โ Week Five Itinerary:
- prague, czech republic
- berlin, germany
- amsterdam, the netherlands
Prague, Czech Republic
Vienna ๐ ๐ Prague
Prague, Czechia | August 26th – 29th.
Yay new country! Yay I don’t feel unwell after this bus and train trip! Yay for still travelling Europe!
If you couldn’t tell I was pretty excited when we arrived in Prague. ๐
First stop; hostel. Next stop; exploring Prague and if you know anything about N.D and I by now it’s that we both love a park. I don’t know whether it’s the greenery, ample space for activities (personally I like reading but inevitably I always fall asleep) or possible animal sightings; but they’re great! Stลeleckรฝ Island was no exception.
Located between the old and new town, surrounded by the Vitava River and accessible via Most Legii (Legion Bridge); Stลeleckรฝ Island was one of our favourite parks in Prague and offered a new animal encounter for the two of us.
Nutria also known as coypu, are herbivorous, semi-aquatic rodents and incredibly cute. While in Prague we visited them at this island everyday… but sadly only N.D was successful at feeding them.
During the evening we wandered from Novo Mesto and Vyลกehrad, over the famous Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) to Stare Mesto (Old Town) and Josefov suburbs. With ice creams in hand of course. ๐
The following day saw us visit a few of the more recognisable landmarks and monuments of Prague, while trying to trot through as many parks and cross as many bridges as possible. ๐
These started with:
- Tanฤรญcรญ dลฏm (Dancing House)
- Farmรกลskรฉ trลพiลกtฤ Nรกplavka
- Botanical Garden of Charles University
- Vyลกehrad (fortress) and the surrounding gardens, Leopold Gate, cemetery, Tรกborskรก brรกna and Starรฉ Purkrabstvรญ
Across the Vyลกehradskรฝ ลพelezniฤnรญ most (Railway Bridge) to:
- Smรญchovskรก nรกplavka
- Santoลกka (park)
- Kinskรฉho zahrada (park)
- Vyhlรญdka Strahov (park)
- Petลรญnskรก rozhledna (Petrin Tower); 378m tall
- Strahov Monastery
And back around some of the sights we saw the evening before, but this time not in darkness:
- Lennon Wall
- Pomnรญk obฤtem komunismu (Memorial to the Victims of Communism)
- Across Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) again
- Praลพskรฝ orloj (Prague Astronomical Clock)
- Staromฤstskรฉ nรกmฤstรญ (Old Town Square)
- Praลกnรก brรกna (The Powder Tower)
- Frantiลกkรกnskรก zahrada (Franciscan Gardens)
As the historical capital of Bohemia, Prague is a city rich in historical, medieval and architectural charm. But to me it was just a really pretty city. Every step down a cobbled street, glance at a 17th-century neo-gothic church or 10th-century Roman inspired town square had me in awe. As the day went on N.D and I fell more and more in love with Prague.
The next day we took our exploration further and ventured to some the outer suburbs that we had seen from the Petลรญn Tower.
Starting with another trip across Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) we visited the Praลพskรฝ hrad (Prague Castle). With its vast array of gothic and romain style buildings, beautifully manicured gardens and never-ending pathways it was gorgeous to wander around. Especially in the early morning before the hoards of tourists arrived.
We continued our frolicking through Letenskรก plรกล (Letna Park), past ฤechลฏv most (ฤech Bridge), across ล tefรกnikลฏv most (ล tefanik Bridge) and towards our next destination.
Of all towers I’ve seen on my travels this has got to be the most peculiar decorative piece I’ve seen… crawling babies. Yet that is what ลฝiลพkovskรก televiznรญ vฤลพ (ลฝiลพkov Television Tower) was decorated with.
Our meander back to our hostel saw us pass a few more sights; Nรกrodnรญ pamรกtnรญk na Vรญtkovฤ (National Memorial on Vรญtkov Hill), Nejsvฤtฤjลกรญho Srdce Pรกnฤ (The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord Kostel), Vinohradskรก vodรกrenskรก vฤลพ (Vinohrady Water Tower), Havlรญฤkovy sady Grรฉbovka (Havlรญฤkovy Grotto) and Nรกrodnรญ muzeum (museum)
That evening we tried a variety of traditional Czechia food including ฤesneฤka (garlic soup), knedlรญky (dumplings) and vepลo knedlo zelo (roasted pork) before ending the night admiring the illuminated city skyline while floating on a barge. ๐
Berlin, Germany
Prague ๐ Berlin
Berlin, Germany | August 29th – 30th.
Our trip into Germany was quick but not final. En route to our next chosen country we needed to go through another… While visiting Germany is definitely on the list of destinations this Europa trip, Berlin wasn’t, yet that is where we spent the next (almost) two days.
Travelling from Prague to Amsterdam is a long bus ride, so when you decide to break it up into two smaller trips you might find yourself in Berlin like we did.
While trotting around the city centre of Berlin can be busy with people, trams, trains, buses, bicycles and cars; it is also a super easy way to see lots of the city. With lots of parks might I add!
Some sights we saw include:
- Alexanderplatz containing St. Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), Neptunbrunnen (fountain), Berliner Fernsehturm; 368m tall and the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock and of course I found New Zealand on it) ๐
- Pergamonmuseum
- Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) and Altes Museum both found in the Lustgarten
- Humboldt-Universitรคt zu Berlin
- Bรคrenbrunnen
- Gendarmenmarkt
- Checkpoint Charlie and the Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall)
- Topographie des Terrors (Topography of Terror) and Denkmal fรผr die ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe)
- Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)
- Reichstagsgebรคude (Reichstag Building)
From a once humble settlement to a city shrouded in darkness, from Nazi and Communist ruling to a fallen wall and the lively city we know today; Berlin has gone through it all! The city N.D and I trotted around although only for a short time felt trendy with its various local cuisines, parks and night life, on every street there were examples of cultural diversity and an inclusivity that history once tried to remove. The buildings were magnificent, some restored 18-century icons, with gods, goddesses and gold plating. Others post-war rebuilds that have taken on a modern flare. Monuments acknowledging the atrocities that occurred while others commemorating those who helped cease it. All reminders of the fragility of life and many beautiful in there own way.
Despite Berlin technically only being a stopover we had a great time, explored to our hearts content and ended the trip back on an overnight bus with tums full of bratwurst and bier.
While the stay was only short and sweet, the number of ‘Buddy Bears’ or painted, life-size fibreglass bear sculptures (for those not in the know) that I saw while trotting around the city was insane! Berlin you certainly have a mascot; everywhere. ๐
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Berlin ๐ Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands | August 30th – September 2nd.
Arriving at the bus station in the early morning we were met by an overwhelming but soon to be very common sight; bicycles! So so so many bicycles.
You might have thought you’ve seen a lot of bicycles before, on the street, in races, parked in racks… but if you haven’t been to Amsterdam then you’ve seen nothing in comparison! :O
There were bicycles everywhere and what made it even more impressive was the infrastructure the city had to accommodate all these cyclists. Sure you can have the chicken and the egg argument as to did they create all the cycle lanes for the all these cyclists or did the lanes encourage more people to cycle; who knows, probably a bit of both. What I want to point out is how amazing it is! There were bike lanes on both sides of the roads for each direction of traffic, racks everywhere to store your bike and they have there own traffic light system for ease of use. Incredible!!!
But moving on from the bicycles (for now), our first day at in Amsterdam was spent similar to previous city arrivals: through trotting exploration. ๐
It seems wrong to comment on all the sights we saw without first acknowledging the amazing canal system that surrounds them. Back during the Dutch Golden Age (17th-century) the city of Amsterdam was flourishing with wealth and people, quickly they realised they needed a housing solution to accommodate all these people (and their wealth of course) and so the canal system was created.
The first three canals Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht were built to form a belt around the city (known as Grachtengordel). With later additions of interconnecting canals between them and wider/deeper canals to allow shipping, this belt quickly became a fan shape and the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site that it is today.
But the canals aren’t alone in what’s to marvel at in Amsterdam. Adorning the edges are gorgeous 17th-century canal homes, old merchant houses and charming bridges. Interwoven with new architectural masterpieces it’s easy to see how Amsterdam once the epicentre of wealth in Europe has continued to flourish in todays modern age.
Exploration sights included:
- VOC (replica) ship outside of the Maritime Museum and NEMO Science Museum
- De Gooyer and Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
- The Oude Church, Montelbaanstoren, Zuiderkerk, Rembrandt House Museum, The New Church, Royal Palace Amsterdam, Westerkerk, and Munttoren
- Pythonbrug and Veemkade
- Skinny Bridge, Drieharingenbrug (Brug 320) and many many other gorgeous bridges
- Rijksmuseum (my favourite building in Amsterdam)
- De Wallen Red Light District
Once we had explored the city by foot we took it by sea… well canal really and hopped on a canal tour the following morning to marvel at it all again.
Our final day in Amsterdam was spent the way you’d expect any local too… eating stroopwafels, well yes but also on bicycles of course! This time though we left the city centre and ventured to the outer suburbs of Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Amstelveen, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Duivendrecht and Diemen- Noord. I love seeing a new place this way, getting out of the tourist bubble and exploring what the city feels like everyday for most people. Not only did the beautiful canals extend into suburbia but there were lots of parks and a beach! ๐
From castles to canals, bridges to beaches and parks to promenades this past week in three different countries has been incredible… and we still have three months to go.
Now on the bus with our home-made muesli-yoghurt containers (actually made in the hostel not home but you get the gist) and forks (we only have a reusable knife and fork combo, sadly no spoon) we are headed to our next Europa stop. Not crossing a country border this time though!
GC Chronicles 