walking Prague

I fell in love with Prague the moment I watched the sun set over the steeples of Náměstí Míru, after a long day of physically and emotionally draining travel. the sky was filled with pinks and purples and oranges and I... just leaned out the window and watched.

last summer, we spent a week staying with friends in Prague. one of the smartest things we did was to take a walking tour of the city early in our trip. [we did the free tour with Sandeman's and then the paid Prague Castle tour - and no, this isn't a sponsored post though I would recommend their tours.] while it was fun to learn about the history of the city, the main benefit was learning how to navigate our way through Prague on foot.

the tour began in Old Town - the square and surrounding streets are full of historic structures that draw crowds of visitors. I could give you the google guidebook version of the info on these buildings... but let's just enjoy ourselves a photo essay today. [honestly, with skies so blue and buildings so lovely, I missed half the things our guide said.]

several charming alleys and whimsical doorway details later, we found ourselves at the river. we had a lunch break [and a selfie break] and then we were off for castles, cathedrals, and sweeping city views.

[the free tour conveniently ends right where the castle tour begins. you travel across the river on the tramway, and up to the castle.]

these pictures make my heart pitter-patter. Prague oozes character and charm, but it also has a "vibe" that feels distinctly Czech. it's the kind of place you imagine yourself living in, hoping you'll come back to. our tour showed us the city, and the rest of our trip we were free to explore while still feeling like we knew where we were going.

which was ideal - since Prague is a perfect city for wandering the streets for endless hours with no particular destination, just because the walk is so beautiful.