The next day, we officially began the Prague portion of our Gate 1 Christmas Market adventure with a Prague city tour.
On the way to our first location, was passed some pretty impressive sites. One was the Masaryčka Building, a uniquely shaped office and retail building.
We also passed the Prague Main Station and the aptly named Dancing House, also known as Fred and Ginger.
But our favorite site had to be the incredible streetcars of Prague. Not only were they decorated for Christmas, but many of them light up – they were so pretty at night!
Hradcany Castle
After breakfast at the hotel, we headed off to the 1,000-year-old Hradcany castle grounds, the former residence of the Bohemian Kings. It was early, foggy, and we had a bit of drizzle, so the photos are a little rough.
The Prague Castle complex is made up of dozens of buildings, most notable are the Cathedral of St. Vitus, the Royal Palace, the Old Royal Palace, and St. George’s Basilica.
It was a little chilly, but we kept going, admiring beautiful grounds, stunning architecture, and, of course, some parts were decorated for Christmas.
Seeing the guards gives you an idea of how cold it is, but we’d love to come back in the spring.
The Charles Bridge and Lesser Town
The Charles Bridge is one of Prague’s most iconic landmarks. Commissioned by King Charles IV in 1357, this medieval stone arch bridge was the only way to cross the Vitrava River until 1841.
It’s best known for its 30 statues and impressive bridge towers, and today it’s also recognized for its musicians and artists.
Random Weird Stuff
Rumor has it that the builders used eggs in the mortar to strengthen the bridge. So, eggs were brought in from all over the region to finish the construction.
Many of the iconic statues have been damaged by flooding over the years. Originals have been removed and placed in storage, with replicas lining the bridge.
Old Town Square
We explored Old Town and learned more about Prague’s history and the famous Astronomical Clock, and we took a short walk through the Jewish Quarter.
The Old Town Square was packed with people waiting to experience the astronomical clock, enjoy the Christmas Market, take rides in horse-drawn carriages, and eat at local restaurants.
In our free time, we wandered around a bit, sharing traditional Chimney Cake, more local Sausages, and another Christmas market.
Travel Tip
We love street food and especially those delicious Christmas Market foods. We ABSOLUTELY suggest sharing something whenever possible. There are just so many yummy treats.
We also ate things in the markets that wouldn’t travel well and bought things to take back to the boat for a snack later that night.
Dinner at La Republica
Na Poříčí 12, 110 00, Prague 1
After our day of touring, we had the evening free and scored reservations at a local restaurant, La Republica, serving traditional Czech food.
Random Weird Stuff
In going back to the restaurant’s website to pull some details for the blog, we realized that they have a blurb that says, ” We accept cryptocurrencies…ask our staff for more info.”
It was just a block from the hotel and had live music, fantastic food, and service. It was an incredible find!
We started with a few beers and appetizers.
Chuck had their Traditional Onion Soup with Croutons, 105 CZK (Czech Koruna) or about $5.00 US. Mark chose the Goulash Soup, 110 CZK or $5.25 US – both were excellent, perfect for a cold December night.
For entrees, we both had Svickova. A dish of Braised Beef with Vegetable Sauce and Dumplings, 480 CZK or $22.00 US. It was rich, hearty, and absolutely delicious. It’s definitely stick-to-your-ribs type food.
Other entree offerings included Duck, Veal Schnitzel, Venison, and Pork Knuckles. They have a few vegetarian options, and they have a smokehouse offering a variety of Sausages, Duck Breast, and Salmon.
The table next to us got their Old Bohemian Plate for 2 People. It included 1000g of meat – 1/4 Duck, 1/4 Pork Knuckle, Pork Ribs, smoked Pork Belly, Sausage, Dumplings, and Cabbage for 1,100 CZK or $52.00 US.
For dessert, we shared some Old Bohemian Honey Cake for 169 CZK or $8.00 US. Outstanding and not at all what we expected. It was made with a dozen or so layers of thin cake and was surprisingly not overly sweet. Perfect with a Cappuccino!
It was fantastic and we highly recommend it. HOWEVER, be sure to make a reservation. Most of the places near the hotel were booked solid if you didn’t make a reservation. We’re so glad we scored a reservation.
Good Night
We headed back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep. Next is our journey across the Czech Republic into Germany and boarding our riverboat the next day. But first, we stopped in Pilzen!
