Field Study: Prague

Berlin was one of the most fascinating places I have ever been to, however Prague is probably on of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It was definitely less affected by the destruction of WWII. Like Berlin, we arrived and were taken on a city tour. To be honest, I was so intrigued by the architecture that I forgot to listen to our guide at points. My favorite thing was the Old Hall Clock, which is the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working. People gather in the square to watch the clocks animated figures, which are set in motion on the hour.

The next day we had two meetings at the Institute of International Relations, and free time for the rest of the afternoon. From our meeting I headed to the St. Nicholas Church, which is probably the most beautiful Czech Baroque building, and during the time of socialism the bell tower was used as an observation point by the communist State security. Next I climbed the stairs up to the Prague Castle where I bought the full ticket to see everything in the area. My favorite was the St. Vitus Cathedral, mainly for the amazing Czech stained glass, which was absolutely gorgeous. Following my tour of the castle area, I got stuck in the rain and hooped on the tram just to keep dry. Once the rain died down, I got off, found a less-touristic traditional Czech restaurant, and enjoyed a beer and some goulash. I decided that afternoon that I would wake up to see the sunrise at the St. Charles Bridge.

So my alarm clock went off around 5:30am, I managed to get out of bed, get ready and was out the door around 6:00am. Tea in hand, I worked my way via the subway to the Old Town and walked the deserted streets to the bridge. I was amazed with how empty the city was and the there was maybe ten people on the bridge, which is normally flooded with tourists and street venders. I got some amazing photos, and just spent sometime thinking about the trip and all I had seen. I had some time before my hostel-mates would be awake so I went to the John Lennon Wall and took my time strolling back to the subway, watching Prague slowly come to life. Overall, it was a great trip. I am excited for our next field study trip and my travels to come. This week I will be heading to Geneva for a day, as well as Munich for Oktoberfest!