A STROLL TO CHARLES BRIDGE

When I was in Prague, I was not entirely drawn to visiting Charles Bridge until I saw a photo of it somewhere online, in which the bridge was captured during twilight. The backdrop was a fiery red sky, and the lights on the bridge have just begun to lit (or ‘are still’ lit?), contrasting the clearer view of the bridge in the foreground against the layers of turrets in the horizon. It looked magical! I told myself I had to see that scene in person!

So, I decided to get up early one morning, too early actually that the subway is still closed. I didn’t mind as I was also fancying some stroll. So I checked google maps to familiarize myself with my path from the hotel to the bridge — really glad we can now download maps for offline use.

the path from my hotel to Charles Bridge

Let me give you a photo-walk of my early morning stroll to Charles Bridge.

 

Dawn was already breaking when I stepped out of the hotel – Dejvicka train station ahead

At this point, I realized I wouldn’t make it to the bridge whilst twilight time.

My favorite parts of the day – before dawn and the deep deep night – when people are asleep and the streets are empty

Loving the natural gradient

These lights are giving me the vibe of Van Gogh’s Arles pieces

Nice view of a Prague neighborhood – right by that “pinch” road bend (see map above)

First glimpse of Charles Bridge by the Vltava bank

Vltava driftwoods

Had to pass by another hilly neighborhood to get to the bridge – I learned later that a museum dedicated to Franz Kafka was located somewhere here

I just love quiet streets

There it is – one end of Charles Bridge – it’s like two different time periods in one frame

arch frame

a curious mix of early tourists + drunk people going home

There they are, few of the thirty statues on the bridge

You can see houses on the riverbank

Prague sunrise

 

pigeons on Charles Bridge

 

My sleepy ass

Prague’s Vltava

toggling around my phone’s camera tools in the attempt to capture the dawn tones

 

Forgive the abundance of photos. This was my first time in Europe, and the view was just breathtaking. I wanted to photograph it in all angles so that when I look at the photos, I will remember the joy I was feeling when I was there at that moment.

couple enjoying the romantic air

The river

Closer look at one of the statues

approaching the other end of the bridge

crux

now seeing that striking teal dome – I wonder if it’s a cathedral

Looking back before leaving the bridge – there’s the Prague castle right behind a crucifix

Sun’s already up

 

The other end of the bridge

Forgive me, I can’t get enough of this

The view just looks good no matter how I frame it

Rust horizon

Loved how this photo captures the contrast of the Old (the architecture, the statue, the glorious facades), and the New (modern technology represented by the tram passing by)

That iconic dome

I was googling for party places and read about this multi-storey partygoers’ hotspot (“Karlovy Lazne”) that features different music and mood in each floor

I actually passed by Karlovy Lazne’s facade one evening, and the queue was unbelievable – I instantly turned away; guess I’m already too old for this shizz

I guess this is Charles IV

The tower / archway that marks the end of the bridge (or the beginning, depending on which bank of Vltava you came from)

look at those lovely lines

Speaking of contrast, underneath of all these centuries(?) old structures lie the subway lines of Prague. How cool is that?

the entrance to Staromestska subway station

It’s all about honesty here — you purchase your tickets from machines or from the booth, then you just have them stamped in these yellow machines. But actually, you can still pass through to the platforms even without doing this, but of course some roaming inspectors on the train might luckily pick you for a random inspection

the steep escalator ride to the platforms

Nice modern design

Still marveling at all these wonders around me, while heading back to the hotel

 

Really. I was very lucky that I get to have a chance to see this lovely city, even more so the marvelous Charles Bridge. I feel like that simple stroll in itself was already a soul-enriching activity. This is one of the reasons why I love traveling, and seeing new places, experiencing local.

And to cap that, I helped myself with a heavy breakfast, courtesy of Vienna House. 🙂