Holidays in Czech Republic

 This summer Óscar and I have both been to Czech Republic on holidays, not together though. I traveled with my friend Susana in June and one month later, Óscar traveled there with his family. When visiting the country, Prague is obviously a mandatory visit and is no surprise that we both sent each other cards of this beautiful city.

 

Photo: Milan Kincl

 

This was my 2nd visit to the country and to the city. During my 1st visit I got to visit Prague Castle but I didn't see the Golden Lane, which can only be visited with the castle ticket that also included access to the Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Church and St. George's Basilica. 

The rain on the day of my visit delayed my plans and when we finally got to the castle, it was way too crowded and I didn't fully enjoy it, especially in the Golden Lane, which was the place I wanted to see the most and the reason why I bought the ticket. My advice, go as early as you can to avoid the crowds.

This tiny street (...) is lined with colourful houses resembling something out of a fairy tale. These houses were built into the castle's fortifications around the end of the 16th century and were occupied until the Second World War. The current appearance of the Golden Lane dates to the year 1955, and after a recent extensive renovation, the houses now contain exhibitions about life in the lane over the past 500 years. Franz Kafka lived and worked in house number 22 from 1916 to 1917. - in: https://prague.eu

 

I mentioned rain but it was a bit more than just rain, it was a thunderstrom. We were in the middle of the Charles Brigde when it started to rain heavily and we had to run for shelter under the Old Town Bridge Tower. Fortunately the rain didn't last too long and when it stopped, we climbed the tower and enjoyed the nice views from the top. 

Right next to the bridge, there's the St. Francis Seraph/Assisi Church. 

The current early Baroque appearance of this church of the Order of the Knights of the Cross with a Red Star dates back to 1679-1685. Its magnificent interior decoration, including a fresco of the Last Judgment by V. V. Reiner in the monumental, nearly 41 m high dome, can be admired during one of the many regular concerts of religious music that are held here. Concertgoers will especially appreciate the sound of the second oldest organ in Prague – a unique Baroque one dating from 1702. - in: https://prague.eu