I have had a crazy few weeks working and getting sorted for going back to uni and I am finally settled in my new house in Leeds. I was going to write a slightly different post today either about uni or maybe beauty related, as my past few have been travel related. However, I actually started writing this post on the 5th September and forgot all about it so I decided to just finish this from my drafts today and do something different next week.
The next place on my series of interrailing travel posts is the one I was most excited about writing, as it was my favourite place we visited. The Czech republic is honestly one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen, Prague was amazing and so were the national parks we went through on the train on the way there. The hostel we stayed in was called the Czech Inn and it was lovely and clean and in a really good location I would definitely recommend it. It also had a really lively bar which was full of other interrailers and sold very cheap pints.
We went straight out to start exploring the city and it soon became apparent how pretty Prague really is. From the architecture to the scenery, it really is just a breath-taking place. The old town square is iconic and you have to be there on the hour to see the astronomical clock do it’s thing. Although it’s not the most amazing thing in the world, seeing the crowds that gather to watch is really amazing. There are also stalls in the square selling all kinds of treats as well as some lovely restaurants which have a really nice vibe around them as the square is always bustling. We had one of my favourite meals of our whole trip in one of these restaurants, directly opposite the astronomical tower. I had the most delicious prawns, and we had front row seats for the hourly display of the clock. For pudding we got Trdelnik from one of the stalls. These are the most delicious sweet breads, with ice cream nuts and strawberries inside, and you can get them pretty much everywhere in Prague- even inside the walls of the castle!
We headed to the riverside for sunset and the Charles Bridge and seeing the beautiful view across the river at sunset was a once in a lifetime experience. We then headed back to the hostel for drinks in the bar before heading to bed, ready for a busy day the next day.
We woke up early and I was so excited to explore more of Prague. We headed to the castle which is on the other side of the river and explored the Royal Gardens before we went into the grounds of the castle. We paid for tickets to look around various areas of the castle and I would really recommend doing this as it was beautiful and the history around it is so interesting. For an extra fee you can climb to the top of the tower, which was hard work, but worth it for the stunning view of Prague. There are also market stalls inside the castle where you can try all kinds of Czech delights, I had a potato dish and a Czech cider which were both delicious. If you are feeling brave you can go down into the castle dungeons and have a look around there too.
After leaving the castle, we started exploring that side of the river. We came across the John Lennon pub and the John Lennon wall, which are a must see if you are a fan of John Lennon and The Beatles. The wall is especially beautiful, it’s filled with inspirational graffiti and its amazing to see people from all over the world contributing.
After exploring, we decided to head back over the bridge and eat near the square again as it was such a lovely atmosphere. We chose an Italians, where we enjoyed pizza and prosecco as I also found out my uni results that day. A festival had been set up in the square where there was jazz music playing, which we stood and listened too for a while too which was a really nice vibe.
It was a early night then up early for our next train as although our time in Prague was amazing, it was only short. Prague is a beautiful place and it really surprised me, and I would love to visit again one day.
Emily Ashton 