And so to Prague

After Brno we headed to Prague, one of the keystones of this trip to celebrate my big birthday. As well as being a beautiful city it was also easy to get to for a number of friends who wanted to join in with the celebrations. 

(My first half price tram ticket 😃)

(Thanks Yvonne for the cake)

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and the Vltava river divides the city in two.

It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV who reigned from 1346–1378.

Since 1992, the historic center of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The gothic St Vitas Cathedral at Prague Castle began construction in 1344, but was not completed until the 20th century

Charles bridge

Old town square

The astronomical clock was built in 1410 making it the oldest one in the world that is still working.

The church of St Nicholas is the most famous baroque church in the city. Completed in 1710, the inside is amazing 

The 'Dancing house' or Ginger and Fred as they are also known (after Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire) was designed to symbolise the transition of Czechoslovakia from a communist regime to a parliamentary democracy.

We walked up to Letenska park and the view of the city from the top was lovely

There were many other beautiful buildings and sites that I haven't mentioned as it would make this blog far too long.

A birthday treat to myself was spending a couple of hours at the Prague Armory. Thanks Steve for arranging it. After showing him the target, Mark has been on his best behaviour ever since :) 

We had to try the local cuisine but it was too stodgy for us, especially in the heat of summer. 

We really enjoyed the city and the company. Now it's time to move on - first stop Dresden, Germany.