Ahoj!
I am layover in Prague to see some of its most famous and iconic landmarks
hiking high up to get the breathtaking views
finding bargains at the old town square
enjoy the late night music on the bridge name after me
witnessing the democracy at the Lennon Wall
and taking a big bite into the history of Apple
Ending it by walking through the country’s most magnificent architecture, the Prague Castle
Not to mention
eat local and getting around cheap…
all in 16 hours,
done safely, inexpensive and easily!
Welcome to Prague!
the capital of Czech Republic and a home to a population of 1.3 million
Bisected by the Vltava River, and the nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires”
it's known for its Old Town Square
the heart of its historic core
so romantic!
Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock
lots of museums
and Charles Bridge
named after me!
We will visit them all…
so let’s get out of the airport
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Welcome to Prague!
we have arrived and still at the airport
so the first thing we need to do is get some money and pay for the airport express bus down to city centre
Now...
the rate here is notorious bad
and there is 10% commission on top
but I still recommend you exchange 10 Euro or so
because if you go to the bank machine over there
you may pay a high surcharge
you can always able to exchange some more money once you get down to the main square
when there is more competition
with that being said...
Let's get out of there...
and let our journey begin!
to take the airport express bus
you need to go to Terminal 1
so I think we are almost right there...
alright...
so there is where you get your ticket for the airport express bus
as well as other public transportation in Prague
I got my ticket!
and we exit that way
I think the bus is waiting or us
To thoroughly enjoy your layover
I recommend you have at least 10 hours between flights
and allocate additional two and half hours for return and check in
since...
Now believe it or not
the ride only takes about 25 to 30 minutes
one thing that is holding you back the crazy traffic here in Prague
To minimized any luggage hassle and customs delay
try to check the bags to your final destinations
or else you’ll can use the bag storage at the Prague Airport
Most hotel and hostels will store the bags for you
so if you have really long lay over or staying over night
getting a room is not an idea
This is what I did
and thanks to my sponsor MeetMe23 for providing me with a accommodation for the filming of Prague
they offer both dorms and private suites for all group sizes,
as well as a in house lounge,
play area,
pool table, and offer amazing buffet breakfast
The best of all, they are located right across from Prague 1’s airport express bus terminal
Thanks guys!
So as soon as you get off the bus, you can go to the side street right here
with lots of exchange houses
they are pretty competitive!
just forget about zero percent commission
or no fees, all this and that...
just ask them a simple question...
how much can I get for 10 Euros?
and pick the one with the best rate!
Alright!
here is a comparison
in the airport
I get 10 Euro for 193 Czech Koruna
over here I ended 253
that is two and half euro different
and two and half euro goes a long way in a country like this
Let’s head over the closet and our first landmark
the Saint Henry Tower
so this is the annex where you can get a panoramic view of the city
or at least you can take a look
they do have windows
you get a nice view of the city
but not panoramic...
what you can do is ask the reception to let you know up for free
and just have a quick look
I did that...
you may able to do that and get lucky!
This is the tallest free-standing bell tower in Prague
Its history goes back to 1475 when it was built in wood as the bell tower of the Church of St. Henry and Kunhuta
as the parish church of the New Town
The current stone version was built at the end of the sixteenth century
The tower was damaged several times
first by the Swedes in 1648 and later by the Prussian army in 1757
And finally a storm in 1801 destroyed the bell tower's roof
the tower was finally was restored in 1879 and 2001
Right below the observation deck, occupied by a restaurant
and a small museum that highlights the history of Prague's more than one hundred towers
The tower also contains a café on the ground floor
as well as a place for you to get drunk at the whisky bar
just joking…
Next stop just two minutes on foot
we’ll pickup some explosive at the Powder’s Tower or Powder’s Gate
one of the original 13 city gates in Old Town Prague
Originally, the tower was intended to be an attractive entrance into the city
instead of a defensive tower
Now the Powder Tower is one of the most recognizable landmark here in Prague
initially it was built in 1475
but the reason for that name is...
from 1715 and on...
it was used for storage for gun powders
and hence
the gun powder tower
The gate suffered considerable damage during the Battle of Prague
including some of the original sculptures on the tower that had to be replaced in 1876
with many original are on display on inside the observation deck
This is also where you can capture the most speculator panoramic photos of this historic city
and I really mean it!
You’ll get a bird’s eye view of many of famous landmark
But… we need to get going to visit the truly the heart of Prague
the Old Town Square
about five minutes on foot
Located at the Old Town quarter of Prague
the Old Town Square is the home to some of the most significant historic sites in the country
including its dominant feature
the gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn
The square's center is home to the largest Christmas markets in the Czech Republic
and are visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year
In 2016, CNN rates Prague’s Christmas Markets are among the world’s best
and this is also where you can come to pickup some souvenirs
But make sure to bargain
and bargain hard…
and aware of being short-changed by merchants
and... try some local food!
right now I am in the Old Town Square
in the Old Town Quarter of Prague
it's surrounded by lots of amazing architectures
for example Church of Our Lady before Tyn
and behind me is the Astronomical Clock
which is very famous because it was installed in 1410
making it third oldest Astronomical Clock in the world and still in operation
Prague’s medieval astronomical clock is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town Hall
and its oldest part is the astronomical dial
dating back to 1410
The background represents the Earth and the local view of the sky
There was a scary legend…
being recounted that the clockmaker was blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors
so that he could not repeat his work
in turn, he disabled the clock
and no one was able to repair it for the next hundred years
Now if you want a...
panoramic
panoramic...
panoramic 360
this is probably the closest what you can get
this is top on of the astronomical clock
and from here you can actually see there is not many columns
and you can really get a great feel of the city
here in Prague
you not only have street light on the street
there is also one inside Astronomical Clock
the reason for that is...
as you can see how narrow the step is...
so when the light turn green, you can go ahead
Oh...
now one of the thing you have to understand here is so many museums
like most of them are pretty small and over priced
so I recommend because you are doing a layover
skipped them!
But there is one paid attraction I had to see since I am big fan of Steve Jobs
But just like everything Apple make
the admission is not cheap
However, this is one of the very few museums in the world dedicated to showcasing the history of Apple and its founders
Now as you can see in Prague
there is lots of interesting museums
this is one of them!
It's the Apple Museum
The reason I chosen to come in here is...
I have a iPhone
I have a Mac
and I do use Final Cut Pro
I like to find out if there is something I don't know about Apple yet
with that being said let's go and take a look and see what I can find out
The exhibition includes the most valuable and the most complete collection of computers from 1976 till 2012
along with other Apple, Pixar and Next products
Including in the exhibits are rare prototypes of the computer that started in Steve Jobs’ garage
to the more historically iconic flagship model that made the company famous
The collection also includes all model of iPod, iPhone, iPad and even the rare, early hard to find models
In all...
the exhibits recounts the story and the soul of what become the most profitable and the successful company in the history of humanity
that touch the lives of all of us
If you loyal Mac user
I can assure you after seeing so many vintage Mac
it will bring back lots of memories
boys and girls I'll tell you which I Mac I have...
have this one...
this one...
actually I have all of them...
actually you know what...
after coming to this museum, you'll have a Mac fatigue
There is also little bar for drinks
and if you dare venture to their underground dungeon
you’ll find a little contemporary art gallery
Very, very interesting...
The last tower we’ll visit will be the Old Town Bridge Tower
built in the late 14th century
during the rule of the Emperor Charles the fourth
This gate was conceived as a symbolic victory arch through which Czech kings passed on their coronation processions
For an unforgettable view...
visitors must climb 138 steps to the viewing gallery
so if you ask me which tower will get you the best scenic view of the Prague
this is probably it...
this lookout point you can see the river that connected Prague
as well as Charles Bridge
lots of people on it
and right across from there is the beautiful historic Prague Castle
It also served a military purpose
forming part of the fortification system of Prague
built to protect the Old Town against northern invaders
It is one of the impressive Gothic structure heralding entrance to the Old Town
and guarding one end of Charles Bridge
so ladies and gentlemen!
we have arrived at the Charles Bridge
and its name after me...
and I am the great travel host on this planet!
isn't it???
I mean I forgot everything else...
I just need to check the Wikipedia
one second...
oh damn it
forget what I said...
it's not name after me after all...
this was built way before I was born in 1357 when the construction started
Now...
Until 1841...
this is the only way you can get from one side of the river to the other side
Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31am on 9th of July 1357
with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself
This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer of numerology
and felt that this specific time which formed a palindrome
and would imbue Charles Bridge with additional strength
This is where I come to relax and chill out at night
also tune in to some free on-street live talent shows
or hang out with new friends
I means hang out with the saints
there are 30 mostly baroque statues and majority erected between 1683 and 1714
depict various saints and patron saints venerated at that time
I ended my night by visiting one of the most important sites in Prague
that played a role in the struggle and led this country towards democracy
the Lennon Wall
John Lennon was a hero to the people of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era
The wall was a source of irritation for the communist regime as young Czechs expressed its grievances on it.
Next morning, I woke up early and to enjoy my amazing buffet breakfast at MeetMe23
it’s really, really good!
But I had to eat fast;
really fast since it will be crazy for anyone to come to Prague without seeing its most famous
and iconic attraction
Now, all the attractions feature until now are located near the Old Town Square
In a chronicle order
they are no more than five minute walk from each other
If you decide to visit them in different sequence
you can save time by taking the public transportation
The ticket cost about a dollar
however you can’t buy the tickets onboard the tram
as they are only sold in the Tobacco shops
But to avoid the crazy traffic
we’ll be taking the metro to our last attraction
the famous and iconic Prague Castle
To get there...
take the metro green line A to station Malostranská
Then follow the tram No. 22, after 100 meters turn left to the Old Castle Stairs
and climb the steps up to the gate
I’ll warned you, there is a lot of walking
so please allocate at least an hour and half for your visit
So ladies and gentlemen
welcome to the Prague Castle
this is a very, very and very big place
it's actually free to go in and see the exterior of the individual buildings
but to go into it
you need a ticket
and they come in a big packages
and they are pretty expensive
and there is lineup everywhere
so my advice to you if you are coming over for a layover
just go in and walk around
and enjoy the beautiful architectures
and then be on your way!
with that being said...
let's get in
and see what they have to offer
Dating from the 9th century when its first walled building
the Church of the Virgin Mary was built
Prague Castle has been an important symbol of the Czech identity for more than a thousand years
It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic
The castle was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia
Holy Roman emperors
and presidents of Czechoslovakia
The Bohemian Crown Jewels are still kept within a hidden room inside
and certain traditions remains even to today
so one thing I can tell you that is free
is witnessing the changing of the guard
and we are about two minutes from it
so with that being said...
let's just hope...
it's really hard...
Chinese...
they are everywhere...
we are taking over the world
with that being said I am going to take a selfie too!
as you can see they got some pretty nice shoes here
it's also very shining too!
According to the Guinness Book of Records
Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world
The Castle experienced one of its greatest periods during the reign of Charles IV
between 1346-1378 when it became the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor
The Royal Palace was rebuilt,
the fortifications were strengthened,
and the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral was initiated
following the style of Gothic French cathedrals of the time
It covers an area of 45 hectares
The panoramic view from the Prague Castle is one of the most spectacular in the country
some more stairs to get up
remember this...
you are doing a layover
time, time and time...
alright!
After all that walking this much…
I suggest you take a pause at the castle’s market on the way out
One of the most famous street food is Trdelník
a kind of spit cake
made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick
then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix
Afterwards, its time to head back the same way to the hotel and get ready to leave for the airport
The airport express bus from Prague Main Station leaves every thirty minutes from 5:30 am to 9:00 pm
depending on the traffic the ride takes about 35 minutes
and cost 60 CZK or $2.75
With that being said...
I hope you have amazing layover here in Prague,
so stay safe and have fun!
Have a pleasant flight and see you next time!