PRAGUE: City of Bridges and Towers

We will spend two nights in Prague (pronounced Praha in Czech). Prague is the capital city and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is one of most popular travel destinations in Central Europe. It is sometimes called the city of hundred towers but could also be called the city of bridges.

Almost undamaged by WWII, Prague's compact medieval centre remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic 9th century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her.

The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Crown (koruna). Czech is the official language of Prague and the Czech Republic, but English is often spoken in restaurants and stores.

Czech cuisine is typically based around pork or beef with starchy side dishes such as dumplings, potatoes, or fries. Popular Czech desserts include fruit dumplings (ovocné knedlíky), crêpes or ice cream. Street vendors are very common in Prague and they serve Czech style hot dogs and mulled wine from their carts. Small, hollowed-out French baguettes are used for the bread, filled with mustard and ketchup, and then the frankfurter is inserted afterwards. Street vendors also sell Trdelnik, which is a sweet dough rope wrapped around a metal bar, and then spun over a flame until golden, and finally rolled in a sugar and cinnamon and nut mix.

Some sites we will see in Prague include:
1. Prague Castle


2. St. Vitus Cathedral


3. Charles Bridge


4. Wenceslas Square


5. Astronomical Clock


6. Týn Church


Other places we may visit on our walking tour of Prague include : the Golden Lane (near the Prague Castle), Josefov (Jewish Quarter), New Town (Nové město), Lesser Town (Malá strana) which is across the Vltava River from the city centre and leading to the castle. The Lennon Wall, which used to be a source of irritation to the communist regime, is also found here. Petřínská rozhledna, a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower, is on the top of Petrin Hill and can be seen from various view points in the city.

EF tours also has a short video about Prague that might interest you at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQLsxsfSjBc

Dresden: A Quick Stop

We will be traveling from Berlin to Prague by bus. On the way we will be making a stop in Dresden. Our tour director will arrange for a guided walking tour of the city. We will probably also have time for a bit of shopping and lunch.



Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony.

The city stretches out on both sides of the Elbe River and is embedded in the foothills of the mountains. The Elbe River snakes its way through the city with a length of 30 kilometers. Nine bridges provide crossing points throughout the city. With 62 percent of its area covered by forest and green space, Dresden is one of the greenest cities in Europe.



The historical centre of Dresden is located on the left bank of the Elbe, at the peak of a graceful river bend. Protected for centuries by mighty fortifications, the Saxon capital developed splendour and activity. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its baroque and rococo city centre.



In spite of vast destruction during the Second World War, the Old City part of Dresden has preserved or regained fascinating ensembles. The most famous symbol of reconstruction in the city centre is the Dresden Frauenkirche Church, the magnificent baroque dome, which already today dominates the city centre. Many important cultural institutions are situated along the Old City-side of the Elbe banks: from the Old Masters Picture Gallery to the Green Vault, the treasure chamber of the Saxon electors and kings. Shopping and restaurants are also located around the Altmarkt Square and Prager Strasse Shopping Centres.

First Stop: BERLIN

Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany. Central Berlin was badly damaged in the final years of World War II and, therefore, many of the buildings we will see in central Berlin have been reconstructed or planned and built after World War II.

Berlin is a youth-oriented city. It has become a center for art, design, multimedia, electronic music, and fashion among other things. The particularly high number of students and young people in the city has only helped this cause.

German is the main language in Berlin but you can easily find information in English and sometimes in French. Most people under 40 in Berlin are able to speak English with varying degrees of fluency.

Trying new foods is always an important part of visiting new countries. We will be sampling some of the local cuisine such as:
Currywurst is a German street-food specialty that started in Berlin at around the end of the 1940s. It's a sausage, sliced up and slathered with ketchup flavored with curry powder, which comes in varying degrees of heat.
The Wurst or sausages are also served plain, in a bun or with French fries or fried potatoes. We will also been on the watch for men and women carrying large pieces of equipment on which they grill sausages. These special Berlin sausage carriers are mostly known as “Grillwalkers”, and for 1 to 2 Euros you can get a Bratwurst.
German dessert is not something to skip. Whether it's a pie that makes use of local berries, like Black Forest cake, made with chocolate, cherries and kirsch, or cherry liqueur. Or maybe you're more in the mood to tuck into the many forms of kuchen, or cake, like streusel kuchen, which is like coffee cake, or a Berliner, or jelly donut, (known as pfannkuchen in Berlin), or just some really great chocolate or ice cream. 


We will probably have a bus tour of Berlin as well as go on a walking tour of the historical points of interest. Local guides will be conducting the tours. Some of the sites we will see in Berlin include:

1. Brandenburg Gate

2. Reichstag

3. Holocaust Museum/Memorial

4. Check point Charlie

5. Remains of Berlin Wall

6. Potsdamer Platz


You might also like to check out video of Berlin that EF tours has posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSdSr6zXZyQ