To Get There: Old Town, walking from center of square, past the Astrological Clock (on right) towards the river, the Hotel U Prince is on the left.
Astronomical Clock
- http://www.staromestskaradnicepraha.cz/en/astronomical-clock/
- Address: Staroměstské nám. 1, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
- Hours: Visit the Tower, Monday, 1100-2200, Tuesday-Sunday, 0900-2200
- Admission: Tower, Adults, 130 CZK, Children, ages 6-15, Students under 26, Senior over 65, 80 CZK, Children, ages 4-6, 30 CZK, Family admission (2 adults, 4 children, up to age 15), 280 CZK
- How To Get There: Old Town center