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European City Break: Budapest

Hey everyone,

So most of you will probably know this by now, but I’ve not long returned from my second European city break of 2015 where I headed to the beautiful Hungarian capital of Budapest for a quick weekend getaway with my sister. Budapest is such a beautiful city and, with so much to see and do, we had the most amazing time! We took off from London Gatwick airport on the morning of Saturday 26th September and after a short 2hr flight with the fantastic Easyjet Holidays we landed safely at our destination. And as if by magic you can now BOOK the exact same trip I planned in one easy step – scroll down and read the last paragraph for details! In the meantime though, here’s what we got up to in Budapest…

The Hotel

We were delighted to be staying on a room only basis at the luxurious 4* Hotel President located a short walk away from the stunning St Stephen’s Basilica and close to the major attractions on the Pest side of the city. Situated on the same historical streets as the US Embassy and the National Bank, the boutique hotel enjoyed prime position for the parliamentary parts of the city.

Our rooms were spacious, modern and clean and we made use of the excellent spa facilities on offer at the Wellness Centre on the ground floor. The hotel also boasted a fantastic 360 degree panoramic roof terrace offering spectacular views across the city but unfortunately we weren’t able to enjoy this as it was for restaurant reservations only.

All the staff at the hotel were so friendly and helpful and made our stay even better, a big thank you to the reception team and the staff member who helped us with our luggage upon both arrival and departure! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a comfortable and luxurious stay in the heart of the city, it was truly wonderful.

The Restaurants

We stayed on a room only basis and found this to work brilliantly for us as there were many cafes, diners and restaurants nearby where we were able to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As Budapest is generally very cheap compared to other European cities we got great value for money and enjoyed some amazing meals out!

We mainly ate in the square by St Stephens Basilica as everything seemed to centre around that point, although there were many different roads leading off the square all of which housing more restaurants, cafes and shops. Our highlights had to be Platz, a French café-restaurant serving amazing cocktails, TG Italiano, a brilliantly authentic Italian restaurant and Gelarto Rosa, a gorgeous little ice cream parlour where all the ice creams were made into beautiful rose shapes- enjoying one of these in the September sun whilst gazing at the beautiful basilica made for a perfect piece of heaven! Another of our highlights was Café Smuz located adjacent to the grand Parliament Building- there was a funky mirror outside giving us the perfect chance to take that all important Buda-selfie!

Prices were great in Budapest, we paid on average £7pp for a large main course and found lunches to be around the £4 mark. Drinks prices were about what you’d expect to pay in the UK (£7 for a cocktail, £5 for a mixer) whilst soft drinks, snacks and breakfast items were relatively cheap.

Getting around

We used the fantastic Giraffe Hop on Hop off Bus Tours which were by far the most straight forward and most convenient way of exploring the city. With 5 lines, 43 stops and 22 languages to choose from, the Giraffe Tours were accessible for anyone to use with comfort and gave us the best opportunity to see the whole of Budapest. The lines included 2 bus tours, walking tours and a fantastic boat trip all as part of the price! Charges for 24hr and 48hr tickets are fairly similar so it’s worth paying the higher price to get the full extra day, but we knew we were going to spend our last day at the thermal spas so didn’t pay for an extra day.

However, it turned out that there was a major marathon through the city on the day we used the bus so the company automatically upgraded everyone to 48hr tickets at no additional cost- winner! This in turn enabled us to catch the bus to the spas, via the incredible Heroes Square, thus saving us the cost of an organised package trip and allowing us more time to explore a side to the city we were yet to see. I’ve been on many tourist buses in my time, exploring places such as Paris, Barcelona and London, but I have to say that the Giraffe buses in Budapest were by far the best I have ever been on. Thanks to the lovely staff and drivers for making the experience so enjoyable!

Tourist Attractions

Budapest isn’t the largest city so pretty much all the sights can be seen in a couple of days, but you’ll need to use a mode of transport rather than walking as the city is split into two sides by the river Danube: Buda and Pest. The Buda side is west of the river, whilst the Pest side is on the east bank. I’ve done a handy round up below of where to find all the biggest attractions so you can plan your days accordingly! Without doubt the most popular and well known attractions are The Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge and of course the River Danube.

Spanning 2860km and flowing through ten countries, the Danube is Europe’s second largest river and, as I’ve mentioned, it totally splits Budapest in two. Home to no less than 8 grand bridges, the Danube itself is an impressive sight, particularly at night when the whole riverfront is lit up and sparkling! Arguably the best way to see the city in all its glory is by taking a river cruise down the Danube, either at night or during the day, to gaze in awe at all of the beautiful sights.

We took an afternoon cruise and had the most incredible views of perhaps the most impressive building I’ve ever seen; the stunning Hungarian Parliament Building which was truly beautiful from any angle, both in daylight and after dark. We also got up close and personal with the pretty Chain Bridge and marvelled at Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion and many statues and landmarks high up in the hills that could be seen from the river. Amazingly, our boat trip was included in our Giraffe Bus ticket price, but there are many day time and evening cruises on offer running daily, most with the option of a lunch or evening meal and live music on board.

Buda highlights

Margaret Island – a recreational delight with beautiful green parks and dancing fountains accessible by boat!

Buda Castle – home to the Kings of Budapest and listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, this fairytale castle is in a prime position overlooking the river Danube

Fishermans Bastion – part of the adjacent Matthias Church, the Bastion is a stunning neo-gothic and neo-Romanesque style terrace near to Buda Castle.

Citadella Fortress – located at the highest point of the road system, this fantastic photo stop was on the red Giraffe bus route and allowed us to enjoy amazing 360degree views across the whole of the city. Well worth a visit!

Pest highlights

Hungarian Parliament Building – seriously the most impressive building I’ve ever seen! Don’t believe me? Check out this photo..

St Stephen’s Basilica – gorgeous Roman Catholic Church which is breath-taking both inside and out. Climb the 302 steps to the top of the tower for incredible panoramic views across the city!

Shoes on the Danube Memorial – a poignant tribute to some of the Jewish community who were ordered to line up, take their shoes off and be shot by the Arrow Cross Party during the Second World War just because of their religion. Incredibly sad and a shocking reminder of how many Jews sadly lost their lives during the War.

Heroes Square – a vibrant area in the heart of the city and home to statues of seven Hungarian Tribe leaders as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Szechenyi Thermal Baths – One of Europe’s largest thermal Spas home to over 10 different indoor and outdoor pools, with temperatures in some reaching an incredible 40 degree heat, along with saunas and steam rooms for the ultimate spa experience.

On Tuesday 29th September we headed back to London via Budapest airport, and their excellent duty free section! Overall we had a brilliant trip full of fun and adventure and I would highly recommend Budapest as an exciting city break or weekend away with friends, family or partners. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my post about everything that Budapest has to offer, please contact me if you have any questions or would like to know more on certain areas of the city!

As mentioned above, you can now book the EXACT trip I did in one easy step – just click on the link below for more details and to request a quote!

Get a quote for this trip

Love Jess x

October 23, 2015/2 Comments/by jessicalouise1601

All Posts, Europe

Preparing for Beautiful Budapest!

Hey everyone,

So my second city break of the year is almost here and I AM SO EXCITED to be heading to Budapest on Saturday!! Me and my sister visited Prague back in February (we had a whale of a time!) so we thought we’d plan adventure number two and chose the beautiful Hungarian city as our next go-to destination! First of all I just want to say a massive THANK YOU to my lovely fellow travel bloggers Vicky from Eat Sleep Love Travel and Rebecca from The World As Bec Sees It for providing me with the stunning images to enable me to write this post! They’re both amazing – go check out their blogs and, if you’re after some more Budapest-esque info, they’ve both compiled posts and handy guides to the city…

Budapest looks to be absolutely AMAZING and I can’t wait to experience the local history and culture that the European capital has to offer. We’ll be staying in the 4* Hotel President on the Pest side of the river Danube and location wise it looks perfect for us. Its described as a luxury boutique hotel and we’re particularly excited about trying out the spa facilities and marvelling at the city views from the panoramic roof terrace – who said anything about high expectations?!

Image courtesy of Google Images

As we’re only staying for three nights we are trying to cram in as much as we can so that our city break is as adventurous and fun filled as can be. So far we’ve pin pointed Chain Bridge, St Stephen’s Basilica & the stunning Hungarian Parliament Building as main attractions that we are just dying to see! We’re also planning to head to the Thermae Spa’s both in the evening and during the day and are super excited to be spending some relaxation time in one of the world’s prettiest spots of natural beauty.

We’re catching our Easyjet flight from London Gatwick on Saturday morning and anticipate arriving in the capital during the early part of the afternoon ready for a few hours of exploring whilst daylight is still present! We’ll then be staying until Tuesday 29^th September before flying home around dinner time and arriving back in the sunny UK close to midnight (booo).

I’ll obviously be too busy having fun to be blogging whilst on my travels but you can keep up to date with my Budapest antics over on my Instagram page– I’ll be posting wanderlust inducing photos whenever I get a spare minute… and usage of some free wifi!

Have you ever been to Budapest before? If so, what are the main sights I should see without fail, and do you have any local tips and hints I should know about before I travel?! If you haven’t been, is Budapest on your wanderlust list at all? If you have any advice for me please leave a comment below and I’ll catch up with you all when I’m home…

Bon Voyage!

Love Jess x

September 24, 2015/by jessicalouise1601

All Posts, Europe

Wanderlust Wednesday: Top 10 European City Breaks

Hi everyone,

Welcome to my new Wanderlust Wednesday feature.. with summer fast approaching the time will soon come for me to venture abroad for my next European city break. I’m really in to booking busy sight seeing weekends away as opposed to week long beach holidays and I want to fit in as many trips as I can over the next few years! Im currently trying to book a break away during our next UK bank holiday which falls at the end of August but I have no idea where to go! So with the help of some brilliant fellow travel bloggers (pics credited below) I thought I’d compile a wanderlust list to give me some inspiration! Here goes…

1) Rome, Italy

Image courtesy of Emily Pearson of A Befuddled Life

Top of my list and for very good reason, Rome is the place I am absolutely desperate to visit as soon as physically possible! I’ve always loved the thought of exploring the historic coliseums’, visiting the religious Vatican area and consuming copious amounts of Gelato – authentic Italian ice cream-yum! I’ve wanted to make a wish at The Trevi Fountain and walk down the Spanish Steps ever since I was a little girl so The Eternal City is definitely calling my name!

2) Copenhagen, Denmark

This image & my feature image of The Little Mermaid statue are both courtesy of Shelly Borga of Norway to Nowhere

The capital city lies in the heart of Scandinavia and boasts many exquisite landmarks and popular tourist attractions whilst having a very laidback feel. Home to Denmark’s Parliament and Royal Family, this city is by far the largest in the country. I’ve always wanted to go to Copenhagen to visit The Little Mermaid statue as everyone knows how much of a Disney geek/storybook fan I am! The picturesque Nyhavn Harbor and breathtaking Tivoli Gardens also look amazing places to visit. Although quite expensive this city break is definitely on my next go-to list for the summer!

3) Budapest, Hungary

Image courtesy of Tangerine Trubiano of A Travelogue by Brock & Tanj

The capital of Hungary is split into two districts; Buda and Pest, hence the name, and is bisected via the River Danube. Home to The Hungarian Parliament Building, many museums and galleries and the largest thermal water system in the world, Budapest is a cultural paradise not to be missed! I’m so tempted to book a trip there this August and experience everything that this beautiful city has to offer.. prices are super cheap out there as well so that’s another reason it features high up on this list.. watch this space!

4) Berlin, Germany

Image courtesy of Tangerine Trubiano of A Travelogue by Brock & Tanj

Famed for its large involvement in both world wars, Berlin offers a wealth of culture and history with plenty to do both in the summer and winter months. Well known attractions include The Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie and The Berlin Wall. I’d love to visit during December to experience their fantastic Christmas markets but have been told it gets bitterly cold with temperatures as low as minus 18 degrees.. thermals at the ready!

5) Lisbon, Portugal

Image courtesy of Maaike Van Kuijk of A Travellous World

A quirky alternative to Barcelona/Madrid, the coastal capital of Portugal offers a mix of a busy sightseeing break with a more relaxed beach style holiday. I’m always on the go when I do city breaks as I like to pack as much in as I can and never get a chance to relax, so the allure of a beach in the same city appeals to me a lot! Main points of interest include the beautiful Sao Jorge Castle, Lisbon Cathedral, the zoo and the oceanarium.

6) Bruges, Belgium

Image courtesy of my good friend Stephanie Lett

This chocolate box capital in North West Belgium looks like something out of a fairy tale and I’ve been wanting to visit for years! Full of medieval buildings, winding canals and cobbled streets, the city offers tonnes of beautiful history as well as the best beer and waffles you’ll ever taste! What’s more, you can even get there via high speed Eurostar Train from London in just a couple of hours which is incredibly convenient and takes all the hassle out of flying.. there really is no excuse not to visit this beautiful city. Like Berlin, I’d love to visit Bruges at Christmas time to see the hundreds of little markets that take over the city centre.

7) Madrid, Spain

Image courtesy of Henar Gomez of Wanderwings

I’ve been going to Spain most years throughout my life and have visited a total of nine times so far! Spain is the perfect holiday destination for us Brits; sun, sea and sangria all within a two hour flight.. what more could we ask for?! The country boasts many beautiful beach resorts as well as plenty of interesting cities including Valencia, Marbella, Leon & Malaga and I’ve already been to Barcelona so would love to head over to Madrid to see how the two compare! Famous attractions include The Royal Palace (the largest in western Europe), Madrid Cathedral and The Bernabeu Football Stadium.

8) Amsterdam, Netherlands

Image courtesy of Maaike Van Kuijk of A Travellous World

Best known for its colourful nightlife, elaborate canal system and artistic heritage, Amsterdam is the cultural capital of The Netherlands. Famous attractions include Anne Frank’s House, The Van Gogh Museum and The Royal Palace. In addition, The Red Light District is notorious amongst tourists with stag weekends a plenty so best to avoid this area if, like me, you’re looking for a more relaxed and cultural weekend break!

9) Venice, Italy

Image courtesy of Sarah Gallo of The Five Foot Traveler

Perhaps the most romantic place in the world (along with Paris) is the stunning Italian city of Venice. Criss crossed with canals and pretty bridges, Venice is one of the largest pedestrian only areas in the world. I’d love to go here to experience the romance, although I think I need to find myself a boyfriend first!! This is probably one for my bucket list that I’ll definitely visit later on in life when I’m happy and settled.

10) Vienna, Austria

Image courtesy of Menorca Chaturvedi of Europe Diaries

The enchanting city of Vienna, the capital of Austria, is well known as one of the most musical cities in the world, and was once home to the likes of Mozart & Beethoven. There are many museums, galleries and gothic Cathedrals to explore, or why not take a cruise down the River Danube for a more relaxed experience. I think I’d tie in a trip to Vienna with a weekend in Budapest and do the two at the same time, rather than booking two separate trips as the countries are quite close together.

All of the above cities are places I definitely want to visit soon so I’ve got lots of planning to do, but I think my top three are next on my immediate hit list. I’ll be researching each place in more detail before making my final decision, but I will of course let you all know once I’ve booked up… watch this space!

Love Jess x

June 10, 2015/4 Comments/by jessicalouise1601

All Posts, Europe

Throwback Thursday: Paphos, Cyprus

Welcome to this month’s Throwback Thursday feature!

I’ve not done one of these for a while but I’m super excited to be blogging about one of my favourite places in the world! Paphos is truly a beautiful holiday destination which is perfect for families, friends and couples alike looking for a relaxing break away in the sun. I traveled here in June 2013 for a weeks holiday and had a fantastic time, so here’s my best bits!….

The Journey

You can fly to Cyprus from pretty much any airport in the UK but I chose to go with Thomas Cook on a package holiday from East Midlands airport which offered great flight times at very reasonable prices. The average flight time is 4 and a half hours on the way there and just over five hours on the way back. These were actually the longest flights I’ve ever been on as I’m yet to venture out of Europe (sigh!) but both journeys went really quickly and we were well looked after by our cabin crew.

The Hotel

We had booked into the four star Avanti Village in the heart of Paphos on a self catering basis for the duration of our stay. The complex was beautiful with a large fresh water pool, lazy river, pretty gardens and plenty of activities on offer. Our first floor one bedroom studio apartment was spacious and clean with good quality facilities and was situated at the front of the complex so we had a lovely view of the pool. We ate at the snack bar a couple of times and the food was great. I particularly enjoyed the swim up bar in the pool which was brilliant, a real novelty for me.

There were a few restaurants (BBQ grill & an Italian) to the rear of the complex if you wanted to eat closer to home as the hotel was around a 30min walk from the centre of Paphos. If you dont fancy walking it the buses in Paphos are amazing, 1Euro each way per person, or 3Euro per person for a full day ticket so you could hop and hop off wherever you wanted! We did this a couple of times and uses our day tickets to go to Coral Bay, the Old Town/Market and into Paphos Harbour when we were feeling more tired! This actually worked well for us as we liked to be away from the hustle and bustle. The scenic walk along the coast was beautiful each night and we got to see the sun go down day after day which was a real treat. You can read my Trip Advisor review of the Avanti Village here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g190384-d622520-r164249468-Avanti_Village-Paphos_Paphos_District.html#REVIEWS

The Resort

The resort is situated around Paphos Castle and Harbour, so everything is all in one place. There are tonnes of souvenir shops, bars, cafe’s and restaurants so we were never stuck for something to do. It’s well worth visiting Paphos Castle and having a wander round as the views over the harbour from the top are truly stunning.

As we were on a self catering holiday, we chose to eat dinner out every night and I was so glad we did this as it gave us the opportunity to try out loads of beautiful restaurants. As is expected, the closer you are to the sea the more expensive the meals are, but you get what you pay for and the experience of enjoying an evening of food and drink whilst watching the waves roll in was something we didn’t want to pass up on! As the centre of Paphos is situated around its harbour, the beach was a bit further away and wasn’t the focal point of the resort which actually made a nice change for me as I often get bored on beaches! The beach wasn’t typically long and sandy, but it was pleasant enough and was a great place to watch the sun set over the nearby harbour.

Price wise, the restaurants in Paphos are a little on the expensive side but again it does depend where you go and what you eat. An average meal and drinks for a couple was around 40-50 euros which is higher than what I’ve previously paid in places like Spain, Greece and The Canaries. On our last night we spent €80 on a posh dinner and cocktails by the sea which was a lot of money but it’s nice to be able to push the boat out once in a while! I can see how it would be costly to feed a family each night at this resort so hotels offering all inclusive or full board deals might be worth considering for larger parties.

Nightlife in Paphos is great, there’s always something going on! There were a number of clubs, our favourites were Flairs and Linekars, which did great drinks deals and planned party nights. Hen do’s and stag weekend’s were arriving for the start of the season and we were told it gets extremely busy during the main summer months. For a more chilled night out there are plenty of bars on offer if you’re not looking to go clubbing.

Day Trips

There’s tonnes of excursions on offer in Paphos, from boat trips and jeep safaris to horse riding and wine tasting, there really is something for everyone. We did three day trips in total, one day exploring the old town and the markets, another on a half day boat trip and one on an all day jeep safari.

The old town was beautiful with lots of historical buildings and places of interest together with panoramic views across the resort. We spent time rambling down little side streets exploring the hidden gems and grabbed a few bargains at the local markets before catching the bus back to the harbour. As mentioned above, the buses in Paphos are brilliant and are excellent value for money, a great way of exploring further afield. As the old town was away from the sea it got incredibly hot and humid so just be wary of that if, like me, you struggle with the heat! June was a great time to visit Cyprus as the temp reached around 26-28 degrees so it wasn’t too hot. We were told that it gets as hot as 35 degrees during July and August as its peak season so I’d recommend avoiding these months if you want the weather to be a little more bearable.

The half day boat trip with Paphos Sea Cruises was a brilliant day out and probably the highlight of the holiday. We boarded the luxurious Ocean Flyer from the harbour at midday and cruised along the West Coast of Paphos sailing the Mediterranean sea towards the nearby beautiful Coral Bay beach. There were a couple of swimming stops along the way and a buffet was served on board along with as much drink as you could handle- this was included in the ticket price of €40pp which we thought was great value for money. The cruise lasted for four hours and you could jump straight on to an evening one if you wanted to continue with your day at sea- with dinner, musical entertainment and fireworks on offer we were hugely tempted!

The last day trip we did was the Akamas jeep safari, something I had never done before and it was truly amazing! We were in a group of around 8 people plus our driver/guide who took us high into the mountains and showed us a completely different side of Cyprus. We started with the magical sea caves which were breathtakingly beautiful and then made our way up to Avakas Gorge where we trekked through a pretty waterfall.

After a short stop for lunch (included in €35 ticket price) we were taken to a couple of small fishing villages, Polis and Latchi, one of which was close to Turtle Beach but unfortunately we didn’t spot any of the turtles as it was out of hatching season! We were told July- September was the best time to catch them. Finally we headed to the Baths of Aphrodite where the famous Goddess of Love once bathed with her soul mate Adonis. On our journey back down to Paphos we passed through Greek and Turkish villages which were like ghost towns due to the after effects of one of the wars, our guide explained the history of the town’s and it was very moving. We were dropped back at our hotel by about 5pm and were shattered after a long days exploring! I’d definitely recommend this excursion to make the most of your time in Cyprus.

So that’s this month’s Throwback Thursday finished – have you ever been to Cyprus or ever wanted to go? Feel free to ask any questions you might have, I’d be delighted to help!

My next post will be a short write up on a recent day out to nearby Cheltenham, so watch out for this coming soon!

Love Jess x

May 7, 2015/by jessicalouise1601

All Posts, Europe

European City Break: Prague!

Hi everyone,

So I’ve just returned from my first city break of 2015 and I headed to the beautiful Czech capital of Prague for a quick getaway with my sister! Prague is such a beautiful city and, with so much to see and do, we had the most amazing time! We took off from London Gatwick airport on the morning of Friday 27th Feb and after a short 1hr35 flight (which literally flew by!) we landed safely at our destination. And as if by magic you can now BOOK the exact same trip I planned in one easy step – scroll down and read the last paragraph for details! In the meantime though, here’s what we got up to in Prague…

During our adventure we stayed at the 4 star Hotel Louis Leger, located on Lergova Street a 15 minute walk from the famous Wenceslas Square. The hotel was clean and comfortable although a little old fashioned and dated in my opinion but I guess that’s just because I’m used to staying in big modern chain hotels, so this one definitely made a nice change! You can read my Trip Advisor review on Hotel Louis Leger here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d510395-r258188149-Hotel_Louis_Leger-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS

DAY 1

On our first day we spent some time checking out the local area, shopping in the various boutiques, and getting our bearings right before heading down to Wenceslas Square and then onto the Old Town to stop for some lunch. Food and drink prices in Prague are notoriously cheap and were amazed at how much we could get for our money; we definitely overindulged while we were there, but it was totally worth it! Once we had finished exploring and had been back to the hotel to freshen up we then headed to a nearby Italian, The Coloseum, for some yummy pizza, pasta & ice cream and enjoyed the evening together. The location of the hotel was quite a walk from the Old Town (30-40mins) but a manageable 15min walk from Wenceslas Square which wasn’t too bad. There were shops and restaurants lining the streets up to Wenceslas Square though so if your like us and didn’t fancy walking far on the first night you’ll have plenty of other choices for dinner a bit nearby! You can see my Trip Advisor review of The Coloseum restaurant here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d795457-r258189275-Pizza_Coloseum_Original_Pizza_Pasta-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS

DAY 2

We had booked a 4 hour tour for our second day and were so looking forward to seeing all the sights of the city. Martin Tours booked us on to The Grand Tour of Prague and we spent most of it on foot exploring everything there was to see. Trip advisor review here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d4960295-r258190924-Martin_Tour_Prague-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and gave us plenty of time to take photos and ask questions etc, there were only a few of us on the tour so it was very personal which was great. We started in a minibus that took us from Wenceslas Square through the New Town, past monuments such as The Dancing House and The Rudolfenium, all the way to the top of Prague Castle.

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We then made our way around the complex, seeing the inside of the stunning St Vitus Cathedral, passing the Presidential suite (the flag was flying so the President himself was home!) and enjoying panoramic views across the city before beginning our descent towards the Old Town. Once we’d reached the bottom of the castle area we headed on foot to our next star attraction, Charles Bridge, which was truly a wonderful sight. Dating back to the 13th century, the bridge spans the width of the River Vltava and it’s history is etched into it’s bricks. Walking across the bridge was quite an experience, with our guide giving us the background on it’s purpose and it’s origins, and we could see for miles down the river.

Next we headed to Old Town Square and saw the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn and the picturesque Old Town Hall before ending up at the breathtaking Astronomical Clock Tower to watch the clock strike on the hour – definitely a sight not to be missed! The figurine of a skeleton below the clock face pulls a cord which in turn opens four windows above to show the 12 disciples rotating around and the chimes can be heard loudly. There’s something quite eery and mystical about the whole thing and it’s worth seeing just make sure you are there on the hour!

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Later in the afternoon we were booked on to a river boat cruise which sailed up and down the Vlatva. The cruise lasted for an hour, complete with English speaking guide who gave a running commentary, and there were plenty of photo opportunities throughout as we made our way up towards Charles Bridge and back. We passed Prague Castle, the Prime Minister’s residential home and a few other attractions on our way downstream and the boat then dropped us back at the port where we had to walk back into the city.This only took 5 minutes and we were back in Old Town Square before we knew it!

Later on in the evening we made our way to Wenceslas Square for dinner and ended up in a delightful restaurant, Como, which was part of the Javert Hotel right on the strip. The food was incredible, I had a tradtional Czech beef goulash whilst my sister opted for the homemade lasagne. Although the restaurant was quite fancy the prices were great and we thoroughly enjoyed spoiling ourselves! View my review of Como Restaurant here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d1568048-r258189073-Como_Restaurant_Cafe-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS

DAY 3

On our third and final full day we had booked an afternoon World War Two Tour with a different company, Prague Tours and were very much looking forward to seeing what was in store for us. In the morning though we needed something else to do for a few hours and so decided to climb to the top of the Astronomical Tower (as you do!) for a panoramic view across the city. We paid 120 korona each (just £3!!) to climb right to the top of the tower and when we got there we saw the most amazing sights and the views were incredible. Plenty of photos were taken and we made the most of our view by just enjoying the atmosphere and admiring the city for a while before we had to come down!

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After a short stop for lunch we met our tour guide, Marketa (who was fantastic), outside the historic Powder Tower and were taken round the streets of the Old Town for the first part of our tour, passing various parts of the city which were heavily involved in WW2. We were taken on foot through the Old Town and then gained access to the lower part of the Astronomical Tower, exploring the underground chambers which we learnt were used for hideout by members of the Prague Resistance. This was a fascinating part of the tour and it was so interesting to walk through the areas that were used in such an important historical time period. We also learnt a lot about the assassination of Nazi SS leader Reinhard Heydrich by local Czech residents, and the terror that Nazi occupation brought to a city desperate to be free from invasion although it was key to Hitler’s quest for world domination.

Next we headed into the Jewish Quarter to see the areas known as Ghetto’s during WW2 and learnt about how badly they were treated by the Nazi’s. I found this part of the tour very emotional, and so did a lot of the others as Marketa explained the horror that was bestowed upon these innocent people during one of Prague’s darkest times. At points, Jews were shot at by Nazi soldiers if they so much as walked on the pavement! Shocked and disgusted, I couldn’t even imagine something like that happening in today’s world; Marketa spoke with such deep emotion when she explained things that had happened and it moved a lot of us in the group to tears. We ended up near Charles Bridge again and wound up our tour having an open conversation, raising questions and pointers about the main areas before saying goodbye and returning back to the city centre. My sister and I thought this was the best city tour we had ever been on and had real admiration for Marketa; she knew her facts, was very passionate and extremely friendly. You can view my Trip Advisor review on the tour here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d2254923-r258191625-World_War_II_in_Prague_Tour-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS

Dinner that night was at the incredible Hard Rock Cafe, the biggest one in Europe, and we certainly had a dining experience to remember! We each chose huge burgers for our main and had a couple of cocktails, the music played in the Cafe was shown on big TV screens on the walls and really added to the ‘rock’ vibe that was present. The food was great, the atmosphere was brilliant and we couldn’t fault the friendly service; we even wandered around the shop afterwards in search of some merchandise! Read my rocking review of this place on my Trip Advisor account: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d1516182-r258189525-Hard_Rock_Cafe-Prague_Bohemia.html#REVIEWS

On our fourth and final day we woke early for breakfast, checked out of our room, and headed to nearby Praha airport (a 30 min taxi ride away) to catch our flight back to London Gatwick. We had a brilliant time in Prague and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a short European break in a cultural, historical and beautiful city. With so much to see and do you are certainly spoilt for choice, although three nights was plenty of time for us to explore everything we needed to.

My next trips are concerts & day trips in Oxford and London so I’ll keep you posted on these, I have family down for a couple of weeks for Easter and then I’m heading back to Liverpool again in April so I’ve got plenty to be blogging about!

As mentioned above, you can now book the EXACT trip I did in one easy step – just click on the link below for more details and to request a quote!

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Love Jess x

March 9, 2015/3 Comments/by jessicalouise1601

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