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Like moths to a flame, Prague's countless tourists swarm around the Old City streets, flitting in and out of the endless & identically-kitsch tourist shops, alighting nowhere for long. For most cities, however enchanting, this would be enough to wear the charm thin - very quickly... =/ But Prague is an untouchably magical place - a deep-dreaming city of cobbled lanes, Gothic spires and refreshingly-diverse architecture. And one of the most magical places of all is Staromestske nam, (Old Town square), at dusk. The twin Gothic spires of Tyn Church hang - a pair of sharp-winged bats - over one side of the square, while the other is dominated by the Town Hall, (with its much-vaunted but ultimately anticlimactic - Is that it?! - astronomical clock).
Prague/Krakow: Dreams, Dragons & Nazi Death Camps
Michael Meadows2007-04-21 21:27:46
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this point totally incapable of making any decisions for himself, pointed to it wordlessly, his imploring eyes seeming to ask Mum's permission. "Yes, that's alright, that's her jacket - This is your jacket, right? - Yes, that's hers, you can just move it over here to her bed. Ok?" Totally submissive now, the newcomer mumbled a respectful thank you, and started to move in. Much more quietly than before. Watching from my bunk, I grinned at Mum as she returned to her bed. I'd expected that she'd handle the hostel scene well, but still hadn't quite expected to wake up on the first night to find her directing drunken traffic. =P
Situated on a lazy curve of the Vistula River, (legend tells that Prince Krak outwitted the resident dragon to claim this prime piece of real estate), Krakow is an enjoyable & laidback city and we liked it very much. There aren't a huge number of 'sights', with the main exceptions being the castle on Wawel Hill, the main square Rynek Glowny (the largest medieval town square in Europe), and Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter). We enjoyed our time here a lot though, mainly because of the interesting & very friendly people that we met, both locals and fellow travellers.
Incidentally, it was one of these people who told us how much money could be saved by booking hostel beds through www.hostelworld.com. At the hostel we were staying at in Krakow, we paid the walk-in rate (40 zlotych) for the first couple of nights, before finding out that the exact same beds cost only 22 zlotych when booked through hostelworld! We hadn't bothered booking ahead before, preferring the freedom of being able to change our plans at any moment. But from then on, we often booked our hostels one day in advance, and saved quite a lot in numerous other places as well.
After a few light-hearted days in Krakow, we then spent our last day very differently - a harrowing & very sobering tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau
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See photographs from:
Czech Republic Gallery
,
Poland Gallery
