In between conferences I was able to tour around Prague in the Czech Republic.

Prague Castle:

St. Vitus Cathedral is the main landmark within Prague Castle Complex. The castle goes back to 870 AD. The Cathedral was huge with lots of beautiful stained glass. This version of it was built in 1344.

Golden Lane had the suits of armor and torture tools and a dungeon.

Mala Strana (Lesser Town) is the area between the castle and the Vltava river.

The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava river.  Also called the Moldau River. There are lots of famous statues along the bridge. Built in 1357.

The Klementium has lots of famous old books and library as well as astronomy tools from 500 years ago. We got to go up lots of rickety old stairs to the top of the tower.

One of the most famous landmarks in Prague is the Astrological Clock. Built in 1410, the clock still works. Each hour the clock has a little show. The 12 apostles circle around the windows above the clock. The skeleton rings the bell as a reminder of our ultimate fate. The clockmaker was blinded to keep him from making another.

Wenceslas Square is actually a long rectangle open space. There’s a statue of Saint Wenceslas at the top end in front of the National Museum. This is where the Velvet Revolution (separation from the Soviet influence and communism in 1989) demonstrations were held.

The Museum of Communism shows the history of communism taking over in Czechoslovakia. There are sections for “The Dream, The Reality, and The Nightmare.” Very interesting.

Vysehrad Castle is most famous for its fascinating cemetery where most of the famous Czechs are buried.

I went to the highest point in the city: Petrin Tower on the top of Petrin Hill. It looks a lot like the Eiffel Tower. I climbed 300 stairs to get to the top. Amazing views.

I did a mirror maze on Petrin Hill, and one on Wenceslas Square. The second one even has some plexiglass panels to make it trickier. Pretty cool

St. Nicholas Church in Old Town was interesting.

I dropped by the LDS Mission Home and church.

Letna Park is also famous for its view, especially at night. There’s a giant metronome at the top of the stairs. There used to be a huge Stalin statue in that spot, but it was replaced in 1962.

The trip would not be complete with out a trdelnik and hot chocolate (melted dark chocolate/pudding like) at Choco Cafe. Yum!