Czech, check!! 🇨🇿

Our time in the Czech Republic has ended but we’ve enjoyed visiting Pilsen and Prague.  Prague is considered to be the best preserved Medieval city in Europe as the country managed to avoid major bombardment during WWI and WWII.  Being as such we couldn’t pass up the Medieval Dinner experience which was a spectacular evening filled with music, comedic fighting, fire show, and endless grogs and goblets.  Jenny even got to wear the pirate hat and go for a dance around the restaurant.  Ben absolutely enjoyed the show (Emma enjoyed the back of her eyelids as it was pretty late).  Enjoy the video Ben took.   

The next day we walked around the Old Town checking out several highlights of this city’s rich history including the Astronomical Clock, Prague Castle, and the Speculum Alchemiea Museum.  The astronomical clock was built in 1410 making it the world’s oldest working astrological clock.  On the hour the 12 Apostles walk past the opening above the clock while a skeleton representing death rings the bell. The elaborate gears below track the movement of the sun, moon and stars.  

We then meandered around the complex of Prague Castle which holds the Guiness Book of World Records for being the largest ancient castle in the world.  It houses the impressive gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the charming labrynth of the Golden Lane, and many other palaces, gardens, and churches.  During WWII, the Czech President was forced to relinquish his country to the Nazis and Prague Castle became the headquarters of the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich.  According to rumor Heydrich placed the Bohemian crown on his head and old legends say a usurper who wears the crown will die within a year.  Less than a year later he was ambushed by British trained Slovak and Czech resistance soldiers while on the way to the castle and died of his injuries. 

Speculum Alchemiae is a museum dedicated to Prague's medieval link with alchemy and mysticism.   Believed to be the second oldest building in Prague, the secret underground alchemical laboratories were discovered after a flood in 2002.  Emperor Rudolf  II employed alchemist to turn lead to gold and various potions and elixir recipes were discovered along with a sealed vial of Eternal Youth Elixir found to contain 77 different ingredients.  

In the evening we went to the ‘Wow’ Blacklight show which was a visually unique and interactive experience.  The kids especially loved when the giant human spiders climbed over mommy and the rest of the guests in the audience.  We also had some Trdelník  (chimney cake) filled with ice cream , strawberries and chocolate sauce.