I woke up and the jet leg was not as bad this morning. I guess that day to myself was really helpful. I got all the laundry done, my work emails completed and got a good night’s rest and that was a big help. I woke up refreshed and ready to start touring the great City of Prague. Our Placemaking Tourist class in Prague was much different in perspective than Paris with more emphasis on experiences and less on the food culture (although that did not stop me from taking lots of pictures on food).
I started off with a light breakfast at this wonderful little cafe in the courtyard of the NYU Residence Hall called Cafe Osada, which would become my go to place for breakfast almost every morning we were in Prague. The pastries and the breakfasts were amazing!
Cafe Osada inside the courtyard of NYU Prague
My review on TripAdvisor:
Their danishes were always handmade and baked on premise and when you order them first thing in the morning, they were still warm. Everything I had from them during the week was excellent. I wish I could have tried them for lunch or dinner but we were always on the road with touring but still they were a treat at breakfast.
The delicious Cherry Pastry with Pear juice started off my first day of touring
The Cherry Pastry was to die for and it also came in Plum and Apricot
The Scrambled Egg breakfast I really enjoyed and it was visually stunning. Don’t underestimate salad for breakfast. It was delicious!
We started our day with our first (and only thank God) NYU class introducing us to the campus, to the City and to the culture of Praguel led by one of the NYU Prague professor’s and then a talk from the Head of NYU Prague campus. It was a nice way to start the class off.
After that part of the class, we were introduced to Jana Markova, our tour guide extraordinary, who would be our guide for the rest of the week. She had been born and raised in Prague and her family was in the tourism business so she would be our guide to corners of the city. She ran the business “Absolutely Prague”, her own touring company and she did excellent work throughout the whole week and became part of the gang with the students attending the class.
Ms. Jana Markova, the owner of “Absolutely Prague” and our tour guide for the week
My review on TripAdvisor:
After a quick talk from her, we would get our passes for public transportation and off we went touring the city of Prague by cable car. First we would be exploring the Castle District of the city and then part of Old Town and then a site tour of the Hotel. The would be a very nice afternoon with a lot of walking.
Before we left on our tour of Prague for the first day, we had our welcome lunch right down the road from the NYU Prague campus at Holesovicka Kozlovna, a wonderful Czech restaurant that I had passed my first night in Prague. It was a really nice lunch and a good way to get to know some of my classmates. Not everyone from Paris went on to Prague. There were only four of us who continued on from that class.
Restaurant Holesovicka Kozlovna at Delnick 1501/28
My review on TripAdvisor:
The inside of the restaurant
The hip decor of the restaurant
Our lunch, a traditional Chicken Schnitzel with Potato Salad
The menu had already been set for us so it did not take that much time to serve us. The food and the service at the restaurant were excellent and everyone enjoyed lunch. It was a little heavy for a long day of touring, but we needed the energy. We were told that the rest of the menu is just as delicious.
We were joined by Jana from Absolute Prague for lunch, and she helped lead all the tours for the rest of the week. She became part of our class, and she was the best! She assisted in leading our group to all our activities and did a wonderful job.
Our group shot at lunch.
Getting to know everyone over lunch
We started by taking the cable car from our hipster neighborhood to the Palace District. I was not sure what to expect but I was blown away by the architecture and the history of the area. The buildings were so amazing, and I liked how an elite community was built around the palace. We were lucky that we had gotten here early in that the streets and walkways are so narrow that it must be tough to maneuver them when at the height of the tourist season.
The cable car system around Prague is amazing. It got us all around the city the entire time in Prague.
The entrance to the Palace District in Prague
The entrance to the Palace District of Prague
Us starting our adventure in the Old Section of Prague.
We walked section by section through the complex passing former homes of elite families of Prague, some of whom still live in these homes. I can’t see people living in such a highly traveled section of the city but in houses that big you can stay away from the foot traffic.
The view of the City from the palace grounds
One of the old homes is now an art gallery
What I loved about this section of the city was the detail work on all the homes, light fixtures on the streets and in the small parks and fountains. You can see the craftsmanship in the stone and metal work that went into building this complex of homes and palaces.
The Castle Square leading to the main building
The light fixture in Palace Square
Statue in one of the squares leading to the Castle.
The Prague Castle
The entrance to the Prague Castle
When we finally arrived at the Prague Castle, the security was all over the place. People were running around taking pictures of the law enforcement protecting the place. We just bypassed them as we continued our tour of the complex, but I have to admit one thing, people seemed very respectful and didn’t pull the stunts that pull at Buckingham Palace by trying to harass the guards. I would not pull that in a foreign country.
Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions (Prague Castle for Visitors-www.hrade.cz).
We then walked through St. Vitus Cathedral where many royal coronations and funerals took place when the palace was still in use by royalty. The stained-glass windows were gorgeous.
The Roman Catholic Church, St. Vitus Cathedral, in the Palace complex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Vitus_Cathedral
https://www.praguecastletickets.com/st-vitus-cathedral/
The inside of St. Vitus Cathedral
The beautiful stained-glass windows at St. Vitus Cathedral
As we exited the Cathedral, we continued through the complex. The tour guide explained that the gargoyles that adorned the top of the church is something it was known for, and we used to redirect water from the top of the church.
The church as we exited it
The gargoyle on the church is something its famous for
Prague leader Tomas G. Masaryz
Walking around the Palace Square
A fountain in the one of the Palace Squares
Prague Castle Square
As we exited the complex after many stops, our group took a turn and we went on our site visit of the Agustine Hotel, a Marriott property, that is a historic luxury hotel in Prague. The unique architecture and its historic background is a much different Marriott than its more traditional partners.
The front of the Hotel Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Marriott property at Letenska 12/33 Lesser Town
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/prglc-augustine-a-luxury-collection-hotel-prague/overview/
My review on TripAdvisor:
The Bar Area
Our initial meeting at the bar
Our meeting with the head of Guest Relations at the Augustine, A Luxury Collection Hotel
We started out meeting in the bar area off the main lobby of the hotel with the head of Guest Relations talking about business at the hotel and its history. We then proceeded to tour all part of the hotel’s guests’ spaces.
The Front Desk lounge
I love the sculpture throughout the hotel.
The hotel’s Meeting/Banquet area
The hotel’s restaurant dining room
The Terrace restaurant area that was popular that evening
Right off the hotel’s gardens is the Monastery where the monks live who help create
The Sundial Gardens inside the hotel and the Monastery off to the left.
The outside gardens with the monestery in the back
The tour included a visit to the Presidential Suite. This is the living room.
The bedroom of the Presidential Suite
We concluded the tour with a beer tasting in the bar dedicated to American singer, Debbie Harry. The monks of the monastery had been brewers of beer.
The hotel was interesting in its design being part of monastery complex and how it was incorporated into a hospitality complex. I thought the designer of the hotel did an interesting job with it.
Our class group shot outside the hotel with Guest Relations and our tour guide, Jana.
After the tour of the hotel was over, we continued to make our way through the complex and ended up at the Wallenstein Gardens right off the palace grounds. These beautiful gardens were an oasis from all the traffic walking around the complex. These breathtaking gardens were built in 1630 and have continued to inspire people who visit them.
The Wallenstein Gardens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallenstein_Palace
The Wallenstein Gardens
The Wallenstein Gardens
The Wallenstein Gardens
Before we left the Palace complex, we visited the Lennon Wall, named after John Lennon after his assassination in New York City in the 1980’s. This has always been a wall of ever-changing art but was dedicated to the singer as it continues to change today. The artwork and messages change on a daily basis.
The Lennon Wall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Wall
The Lennon Wall
The end of the Palace complex on our way out. There was even a McDonald’s just outside the entrance.
After this extensive tour of the Palace and it complexes and grounds, we were on our own again for the rest of the evening and we all went off to do other things in the city. I went to campus and walked around our ‘happening’ neighborhood to find a place to eat.
I ate at Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero right around the corner from campus, a small pizzeria I had passed on my first night in Prague. All the pizzas coming outside to guests looked really good. It was such a beautiful night and the perfect night to eat outside. The pizza was fantastic, and I really enjoyed my dinner.
Pizza Bistro Gallo Negro at UldelnickA 642/17
My review on TripAdvisor:
The outside seating of the Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero where I had my dinner that night.
I ordered a wood-oven fired pizza with Cherry Tomatoes and Parma Ham and it was excellent. The flavors combined so nicely, and the ingredients were so fresh. They loaded the toppings on the top of the pizza and the complexity of the flavors were in every bite.
The Parma Ham and Cherry Tomato pizza was delicious.
After dinner I got to talk to the pizza chef and asked if he was Italy. He told me in his broken Czech that he was born and raised in Prague, and he seemed to be happy that I thought he was Italian. I told him the pizza was excellent. I think I made his night.
I walked around our “Williamsburg” neighborhood that evening, exploring all the bars, restaurants and art galleries. It was too bad that we had things planned the next few nights as there were concerts planned and an art gallery exhibition the next evening. For the next time.
It really was an great adventure today!
mywalkinmanhattan 