(7) ALL ABOARD!

This past weekend we packed up and headed to Prague and Dresden, Germany for our first group field trip. We were up early and boarded a train to Prague thursday morning. Upon arrival we checked into our hostel, dropped off our bags and then began touring the city. While we were there we went to many historical and beautiful places. The first place we went was to Old Town Square to see the Astronomical Clock. The Prague Astronomical clock is one of the oldest clocks that still works. They say that every time you see it ring years are added to your life. It truly is quite the sight to see and I would recommend it to anyone who visits Prague. Fun Fact: it was used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies.

Prague Astronomical Clock

From Old Town Square we made our way to the historical Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge is 621m long crossing the Vltava river. On the bridge you will find several statues. Two of the most important ones are the Holy Crucifix and Calvary and St. John of Nepomuk.

Holy Crucifix Statue

Charles Bridge at night

After crossing the Charles Bridge we were a short walk away from the famous John Lennon wall. After seeing the wall and leaving our mark on it we were then free to explore the city. By the end of the day I had walked a total of 16 miles. I felt this the next day as we headed up the hill to the Prague Castle. Wow, what a sight to see! Within the Castles complex we toured Vladislav Hall and Saint Vitus Cathedral. The architecture itself is outstanding and the stained glass windows in the Cathedral were breath taking. We were lucky enough to be there at noon to witness the changing of the guards with music.

On Saturday we boarded another train to Dresden, Germany. Dresden was devastated towards the end of WWII. Heavy bombing destroyed the entire city center including the Dresden Frauenkirche Lutheran Church. The reconstruction of the church was finished in 2005. The black bricks that you see on the exterior church are the original bricks that they were able to salvage. We climbed to the top of the church were we had a magnificent view of the city.

Interior of Dresden Frauenkirche

 

Exterior of Dresden Frauenkirche

Miriah and I on the top of the Dresden Frauenkirche

During our last day in Prague tears were in the eyes of many as we visited the Jewish Quarters. Here we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery. In my photo you can see thousands of headstones all packed into a small area. They are unsure of the exact number of people buried here because people were buried in multiple layers. Within the Jewish ghetto there are six synagogues. We toured through the Pinkas Synagogue. On the walls are the names of 80,000 Czech Jews who died due to Hitler and the Nazis. 

It was successful weekend in both Prague and Dresden. Thanks to our guides and instructors Martin and Jan I am filled with so much more knowledge. Everyday I am grateful to be able to have this experience! I look forward to more adventures coming up.

Martin and Jan