Adventures in Prague

I spent the first weekend of December traveling on my second trip with the International Students' House.  This trip was to Prague primarily to visit the Christmas markets!  We left at 4:30 AM which was far too early, but we got a full afternoon of exploring on a lovely walking tour!  The city was full of history, including the 600 year old Prague Astronomical Clock, which interestingly shows the moon and sun rotating around the earth.

Prague, as well as the other smaller cities we visited, is full of Christmas markets decorated with trees and lights. Some are larger than others, but all have much of the same ornaments, gifts, and holiday food. 

Next we took a tour of the Budweiser company.  I'm not a fan of beer, but it was interesting seeing the giant caldrons that they brew it in.

Our first night in Prague was St. Nicholas night.  Some of the children dressed up like the saint, angels, and devils. 

The next day we went to Hluboka castle, which was covered in fog and really magical-looking.  We could only view part of the castle, but it was full of antlers, fireplaces, and decorations.

My favorite part of the trip was the visit to Czesky Krumlov, a little town near the Austrian border.  We arrived just at sunset and the view from the castle of the little houses and stream was gorgeous.  The picture doesn't do it justice!

It was like something out of a fairytale, the most idyllic Christmas town imaginable! 

On our final day in Prague, we visited a monastery with a massive library, the castle, and a cathedral.  All of which were gorgeous.

Overall, the trip was amazing and a great way to experience the traditional European Christmas!