For a background on this overall trip make sure you read France first, and be sure to check out Sweden afterwards.
I arrived at Prague airport less than an hour after flying out of Charles De Gaulle.
Having just completed my first ever flight I was still trying to comprehend what I was doing. We ran into turbulence soon after leaving Paris, however, in my head it was surreal enough for me to be in a plane at all – so as I looked out the window across the quivering wing of a fairly small aircraft I simply felt like I was in a film. “It’s just like the movies” my excited brain kept telling me.
After a quick taxi ride to my hotel with a less-than-talkative driver I settled down for the night.
I arrived in the centre of Prague at noon, having successfully conquered the city’s bus and metro networks (as it turns out, you have to pay for both).
I set off around the city with no real plan in mind.
I found my way around the city using a map the nice non-English speaking Hotel receptionist gave me. Unfortunately, it was in Czech and I had no real idea where I was. Embarrassingly, I eventually positioned myself in relation to all the McDonalds highlighted in fatty yellow arcs across the map.
I liked Prague.
Tourism is of course the issue of the day. I had a long conversation with a couple from Manchester in the centre of Prague. I honestly feel I heard more English being spoken along the side streets of Prague than I do on any given day in London.
If you ever visit, you have to make a trip to the Old Town Square and make your way up the Old Town Hall (100Kc; about £3.50). The view from the top of the Old Town Hall is absolutely incredible.
That evening I headed north out of Prague to the town of Usti nad Labem, just south of the German border.
This was, without doubt, the most eye-opening part of my entire trip. Apart from my excursion across to Nantes in France, I stayed well within city centres for the majority of my European adventure.
I likened the train I boarded from Prague to Usti (travelling a third of the length of the country at the cost of approximately £5) to a cattle shed. This, although not an inaccurate description, is a tad unfair. It wasn’t dirty – but it was old. Very old. It was fascinating.
Travelling for about an hour and a half by train through the rural Czech Republic I saw some beautiful sights.
Upon pulling into a very small station, seeing children playing on rocks, sunshine and mountains in the background, I had a “Who’d have thought I’d ever end up here” moment. I honestly felt privileged to be able to see such an amazing country at it’s core level, in areas tourists wouldn’t have even stepped foot in until 21 years ago.
The train largely ran alongside the river Labem, a river littered with beautiful scenery
As I pulled into Usti (and eventually managed to hinge open the door) I was greeted by friendly English faces (friends from England, one of which is currently working in the town), welcoming the first English man into the town for several years.
On my second day in Usti myself and my friend made our way up the hill to a viewing tower so to look upon the town from a different angle (fourth photo, above).
It was a boiling hot day, despite the majority of the country having been covered in snow as recent as a week previous – a patch of which remained at the top of the hill, as proof, in total defiance of the burning sun laying itself down upon it.
In summary, if you visit Prague, I strongly advise you to take a trip outside the city boarders. The Czech Republic is a beautiful country (not to mention cheap for tourists) with a lot to offer. Go on. I dare you.
Sweden to follow.
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