text and photos by Nina Sarmiento

 

 

 

In my previous post on Prague, I talked about Old Town and the many beautiful churches and clocks 🙂 that you can see there. For this week's post, I'll give you a brief tour of the New Town.

 

The New Town

 

The New Town was established in the 14th century by Charles IV, second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor. Located just outside the city walls to the east and south of the Old Town, this quarter of Prague is home to magnificent gothic and baroque churches.

 

 

*Prague Castle (Czech:Prazky Hrad)

 

The romantic structure of the castle is omnipresent in the Prague skyline. Monarchs were crowned and Presidents were sworn here.

 

The Prague Castle was built in around 88) by Prince Borivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 square meters.

 

Flanking the main entrance are sculptures of conquering giants, as if ready to pounce on any naughty tourist.

 

For the guard fanatics, yes there's a changing of guard rite happening in this castle. The entrance fee to the castle is steep (about $20/person) although wandering around the grounds is free.

 

 

*Golden Lane (Czech: Zlata Ulicka)

 

 

Take a stroll in this centuries-old street, part of the Prague Castle complex and was once home to alchemists, archers, paupers and poets.

 

The place is best visited on dusk, with the lamp lights dimly lit and shadows forming in every corner. In one of the houses that lined this street, Franz Kafka wrote six of his finest short stories.

 

The street is now filled with dainty souvenir shops which reminds me of Diagon Alley.

*St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral (St. Vitus Cathedral)

 

Another outstanding landmark located in the Prague Castle complex is a majestic church with Gothic edifice, giving the profile of the Prague Castle a dramatic touch.

 

You have to marvel at the diamond-patterned roof surrounded by flying buttresses. Inside, there is a lofty space in the nave, illuminated by the stained windows.

 

St. Vitus is the Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. It also contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors.

 

 

 

Dancing Building  (Czech:Tancici Dum)

You either hate it or you love it,it is also known as the "drunk" house, as it looks like very wasted and ready to fall any minute. The restaurant on top is also perfect for viewing the city skyline.

 

 

Vysehad Castle and Cubist building

 

The castle is built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River. Walk your way towards this clifftop, the castle rock sitting romanticaly on top is bathed with mysticism as with reality.

 

Inside is a medieval cementery containing the remains of famous Czech artists like composer Antonín Dvořák, writer Karel Čapek, and painter Alphonse Mucha.

 

 

 

Have you been to Prague? What are the places you visited there? Please share your thoughts on Prague in the comments section.

 

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Resources:

 

1.  Book a day tour with Urban Adventures * and unlock the hidden secrets of Prague! The "golden city of a hundred spires" managed to preserve its unique historical likeness and became the largest urban UNESCO site in the world forming a unique century old "museum of architecture under the open sky".

 

 

 

 

2.  Want to know more how to travel alone as a woman?   The Art of Solo Travel: A Girls’ Guide*  by Stephanie Lee is ideal for the woman traveling alone for the first time but has no idea how to go about it.  The guide answers all the questions that you have on traveling alone as a woman – from saving money for your travels, to advice on relationships and health on the road and even advice on how to deal with dream crushers.  Get it now and start crafting your own journeys!

 

 

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