I made the most of the few days I spent in Prague, criss-crossing the old town square daily on my way to and from one attraction or meal or another. Even on days where my path wouldn’t necessarily have taken me past the square, I made it a point to visit, if only for a moment. I wanted to watch the play of light on the buildings, the people, and the way in which they interacted with each other.

One day I decided to visit the Klementinum, which houses the National Library and an Astronomical Tower. Tickets were limited and timed and so I made sure to purchase mine in advance.

I stood outside the non-descript entrance until our alloted time arrived. We were checked in and lead into a small non-descript room where our guide met us and invited us in. We walked through a corridor and up a spiral staircase. Nothing prepared us for the views of the library to come, considered by some to be the most beautiful in the world. It was a difficult claim to argue against.

Our guide let us take photos as he gave the history of the library and the building. He then lead us into a narrow space and up into the tower, passing the observatory en route. From the tower, we had views over the orange roofs of the old town out towards the modern skyscrapers in the distance.

Back on the ground I trod a tourist path through the old town to take in more sights of the city.

At one end of the Charles Bridge I paid a fee to climb the Lesser Town Bridge Tower for the views it promised over the river and towards the main square. From a corner you could also see the castle on the hill.

From there I crossed back towards the squre, observing artists as they cleaned one of the many statues adorning the bridge, ane the tourists that stood amongst them.

The night before I had taken a stroll in the opposite direction to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner. It was a warm summer night, the dusk spread thick over the city as it rolled in. It was great walking away from the tourist center and to see another side of Prague. I didn’t venture far, however. And I made sure to spend a little time back in the main square, quieter for a Monday night. 🇨🇿