Wanderings: The Jižní Express to Prague

August 16 to 17, 2026

Up early for a connection in Linz north to Prague. The rail line from Linz north to the Czechia border was under construction, but the ersatzverkehr (substitue bus) was easy to find. The express train to Prague waited at Rybník, just over the border in Czechia.

As we approached Prague, a man returning from a camping trip with his son asked us where we were from. "Oh, the Boston Bruins!" then inserting the name of a Czech hockey player on the team. Upon his enquiring, we told him we planned to climb Snĕžka, the tallest peak in Czechia. "Not too hard, I've done it." "But, we're old," was our reply.

A good walk through the city over Charles Bridge (Karlow Most (1)), climbing the western bridge tower. Passing through to the Senate Gardens, led to a climb up to Prague Castle. Buying tickets to ascend the Cathedral tower there, the seller warned us old people it was a long way up.

The day ended with a small orchestra concert in a church. The three violins, plus one each viola, cello, and base made a rich sound, ocassionally accompanied by a soprano. A short break for the orchestra left time for Bach's Tocatta and Fugue played on the church's organ. As with every concert in Prague, the orchestra performed Smetana's The Moldau from the Czech composer's Ma Vlast (my country).

The next day, we climbed the Town Hall Tower and toured the facility and cellars, including seeing the Astronomers' clock from behind. At the Jewish quarter, a thunderstorm provided a good excuse to take shelter in a chocolate shop for some hot chocolate until the storm passed.

With rain still threatening, we hopped on the historic trams for a tour of the city under a roof. After the storm, the sky looked more autumnal, and enjoyed the banks of the Vltava as the sun set.

(1) Karlow IV (Charles IV) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1346 to 1378, the Golden Age of Bohemia. The bridge over the Vlatava (a) was built during his reign after the earlier Judith Bridge was swept away in a flood. The bridge stands to this day, the cars banished in 1965; pedestrians only now.

(a) Called the Moldau in German.