We arrived in Prague late evening – much later than anticipated. We had called ahead to let our lift know that we’d be late, and had been told that was no problem – they’d meet us at the station and drive us to our accommodation (we had rented an appartment which works out a lot better value than a hotel). So upon arriving in the main train station in Prague we had hoped to see our lift waiting… but it was not to be. Now, we’d been told already that the main train station is not somewhere to hang out at night time if you have a choice. Hmm.. We wandered around the station, looking for someone with a sign. Walking walking walking… Eventually, a guy came running in from a side door, out of breath and full of apologies. Whew.

Our appartment was over in Mala Strana – an area of Prague west of the river, and out of the most touristy areas. There are also lot of embassies in this area. We had been warned that the prices in the tourist areas were fairly exorbitant, but Mala Strana proved to be a happy medium – still very close to the sights of the centre of Prague and definitely still possessing the “Prague atmosphere”, but without the high prices in restaurants and cafes. A tram came close by our appartment so if we were feeling lazy we could just hop on (although it was such a short distance we only did that once).

Well – what to say about Prague – we loved it! It’s a very distinctive city, both in architecture and attitude. Full of tourists, you do need to watch your belongings (made easier for us because we were two) – a couple of times we did see people being approached by less desireable types and possibly relieved of their belongings. It’s a vibrant city which constantly draws you in with its unique buildings, winding Old Town streets, and smiling souvenir vendors.

Out of three days we had in Prague, it was pretty rainy and drizzly for two days. Still, we tried to get out and about as much as we could. We walked the streets of the Old Town (how confusing are they!!), visited the Powder Tower, Charles Bridge, and the castle. Unfortunately the castle was about to close as we arrived, so we’ve put that on our list for next time we visit Prague. We also spent a lot of time checking out the local fare – bakeries, cafes, restaurants. A beautiful city, and I’m really looking forward to visiting next time (hopefully with some snow!!).