Czech Republic & Slovakia

Czech Republic – Prague

I first went to Prague in the late summer of 1991. The Czech Republic was still integrated with Slovakia as Czechoslovakia back then. I also went to Bratislava and Budapest, Hungry on that trip. Despite the claims from Hungarians who ALWAYS claim that Budapest is the most beautiful city in the world, it paled in comparison to Prague. This was not long after the wall had fallen, so the atmosphere was one of excitement and hope after the recent history of being controlled by foreign powers like the Austro-Hungarian Empire, fascist Germany and then the Soviet Union. I haven’t any photos from that trip but returned to Prague in October 2010.

Old Town Square, City Hall tower astronomical clock

One of the best-known historical attractions is the Old Town Square in the center of the city. The old town hall there has a tower with a huge clock that shows the time and another that shows the positions of the sun and moon. On the hour, there are 4 figures above that move, which represent the things most hated when the clock was built centuries ago – vanity and greed, Jews and Turks (need one say more to that!) In addition figures of the 12 apostles appear before 2 windows. One can also go up in the City Hall tower for a good view of the area. I actually did a couple of show on this spot back in 1991 but later found it better to work elsewhere on the square. The problem wasn’t so much the constant hordes of tourists but that the horse drawn carriages would regularly drive through.

Prague street shows

This musician was playing just off of the square. I saw a number of musicians about town in 2010 but was surprised not to see any other acts. Even back in 1991, I was told that one needed a license, which should be hard to get and at least a 3-month wait. I presented myself at the office and they immediately gave me a permit for some days when I told them that I was a professional performer from America. Having gotten rid of the communists, America was idealized by the Czechs as the beacon of the free world. Or at least that’s what they thought back then!

Typical Prague architecture, Republic Square

Some typical street scenes in the center. Many of the buildings were damaged during WWII, not from the occupying Germans but from American bombs but it was minor compared to what happened to many places and it retains a very old world flair that few places can match on such a scale. Republic Square is one of the central landmarks containing an old tower and to the right in the picture the Municipal Building, which is a treasure of Art Nouveau design. It contains a number of restaurants with murals and stained glass by local masters including Alfons Mucha.

Vltava River, Prague

The Vltava River runs through the center of Prague. A movie with Tom Cruise in it was being filmed and the red boat was docked in the river to supply additional lighting.In addition to the many ships and ferries, one of the famous motives to photograph on the river is the Charles Bridge.

Prague tourist information center

From the Charles bridge going towards the center one passes under a tower archway. The Prague tourist information center is located there. To grab people’s attention they didn’t just have a sign but a person in middle-aged armored to welcome you.

Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral

Walking, one reaches both the lower or higher entrances to the castle complex from the south. Taking a metro or tram one has an entrance to the upper north side. One first comes to the royal gardens whihc run along side and a bit above the castle complex. From nearby is a view of the castle church looking across the moat. One can get relatively cheap 24-hour passes for the well-used public transportation. I mostly used the metro, which is pretty straightforward and has 3 lines. Understanding the tram and buses is a bit more complicated but one can change freely between them. Accommodation is expensive in the center so it is recommendable to find a place a bit outside but close to a metro station.

The St. Vitus Cathedral within the castle grounds is huge having been added on to over the centuries. The local artist Mucha did this stained glass window. His distinctive style is best known from posters and advertisements but he also did large painting and drawings and there is an excellent museum in the center dedicated to his work.

Prague Castle Complex

The area directly above the Prague Castle also has lots of big old buildings, statues and the occasional souvenir stand. There are great views over the city from here na dit was another spot I saw local musicians playing. Here are multiple views of the main plaza in front of the upper north entrance to the castle.

Within the Prague Castle complex

Within the Prague Castle complex are palaces, chapels, the cathedral and various museums. We didn’t even pay to go into any of the buildings yet there is more than one can really see in an afternoon for free. One first has to pass through the outer gates and then through an archway with military guards who looked to be more of a decoration than a security consideration.

Slovakia

Bratislava, capital city of Slovakia.

I had spent a day in Bratislava decades ago but have neither photos nor many memories. My focus back then was trying new places to street perform. In October 2025 I returned. Again just for a day but to see the sites and take photos despite cloudy conditions making it less than optimal. We had taken a Flix bus overnight from Stuttgart arriving at least an hour earlier than expected. At 6.25 in the morning it was still dark. The main bus station was farther to the east but we got out at the one at the edge of the old city center with the iconic Bratislava castle looming above. There is a building at the station with lockers but it didn’t open until 7. When it did, we found it would have cost 15 euros for a big enough locker for the day. I had my backpack and cloths for our 5 day trip that would continue back to Vienna and Salzburg. Decided to save the money although we kept an eye out for other cheaper lockers. At the tourist information office near the city hall they confirmed that there should be lockers at the main train station and other bus station but they were not close by and likely not cheaper. Was at least one shop in the center that offered such storage services but again over-priced.

We headed north into the old center passing the trinity statue column and then to the St. Martins Catholic cathedral. Following the pedestrian Panska Street to the NE one sees some majestic buildings including the Csaky Palace. Next door there was a narrow but intricately detailed building but I didn’t see anything explaining its history.

Bratislava National Theater, Reduta

Turning south on the Hviezdoslavovo Námestie (street) past the bronze statue by Cumil of a worker crawling out of a sewer, one comes to a plaza with the Ganymedova fontána (fountain) and the majestic National Theater Slovenské Národné Divadio, which is also the opera house. There is a tree lined promenade running some hundreds of meters back to the east where one sees the Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav monument and the luxury Carlton Hotel to the south. Back just south of the plaza is the Viťazstvo parnätnik oslobodenia victory monument and a row of ornate historical buildings including the Reduta building that houses the philharmonic.

Bratislava Main square, Palugyayov palác, Kutscherfeld palace, old city hall, Jesuit church

Returning a few blocks to the north one finds the main city square. In the center is the Maximiliánova fontána or Maximilian fountain. On the south side is the Palugyayov palác (palace), to the north  a statue of Napoleon with the French embassy in the Kutscherfeld palace in the background. To the east one sees the old city hall or Stará radnica. Next to the old city hall is the Kostol Najsvätejšieho Spasiteľa Jesuit church and in front of that the Mariánsky stĺp monument. On the West side are a couple of ornate buildings worthy of being a palace or embassy themselves.

Bratislava city hall, Primatial Palace

To the east of the old city hall is a square where one finds the current city hall to the north side and the Primaciálny palác or Primatial Palace, which was a former archbishops’ winter residence to the south. One can walk into the courtyard of this pink building that now houses a museum to see the impressive equestrain statue. The municipal tourist information office is to the east. North of this square one passes the Františkánsky kláštor or Franciscan monastery and garden to the left and old but unremarkable looking church to the right before dead ending into a major ring road where one sees the old post office the Astorka Korzo ’90 theater and Pamätník monument.

Bratislava Michael’s Gate, Mirbach Palace

Behind the Franciscan church to the west was the Mirbachov palác or Mirbach Palace and continuing on into the Michael Street a number of historical buildings where multiple embassies are located.  At the northern end of the street is the Michalská brána or Michael’s Gate. Passing through one sees a couple of statues; one of archangel Michael the other of Jan Nepomucky a Czech Saint from the late 14^th century.

Bratislava Kohmenskeho University, Stary Most Bridge, Danube promenade

We then backtracked over the center square area where we found a good Asian fusion restaurant for lunch. We headed east to the large Ŝtúrova Street and headed south past more impressive buildings including the Korean embassy housed in the Čákiho palác (palace) as well as multiple hotels. Farther south along the Šafárikovo námestie (street)  is the Kačacia fontánawe or duck fountain on the left before seeing the Kohmenskeho University to our right – before arriving at the Danube River. There is a nice café-bar there and an artificial sand beach where the Stary Most Bridge extends over the river. We turned east again along the river promenade passing boats that offered tours and/or dining before getting back to the bus station where we started from.

Bratislava Castle – Bratislavský hrad

From the bus station we had one last major site to see; the imposing castle on the hill  the Bratislavský hrad. We zig-zagged up the streets, still carrying our luggage. My wife finally ran out of energy below the first castle gate. So I left my things with her and took a quick jaunt up through additional gates to get to the top enjoying the front entrance and one side of the castle. There were some nice views towards the river but the historical center was still mostly obscured from sight. The castle is neither overly large nor intricate in design on the exterior and I had no to time to visit the interior. I guess further exploring it would be the first on my list for a return trip.