by Aparna Mukhedkar

Created on: March 04, 2009

Over the past decade, Prague has become the most popular tourist destination in all of Eastern Europe. It is an ideal vacation spot for families and couples to spend their holidays in a city where the medieval meets the urban in a perfect balance. Prague reminds you of a fairy tale with castles, princes, old stone bridges, legendary tales of courage and valor, gothic churches and some of the best architectural marvels you will ever behold.

Of all the cities I have visited, I believe that Prague ranks as among the very best. To me personally, it was a magical journey to experience and savor the essence of all this East European city had to offer. I first heard about Prague during a dinner time spat between my parents when the Romanian dictator, and his wife, Coucesco's were overthrown and put to a bloody death. My father, the monarchist, felt the punishment was too severe, while my mother, the staunch liberal argued the pair deserved their fate. At the time, I didn't really care for that nasty, brutal communist. But, the word Prague or "praha" as the locals call it was etched in my memory. The idea to visit the city was solidified on a recent trip to India, when my aunt and uncle from Germany were extolling the many wonders of Prague and its environs. There were gasps of ooh's and aah's while describing the city which they seemed to surprisingly recall rather vividly given the space of time that had passed since their last visit. Prague, I reckoned has that effect on everyone as it did on me. It leaves an everlasting impression and fortunately, I have the unique privilege of sharing with you some wonderful memories of my travel there.

We started our holiday on October the eighteenth. The month of October is generally considered to be the off season. Most of the important landmarks, like the castle and some of the churches, however, remain open until October 31st. It does get a bit chilly at nights, so a jacket and a coat would probably be a wise thing to carry around. Most mornings and afternoons, however are extremely pleasant.

We were in Prague for six days. We reckoned we had plenty of leisure time to do, see and be seen and revel in all its delightful offerings. Fall had arrived in all its splendor and the hillsides were a splash of colors from orange to flaming reds. It is especially spectacular during the early afternoon hours under a bright blue sky and the sun shining brightly on the foliage.

After two days of fun and adventure in Amsterdam, we set out

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