Gimpy and Limpy Hobbleson were getting a bit worn out by this time in our long, long, long walk through Prague. But one must press on when there’s still things to see on the list! Besides, by the time we got to the Powder House and the Municipal House, it was only 1:20PM. Loads of time left to see what we could as we made our way back to the hotel before our scrumptious dinner.
The Charles Bridge was behind us, as were the claustrophobia-inducing crowd levels. Yes, there were tourists everywhere we went, but they weren’t nearly as walkway-clogging as near the Astronomical Clock and main bridge. Next stop: The Powder House. Originally an entrance gate to the Royal Route, its name comes from when it was used to store gun powder in the 18th c. Now it is simply a stop for tourists who can, for a small fee, climb to the top. The 167 steps didn’t sound appealing at all- the Hobbelson’s limit of steps had reached overload getting to the castle far earlier in the day. Instead, I amused myself with imagining that the face of this tower looks like a Halloween cat in a witch’s hat with glowing eyes.
From the Neo-gothic Powder House to the gorgeous Art Nouveau-style of the Municipal House we were still loving our tour of Prague. This space was once the home of the Royal Court palace where the King of Bohemia lived from 1383 until 1485. It was sadly, demolished in the early 20th c. and its present building’s construction started in 1905. Unfortunately, most of the opulent rooms are closed to the public except for guided tours. If you Google images of this place, no doubt you’d also be blown away. To the right of the arch of this photo is a café and to the left is a French restaurant. Today’s stop for us would have to be a quick look-see of the foyer, which in and of itself is very beautiful. Of all the décor styles out there, I settle on Art Nouveau as a favorite every time with Mission as a close 2nd. Should I ever find myself in Prague again, this is a tour I’d LOVE to make time for.
Our next stop was at the Mucha Foundation Museum. I’ve loved Alphonse Mucha’s works for as long as I can remember (my memory isn’t all that great most of the time, so take that with a grain of salt) and I loved every minute of our time appreciating his works housed there. I won’t go into great detail on this incredibly famous early 20th c. artist and let you read more about his fascinating life and talent through this > LINK < to the museum which is full of great information. He was intensely patriotic and produced many works celebrating the strengths of the Slavic People. My favorite works, though, are his Parisienne-era paintings including his famous works of Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress of the time.
The tickets were $15 each and I’d say that was fair if you are a Mucha fan. If not, it might be a steep price for you. What is also steep, for anybody, is the price of using a toilet in Europe. For someone who needs the facilities far more than the average human, this adds up!!! Like, a lot. While having to “go” every hour isn’t funny, the fact that Burger King in Prague gives you a receipt is hilarious. Are you kidding me?!
Next stop…. The Franz Kafka Rotating Head. Quirky? Oh, heck yes. Worth it? Very much so. In lieu of other major sight-seeing stops, no, not if you’re on a tight time line, but we had time and took the opportunity to sit with a cool drink while waiting for the next hourly “show”. It rotates for a full 15 minutes, and I don’t think one needs to devote the entire 15 minutes to get a good idea of it. I’ll admit it is mesmerizing in a sort of calming way, but after a while it got a little monotonous. This has been a Prague fan-favorite since 2014.
A word of caution- choose your vantage point wisely. We thought our spot nearest the little cluster of buildings was the “right” spot to be.
Wrong.
The face mostly coalesced on the street side, so maybe stand there. Or, maybe it sort of alternates which side most of the show happens, so if it doesn’t seem to rotate so that the face comes back together on your side, just move opposite of where you are and watch from there. We left before the full 15 minutes was up, I think, and moved on to our next stop.
Crossing the Legii Bridge, bridge #4 on our route, we got ourselves onto the little island that sits mid-span- Střelecký Ostrov, which translates to The Archer’s Island. For our last little bit of entertainment, I wanted to see if we could catch a photo of one of Prague’s most endearing creatures- a nutria. These furry cuties hang out wherever locals and tourists gather to feed them. Sure enough, one was being lured by stale bread that a little girl was holding out. Yes, he was cute. Worth taking up Prague time with? No. But, if you find yourself with extra time at the end of a day, this little island is a fun stop. Had we not had other dinner plans and weren’t hard-core jet-lagging, we’d probably had lingered at one of the many food stalls with a charcuterie board, some wine, a beer, or any other of the local goodies that were offered. There were tables all set up and the place was loaded with people enjoying the late afternoon. There was live music, games of frisbee, young families watching their kids play, old folks people watching… honestly, it was really a nice scene. Something you could easily put on a Prague itinerary if you’re not rushing.
We made it back to our hotel where I promptly took an hour-long power nap. I needed it! Jet lag is real and the older you get… eh hmmm…
By 6:00 we headed back out, this time for dinner. We passed the American Embassy and one of the historical homes of Franz Kafka on the way. After hours and hours and hours of research about possible restaurants that fit the budget, had traditional Czech fare, and was close to the hotel, I settled on the U Glaubicu, or “At the Glaubic’s Place”.
It doesn’t get more authentic than this:
1389: The house on Malostranské náměstí (Lesser Town Square) is first documented in historical records.
1520: A brewmaster named Lukáš sets up a local brewery taking advantage of the deep, cool Romanesque stone cellars.
1665: Prague Mayor Bartoloměj Glaubic z Bučiny buys the building, formally establishing the namesake pub and institution.
Centuries of Gathering: The tavern serves as a popular meeting place for nobility, local politicians, and the public.
2000s: The cultural monument undergoes a major modern restoration to clean up old alterations and reveal its classic vaulted stone architecture.
This place was busy; my guess is, it always is! The line to get in was quite long but we scored a table in less than 10 minutes. The evening wasn’t overly warm, so I was happy to get inside.
We were led down into the bowels of the restaurant where the original stone vaulted ceiling towered above us. The seating was packed in tight and the cacophony of happy diners full of beer gave the place a light-hearted vibe. The servers have this operation down to an absolute science. Get ‘em in, get ‘em out. Unless you’re a local and there to drink multiple beers, like our neighbors were. We’d had our menus for about 30 seconds when we were asked what we’d like. Ummm…. a minute, please?
First things, first!
BEER!
Afterall, they make it right there.
If you are looking for a light-eaters, vegan meal, this place is absolutely NOT for you. This serves up traditional, heavy meat and dumpling-based dishes, beer, potatoes, and beer.
And it’s a lot. Go hungry, or go home… with leftovers.
The server gave us a few more minutes to decide and I chose the potato dumpling filled with smoked meat with cabbage and bacon for about $14. The beer was $2. Yes, you read that right. $2.
Pkondz ordered up the Classic beer-braised pork roast with 2 types of dumplings, cabbage and bacon. <burp> It was the same price.
Since we weren’t locals there to consume multiple beers and we were practically falling asleep in our dumplings, we were more than happy to drag our tired feet back to the House at the Big Boot. 25,506 steps or me!!
One more sleep in Prague on this end of the trip, and boy, were we excited for our activity the next morning! It was undeniably a major highlight of our entire trip in all of the 7 countries we visited. So, please, join us for an incredibly beautiful tour.
Meantime, I am hoping pkondz will write up a Prague wrap-up for us! I’m sure his impressions were different than mine, and there are bound to be things I have forgotten to mention or he can better explain. So, stay tuned for that as well!!
Lastly… a PSA: I am only sending an e-mail notification out when I post chapters for my Central Europe/Balkans trip (this one). If you are also reading the content for other destinations like Disney, Italy, and tons of others to come… check back often and click on the category that interests you! And PLEASE, if you’re new here or just reading along for the first time, let me know by “liking” this post and subscribing in!