Prague, Czech - Sunset and Moonrise from Charles Bridge

Curiosity got the best of me and I opened my "PhotoPills" app on my phone to see get time information for the full moon rise and the sunset.  As luck would have it, both would occur within an hour or so of each other.  And the best spot would be from the Charles Bridge, a famous bridge in the Old Town part of Prague.  I found a few travelers from the group that were open to walking tonight (remember, we arrived in Prague this afternoon!!).  We had to have a nice pace to get through the town and to the bridge with enough time to scout out the perfect spot.  Jim knew the way, so off I went with sisters Martha and Jane.

We started off on our street Na Porcini to nám. Republic (Republic Square).  In the distance I see the top of a beautiful building dome.  This is Francouzská restaurace Art Nouveau, a beautifully restored art nouveau restaurant.  I can't stop to visit now, but you can take a brief pause and look at the old and new photos here http://www.francouzskarestaurace.cz/galerie/#

 Across the street I see Divadio Hibernia, a repertory theatre building on the site of a former 17th century Irish Franciscan monastery.

 Back to the art nouveau restaurant.  Kavárna Obecni Dûm is a coffee shop next to the fancy art nouveau restaurant.  Wow. Beautiful!

The tall dark building is The Powder Tower.  It is a city gate, built in 15th century, destroyed in the Battle of Prague and restored. It is a landmark in this area as in "turn right at the Powder Tower".

We turned right at the Powder Tower on to the street Celetná.  Some street musicians working the crowd.

 Stay on Celetná for a block or two until you reach the large open plaza.  This is "Old Town Square". On the left is Staroméstská Restaurace, a long standing Czech beer restaurant.  On the right is a large tower, Old Town Hall and the Astronomical Tower.

 Left is the astronomical clock tower, and on the right side are the towers of

Chrám Svatého Mikuláše.  High tech taxis wait for people in need of a lift home.

 I turned quickly to get the sun shining off the towers of Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

 Dodged the crowds and walked on nam Male (street name) past the clock.  The clock is known for its intricate works as an astronomical clock.  Old Town Hall is a 14th century tower.

 Marker in the pavement.  The street Male Namesti twists and turns. We follow signs (haha) and take the right at Karlova.

 Karlova twists left and right until it meets another plaza in front of the Catholic Church Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora.  The golden hour was upon us and the beautiful light put an amber glow on the face of the church.

 The group made plans to meet later.  I started my photo tour at the fence with the locks. Shout-out to Kalen and Tiffany...all lock photos are for you!

 Looking at the Charles Bridge with its statues.

 Across the river, the sun dips behind the castle and church on the hill.

 Golden light makes the riverside buildings glow.

 Bridge street light and shadow silhouettes against the glowing sky.

 Businesses start to turn on lights reflecting amber on the river.

 We enter the "blue hour" following the sunset.

 Lights are suddenly every where: on the castle wall and in the street lights.  More restaurant lights reflect on the river.

 It's time to leave.  I turn around to see the castle glowing in the night and the photographers lined at the fence.

Some fun shots from the night.  My iPhone panoramic of the Charles Bridge and the river.

 The city lights are too bright to see the Milky Way but I am always curious.  IFFFF we could see it, this is what it would look like from the Charles Bridge in Prague.  Wow.  (Taken with the PhotoPills app on my iPhone.)

 I traced my route back to the hotel.  It is very interesting how black the sky now is.  Gone is the Blue Hour and we are now pure night sky.  I didn't have to look at my map very often, just follow the crowds.

It took me about 40 minutes to walk back to the hotel. The other travelers said that they couldn't find me and decided to leave at 9:00.  I waited about 15 minutes and left at 9:30.

And I did get my moon rise over Prague photo.