Pilsners in Prague
While we were in Berlin we quickly popped over to Prague for a few days with our friends who were in town from Houston.
I had been to Prague before, but whether I forgot or didn’t fully appreciate the details in my 20s, Prague is just plain beautiful. There is so much stunning architecture to take in and everything in Old Town is just gorgeous. Outside Old Town there is a ton to do and see as well and the city boasts a great mix of modern and historic architecture. Some of the sights we took in included:
Charles Bridge: This is the perfect example of something I missed in my 20s. The Charles Bridge itself is beautiful and bustling with people and vendors, that I remember. It is particularly beautiful near sunrise or sunset. It is also lined with the most ornate and detailed statues on either side that take this bridge from cool to WOW. I could have spent hours just looking at the ornate detailing on each of the dozens of statues.
Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock: The centerpiece of Prague’s Old Town square is the detailed astronomical clock that chimes and moves with the minutes, hours, months, and changes of the sun and the moon. There is a paid option to go into and up the clock tower which we didn’t do this time. But we did wake up extra early one morning to admire the clock in peace before everyone else during the day, because it can get quite crowded.
Pilsner Urquell Experience: Not a brewery tour per say as the brewery is located outside the city, but the Pilsner Urquell Experience takes you through the history and brewing process of the worlds first Pilsner beer. It was a well done exhibit with an audio guide and stunning visuals (and of course beer!) We also tried this awesome mint liqueur, Svach, that goes surprisingly well with beer!
St. Vitus Cathedral: This cathedral sits atop a large hill overlooking the city. The cathedral itself is beautiful but I would argue the view from the hill is more beautiful. We were able to time our visit to catch the sunset while we were still at the top of the hill and, in case you couldn’t tell by all our photos, we won’t ever miss an opportunity to stop and enjoy the sunset. The vineyard and gardens leading up the hill were closed for the winter season so we had to take the direct route up, and it was no picnic (though still not as crazy as Lisbon)… just a long, seemingly endless, steep ramp, so proceed with caution.