Prague; flavourful and unpasteurised - just like the beer!

Five days in Prague

When we first emerged from the Staroměstská metro station in Prague's old town, we were marveled by the stunning buildings that just seemed to go on forever and ever.  We had never seen so much detail, art and history in one compact location.  Below are some pictures of the beautiful buildings and other beautiful things we loved in Prague and took photos of - the photo's just don't seem to give the city the justice it deserves, however you can get a feel for the character and the grand nature of Prague. (unfortunately we don't know the names or importance of all of these buildings and just got a bit snap happy however have named what we know)

A panoramic view of the old town square (Staroměstské náměstí)

A panoramic view of Vltava River

 The Powder Tower

 'The pregnant, naked lady'

 A rug in the middle of a road...

 Wenceslas Square

 The entrance to the Charles Bridge

 The inside of the entrance toCharles Bridge

 On the Charles Bridge

 Monument on the Charles Bridge

 The view over the Vltava River

 The Vltava River

 The Astronomical Clock

 The view up to St Vitus Cathedral from Staroměstská metro station

The Church of the Virgin Mary before Tyn

While in Prague, we visited Divoka Sarka park which was on the outskirts of the city but was well worth the trip there.  We walked for a few hours through the beautifully lush park and we even spotted a wild deer! 

 The Reservoir of Divoka Sarka

 A wild deer

We took a trip to Prague's Castle (Prazsky Hrad) and found the St Vitus Cathedral in particular to be absolutely stunning both inside and out.  We watched the changing of the guards and admired the grounds of the castle.

Prague's Castle (Prazsky Hrad) and the Vltava River

 The Obelisk

 The entrance to the castle grounds

 A guard at the entrance to the castle grounds

 The front entrance to the St Vitus Cathedral

 The side entrance of the St Vitus Cathedral

 The interior of the St Vitus Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

 Inside the Cathedral

 The changing of the guards

 One of the band members

The full band playing while the guards change

Pivo!  Beer is absolutely everywhere in Prague and is cheaper than water.  The quality of the beer is very high and the best thing about it - a lot of it comes unfiltered and unpasteurised.  Only one of us was a beer drinker unfortunately - however they made up for the non beer drinker...  They serve the beer here with more head than usual, which we have been told protects the beer and results in a more flavourful taste.

 A Porter beer

 A Pilsener Urkuell (unpasteurised)

 A Pilsener Pernstejn

 Budvar beer - straight from the tank (unpasteurised)

 The makings of a Budvar Beer

 Budvar Beer Tanks

A typical bar at a beer hall

The food in Prague was rich, hearty and heavy.  We enjoyed the dishes we tried and found all to be of great value.  If you like Pork - Prague is the place for you! (We have listed the restaurant names after the dish in case you need recommendations!)

 Pork Knuckle (U Parlamentu)

 Sides with the pork knuckle - potatoes, bread dumplings and sauerkraut (U Parlamentu)

 Pork knuckle with root vegetables and potato gnocchi (U Kroka)

 Pork ribs with a chilli glaze and garlic and chilli dips (U Kroka)

 What we read as pork crackling on the menu... Pork Lard with small pork cracking pieces, served with diced onions, mustard and bread (Pardubicka Pivnice U Jary)

 Fried Camembert with diced onions and mustard (Pardubicka Pivnice U Jary)

 Sirloin steak with pepper sauce and cabbage (Pardubicka Pivnice U Jary)

 Pork steak with bacon, mushrooms and cabbage (Pardubicka Pivnice U Jary)

 Whipped Beer Cheese with raw garlic and fried toast (you rub the raw garlic on the toast and then spread the cheese on top - very tasty!) (U Medvidku)

 Tasting plate - Pork kneck, roast pork leg, pork sausage, potato dumplings and bread dumplings (U Medvidku)

Beef goulash with bread dumplings and potato dumplings (U Medvidku)

Prior to arriving in Prague, we both had the preconception that this city would be swarming with drunken stag and hen parties from the UK, full of tourist traps and tacky sights.  We were so happy to find out that we were completely and utterly wrong - Prague is an amazing place and although the tourist numbers are incredible in some locations, it is still one of the prettiest and most fun cities we have visited and we would love to visit again.