CZECH IT OUT

Just back from Prague and Budapest, our first trip to Eastern Europe, and given our experience, likely to be the first of many to the region …

Given the rave reviews we had heard about Prague, our expectations were very high. Although we did enjoy our stay in the lovely city, we felt that it did not meet up to our high expectations. We were lucky with our hotel choice though, given the impeccable service and room (we got a free upgrade to a Junior Suite :)) as well as a complimentary bottle of wine once they knew that we were there to celebrate hubby’s 50^th.

Our sight-seeing started with an evening trip to Petrin Hill where the views of the city from the Petrin Lookout Tower were breath-taking. Having climbed enough towers in Tuscany we chose the elevator option. Part of the fun was getting to Petrin Hill by the funicular. After having soaked in the views of the city, we made a stop at the Strahov Monastery which is known for its beer brewery. This was our first (of MANY (!!)) sampling of Prague beer. In fact, the beer in Prague was so good that I managed to down my own every now and then :) Then it was a walk down to Kampa for dinner and a closer, first glimpse of the river and Charles Bridge at night. Beautiful indeed!

The Sandeman’s Free Prague Walking Tour was a good way to get our bearings of the Old Town areas and the Scottish guide was very humorous. Prague Castle though, greatly disappointed, given the beautiful castles we have seen in Scotland. The only saving grace of the castle complex, was the St Vitus Cathedral with its beautiful art nouveau stained glass windows. The highlight of the castle visit though was the subsequent walk down the steep stairs to see the Infant Jesus of Prague. 

This was the first highlight of our trip and it was overwhelming to finally see the beautifully adorned statue of Infant Jesus. The little museum within the church that has all his other beautiful robes is not to be missed. The day was rounded off with another of the highlights, witnessing La Boheme at the State Opera. Absolutely fabulous quality accompanied by an amazing ambience!

Day 3 in Prague involved an essential spot of shopping in the Havelska market followed by a day trip to Kutna Hora to visit the famous Sedlec Ossuary, more commonly known as the ‘bone church’, as it houses the bones of 40,000 people. The chandelier, columns, coat of arms, etc. within the church have all been constructed using the bones. A bit eerie I must say! A quick trip to the Convent of St. Agnes and the Jewish Quarter – where I bumped into my cousin’s daughter, Shefali (!!) – rounded off our trip to Prague.

Then it was on to the beautiful town of Cesky Krumlov, which we immediately fell in love with, as it reminded us of the small Tuscan towns we have grown to love, and Zermatt in Switzerland, but lovelier. The little ‘penzion’ where we stayed was lovely and the owner was a darling. The blueberry pancake with whipped cream that he whipped up for breakfast will have me salivating at the thought for a while :) The little cobblestone streets, quaint shops, lovely little bars with a lot of character and good food, had us wishing that we had spent more time there…

It was then on to Budapest by the night train, for the final leg of our trip. Given the ongoing migrant crisis, we were made to alight prior to Keleti station and transfer to a regional train. But apart from a slight one hour delay, we did not even feel that anything was happening.

Budapest, I have to say, was stunningly beautiful and definitely had the ‘wow’ factor. The tree-lined streets, the amazing architecture, the beautiful buildings and monuments, and the delicious food did it for us, qualifying it as one of the best cities in Europe that we have visited. The highlight for us was the bike tour of Budapest which took us on the main roads through lovely streets and sights like the Heroes’ Square, Szechenyi (thermal) baths, etc. Since we were biking, we covered more ground than on the walking tour the previous day, but would definitely recommend one does both as there is no overlap and one gets a good idea of the Buda and the Pest (pronounced ‘Peshtt’) sides from the two tours. Our guides, Ursula and Perrine were very interesting as well, which made all the difference. Following the tour, our visit to the Great Market Hall was fun, with stalls everywhere selling paprika of all kinds – which Hungary is famous for - and the eateries on the second level showcasing typical Hungarian gastronomic delights. We tried the Langos (the slightly healthier, ‘rustic’, rather than deep-fried, version though) which was good. Then it was time to soak in the Gellert thermal baths to relax after all the biking and walking we had done during the day.

Szentendre was a lovely little town near Budapest that we visited with the ride back on the boat on the Danube lovely indeed. Another highlight of the trip was the Hungarian folklore show where the dancers as well as the orchestra were amazing! I loved the Hungarian instrument, the cimbalom, which I got to hear for the first time. The Dohany synagogue on our tour of the Jewish Quarter and the Hungarian Parliament building were spectacular as well and must-dos on any Budapest itinerary.

As far as food goes, Hungarian food definitely surpassed Czech cuisine (however, Mincovna and Krcma in Prague, both near the Old Town Square, were decent options) and our best meals were at Hungarikum – a must-do if in Budapest. Unfortunately we did not get a dinner reservation, which features a live band to go with the delicious fare on offer, but we made up with two lunches there. Thanks Shefu for the recommendation! The Szimpla Bar – a ‘ruin’ bar in the Jewish Quarter – is also a must-visit. It has several themed rooms which one can choose from and there was loads of diverse alcohol on offer. An experience in itself!

Before we knew it, our trip had come to an end, leaving us wanting for more, and we vowed to return to explore other exotic destinations in Eastern Europe. Signing off now till the next travelogue …

September 2015 - Prague, Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic); Budapest (Hungary)