My flight to Prague arrived just after midnight. It was dark and drizzly outside, and I saw nothing of the city on the bus ride to my friend Amy’s apartment. Imagine my surprise when I woke the next day, opened the tall, ornate windows, and found this outside.

There was art and architecture EVERYWHERE.

The sidewalks all over the city are made with 2’’x 2’’ stone tiles. The patterns vary, but even new sidewalks are constructed this same way. They are easy to walk on and beautiful to behold.

The color palette of the buildings is so tight, I actually googled to see if it is regulated. I couldn’t find anything, but I definitely noted the absence of any garish colors. We wondered if the inspiration comes from natural pigments. The terracotta clay tiles on the roofs are distinctive, and the colorful buildings complement them perfectly.

In addition to beautiful architecture from so many different eras—especially Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque—we found large, green parks filled with trees and places to relax everywhere we went. And we went a lot of places. We walked nine miles per day for at least three of the days I was there.

Art appeared in so many—sometimes unexpected—places. The long series of yellow penguins shown below lights up at night. I spotted it from across the river, and later we had a beer at the adjacent cafe just so we could sit next to them.

People seem relaxed. The many public spaces are filled with all types and ages, hanging out and chatting. Sometimes drinking a beer (which is cheaper than water!), but never openly intoxicated.

Graffiti is embraced and not just reserved for “alternative” spaces.

The Vltava River, which runs through the city, has peddle boats for rent, large sets of pool balls that act as bumpers, and a bright pink covered boat labeled “Bar” that serves people on the water. The public amenities seem to be created by people with a sense of humor.

The combinations of old and new and quirky and classy are just everywhere. I felt like there was a beautiful surprise just waiting to be found down every street. Check out the subtle line drawing on the beer bar above, where the mug slowly transitions into goat. Funny, right?

In the Old Town section, you can take your pick from beautifully crafted pastries to the offerings of a nearby sex shop before emerging into a giant historical square filled with people speaking all sorts of languages.

All this within walking distance of the apartment. As you might guess, I took hundreds of pictures. So I divided this trip into three separate posts. Next up includes the coolest public space I’ve seen yet.