Growing up in a middle class, hard-working dual-income family household, I witnessed my parents work long hours to provide for our family, but never take the time to travel internationally and explore this big world that we live in. They always said, “We’ll travel after we’ve both retired.”

Well I firmly believed they would do just that when my father joined my mother in retirement and my parents promptly paid for and booked their first cruise, which was scheduled to take place just a few months later. They were excited, and I was dually as excited for them because I would finally witness them realize their dream together. My mother; unfortunately, never made it to see that cruise. She passed away suddenly a month before they were set to take sail and, aside from being one of the hardest moments I’ve ever gone through, her death taught me a very important lesson—There is no such thing as the perfect time to travel.

Fittingly, last spring when my buddy Mark called and asked me if I wanted to join him on his upcoming vacation to Prague I emphatically replied in my best Steve Austin impersonation, “Gimme a hell yeah!”
Although some may argue that four days is not enough time to really get the total experience of the city, I am a firm believer that any amount of time is enough as long as you maximize it to its full potential, so here are some of the highlights from day one of my own personal Prague experience!

The view from the hotel terrace

Laying it down

A wonderful thing about modern day travel is that you can spend as little or as much as you like on your accommodation. The frugal traveler can enjoy the social experience of a multi-person dormitory; the more adventurous type can explore the option of living as a local with a host family through airbnb.com or other sites that offer this service; while a more traditional traveler can choose from a range of hotel options. Then there’s also the ever-increasing choice of staying in a serviced apartment which functions as a hotel.

I chose the latter and could not have been happier with the decision. The rooms offered at Wenceslas Square Terrace Apartments were second to none. Separate bedrooms, a large living area, a fully stocked kitchen, and a central location in the heart of Wenceslas Square. Plus, to top it all off, the apartment terrace featured stunning views of Prague Castle in one direction and the National Museum in the other.

Hunger Pains

I wanted my first Czech meal to be a memorable one, which took me beyond the many restaurants of the somewhat touristy Wenceslas Square area. The journey by foot allowed me to soak in the surroundings while meandering down crooked, cobblestone streets until ultimately reaching the iconic Karlov Most, or Charles Bridge in English. I paused briefly atop the bridge to enjoy all the sights and sounds this location had to offer… Beauty. Nature. History.
Even now, as I close my eyes, I am transplanted back to that specific moment in time.

Walking across the bridge

Continuing along, I crossed the bridge into the Lesser Town area of Prague and nestled on a small, back-street sat the modest U Modre Kochnicky–a traditional Czech restaurant in a beautiful building that, the resident chef explained, has continuously stood for over 400 years.

Like walking into an old western saloon

After flipping through the menu, I opted to dine on some local specialties and had a delightful three course meal that consisted of an appetizer of maple smoked duck breast, a main course of grilled dear saddle with rose hip sauce and dumplings, and a glass of, Slivovitz, traditional Czech plum wine, for dessert. Naturally, in a country where beer is typically cheaper than water, the lunch beverage of choice to accompany the cuisine was the locally brewed Pilsner Urquell.

Beautifully decorated restaurant interior 

The appetizer

The main course

Hitting the streets

Considering the fact that Prague was one of the few major European cities to remain largely unaffected by the two world wars of the 20th century, one could essentially find a piece of history down just about any side street; however, since my time was limited I decided to hit all the major attractions. For a more authentic feel, I opted to do so on foot and without the help of a guided tour. I’ve always said:

“The best way to find yourself in a new place is to get lost in the experience itself.”

With that said, on a day that began with the specific goal of visiting just Petrin Tower and the Prague castle, my course to those destinations took me on a decidedly different path. Instead of taking the direct route to the castle, I stumbled upon the over 600 year old Astronomical Clock Tower in the Old Town Square and happened to arrive just in time to witness the hourly procession of the twelve apostles passing through the window at the top of the clock tower.

People-watching in Old Town Square

The Jewish Quarter

After the satisfaction of that unexpected surprise, I continued along down the twisted backroads and bumped into the Jewish Quarter. With it staring me right in the face, it was the perfect opportunity to purchase tickets and check out the various areas of this historic section of the city. As I ventured from site to site in this small but powerful district of Prague, a particularly humbling experience was the soul-stirring stroll through The Pinkas Synagogue (a synagogue turned memorial for over 80,000 Jewish victims) and the Old Jewish Cemetery.

Shadows of past lives

Upon leaving the Jewish Quarter, it was finally time to cross the Charles Bridge once again and walk up to Prague Castle. A walk, I must add, that is not for the faint of heart on a hot summer day; however, a cold bottle of water made the trek a lot more bearable. Although just 20 minutes by foot from the Jewish Quarter to the castle, it took another ten minutes to climb the multitude of steps that lead to the top. Steps that were quickly forgotten with one glance out over the city.

The view from Prague Castle

Storybook ending

Standing over a sea of red rooftops, I allowed my eyes to swim in the beauty of the surrounding environment and, after taking some time to walk around and survey the castle grounds, the day didn’t end with a simple descent to the bottom and return to my apartment. I instead took a stroll along the narrow cliffs of the adjacent forest path which featured twists and turns that eventually opened up into the Prague Castle Gardens where the Prague Microbrewery Beer Festival was waiting. After a day full of walking, I suddenly realized that I had worked up quite a thirst, so I grabbed a festival ticket for the equivalent of less than $20(USD) and the perfect day had the perfect end—all the beer I could drink while watching the sunset over the city.

Great end to a great day