Prague is a wonderful place to visit. The weather was a bit wintry while we were there, but even in spite of that, we had a terrific time. Some of the highlights for us:

We stayed near the heart of town at the K&K Fenix Hotel. This was a great location, only two blocks from the subway station (which we used frequently), and half a block off of St. Wenceslas Square. There was a nearby quickstop, a nearby grocery store, and, well, a few nearby strip joints, which was a bit disconcerting at first but which frankly were completely not a problem. The rooms were small but well appointed, the bathrooms were nice, and the staff was reasonably helpful. I’d recommend this hotel for future visitors.

The Castle and Cathedral in Prague is fantastic. I loved the church and spent quite a bit of time studying the stained glass and the architecture, both inside and out. Andrew was disappointed because the towers were closed in the winter. There are a number of places to see within the complex besides the church, so you may want to allow time. We visited the goldsmith row houses which were fun, and in particular you do not want to miss the quick trip down to the dungeon. Talk about a feeling of “not a hope in the world”; if you were lowered into that dungeon, you were completely at the mercy of whoever put you there. In a movie there would be some kind of dramatic, athletic miracle of an escape, but go there and take a look for yourself. There was no way you would ever get out without a reprieve or some significant outside help. Yikes. Highly recommended.

We saw the opera Carmen at the State Opera House. It was grand and glorious and highly recommended. The Czech Republic skills offers grand opera with all the trimmings: the pit orchestra had no less than 5 bass viols. There was a chorus, a children’s chorus, elaborate outfits, and a rotating stage. The singers were more than competent, though apparently their French was not that of a native French speaker. Darned if I could tell, though; I find French unpronounceable. In addition to the French, there were Czech surtitles, which was fine if you speak Czech! Don Carlo was performed by a Korean singer, which was an interesting twist. Take an English libretto and go see the gilded showplace and a good opera! 

We had an adventure going on a trip to a Czech gun club outside of town. It appears that the Czech gun laws are somewhat more liberal than other parts of Europe, so there is a small industry catering to “tourists who shoot”, like stag parties of Brits who like to party. We’re hardly gun advocates, but for a 15 year old to fire a 45 magnum along with a 9mm Glock and a few other handguns, well, this is an experience not to be missed. It’s not cheap, but if you have a teenager, I suppose no price is too much to be this cool.  ;-)

On the train again for a quick stop in Bratislava.