Wishing on a Waterfall: Prague without the crowds

Having only ever really associated it with rowdy stag dos, I was excited to discover that Prague is, in fact, a magnificently grand city that tells the story of its history through Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Every street is a visual spectacle, bringing together imposingly beautiful buildings and historical towers with church spires and domes peeking out all over the skyline.

It seemed a shame, however, that all of these remarkable sites were filled with hundreds of fellow tourists with selfie sticks in tow. In order to escape the crowds, Ciaran and I made the decision to get up early one morning in an attempt to see Prague in all its naked glory. And boy did this decision pay off. We struck gold with the mother of all sunrises, which decorated the sky with numerous shades of pink and orange and shone an attractive golden veil over the entire city.

First, we headed to the Charles Bridge, where we were accompanied by only a few photographers, eager tourists and club crawlers. After taking in the mesmerising views, we then hot-footed it to the top of the hill that houses Prague Castle. Here we discovered that, apart from a couple of palace guards, we had the entire place to ourselves. This meant we could take in the view of the sun rising over the city and Castle Square without anyone else in sight. The entire morning was a truly memorable experience and one that was certainly worth setting the alarm clock for.

Tips:

Head to the Charles Bridge first as this is the most famous of the landmarks and likely to be the busiest, aiming to get there just before sunrise - be sure to check what time this is due on the date you are visiting. Head to the western end of the bridge and look towards Old Town in order to get the best view of the sunrise. After around 20 minutes enjoying the bridge views, head straight to Castle Square in order to witness the sun rising over the city.