The first thing we saw, on the other side of the river, looked like a giant metronome.
And that's what it is. It's a giant, functional metronome in Letna Park, overlooking the Vltava River. It was erected in 1991, on the plinth left vacant by the destruction in 1962 of an enormous monument to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (the Stalin statue, too big to be moved, was blown to bits while the citizens of Prague cheered).
A view over Prague, on the way up the hill to the castle:
At the Prague Castle, the main attraction is the towering St. Vitus Cathedral. It's on the highest point on the hill and can be seen from all over town:
Marionettes and puppets are big business in Prague, and there were tons of shops where master craftsmen showed off their creations. We especially liked this "kitchen witch", although she'd take up a lot of room in the kitchen:
The way back to the old town is across the ancient (and crowded) Charles Bridge:
Some detail from the bridge:
In old town, the Astronomical Clock:
And, like in Munich, leftover entry towers from when the city was walled:
During the day, we scouted for restaurants and narrowed it down to two, both nearby. After a couple of glasses of wine, we settled on the closest one and enjoyed excellent Veal Schnitzel and the best Confit of Duck ever...along with dumplings and Czech beer, of course.
Speaking of beer, here's another reason to love Prague:
OK, next, it's onward to the boat. The mystery builds...will we stay on the boat this time or be cast back into bus hell?
