Our last day in Prague was bright and sunny, and we took advantage of the nice day to walk around the Jewish Quarter (Josefov). This area of Prague dates back to the 13th Century and has seen more than its share of tragedy and struggles. Even while walking through the small, sunken below street level neighborhood, it was really hard to even imagine what life was like through the centuries. At least 2/3 of Prague’s Jewish community was killed in the Holocaust.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside the buildings, but they offered an interesting and beautiful look into religion and lifestyle of the people who have passed through here through the centuries.
After exploring Josefov, we walked toward the river and ended up climbing endless staircases up to a humongous, snowy park that eventually led us back to the palace, but from a different direction this time.
Several hours of walking made us famished, and being that we were already on the palace side of the river, we headed to Peklo, a place that I had read about on many websites as the most romantic restaurant in Prague. It is on the property of an old monastery, and the restaurant is in the old wine cellar of the Premonstratensian Order in Strahov. It dates back to the 14th century and is deep, dark, and cave like. And once again, other than our waiter and the kitchen staff, we were the only people in the restaurant. Where is everybody?
We warmed up with two dark Czech beers and shared a couple of salads and appetizers for our lunch.
Prawn and apple salad served in a poppadum!
Gratin goat cheese salad with tomato, olives, and capers
Another salad made of crunchy cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and farm cheese
The food here was really good, especially the prawn and apple salad. I am lucky in that I always know exactly what I want when I sit down at a restaurant. Probably because I am obsessed with menus and read them in advance 😉
The only complaint was that, once again, it felt a little uncomfortable to be the only patrons in a restaurant. Any time we looked back, our waiter was basically standing behind the bar staring into space, and every word we said seemed SO loud. I think that this restaurant definitely gets more crowded for dinner, and it truly is a remarkable place to visit. There is also a Crowne Plaza Hotel on the monastery grounds, and we are already talking about maybe staying there next time. Once again, a truly unforgettable meal in Prague!
What is the oldest place you have ever visited?
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That prawn and apple salad looks great! So unique, but refreshing. Peter and I have been in restaurants that were nearly (or completely) empty, and it can be really uncomfortable. Safety in numbers, I suppose? If the food is good, however, I’ll usually forget that the restaurant is empty 🙂
I loved visiting Salzburg and taking the cogwheel up to the overlook. A wonderful city!
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oh what a beautiful building!
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Prague reminds me so much of Krakow by way of architecture and cuisine! And similarly, the Jewish quarter in Krakow was completely wiped out during the Holocaust. (After all, Auschwitz was just a few miles away). Warsaw definitely saw war, too (as the saying goes). It’s very sad to be in these Eastern European cities and realize how war-ravaged they once were.
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That is gorgeous! I love old buildings that just hold so much history in their walls. I also am really attached to stone and glass work. What a beautiful building!
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