Day 2 in Prague: Prague Old Town & Lesser Town - UNESCO Heritage site

Prague - We took a private hire car (using Bolt app) and it was quick, fast and reliable.  For my family it was cheaper to get into Old Town than taking the public transport.

Jan Hus Monument

An Art Nouveau-style monument that pays tribute to reformer Jan Hus, who was burned alive in 1415, after being denounced as a heretic.  This led to the Hussite Wars.

The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite (were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus) warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus in the wake of the lost Battle of the White Mountain during the Thirty Years' War, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth.

The Astronomical Clock

When wandering through the enchanting streets of Prague, one cannot miss the grand spectacle that is the Astronomical Clock, prominently situated on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall in Old Town Square. This intricate timepiece, dating back to the early 15th century, is not just a clock but a magnificent fusion of art, science, and history, captivating tourists and locals alike.  Crowds of tourist gather below this clock every hour.  

Paxton was enthusiastically explaining this marvellous work of medieval engineering.

Constructed in 1410 by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and astronomer Jan Šindel, the Astronomical Clock is one of the oldest working astronomical clocks in the world. Unlike conventional clocks, it does far more than merely tell the time. The clock is composed of three main components:

    1. The Astronomical Dial: This dial is the heart of the clock, showcasing a map of the sky with the Earth at its center. It indicates the positions of the sun and the moon in the sky, the zodiacal ring, and various astronomical details. This dial alone offers a wealth of information, from the time of day to the movement of celestial bodies.

    2. The Walk of the Apostles: Every hour, on the hour, the clock springs to life with the procession of the Twelve Apostles. This captivating spectacle attracts crowds who gather to watch as the figures of the apostles pass by the windows above the clock, blessing onlookers with their presence.

    3. The Calendar Dial: Below the astronomical dial lies the calendar dial, which was added in the 19th century. This dial displays the day of the week, the month, and notable feast days, accompanied by intricate medallions representing the signs of the zodiac.

Prague Meridian

The slender brass strip in Prague's Old Town Square was used to tell time from 1652 to 1918.  

Before the technological revolutions that seemingly shrunk the world, Prague, like many other industrial cities, relied on its own local time. To determine high noon, the city used a shadow cast by a Marian column that fell directly upon the meridian of 14°25’17″ East each day.

Written in Latin and Czech. Loosely translated into English, they say, “Meridian, according to which time in Prague was determined.” 

Marian Column

The Marian Column is a religious monument consisting of a column topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary, located in the city's Old Town Square.

The column was almost 16 meters high and bore a two-meter gilded statue of Virgin Mary. 

Church of our lady before Tyn

This is a Gothic church and a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic. It has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's two towers are 80 m high, and each tower's spire is topped by eight smaller spires in two layers of four.  

The towers are around 80m high. But stand in the Old Town Square, and it becomes evident they are not symmetrical. One, Adam, is larger than the other, Eve. This representation of the masculine and feminine sides of the world is characteristic of the Gothic architecture of the period.

Confession booth

Altar

Cannabis store

In the Czech Republic, cannabis personal possession has been decriminalized since 1 January 2010 and medical cannabis has been legal since 1 April 2013.

Basilica of St Jacob

This massive three-aisled basilica with a long, high chancel is the third longest church building in Prague. The church was founded in 1232, and was rebuilt in Baroque style in the 18th century. 

Entrance to the church

hanging arm of a thief

There is also a mummified forearm to the right of the tomb entrance, dating back over 400 years. The arm is the arm of a jewel thief who tried to steal from the high altar, which has a statue of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that when the thief tried to steal the jewels, Mary grabbed his arm and would not let go, therefore his arm was cut off by monks

Organ

Basilica of St Jacob is renowned for its organ concerts and festivals.  The Basilica is famous for its historic organ originating from 1705 and excellent acoustics.

Altar at the front

Lunch @ Karvana

Sirloin steak with bread dumpling

The bread dumpling was soaked in sweet and unrecognisable sauce, not our cup of tea but the Sirloin steak was good.

Fish and potatoes

The fish tasted good with a slice of lemon and generous portions of potatoes.

our lunch

    

happy after lunch

Harvey Davidson store

Czech toy store

Havelske Trizste (Market)

Havel's Market is the most historic market in Prague ,located in the wonderful Old Town ,this preserved market place dates back to 1232.

Souvenir 

Nut cracker

The Czech Trdelník (also called chimney cakes)

 A sweet, fire cooked, cylindrical cake of an addictive nature.  Describing their unique shape, these “chimney cakes” can be found in every tourist area in Prague.

Rubbish Taxi (Garbage Truck)

Interesting to call their garbage truck a rubbish taxi.

Old water fountain

Modern Art

Municipal Library of Prague

The infinity effect of the tower of books.  The mirror at the bottom of the piece creates an illusion of infinity, symbolising the infinite knowledge you can gain from reading.  We had to queue for about 30mins just to see the infinity tower of books.

The drop shaped opening of the infinity tower.   

The towers is made up of 8,000 books and has mirrors on the top and bottom to create the infinity effect. 

sitting around the library

zzzz ear plugs for you

Next, we walked to St Nicholas Church

There was a free concert today at this church and we sat at the pews to listen to their beautiful music.   It was so nice and lovely.

CHARLES IV MONUMENT - Just beside the most famous Charles Bridge is the Charles IV. Monument.  Statue of Charles IV., the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.  He made Prague the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and he had many buildings built in the city. He also founded the oldest university in Central Europe – the Charles University – in 1348.

CHARLES BRIDGE

The most famous bridge in Prague and it is very crowded with tourist.   At both ends of the bridge there is a tower.   Charles Bridge is the oldest stone bridge in Europe. It had been constructed from 1357 to 1400. Until 1841, this was the only bridge to connect old street of Prague. It also played an very important role as the trade route between East and West zone of Prague.

Old Town Bridge Tower

The Old Town Bridge Tower is one of the most noteworthy Gothic buildings in the world. The tower was commissioned to be built by Emperor Charles IV to a design by Master Ota (after his death, Michael Savoský continued his work, and after him, Peter Parler). The gate connecting with the Old Town of Prague was also conceived as a symbolic arc de triomphe through which Czech Kings passed on their coronation journey through the city, to St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle.

On both sides of the bridge are 30 Gothic statuses.

Christ cruxified

 

Old Town Tower from the bridge

Lovers lock 

Lesser Town Tower

THE LENNON WALL 

Since the 1980s, this once-typical wall has been filled with John Lennon–inspired graffiti, lyrics from Beatles' songs, and designs relating to local and global causes.  John Lennon is the famous singer from The Beatles Band, who was assasinated.

Lennon Wall

In front of Lennon Wall

Located in a small and secluded square across from the French Embassy, the wall had been decorated by love poems and short messages against the regime since the 1960s. It received its first decoration connected to John Lennon—a symbol of freedom, western culture, and political struggle—following the 1980 assassination of John Lennon, when an unknown artist painted a single image of the singer-songwriter and some lyrics.

ARTISEME

A design store with a nice garden full of beautiful flowers.  We took a stroll around the garden.

The Church of Our Lady Victorious 

The shrine is home to the famed statue called the Infant Jesus of Prague.  The church has a mass ongoing and tourist were streaming into the church to take photos and look at the statue of Infant Jesus.  

Church of our Lady Victorious

This church is undergoing renovations and will be completed by end of December 2024.  The Church of Our Lady of Victories, also referred as the Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague, in Malá Strana, the "Lesser Quarter" of Prague, is a church governed and administered by the Discalced Carmelites.  The Discalced Carmelites are friars and nuns who dedicate themselves to a life of prayer. 

Mass on-going

The congregation was sitting on the front pews of the church and the priest is conducting mass and holy communion.   Tourist was snapping photos whilst this was going-on.  

Vltava River

The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic and the Charles bridge is over this river.

CRAWLING BABIES @ KAMPA PARK

GYMNASTIC 2024 in Prague

We enjoyed few hours watching this free open-air performances by gymnas and they came from around Europe.    The weather was at time hot on a sunny day and once cloud block the sun, the temperature drop - so weird.  We sat on the road and enjoy the performances from young to old (some are 85 years old)

Gymnastics from Denmark

HOTELS around KAMPA PARK

CHARLES BRIDGE STAIRS

Unique stairs to reach Charles Bridge and even more quaint is this shop below the stairs.

CZECH CANDY STORE

Sweet Candy Prague

TARTUFU 

Truffle store in Prague 

BAGETERIE BOULEVARD - time for dinner

Czech fast food serve in a baguette and it was served hot and delicious.

Il Commendatore statue

This spooky statue also called "Cloak of Conscience,” sits outside of the historic Estates Theatre in Prague. Though the sculpture was created as a symbol for hope and peace, it’s allegedly haunted: visitors have claimed faces in the figure’s empty cloak have appeared in photos that have used flash photography. 

Hand-printed T-shirts

After this we took Bolt taxi back to the hotel and it was long and eventful day spent in Prague.