We left Berlin on Monday headed for Prague which is four hours away by train.

It’s an interesting trip with a group of English Football lads realising that they had booked the train ride but not reserved any seats, something that you must consider if using the trains in Europe. They would just get comfortable and then get shifted at the next stop, which becomes tiresome after the third instance. Using a booking platform like Trainline (thetrainline.com) is a solid option and No, I’m not getting a kickback for the plugging of their service, it’s a good system and has worked well for us so deserves some credit.

We arrive into Prague around 1:30pm but can’t check-in until 4pm so have some time to kill. First up lunch at a local restaurant named Masarycka where we enjoy some local fare including the nicest cut of rare cooked beef I have had for a long while, accompanied by new potatoes and hollandaise sauce, while Stacey enjoyed deep fried Gouda with potatoes, salad and tartare sauce. Other than the sensational taste what becomes very apparent is the price of the meal. Converting the bill from 710 Czech Koruna comes in under 30 Euro including drinks. That’s the combined total, not each. In other European cities we have visited, that would be at least double the price.

We check-in to our apartment after lunch and it is huge! It sleeps seven and has more space than we are accustomed to. It’s old, quaint and quintessentially Czech.

Tuesday, our first real day of exploring, sees us meander through the Old Town area of Prague. The architecture is somewhat unique and the history is apparent with some buildings dating back to 890AD. There is also the Astronomical Clock or Orloj along the way.

Our wandering ways delivers us to the Vltava River which runs through the heart of Prague. The views from the bank are beautiful and show how the city has expanded over time. From here we can see the Prague Castle on the hill across the other side of the Charles Bridge and decide to walk up to it. It’s steeper than it looks but the castle and views are worth the effort.

We wander back down to the old city again and spend the rest of the morning meandering through the streets. This place has that old world charm.

In the afternoon we decide to walk up to the Táborský památník na Vítkově v Praze memorial which we can see on a hillside from the front of our apartment. It’s also steeper than we expected and challenges us with a set of stairs that are literally breathtaking. The view though is worth the effort.

On our way back we head to a local bar, the Hybernska, for a refreshment. The waitress serving us, Yvne, strikes up a conversation with us and recommends another two local snacks. There is a potato based pancake called Bramboraky that is wrapped around Gyros (chicken) and accompanied by Tzatziki, capsicum and fresh dill. She also shouted us Becherovka which is a shot glass of vodka with cinnamon, star anise and orange poured over a green plum. Refreshing!

Our next morning brings sunshine which changes the whole look of the city and its river. The colours in the buildings along the river start to pop, while the river itself glistens and at times displays a mirror finish.

Our walk takes us past the Dancing House building which is supposed to resemble Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing but we just don’t see it. Maybe we need to squint more…

The final part of our river loop is past Kampa Park which has a different art installation that is designed to provoke your thoughts. 34 penguins made of recycled plastics are lined up along a metal beam within the river of Vltava. Their purpose is to bring attention to climate change and the use of plastics.

All in all we loved our time in Prague. It’s walkable, friendly and we can’t fault the different foods we tried. It is a city though, so it gets busy at times but it’s worth a visit in our opinion.