A bird’s eye view of Prague from the Bell Tower in Old Town

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Prague does not disappoint even in the rain. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world filled with history, culture, and architecture that will make you swoon. Left basically untouched by the destruction of WWII and kept tightly sealed behind the iron walls of communism for 40 years, Prague has come to life over the past decade as tourists from all over the world come to relish her fairytale beauty.

I too was swept away and seduced by the delights of Prague, and I couldn’t stop looking up at the immaculate detail on each and every building. Sometimes however it pays to look down. One morning before the crowds stormed into Old Town Square I climbed the Bell Tower for an aerial view of the city. Despite the poor weather conditions – it was rainy and gray – I was able to capture these shots of the serpentine curves of the city and red rooftops below.

Climbing the winding narrow stairs up the bell tower, I stopped to take in the view from a window. People were just starting to come out and fill the square. In a few hours, the square would be filled with people leaving little standing room.

I admit that I was slightly disappointed in the rainy weather. But with such immense beauty,  my weariness quickly disappeared. It doesn’t take long to fall in love with Prague.

 

 

55 thoughts on “A bird’s eye view of Prague from the Bell Tower in Old Town”

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you!

      Reply ↓
  2. CarolynEliason – Sarasota, FL. – I have always enjoyed photography, but with encouragement from family and friends over years I began to realize I really love it! This blog began in 2014 as a weekly themed blog with a group mainly located here in Florida. That group no longer exists so I decided to switch things up to a monthly themed blog. Thanks for following me over the years and if your new, I hope you enjoy my photos. 😊
    CarolynEliason on said:

    Beautiful photos!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you!!!

      Reply ↓
  3. slfinnell – Missouri – Child care provider for 30+ years in my home. I feel so blessed to have cared for so many children. Those days are past and now I'm caregiver for my husband who's recovering from a bone marrow transplant. Spend my spare time creating items for Etsy and searching for vintage items that need a new lease on life. Blogging?, well I just enjoy it. Did I mention I play and teach banjo??
    slfinnell on said:

    We should hang our head in shame here in the states with the cookie cutter homes.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes suburban America is pretty plain. I thankfully live in the city and our neighborhood is all homes built in the 1900s. I love the character of old homes!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes that is the one thing Sue that drove me crazy about Prague. I hate going to touristy places and by 12 pm you could hardly walk through Old Town in Prague. Normally it would have been a turn off yet I think since I loved the architecture so much I was able to deal with it better. But yes Even in early May there was wall to wall tourists and lots of groups.

      Reply ↓
      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I have never been there Sue but I’ve seen pictures. I would love to go. I tend to like the off the beaten path travel the most. Where there is no one. When my dad and I went hiking in Bolivia we were the only people in the park the entire four days!!!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Yes the world is becoming a smaller place and it is getting very hard to get to the road less traveled! U

      • Thing is, I am a tourist at the end of the day…..but I don’t consider myself one…how arrogant is that?

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I feel the same way Sue! 🙂

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes that is very true Debra. I think I was just so in love with the architecture. I haven’t been to other places in Europe that had suffered through communism except Berlin. I went there right after it opened up in 1993. It felt so sad there. I haven’t been back since but people I know who have been to Berlin say it is an amazing city now so full of culture and vitality. The only communist places I have been are Cuba and China which felt very repressive.

      Reply ↓

      • I thought the architecture was lovely too, but the people were not particularly friendly and the food mostly awful. I had to get up very early in the morning to have some space on the beautiful bridge and we were not there in tourist season. Berlin is a very modern, lively city, you must go.

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I would love to go to Berlin Debra! 🙂

  6. Vibha Ravi – India – I’m just a person who loves to travel - as much as you do. We might not be able to see every place in this lifetime, but we can discover little pieces of the world and make them our own. I hope you enjoy my posts and the info n tips help you plan your own trip. Bon voyage!
    Vibha (www.pixelvoyages.com) on said:

    The pics look amazing. May I assume they were shot on an iphone? Would you mind sharing the filters or editing tools used? I ask because I’m currently looking at that aspect for my own pics. Thanks

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you! I actually try to not shoot much on my iPhone as my camera is better but I still do at times. Normally I shoot on my camera and then import them into Lightroom. For this set, I actually did use special filters and used the Painterly filter on Photomatrix another application for processing. Then I imported them into instagram and went from there! I also love Snapseed too! Good luck! So many amazing filtering programs out there and many are free too on the iPhone.

      Reply ↓

  7. I was there 15 years ago and LOVED it. It is ALL about the architecture, even the spotless subway stations with their art. Are you going to the UNESCO city of Cesky Krumlov or are you back to the states?

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Louise! I am actually home now. I went about a little over a month ago and am just catching up to writing about it. I did not make it to Pesky Krumlov but did go to nearby castle and loved it.

      Reply ↓

  8. That bird had a great eye…and a good camera, too! 🙂 Are those the real colors or did you saturate a bit? I only ask because the colors are so bright a vibrant. I’m really enjoying this visit, Nicole.

    janet

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Janet! Yes I used filters for these photos as the dark gray sky and rainy weather made it tough to get good shots. My last post on Prague gives a more accurate illustration of the colors. With the sun out the colors stand out way more than my photos show however these photos I used painterly to give them a
      More surreal look. I will have a series of posts coming up with more unfiltered photos so you can get a feel for it. The buildings are amazing and seeing them in person would not disappoint.

      Reply ↓
      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Thanks Janet! I was disappointed when I got home as I took almost 1,000 pics and the weather was so gray and rainy. I felt so letdown when I looked at them. I always feel this way as unless you are a precessional photographer it truly is hard to capture the beauty of a place. So glad you like these! 😊

      • I used to look at photos for sale and wonder how they got the colors or whatever that they did. I’ve since realized that most photographers edit the heck out of their photos. Not saying it’s good or bad, but it just is.

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Yes I agree. I personally wish I was a good enough photographer to not have to change the photos too much. I think it is remarkable when a photographer knows how to take the perfect real photo in any weather or light situation and get it right. 😊

      • I sometimes saturate a bit for color and sometimes I use a vignette or frame, but other than edits just for fun, I try to keep my photos close to the original. Cropping is kosher to me, though. 🙂

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Yes the ones I put on my blog usually are minimally edited through Lightroom. These photos were used on my Instagram along with the ones I showed last week from the sunset scenes. For those I’ve been spending a lot of time playing with them to make them stand out more. IG is such a big world!

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you!!!

      Reply ↓
  10. Alison and Don – Occupation: being/living/experiencing/travelling. In our sixties, with apparently no other authentic option, my husband Don and I sold our apartment and car, sold or gave away all our stuff and set off to discover the world. And ourselves. We started in Italy in 2011 and from there have travelled to Spain, India, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia, South America, Egypt, Japan, etc. - you can see the blog archive. We travelled full-time for nearly six years, and then re-established a home in Vancouver. We now travel 2-3 months per year. We are interested in how the world works, how life works, how the creation of experience works, how the mind works. As we travel and both "choose" our course, and at the same time just let it unfold, we discover the "mechanics" of life, the astounding creativity of life, and a continual need to return to trust and presence. Opening the heart, and acceptance of what is, as it is, are keystones for us both. Interests: In no particular order: travel, photography, figure skating (as a fan), acceptance, authenticity, walking/hiking, joy, creativity, being human, adventure, presence, NOW. Same for Don except replace figure skating with Formula One motor racing.
    Alison and Don on said:

    Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I can’t wait to go there!
    Alison

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Alison! So glad you liked the photos! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  11. Sue Slaght – Calgary, Alberta Canada – www.traveltalesoflife.com Many years from now, when I am an old lady sitting in the nursing home, I hope to be the twinkly eyed resident still entertaining anyone who I can corner to listen, about all of the wild adventures attempted in a lifetime. Well into the second half of the game of life there is no time like the present to get out there, live big and laugh a lot. Living in Calgary, Alberta, married to my best friend Dave for over thirty years and Mom to adult children; my decades as a nurse have shown that in a moment life can change completely. Passionate about social justice, volunteerism and not letting the phrase “What would people think?” or my own fear get in the way of trying something new; the possibilities are endless. Enjoy the tales and I hope you will be inspired to try something you have been thinking about doing.
    Sue Slaght on said:

    Nicole I loved this series when I saw it on IG earlier. Like walking through an art gallery. Truly!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Sue! Glad you enjoyed. 🙂

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you Jess!

      Reply ↓

  14. Pingback: Curve (Rose) | What's (in) the picture?

  15. Miriam – Australia – I’m a wonder lusting woman, a musician, a freelance travel writer and magazine columnist. Utterly passionate about travel and life and turning the ordinary moments into the extraordinary. My motto is “just do it”.
    Miriam on said:

    Have never been to Prague Nicole but your photos, as always, as beautiful. Perfect for the theme. xo

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you Miriam! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  16. Tina Schell – I am passionate about photography, love traveling and exploring new places and faces, and seeing the world from different perspectives. My lens is always on the lookout for something beautiful or interesting.
    Tina Schell on said:

    Nicely done Nicole. Agree w you about Prague!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you Tina!

      Reply ↓
  17. anotherday2paradise – Durban South Africa and Florida USA – I enjoy writing about absolutely anything, and started blogging with WordPress in 2012. This was my 'Hammock Lady' blog, and I really enjoyed sharing my travels here: http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/ In November 2013, I decided it was time for a change of scenery, so I started my blog afresh, and here it is. I love to travel, and have been fortunate enough to do two round-the-world trips and visit more than forty countries so far. This year we visited our 7th continent, Antarctica. I enjoy photographing wildlife, especially in my backyard in Florida. I was born and brought up in England. My husband and I emigrated to South Africa in 1970. We now live in Florida, USA. I have a son and a daughter and five gorgeous grandchildren currently aged between 6 and 21 years. I'm so happy that you've taken the time to visit my blog, and would love for you to join me on my travels. Sylvia.
    anotherday2paradise on said:

    Stunning photos, Nicole. I hope I get to go there one day. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you Sylvia! you would love Prague! 🙂

      Reply ↓
      • anotherday2paradise – Durban South Africa and Florida USA – I enjoy writing about absolutely anything, and started blogging with WordPress in 2012. This was my 'Hammock Lady' blog, and I really enjoyed sharing my travels here: http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/ In November 2013, I decided it was time for a change of scenery, so I started my blog afresh, and here it is. I love to travel, and have been fortunate enough to do two round-the-world trips and visit more than forty countries so far. This year we visited our 7th continent, Antarctica. I enjoy photographing wildlife, especially in my backyard in Florida. I was born and brought up in England. My husband and I emigrated to South Africa in 1970. We now live in Florida, USA. I have a son and a daughter and five gorgeous grandchildren currently aged between 6 and 21 years. I'm so happy that you've taken the time to visit my blog, and would love for you to join me on my travels. Sylvia.
        anotherday2paradise on said:

        I’m sure I will, one day. 😃

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Amy!

      Reply ↓
  19. Yousuf Bawany – Essentially an old soul, I seek happiness in sorrow, colors in the dullest of places, and inspiration in the mundane.
    Yousuf Bawany on said:

    These are absolutely gorgeous! Adding Prague to my bucket list right away. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you! Stay tuned for more photos and posts on Prague. Then it will be added up even higher on your list!

      Reply ↓
      • Yousuf Bawany – Essentially an old soul, I seek happiness in sorrow, colors in the dullest of places, and inspiration in the mundane.
        Yousuf Bawany on said:

        You bet I will. 🙂

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Thanks! 🙂

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