Czeching In: Weekend trip to Karlovy Vary

Friday, October 4, 2013

My program organized a little outing to the top of the Petrin Tower in Prague. The Petrin Tower is the highest point in Prague. We climbed the hill via funicular (!!) and then proceeded to climb up the 299-step tower on foot. The view was exquisite and the climb was well worth it. I could see all of Prague, and now that I’ve been here for about a month, I could actually point out certain things in the distance.

Looking up at the Petrin Tower

Walked by the Jerusalem Synagogue on our way to the tower!

View from the top of the tower

Amazing views from the top of Petrin

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Four of my friends and I decided to take a day trip to a quaint spa town in western Bohemia called Karlovy Vary. We intended to leave from the main bus station, Florenc, at 9:30, but our trip didn’t start off too smoothly. We couldn’t get a bus back (they were all full) so we had to be flexible and book with two difference bus agencies which ended up being a bit more expensive. We weren’t concerned because the price of our trip only went from $7 to $16, so we figured we’d splurge and continue on with our little adventure. The bus ride was easy and when we arrived, we headed straight towards the center of town.

We walked along the small river that runs through town and came across the many Colonnades in Karlovy Vary. Colonnades are the structures that have been built around the hot springs. The springs have been tapped and you can buy these fun little cups with spouts and fill them with the mineral water. The water is said to have very medicinal effects and as we walked around the town, every tourist was just casually sipping from their Karlovy Vary cups. It was a funny sight.

We took a funicular (starting to think that Europe has a thing for funiculars??) to the Diana Lookout and ate the lunches that we’d packed while overlooking the entire town. Karlovy Vary has been said to be overpriced and touristy so we packed lunch in an effort to stay in our budgets! The view from the tower was gorgeous and I was shocked by how tiny Karlovy Vary is. We hiked back down to the center of town. The hike was easy enough and it was wonderful having a chance to be immersed in nature and see the changing leaves of fall. We came across some charming alters/shrines in the forest.
Once back in town, we went swimming at the Elizabeth Bath House. We had a chance to hot tub, steam, sauna, swim, etc. for a bit before having to head back up to the bus. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to swim for a bit; something I hadn’t done in a long time. Surprisingly though, being in a pool wore us all out so we slept soundly on the bus ride home.

This was such a successful first solo (without the program) day trip and I can’t wait for our upcoming excursions!

Czeching out,

Grace