You might know that I like to get off the beaten path.

The Prague Castle has some of it's own nooks where you can do just that. It is surrounded by gardens, a vineyard as well as a moat.

The Stag Moat (Jelení Příkop), is a natural ravine of the Brusnice stream, running alongside the castle.  Breeding of deer took place in this area in the 17th century, thus the name. 

Just steps away from the side entrance of the castle near the tram stop, can take you from the bustling tourist crowds to beautiful, quiet surroundings where you may only see another person or two.









Spires of St. Vitas Cathedral peeking through the trees.





The stream runs below you as you walk through the tunnel.

Daliborka Tower of the Prague Castle.



You can exit the way you came or through a tiny little path taking you back down to the Malostranska metro.

My friend, Mary Ann and I exited near the metro on this particular journey.


If you want to visit the moat this year, you'll have to hurry.  It's only open until October 31.  It will reopen April 1st.

The perspective of the castle, the beauty of the landscape and it's quiet location in the midst of the city make this walk so worth it!!

Have you visited the moat or like to get off the beaten path?

Linking up again with Bonnie, Camila, Jessi, and Amy for Travel Tuesday.

For this weeks Travel Tuesday we are sharing our travel tips.  Want to join in?  See how at the end of this post.

I've been working on this for awhile and thought it would fit nicely into this theme.



Living in the city of Prague for many years and taking people on tours through the city has been something I've done several times.  Prague is fairly compact and you can see a lot in a short time.

If you only have one day and want to know how to spend it, here is a little guide I put together.  In future posts I'll share some restaurant recommendations, great areas to stay in and a more thorough guide of each area.  So be on the lookout for more to come! 

Compared to other European cities, Prague is inexpensive.  At this time, 

20 koruny (crowns) = $1
27.50 crowns = €1

33 crowns = £1

You can buy a 30 minute transportation pass for 24 crowns.  Purchase at vending machines, tobacco shops, and some, but not all stations, have a designated area where you can purchase tickets at a booth.  You can buy day passes, but it can save you a lot of money to buy a few 30 minute passes and validate as you need them.
Walking the city is possible.

With this guide I recommend only needing 1-2, 30 minute tickets for the whole day.  One to start your day and one to finish, depending on where you're staying.

Ticket punch machines are located on all trams and at the entrance of every metro station.  Don't forget to punch your ticket!  Many tourists don't realize they need to do this and have paid a hefty fine for this mistake!

Watch for pickpockets jamming up tram entrances and other areas.  I've seen them in action more times than I can count!  One of my most import travel tips to go along with this is to carry a messenger bag that crosses in front of your body and you can pull tight in front of you when in crowded areas.  I've been fortunate to have not been pick pocketed because of this very method.

Alright, on to your day in Prague!

As I mentioned, I'll be sharing a more thorough guide of each area in the future.

Have you visited Prague?  If so, what was your favorite area?  If not, would you like to visit Prague?

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Want to join in on the Travel Tuesday theme: travel tips?

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Czech Republic on Dwellable

It's time again for Travel Tuesday!

Each week, Bonnie, Melanie and I will spotlight a different post that caught our eye in the previous Travel Tuesday link up.  This week I'm featuring Mackenzie from Bell Bliss and her class at the Baan Thai Cookery School.  We love Thai and what better way to learn how to make it than at a cooking school in Thailand!!  How fun!


I love seeing all the major sites of a travel destination, but there is something to be said for getting off the beaten path.  You get a better feel of the country, it's locals and their culture.

We had a lot of fun with our Christmas photo shoots this year.  First we went out on the town with some friends and took some family shots.

A Czech ad for Vodafone, a cellular company in Europe.

Czechs eat carp, a fish, for their Christmas meal.  In the "olden days" when turkey and ham were too expensive, the peasants started eating carp and now it is a national tradition.  Czech friends of mine have told me they don't even like carp! But, it's tradition.

You will see big buckets of live carp all over the city.  To keep it fresh, Czechs will buy it live and keep it in their bathtubs until the big day.

Dum U Minuty, "House at the Minute."

I had to do some research on how these designs on buildings are created. It is called sgraffito.

The original house was Gothic and built at the beginning of the 15th century. The present Renaissance house that you see here was built in 1610. It has a facade decorated with ornamental sgraffito, depicting themes from Greek mythology, Bible and Renaissance legends. Franz Kafka's family lived on the second floor of this building from 1889 to 1896.