My first day in Prague started as all days should: with great coffee and a delicious breakfast. This time, it was thanks to Ema Espresso, a specialty coffee shop close to Prague’s Old Town and the train station. A great filter coffee and yummy blueberry cake was all it took to set me up for a day full of sightseeing in Prague.
Heading out to explore the city, we decided to wander through Prague’s Old Town and over one of the city’s many bridges. Spotting a vibrantly cololurful park halfway across, literally blanketed in Autumn leaves and beautiful colours, we couldn’t resist heading down for a closer look.
Střelecký Island, which you’ll find just below the Legion Bridge, is a little oasis on the Vlatva River and when we visited it was a picture perfect array of orange, gold, red and yellow hues.
We stopped for a while to take photos, kick up the leaves and bask in that Autumnal glow.
We finally dragged ourselves away to explore Petřín Hill, just on the other side of the bridge. The plentiful parks here make it a popular spot with locals during the warmer months. A funicular will take you to the top of the 130m tall hill in a matter of minutes, but we chose instead to opt for a brisk walk.
Stopping at the top for hot spiced apple and to admire the view: it’s truly stunning and I’d love to come back in summer with a picnic – it’s the most idyllic location!
A wander around the area leads you to the Petřín Lookout Tower (which looks uncannily similar to the Eiffel Tower…). You can climb to the top, or simple stand below it and enjoy the view over Prague from a slightly less dizzying height.
You can also visit the Rose Garden, Mirror Maze and Observatory but we decided instead to simply stroll around the area, stopping every so often for a photo op and to admire the autumn foliage.
By this point our tummies were beginning to let us know it was time for a long overdue lunch, so we headed back down into the city to hunt out some sustenance.
A delicious meal later and we were ready to do some more exploring – and there’s plenty to be done in Prague!
The John Lennon wall is one of Prague’s most colourful sights, with a fascinating history. During the 1980s, under the Communist regime, Czechs began decorating the wall with graffiti inspired by John Lennon and the Beatles as a form of protest. Once condemned by the authorities, after the fall of Communism the wall remained a symbol of peace, love and freedom. Today, it’s legal to paint on the wall and it undergoes continual change.
Naturally, we weren’t going to let an opportunity like this go to waste. Armed with spray paint which we borrowed from our awesome hostel (Hostel One Home), we headed to the wall to add our contributions.
Knowing our creations would most likely be painted over in the following days, I went for a festive design (it’s never too early) of a Christmas tree. The John Lennon wall was without doubt one of my favourite sights in Prague; it may just be a humble wall covered in graffiti, but I love what it represents and the history behind it. The fact you can leave a little memento in Prague is also pretty cool!
After a day full of walking and exploring, our evening consisted of getting some much needed rest: drinks at one of Prague’s cute underground bars were followed by an early night, ready for the day to come.
Until tomorrow, Prague!
You’re cute!