Glenna wanted to immediately take a bath

But, right outside our door, we had things to see. We had to go!!!

The Old Town Hall, built 1364

While London, Rome, Paris, and Barcelona may be the top European cities for tourists, Prague is right there at the top. It has charm, history, architecture, and cuisine that match those of any major city. It is also much cheaper and less crowded. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. I can’t recommend it enough. We had a wonderful time there and would love to return. We spent two weeks in Prague and the surrounding area in September 2010.

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland. It has a population of almost 11 million with Prague as its capital and largest city. While every other old majestic building in Prague is a church, the country is one of the least religious in Europe, with many identifying as non-religious.

Historically, the region was settled by Slavic peoples in the early 6th century and, by the 9th century, had developed into the Great Moravian Empire. During the Medieval Period, it was a powerful kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire. After World War I, it recreated itself as Czechoslovakia. It was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War and controlled by the USSR until 1989. In 1993, in what has been called the “Velvet Divorce, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

When we arrived in Prague, we checked into our Hotel, The Buddha Bar Hotel. Very hip and high tech.