Prague, one of the best preserved cities in Europe, owes this feature to the fact that it was not damaged at all in World War II. It is said that Hitler “did not deserve” this beautiful city. Prague; With its cathedrals, pointed towers, bridges and history-scented streets, it is beautiful enough to create a different postcard from every scene. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. The city, built around the Vltava River, has the atmosphere of a medieval city with its beautiful architectural influences. The city’s historical town square is on the UNESCO list. We participated in our Prague trip with a tourism company. In fact, Prague is a city where you can go alone and explore every inch of it. Transportation is not complicated at all. You will be much more comfortable if you choose your hotel in a central location. Don’t forget, go when the weather is warm 🙂 Prague can drive people crazy in cold weather 🙂 No matter how cold we were, we didn’t rebel too much in December because we were used to winter holidays. We chose a very cold country to spend our New Year’s holiday. No matter how cold we are, I don’t know if there is a place where New Year’s Eve is celebrated more crazily:) Prague is flooded with people from all over the world just to celebrate New Year’s Eve… I will talk about these craziness in the following lines:) We enter our city with the first light of the morning and our first stop is; Prague Castle. As soon as we get off our bus, a bone-chilling cold air hits us. Prague Castle Prague castle and panoramic view of Prague behind It is the largest historical castle in the world. The study rooms of the kings of Bohemia, the Holy Roman Emperors, and the Presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic are here. Bohemian precious jewels are kept in a secret room within the castle. Prague Castle, built on an area of ​​approximately 70,000 square meters, is 570 meters long and 130 meters wide. Despite many destructions and fires, the castle has become more architecturally developed over time. Inside the castle there is the Gothic Saint Vitus Cathedral, a monastery, many towers and wings of the palace. Old Town Square Old Town Square, the oldest and most important square in Prague, was founded in the 10th century. The square is surrounded by many historical buildings. Tyn Church is the most well-known church in Prague. The construction of this gothic church started in the 14th century but was finished in 1511. The Old Jewish Cemetery is the oldest Jewish cemetery in the world. It dates from the 15th century. It was used until 1787. The oldest grave; The one dated 1439 belongs to Avigdor Kara and the newest one belongs to Mozes Bacek dated 1787. The most famous grave in the cemetery belongs to Rabi Low, or by his real name, Jehuda ben Becalel. In 1975, all the tombstones were restored with a lot of hard work. Since Jews could not be buried outside the ghetto; Nearly 100 thousand corpses are buried here, sometimes 12 layers on top of each other. Buskers, who are constantly seen on the streets of the old city, also offer interesting and beautiful shows. The Narrowest Street in the World It is not possible to cross the street between two buildings. For this reason, pedestrian traffic was regulated by placing red and green lights at both ends of the street. When someone enters the street, the red light at the other end turns on and the other party waits. Saint Vitus Cathedral Inside the castle there is the Saint Vitus Cathedral, a monastery, a few towers and a museum. The cathedral, a successful example of Gothic architecture, is one of the symbols of Prague. Visiting the first part of the cathedral is free. You need to buy a ticket for the whole thing. Astronomical Clock It would not be wrong to call this clock, built in 1410, the symbol of the city. Hz. The 12 apostles, representing Jesus’ friends, demonstrate every hour and this demonstration continues until the rooster crows. It is a very beautiful building, but its architect has a very touching story. He made this clock so beautifully that they cut out its eyes so that he could not make another similar one. He also took an important part of the clock, preventing it from working for centuries. Babies representing Jesus and his 12 Apostles pass by two windows every hour… A skeleton is ringing a bell at the same time, and next to it is an Ottoman in a turban. Charles Bridge (Karl Bridge) Finally, we are at the Charles Bridge, one of the most important symbols of the city. The bridge over the Vltava River was built in the 14th century. Despite all its magnificence and power, the bridge was repeatedly tested with flood waters and floods by the Vltava River over the past 650 years, and its two pillars, which could not withstand these floods, were demolished and renewed in 1890. The 516 meters long and 10 meters wide bridge, which is closed to vehicle traffic, is supported by a total of 16 columns. The towers on both sides were once built for observation purposes, and are actually an indication that the bridge was once used for both crossing and defense purposes. There are nearly 30 statues on it. Among these statues, there are also two statues of Ottoman government officials. The Ottoman has a belt around his waist, a sword and a whip in his hand held behind his back. There are legendary stories told about the people in this statue and the Ottoman person. According to what is said; “The notables of Prague will handcuff us, the Christians, and throw us into dungeons when the Ottomans come to our city. There is a statement like “They will put soldiers with swords and whips and predatory animals at the doors of the dungeons.” In order to explain this event to the public, a statue depicting this event was built near the entrance of the bridge. The statue shows the fear and prejudice against the Ottomans at that time. While the Ottoman guard praying the rosary cheerfully waits at the door of the dungeon, the three Saints above are depicted trying to save the Christian captives inside. There are plenty of places to relax, eat and drink mulled wine in the Old Town Square. In Prague, where the palace inside the castle and the lights of the Charles Bridge hit the river, it is possible to stroll along the edge of the Vltava accompanied by jazz music or take a boat tour. The boat cafes on the river are also very suitable places for dinner… The Vltava River starts in Prague and then flows into the Elbe River. Its length is 1,134 kilometers. In the evening, we go out to our boat on the river. Of course, it would be useful to explain why we are waiting here 🙂 I am wondering how it will happen, and Güçlü is trying to explain it to me insistently 😛 There are artificial waterfalls on the river and boats can pass the waterfalls with the elevator system. You can see the waterfalls in the photos above. You can see the water level on the wall, how high it has risen. You can see the level we are at now and the level after it rises. Once the water starts to be filled, the doors remain closed until it reaches the wet level. In the following minutes, the water level rises with the leaked water and water fills inside. The water level rises to the wet spot on the wall and the door in front of us opens. When we rise to the same level as the river, we pass through the door. Of course, in the meantime, the door behind us is closed and we are actually in a pool and water is being filled there. This system was also used in canals such as Suez and Panama. Well, the water has risen, the floodgates have opened, we are leaving. Let’s come to New Year’s Eve, we don’t like leaving the house on New Year’s Eve. Especially in Istanbul… They perform it under the fireworks exploding on the Charles Bridge. What emerges is an ambiance that is difficult to describe. The latest trendy New Year’s celebrations in Prague are to wander around the historical streets with your glasses and snacks in your hand and mingle with the crowd. We even had to look where we stepped on the streets. Fireworks, alcohol bottles, people having fun, etc. One image even caught our attention. The police, arm in arm, blocked us and did not let us across 🙂 While we were trying to understand what was happening, a tram passed by. After the tram passed, the police opened the road very respectfully and said, ‘This is it’ 🙂 Apparently, since everyone was drunk, they were silently helping to avoid an accident. Not to mention the people who put celebratory hats on the police officers’ heads and took photos with them 🙂 Meanwhile, the city was so dirty that there was no place to step. While we were returning to the hotel at 3:00 at night, the streets that I thought they could not clean in a week were spotless when we woke up at 9:00 in the morning 🙂 Mavimore Turizm is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307