I don’t normally create posts for non-travel days, but this one felt like it deserved it, given my previous less than enthusiastic comments about this city, on my 2023 visit.

The day started with a really super breakfast buffet. I know, cake, but if they are the local delicacy, who am I to argue? I also had a feeling I might walk it off during the day.

It also gave me the excuse to spend an hour looking out of the window at the city beginning its day. I found so much interest in what initially just looks like an industrial scene. The building site on the far side of the station, where new platforms are going in, had lots going on, as trains of various types arrived and left.

One thing I had liked on my previous visit was the very retro trams that form the bulk of the local stock. I found one of these nearby and headed down to the riverside. I’d read that the famous Charles Bridge can get very busy so being there early seemed like a good idea. I walked through the city streets and along the riverbank to find it.

The bridge was already buzzing with people, and traders of various sorts were out in force.

On the far side, I took another tram, just for one stop this time, to what looked like a good point to walk through the park up to the famous Petřín Lookout Tower, which I’d been told gives one of the best viewpoints of the city. There is a funicular railway up the hill but it has been closed for renovations for some time.

It was warming up by now. I’d brought my fleece out with me but by the time I’d made my way to the top of the hill I was down to my t-shirt. It’s lovely to feel warm in March.

After walking up the hill, I had no desire to climb another 299 steps to the top of the tower so paid the small extra to use the lift.

The views from the top were indeed fabulous. The tower was built shortly after the Eiffel Tower, and clearly inspired by it, though this tower is eight-sided not four. After being both a visitor attraction and a TV transmitter until the late 1970s, it stood derelict for around 20 years before being reconstructed, and is now a major attraction.

I returned a different way, on a route that took me down some steps and then into an area where there were a number of embassies. The only embassy that had any visible security was the U.S. one, where there were armed police in the street, a large guard on the door and as a car came up the street I realised that they were stopping everything and searching both inside and underneath vehicles, presumably looking for weapons or explosives. What a sad sign of the times.

I’d been advised to visit the Lennon Wall while I was in this area. After his 1980 murder, a mural of John Lennon was painted by an unknown artist onto the wall. As more people added words and images, the wall evolved to become a place for freedom of expression in the then communist Czechoslovakia (information from Wikipedia.)

Visitors still add messages and images to the wall and this is legally permitted. Every few years the wall is completely overpainted, reflecting important social or environmental themes, but the Lennon connection is always retained. Whilst I was there a group of schoolchildren were being told about it, then given the opportunity to add their own messages.

I walked alongside the river and ended up by the lock which bypasses a couple of weirs. A group of boats was being worked through. As I crossed the bridge above the lock I noticed there was another seemingly disused lock on the opposite side of the river. This only bypassed one of the two weirs though, which presumably why it is no longer in regular use.

I’d agreed to meet a friend in the city for the afternoon. He had come in from the outskirts and we met at the Metro exit within the main railway station, near to my hotel. We walked and talked through the city for a few hours and he pointed out a number of interesting or fun things that he’d found in his 6 months living, studying and working here, such as these yellow penguins alongside the river, and the distinctly odd set of sculptures nearby.

We stopped to have chimney cakes, which I’ve seen in Poland but apparently they’re a Czech thing. They were messy to eat but tasty; not as sweet as I thought they might be (a good thing!)

After a visit to a small bar, where we tried the local beer, we said our goodbyes and I walked back to the river. By now it was dark. I had noticed the many trip boats and decided that seeing the city from the water at night would be a nice way to wrap up this trip.

I arrived a minute before the next boat was due to depart, so I quickly bought my ticket and jumped on board. The boats are all electric powered so move quietly along the river. Almost everyone was on the upper deck.

I spotted the yellow penguins again, but now they were lit up, which was rather fun.

The city really does look lovely at night. We passed under the Charles Bridge twice then headed downstream as far as the next weir.

After a 50 minute trip I was ready for something to eat. I decided to go back to an area that I’d spotted the night before, where there were a number of stalls selling local food. I had a very tasty stew, from the nearest pan in this photo.

My step counter told me I’d walked nearly 12 miles during the day, so a sit down back at the hotel had been earned. I walked back via this rather attractive station, which is the one I can see from the hotel, and ended the day looking down on the view that I’d enjoyed at breakfast.

An excellent day in a really lovely city. I get it now!