This morning we did what we love in our favourite cities and that is to get out before sunrise to check the city out before the crowds arrive. This morning we didn’t get snow but there was a fog rolling up the Vitava River providing a beautiful setting to the rising sun. We went to the Old Town Square first and got some nice pictures of the Jan Hus monument, the Christmas tree and the beautiful buildings surrounding the square. Then it was down to the Charles Bridge where there was already a fair amount of people with the same intentions as us. Our timing was perfect as we were able to get some great shots before the fog got heavier. There was also two wedding parties at the bridge getting some early wedding photos as well.

We really enjoy getting out and about in the city early even if it was a very crisp -1 degrees, our thermals, scarves, gloves and big jackets kept us toasty.

We then adjourned back to the boat for another delicious breakfast to fuel us up for today’s adventures, we did take the liberty of stealing some ham which Amy fed to her new friends the swans who come straight up to our window.

Our first stop today was the Jewish Quarter where we bought tickets to wander around this historic area of Prague. Our tickets gave us admission to three Synagogues, Ceremonial Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery.

We started in the Pinkas Synagogue which is the second oldest surviving synagogue in Prague and commemorates Czech Jewish victims of the Holocaust. This synagogue contains the longest epitaph in the world listing 80,000 Jewish victims of the holocaust and is very moving. It contains an exhibition called ‘Journeys with no return’ which focussed on the deportation of Jews which took occurred as part of the ‘final solution to the Jewish question’. From 1939 to 1945 almost 81,000 Czech Jews were deported to concentration, labour and extermination camps.

We then wandered through the old Jewish Cemetery which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and is one of the most important Jewish historical monuments in Prague, the oldest gravestone in the Cemetery dates back to 1439 and belongs to a rabbi and poet Avigdor Kara. Next on the agenda was the Klausen Synagogue which is now the largest synagogue in the former Jewish ghetto and the sole example of an early baroque synagogue.

The jewish ceremonial hall was next on the list, it was built in 1906-08 and was originally a ceremonial hall and mortuary but now forms part of the Jewish Museum and contains relics and information about the Jewish ceremonies associated with death and burial.

Then it was a short walk to the Old-New Synagogue which has served the local Jewish community for nearly 750 years and is one of the oldest European Synagogues. The last destination on our tour through the Jewish Museum was the Maisel Synagogue. It was built in 1592 but has been burned down and rebuilt on several occasions. On display is a variety of rare objects and well as information on the Jewish community of Prague.

It was a fascinating and moving experience wandering through this part of Prague. What I found ironic was that Hitler actually supported this areas preservation and even supported Jewish memorabilia and artefacts being transported here as he supported this area being preserved as a ‘museum of an extinct race’.

As with yesterday the crowds in the old town area were getting bigger so we decided to escape this and head up to the Strahov Monastery as Ruth had told us about the unique but tasty black beer they serve there, apparently the monks have been brewing beer there for centuries. Anyway, we wandered up and found a restaurant called the Bellavista that has the most amazing view back over the Prague Castle and the city of Prague. We decided to sample the beer (I tried the dark, red and green beer) although Amy had a Prosecco and we shared a tasting plate of meats and cheese for lunch and hung around for well over an hour. However, upon leaving the restaurant we think we were actually at the wrong spot as the Strahov Brewery was just around the corner from where we were, we had enjoyed a different brand of beer. Oh well, the beer we had was excellent and the views were stunning and our waiter was also a great laugh so I guess it all worked out for the good. Perhaps we can try the Strahov beer next time we are here.

We then took a tram back into the Old Town as we needed to purchase the obligatory fridge magnet as our souvenir for visiting this amazing city. Once that was done we visited the Cat Cafe and made friends with a small black cat named Luki. We enjoyed hanging out with the cats for a while but think the cat cafe in Reykjavík is much better.

Despite running the clippers over my head just before we embarked on this trip my hair was starting to get a bit scruffy so I took advantage of our relaxed afternoon and got a hair cut. The number 1 here is a bit shorter than I have at home so I’m now sporting a very short cut.

For tea tonight we dined at the Restorante Botel Matylda which is associated with our botel, it’s where we have enjoyed our breakfast.  It serves Italian and our meals were sensational, we shared a plate of buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and basil for entree and for our mains Amy had the Tagliatelle Alla Panna and I had the spaghetti carbonara, some of the best pasta we’ve had. Our waiter recommended we finish off with a Becherovka, a Czech traditional  herbal liquer and it was delicious. A great way to end our last night in Prague.

Ive said it a few times already but we have just loved Prague and it’s easily now one of our favourite cities to visit.

Dobrou Noc.