Past Blast: Prague

Týnský chrám at night

Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle above

Prague, one of the highlights of eastern Europe, is the Czech Republic's capital city. Sitting upon 9 hills and stretching across the Vltava River, it is sort of a colder version of Rome. In fact, the Holy Roman Empire once ruled from here, and King Charles IV built his famous namesake bridge in the 1300s.


There is plenty to see, and as long as you don't mind hiking a bit, it's all quite accessible. The Jewish quarter has cramped cemeteries and synagogues to visit; one temple's interior is entirely covered with the names of the 77,200 Prague Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Prague Castle; feels like LOTR

Prague Castle [Pražský hrad], noted by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest castle complex,  has a commanding view of the entire city. Most of the complex is open to tourists, including St. Vitus' Cathedral and its royal tombs. The castle itself gives you a real feel for the gothic late-middle-ages, and has balconies to admire the city below.


A treat on my visit included a taste of Absinthe, at the time not allowed in many European countries [let alone the US] due to its high alcohol content and alleged hallucinogenic properties. Prague is also home to many quality and economically-priced beers. According to my journal, we enjoyed 0.5L mugs of a local Pilsner for the equivalent of $1. So while you may be doing a lot of walking, there will be plenty of opportunities for refreshment.

View of Prague from its hrad

Past Blast: Ljubljana

The 'Triple Bridge' in the city center

A journey to Slovenia's national capital requires a bit of a pronunciation lesson: in Ljubljana treat the 'j's as 'y's and you should come up with a tongue-tickling 'L-yub-l-yana' [close to the italian gli pronounciation FYI]. In the city center, you may occasionally feel like you're in Austria; the Austro-Hungarians ran this town for most of the 19th century up until WWI. Post-WWII it was a socialist state of Yugoslavia, but now is independent and after I visited in 2003 it joined the EU.

The 'Dragon Bridge'

Ljubljana is bisected by the Ljubljanica River, weaved with a series of riverwalks and historic bridges. The city is surrounded by 8,000 foot mountains, which make for an adventurous train ride in. And be prepared to learn a little Slovene; there wasn't much English text to be seen. Walking past the American Embassy, I shot a photo and was immediately asked to explain myself. Eventually the guards accepted my Passport, and I'm sure labeled me just another dumb American tourist. Note to Self: you don't need photos of embassies.

Ljubljanski Grad above the city

A great place to get a panoramic view of the city is from Ljubljanski Grad, the medieval castle sitting on the hill in the center of town. In addition to a video explaining Ljubljana's history [people have lived here since 1800 BC], you are welcome to wander the ramparts and hallways, and will come across several winding staircases in the turrets [see the bottom photo].


Ljubljana is another less-touristed city that provides plenty of hiking opportunity, decent food, and urban sightseeing. The weather was a little grey when I visited, but unfortunately you can't have Sicilian weather everywhere you travel.

View from Ljubljanski Grad

Another old personal fave photo: a turret stair

Past Blast: Trieste

The Castle Miramare

Trieste is located in far northeast Italy, facing Venice from across the top of the Adriatic Sea. It is also along Italy's border with Slovenia, and it became part of Italy only after WWI. Its multicultural heritage is clearly seen among the numerous Roman ruins, Austro-Hungarian downtown, and Venice-like waterfront.

A long, 4-mile stone-paved coastal walk called the Barcola leads from downtown Trieste to the Castle Miramare. Originally built for a Habsburg Archduke, the castle stands on a point looking out at the Adriatic and is surrounded by an extensive garden.

Trieste's Municipio

Downtown, the Piazza Unità d'Italia [The Plaza of United Italy] is said to be Europe's largest open urban space facing a body of water [mmm... qualifiers!]. Guidebooks only called it Italy's largest piazza. Either way, the sea breeze kept the plaza nice and cool. The city's Municipio [City Hall] dominates the short closed end of the space. There is a funicular train up the hills around the city as well, allowing for grand panoramic views of the city and sea.


For a day trip between Italy and Slovenia, Trieste worked. I still remember the pesto & salami lunch we enjoyed on the Barcola hike, and the downtown is small enough to see in a few hours. If you stay the night, you can watch the sun set over the Adriatic Sea, this being the only city in Italy you can do so.

Sunset!