This year the UAE introduced a new holiday – Martyrs Day. It was added to the existing National Day celebrations giving us a three day break plus a weekend. An ideal opportunity to explore the Christmas markets in Prague.
When we arranged this we were thrilled by the write-ups that described exploring the old city on foot:
From Prague Castle on one side of the city centre to Wenceslas Square on the other (walking down through the Lesser Town, across Charles Bridge and through the Old Town), is just a 25 minute stroll. Stay in a hotel or apartment in Old Prague, on either side of the river, and you can easily walk around the whole city and see all the sights and attractions.
With an AirBnB apartment just off Wenceslas Square we were ready for an extensive walking tour of the city. This was before Sue’s knee injury meant we had to accept a slightly slower pace and shorter tours – but only slightly slower and slightly shorter. As long as the Glühwein levels were maintained Sue was willing to roam the winding streets for several hours at a time.
Dreamy Mornings
Each day started with Nigel taking an early morning photo walk through deserted streets. With a camera on a tripod and a very slow shutter speed there were some magical scenes to be captured.
The white blurs in the photo above are sleeping swans drifting slowly on the Vltava river.
Cafe breakfast/brunches, then time to explore.
Nigel thought that a Segway tour might have been a sensible option given Sue’s broken leg – apparently not!
The Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle (Pražský Hrad)
The Christmas market was in full swing by the time we crossed the Vltava from the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) and returned to the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí)
Crisp Days
Every day was cold and dry, but for one day we were treated to spectacular blue winter skies
The last day began with rolling mist along the Vltava
And ended with crisps Prague style and one last trip down the archaic lift from the apartment
Weather is lovely, wish you were here 