Prague

Poland is amazing! I’ve said it before, but I have another reason. I did a three-day walk to Prague – there was a three-day Erasmus Nation festival. When you draw the line it was of money for a very bad organization, but on the other hand, the rest of the experience was quite dynamic and interesting. We were traveling by organized bus – around 8 hours – my first reaction was “What a horror. It will take us ages”. But it was nothing like that – except that I slightly disrupted my comfort with the need to stay in one place for so long, the trip itself gave me unexpected pleasure and became an integral part of the whole experience. We traveled some small and winding roads through villages and towns. There is no better way to get to know a country than to travel randomly through small towns and see how people live. A real pleasure! The houses – a variety of colors, shapes, roofs, courtyards. Mostly large and rectangular with many small windows, this is my main vision as I hear a “Polish country house”. But overall quite diverse. People like to make it comfortable and beautiful. Green decorated courtyards, pavilions, hammocks. One of the cottages had a rather large lake with a bench and an umbrella on it, summer is certainly very pleasant there. I also saw how a family had constructed a model of a fairly stable castle, and it was actually a rabbit house. And when I mentioned castles – what I love about Western Europe – you travel through the quiet villages and suddenly – a huge castle like in a fairy tale. This contrast will never bore me.

Our journey continued through the Tatra Mountains, zigzagging through the mountains while I was watching the snow. We even passed some ski resorts and you could watch the people on the slopes. For the first time I saw large and well made ski pistes and hundreds of people on them. I love skiing, but I’m used to going downhill lazily. I just looked at the people from the bus on the ski slope and how they were going up and down, it’s not for me. We crossed the Czech border smoothly, with only one sign and no people to check you. I realized that in the Czech Republic they had slightly different village names and slightly different houses. The Czech Republic is supposed to be a country of a better standard, but overall I like the whole atmosphere of Poland a lot.

We arrived in Prague. This is my favourite city. I remember how my breath stopped when I saw the night lights of the castle and Charles Bridge, as well as the church and the clock tower in the centre. No matter how much time I spend here it will never be enough for me and I will definitely come back someday to immerse myself in this fabulous atmosphere. Big minus – crowded with tourists. The rest is wonderful – terribly arranged transport, affordable prices, the beauty of pounds and tons. My last visit was more cultural and historical, I visited museums and beautiful places and panoramas. Now, not that I didn’t go to my favorite places again, but I also got to know the nightlife in the capital. One of the biggest benefits of this festival was the boat party in the waters of the Warta. It is a great thrill at night with all this panorama and beautifully illuminated buildings. To stay on the boat and pass under the bridges will remain a good memory. The party was nice too – probably 300-400 people, two floors, nice music and nice atmosphere.

I created a tradition – second year in a row I bought handmade earrings from Charles Bridge. Every time I go there I will buy new ones. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love earrings and how they always bring me good memories. Now I will have a memory of this journey as well.

One tip from me – visit Prague! If you are there on a sunny day like we were you are very lucky and it will make your experience twice as good. Climb Higher Place – from there you can see the panorama of the whole city. Go to the castle, climb the tower there, the view is amazing and the fairy tale comes to life there. The whole old town is wonderful, even if you walk the small steep streets around the palace, it is a great pleasure. The cathedral inside is very beautiful, the stained-glass windows are fabulous! Try a tart – it is a roll of sweet bread, it can be with a noel, I prefer without, but it is very tasty and typical Czech. I also strongly recommend Free Walking Tours, Castle Tour – I don’t think there is a better and cheaper way to get to know the city. Tip two – always with a ticket for city transportation. It is less than a euro, but it is especially important because we have seen a lot of people spoil their vacation with large fines. As a restaurant for traditional Czech food, I was recommended to go to Lokal. We couldn’t get there, but if you are looking for a place you can check it out.

For me, Prague is one of those magical places where no matter how many times you go you will still want to come back. I found a café just above the river that overlooks the Charles Bridge and the palace, as well as the clock towers and the center church. This place is my most vivid memory of the city and will make me return there as soon as possible. Go with your loved ones – Prague is a place where you want to fall in love, but also to share the experience. I hope this year or the next I would go one a trip for about a week through the Prague-Budapest-Vienna triangle and finally be able to decide which of the three cities I like the most.

The best part is that spring is slowly coming. I’m already looking around where to put my martenitsa. Weather is getting better and the trips are still to come! I’m back in Poznan and every day is special!