Prague, a fabolous and marvelous european capital

Surely among the most beautiful cities of Europe from a historical, architectural, artistic, and because of the atmosphere that offers tourists
It 'a big city but vivibilissima, with green, little pollution and well-organized tourist
Visit on foot and take long walks and is ideal for striking the continued presence of parks, plazas, street trees and pedestrian areas where there is the "stress" of traffic
The cuisine is excellent (especially dishes made with meat and vegetables) and economic, many products are local and authentic
The shops are many and offer many local products as the working of the crystals of Bohemia and the puppets
For lovers of classical music this city is a cult, are widely available tickets for performances of Mozart's great artists of the past
It spends very little per visit
Czech language is difficult to speak or understand, if you tour somewhere in the low season (not summer months) you may not find the guide in Italian and must fend for strength in English
In summer the climate is better for temperature and rainfall, but in the critical months the city becomes more chaotic. At the end of October instead of the autumn colors are unique, wonderful, especially in parks in the cities and castles, it does not rain much, but there are tourists without ever making a row for any visit and the weather is still acceptable.
It 'important to find a good package travel agency based in the flight and the hotel, because once established in Prague spends very little
Public transport and the underground work well and cover the entire city, making travel easier
Security is guaranteed by the constant police checks at every point of the city, but possibly it is better not to take accommodation in the area south of the city, the poorest (even from a "visual") and infamous
Many tours around Prague, as the trip to the castles, no longer the beginning of November, so going beyond that period you can visit only the city
In periods of high season you can better appreciate the wonderful atmosphere created by perfectly medieval square where you will find a walk in some streets and roads of the city.

 

Flight and arrival, accomodation at the Ariston hotel

Surely among the most beautiful cities of Europe from a historical, architectural, artistic, and because of the atmosphere that offers tourists
It 'a big city but vivibilissima, with green, little pollution and well-organized tourist
Visit on foot and take long walks and is ideal for striking the continued presence of parks, plazas, street trees and pedestrian areas where there is the "stress" of traffic
The cuisine is excellent (especially dishes made with meat and vegetables) and economic, many products are local and authentic
The shops are many and offer many local products as the working of the crystals of Bohemia and the puppets
For lovers of classical music this city is a cult, are widely available tickets for performances of Mozart's great artists of the past
It spends very little per visit
Czech language is difficult to speak or understand, if you tour somewhere in the low season (not summer months) you may not find the guide in Italian and must fend for strength ingIntraprendo in this journey of eight days with Stefania between October 27 and November 2 of 2001, starting with a package flight + hotel + transfers organized by Futurviaggi.
Flight from Cagliari to Prague with a stopover in Rome. Arrival at Prague around 17:00, where a car is waiting for us to lead us to the hotel. On the way we can begin to see the area of the castle and the impressive green (mainly forest) surrounding the city. Our hotel is the Ariston, really nice, comfortable, clean, super heated, with comfortable rooms and with every service, close to the center and in a strategic location east of the city center. From there in 20 minutes walk you arrive at Wenceslas Square or Staremesto, or you can take one of the many buses that pass in front to reach anywhere in town.
Between one thing and the other comes the hour of dinner, go out and sent in search of a restaurant nearby that is called Quid (on advice of a friend of mine who has been in our same hotel and at the same restaurant). The location is nice too, the service impeccable. Eat well considering that we do not know the slightest flow of the place (the menu only nell'incomprensibile only in Czech or English) and we spend a ridiculous amount (two the same time that I spend alone going to get a pizza and a beer). Our satisfaction is enormous, considering that we Italians for the kitchen are very demanding and find a foreign country where you eat so well as being a very difficult thing ... injured
In summer the climate is better for temperature and rainfall, but in the critical months the city becomes more chaotic. At the end of October instead of the autumn colors are unique, wonderful, especially in parks in the cities and castles, it does not rain much, but there are tourists without ever making a row for any visit and the weather is still acceptable.
It 'important to find a good package travel agency based in the flight and the hotel, because once established in Prague spends very little
Public transport and the underground work well and cover the entire city, making travel easier
Security is guaranteed by the constant police checks at every point of the city, but possibly it is better not to take accommodation in the area south of the city, the poorest (even from a "visual") and infamous
Many tours around Prague, as the trip to the castles, no longer the beginning of November, so going beyond that period you can visit only the city
In periods of high season you can better appreciate the wonderful atmosphere created by perfectly medieval square where you will find a walk in some streets and roads of the city.

Staremesto; Carl Bridge; Historical center

Our real first day in Prague so we devote a full tour of the city on foot. We want to immediately immerse ourselves in the life of the place and breathe the atmosphere of this city. E 'a day of constant rain from morning to evening. Fortunately, not a heavy rain, but just slightly, sometimes a little 'annoying traits, and suggestive rather, because it creates a halo particularly incredibly beautiful streets of the center.
Reach Piazza Repubblica, with the splendid palace Obecní host concerts and events, and we continue to Staremesto. The central square is wonderful in the jewel of the Gothic church of Our Lady before Tyn, whose spire feature, landscape for centuries Prague, the Kinsky Palace, built in rococo style in the seventeenth century., The church of San Nicola, the Tower of 'astronomical clock, built in the fifteenth century., famous for its complicated gear and for the spettacolino offering to shoot every time.
To be at the end of October there are many tourists, but we did not experience the oppressive crowd which is critical in the months of these cities as tourist destinations. Take something in one of the many bars in the square, providing chairs and tables outdoors at will, and we turn to the charming shops of souvenirs which all Staremesto is full. Abound, particularly those of crystals of Bohemia, where they are processed objects of all types and price, and those of puppets of all sizes and toys simpaticissimi. A walk to get back some 'children ...
Emerge from the parties of the Vltava, along a beautiful street, and at one point really seems to be back in time. There is no soul living in this corner of the Middle Ages perfect, with the road paved perfectly, the antique-style lampposts, pitches around with trees and flowers, the river in front with the background of Charles Bridge and the wooded park of Petrin: a nothing short of wonderful! And we consider that the whole area is pedestrian only virtually, so it is really pleasant to walk without the bustle of traffic.
Continuing we reach the Charles Bridge, fascinating for its statues and street artists who color and enliven the move, playing and selling paintings at the picturesque views of Prague. Later we see the old National Theater, a beautiful structure that is striking for its contrast to the new hard really, radically modern style in the shape of a large cube.
Pretty tired back at the hotel, leave for your dinner in a nearby room to eat, and certainly here in Prague, you can say there is a wide choice! It chose a coincidence that we are incredibly well and still spend less than the night before!

Wenceslas Square, National Museum; Petrin Park, House of Mirrors

After a wonderful and more substantial breakfast at the hotel in a beautiful hall organized a buffet with all kinds of food and drinks, we move toward Wenceslas Square, glimpsed on the evening before during the tour to return to the hotel. And 'This is the largest square in Prague, but it seems more an avenue to tell the truth because of its long extension. It 'also one of the main meeting place for the night life, given the many local and kiosks.
At one end of the square (the east), there is the National Museum, with varied and interesting sections (from history to zoology to botany), where they fail to come for a nice visit. Left the museum throughout the Wenceslas Square to the end, giving a quick look at all kinds of shops that often continue into the inland area, indoor, and emerge in other ways besides the parallel block.
Further revise again the area of the National Theater, and from there along the river to cross a bridge that leads to a beautiful island on the Vltava, which has the name on the map of Strecklov Ostrov. E 'is accessible only by stairs on the bridge and visited entirely on foot. To our great surprise we got into a wonderful park, a real forest surrounded by the magnificent backdrop of the river and the buildings and the towers of Prague in the distance. The colors are nothing short of spectacular, typical of autumn, and a carpet of leaves with all the shades from green to brown to yellow and completely cover the ground. Peace and tranquility reign everywhere, you do not see anyone beyond a few people carrying the dog to walk, do not hear any noise of civilization, but only the singing of birds and the flowing of the river. A few benches and a tree trunk on the ground allow you to sit, relax and enjoy wonderfully romantic backdrop of the surrounding. It seems to be in a national park, and certainly not in a city! I can not help but think that this is the perfect image of autumn, one that only great poets and writers can describe so gloriously.
After this wonderful visit to the island, we end to cross the bridge and reach the other side of the Vltava River, from parts of Petrin Park. This park is the largest and most famous of Prague and the sights are not lacking at all. There is also a cable car that can climb to the top without hard work, but is open only in summer. We all go through on foot and it is really worth! As you climb on the side there are spectacular views of Prague, one behind the other, and the park is beautiful in its wood, its color, perfectly cared for and spacious and the various paths that run along. More inside the light is obscured by the majestic trees, the trail is covered entirely of leaves, Prague, and seems to disappear into the forest Capuccetto Red.
We arrive finally at the top by following the signs, in a sort of large square where the copy is smaller than the Eiffel Tower and there are kiosks and services to regenerate. One can not fail to climb the tower of course, the landscape is nothing short of exceptional and is the best we can to enjoy Prague. On the left stands the impressive area of the Castle with the Cathedral, which dominates the whole city, one sees the good of the Vltava river that divides in two Prague with its particular path to "U", you can count all the monuments to the main part opposite the city, where the other tower (the modern part of the TV in the shape of an elongated tube) gets up high. There is also in our hotel, on the other side of town, and certainly our legs if they realize ...
Fell from the tower we enter later in the house of mirrors, an attraction to a must be a half hour of laughs between magic mirrors game really well built!
At this point begins to make the dark and you go back, but do not think that the road journey and to continue towards the end of Petrin park to see the area of the castle. The trail ends in the neighborhood of the castle, with its wonderful paved streets full of restaurants, clubs and pubs, craft shops of every kind. During the descent through the neighborhood and brings in a large square, very light and full of tourists. We are tired but retrace Prague very willingly in the dark because the lighting of the monuments, the Cathedral and reflections on the river make the atmosphere of this truly magical city!

Tour: Konopiste e Karlstejn castles

For today we booked directly from the tour to the castles of Karlstejn and Konopiste, and is the last day for it because in winter the castles are closed. The trip to the castles is one of the most beautiful trips you can do in Prague, there are leaflets everywhere and is an unforgettable experience. A car is taken directly to the hotel to take us into the central square where the party bus. Recently fallen meet our guide, a nice lady of a certain age with an impressive culture of languages. Fluent in Czech, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian (during the tour explains to turn things in different languages).
Konopiste is not far from Prague and arrived after about an hour, the parking. From here to the castle is a beautiful journey on foot to do that allows us to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the fairytale forest surrounding. Arrived at the castle itself, a boy of the place shows fine specimens of birds like an eagle, an owl and a condor.
The visit can be seen in the rather good condition in which the castle is maintained, and stuffed trophies of the owner, considered one of the greatest hunters of all time. An entire corridor is covered with hundreds of birds, rare animal heads like a polar bear, a moose, and so the American way, all prey of the hunter who has done nothing in life that turn the world with his team to hunt. In the corridor there are only a fraction of prey (which in total are thousands and thousands, I do not remember the exact number), and is already an impressive spectacle, certainly appreciated by a hunter, but certainly not advisable for a wildlife sfegatato as Ace Ventura.
The rest of the visit then to the rooms and halls of the castle, very beautiful and bright, with a splendid view over the forest and lake. Once outside the castle, the guide takes us behind the entrance to see a pair of huge Siberian bears, who live freely where once there was the moat, and then leave a half hour free to explore the gardens around the castle . Here the peacocks run free, you can give them to eat, you can stroll among the beautiful trees and statues could only imagine how good life would the owner of all this ...
At lunch take the bus that takes us to some nearby town, where to stop eat discrete meals in a typical Czech tavern. Immediately after we are directed to Karlstejn which is about 50 km from Prague, while the nice guide continues to explain the way some 'history and culture of the Czech Republic
Karlstejn is a beautiful tourist town famous for its imposing castle, built on a hill and visible everywhere in a radius of miles. Here too, the parking is far from the goal, but the inevitable long walk allows you to fully appreciate the beauty of the place. We pass through the country in a succession of small shops and boutiques characteristics, with the typical wooden houses surrounded by the sloping roof in the surrounding woods. The road goes all around the hill with a slope (especially in the final!) And up to the entrance of the castle, which looks decidedly more imposing and majestic Konopiste, with a huge tower on one side.
From the castle, the landscape is pure fairy-tale: the stone walls and towers overhanging ends in the valley surrounded by a dense forest's beautiful autumn colors! Inside is a girl guide and explains the divided and troubled history of the construction and subsequent owners of the land and the castle. We start a little tour of the various great rooms (many are still almost empty) imagining the life of the past. At the souvenir shop usually merits a thorough, where I buy a detailed map that summarizes all the glory of Karlstejn in different historical periods.
We just have to return the country to 17:00 it is already dark, and the bus takes us back to the center of Prague where we enter into 18:30, opting for a short tour alternative view of the heavy traffic conditions. It seems to be emerging from a beautiful fairy tale ...
Regenerated and placed at our Hotel, we go to dinner, this time in a pizzeria - Italian restaurant. The concern of course to go to these places when you're abroad is to find anything but a pizza and Italian cuisine that is worthy of the name. And I must say that not without surprise found that the pizza "they do the" even here, far more than fair! Not so is the pasta, seasoned very well, but unfortunately a bit hot ... However, since the impression is more positive and that the figure of the account rather than small, we go to bed happy and quiet of this beautiful day, and loads ready for tomorrow.

Prague Castle: Museum of Toys, Golden alley; Cathedral, Belvedere

Consumed once succulent and generous breakfast dell'Ariston Hotel, starting at a time in the district of Hradcany or Prague Castle. The Castle is dominated by the magnificent cathedral of St. Vitus from the top where you can enjoy excellent views across the city, the most beautiful along with the Petrin.
We enter the neighborhood from the classic tourist entrance, a road uphill slope with a beautiful but that does not weigh fatigue, because they stop several times between the various stalls full of oggettini special and interesting, and during the journey, landscape of the city is magnificent. The area is enclosed by walls consisting of real palaces of splendid architecture, and once inside we discover another Prague, a real city within the city. Needless to say that the whole area is completely pedestrian, fully paved and maintained and the views of one another medieval angles to one another.
A large map on display is illustrative of our position, the streets and things to see: plenty for a change! We start with the Toy Museum, on three floors of two with all sorts of toys, from the oldest to the most recent, and one (absolutely not to be missed) entirely devoted to the Barbies! All collectible Barbies possible and imaginable, from the first exit to the most modern, with every accessory, worn by celebrities such as actresses and singers, a real fun and splendor of colors.
After the museum we continue towards the center of the neighborhood, where in a small side is the famous Golden Lane, now a symbol of Prague. This little alley has a series of small and colorful houses, where once lived the alchemists, engaged today in very special shops and boutiques, and owes its fame to the fact that Franz Kafka lived here at No. 22 for a long time. It would take hours to visit all the shops but we do not have all this time. Lunch outdoors at a point of eating at the very end of Vicolo d'Oro, an impressive fast-food and very nice.
Let us go to the vault of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, the biggest church in Prague. It stands majestic with its high towers and also becomes quite difficult to photograph the whole without having a fairly wide angle. Inside the cathedral is proving a real art gallery with the beautiful chapel of St. Wenceslas and the imposing Gothic-style nave. Climb on top to enjoy a magnificent view of the city, which allows you to appreciate it especially in its architecture: the almost infinite number of red roofs and white chimneys of the houses is the first thing that jumps the eye, followed by those of innumerable towers, giving a sort of "uniformity" to truly enviable panorama of Prague (unthinkable in other great cities like London or Paris).
In the central square there are still many things to visit, we come to it in a couple of posts, and leave the "walls" to end up in Piazza del Castello really beautiful and very broad. In the background of Petrin Park and the landscape of the city, visible from the terrace, which lights up as they slowly began to make dark.
At this point we take a road that leads the other side of the castle and along the outside to pass between the gardens of the Belvedere, where unfortunately we reach a dark pesto. All the cross walk in peace in the royal gardens of trees, lawns and fountains, as there are more tourists around, and now seeing the magnificent cathedral illuminated. Pause in a bench for a snack deserved, appreciating the quiet and peace of this magnificent place, and after we continue to go back to the hotel. In fact, we lose a little 'later in another series of gardens and parks (quite isolated, there is no living soul and is not dark but fortunately you have no "feeling" of danger), until you find one of the many bridges crossing the Vltava. From here we pass again to Staremesto and now we return to the hotel exhausted.

The zoo

Since we were greatly impressed by the photos of some of the halls of the Prague Zoo, which we saw at the National Museum in Wenceslas Square, we decide to spend a nice relaxing day there, in the northernmost Prague (on the border of the zone 7), in the district of Troja . No go on the bus 5 passes in front of the hotel, cross the river twice and leads to Piazza Trojská. From there we walk to the zoo, walking around the neighborhood from which there is a completely different from the Prague center.
This is a residential area, the story disappears and gives way to beautiful homes and buildings more modern, sometimes bizarre. The neighborhood is a wonder, the dream of everyone. It 's very quiet, there is only one main road that cuts in two passes and not a machine, there is no annoying noise just birds singing and the background of the river. There are wide spaces with green squares, schools, houses and absolutely fantastic and enviable, with huge garden, with wooden roofs sloping, fully immersed in the river on one side and woods on the other. Harmony and peace indescribable, I can only say that is the most beautiful I have ever seen (and I found the house of my dreams), and all this in only twenty minutes by bus from the city center. Could build an attraction, a perfect example of true daily life of Prague today and not just limited to tourism dictated by past history.
Arrived at the zoo after about half an hour's journey, buy tickets with a tourist map of the halls to visit and the internal streets to follow. Deciding where to start, which road to take and what to see is the most exciting part of each entry to the parks, and we think we start from the top.
The tour keeps us busy all day until closing at 17:00 and we are almost the only ones left to seek desperately to see the last remaining open pavilions. The best feeling is to see the animals very well cared for and that in a state of good health, clean and beautiful even if we rotondetti. Most are kept in large outdoor area and are completely free, limited only by a fence. To see them you go in the middle of the fields above the wooden platforms, also enjoying a nice view from above. The zoo is also equipped with everything, there are also a kind of buffet to eat lunch (which we enjoyed eating discreetly), and various kiosks, and is divided by areas and climates providing ample space to walk, sit and relax in surrounded by nature.
Among the best examples that we see: i-meerkats meerkats, cats (lions, tigers and panthers), the otters, polar bears, parrots, giant turtles, pink flamingos, penguins, seals, zebras , kangaroos, dromedaries and moles. Unfortunately, with great regret, we lose the visit to the gorillas as a matter of time.
On the way back from the zoo, now dark, we pass through the center of Staremesto strolling through the shops of the puppets and the famous Bohemian crystal, and then return to the hotel.

TV Tower; Jewish quarter; Art Museum; Wenceslas Square

And 'our last day in Prague and we realize that you have yet many things to see, but we can not leave without visiting the construction of the modern TV tower, a stone's throw from our hotel, visible from almost every open space of Prague provide a minimum landscape (it is also a good reference point). We have already glimpsed a few days ago going to the restaurant Quid and we hit a lot. It 'a really strange, not marked in any of our guides, the majestic and yet so striking! E 'consists of three tubes that rise in absolute vertical upward, one of the largest used to slide the quick lift. To the outsides of these tubes are large statues of children who climb up and down and start from the middle of the structure three different stages each consisting of three square rooms. We discover with joy that the tower is open to tourists, but not only, is also the most expensive thing that you pay!
At the first stage lies a magnificent restaurant, with tables right on the glass wall overlooking offering an excellent view of Prague (even if the position is not happy to see the area of the castle). At the second stage, 90 meters above the ground, you come to the actual tour, which allows you to move in three different cubes and enjoy a panorama of 360 °, rather impressive given the fact that has hung suspended in air only a tube! By the turn of the plan look at the photographs documented the other towers similar to this built in various parts of the world, they also very high, modern and tourist visitors.
Leaving the Tower City Center and the Jewish quarter of Josefov, famous for its history, the old cemetery and synagogue. The huge row and the price of the ticket, incredibly disproportionate to any other in Prague, we paid, we shall desist from undertaking the classic tour of the synagogue and the cemetery, and being the last hours we have spent in this beautiful city, we prefer to make a nice walking tour in the surroundings.
The area is full of stalls with all kinds of tourist souvenirs (here are also the most beautiful postcards, huge and panoramic), and artists who improvise portraits and paintings of Prague (but certainly not all are actually made by hand ...) .
Spend the rest of the day to stroll throughout the city, until you arrive in Piazza Carlo that we had not yet seen. When we arrive it is dark, but now everything is illuminated, making it very pleasant rest in a beautiful beautiful gardens at the center of the square.
To complete the tour we return from Wenceslas Square, the evening becomes a splendor of light with the National Museum extraordinarily enlightened. We are one of those cross-covered alleyways full of shops, and find a huge, articulated with various deviations from points close to real places indoors (extraordinary to think that everything is built within a block to covered, in the middle and under buildings inhabited! Never seen anything like this, even in Paris that are masters in building structures "indoor "...). In a corner even check a huge statue of an upside-down knight with his steed hung from the ceiling! Losing a little sense of the outdoors emerge in some way parallel to the Wenceslas Square, but no problems find the right way to go back to our hotel.

Coming back

Get up early in the morning, prepare your luggage and wait for the transfer that leads to the airport. Needless to say that we have no longer wishes to return the magic of this beautiful city is very strong and striking in full! And 'how to live a joyful story that unfortunately only lasted a week ... We visited a lot of things but there were indeed many still to see and do! E 'stato tutto perfetto: travel, organization, hotel, transfers, flights, it was truly a perfect holiday. Thank you for this happy with the agency we booked the package, the Futurviaggi


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