Mala Strana

The city of Prague consists of several different neighborhoods. The more metropolitan city center exists on the east side of the Vltava river with Náměstí Republiky, Old Town Square, the Municipal Building, and the National Theatre. On the west side of the river is where our dorm is located. We live just north of Hradčany, the castle district, and just south of the cast is my favorite neighborhood: Mala Strana.

Mala Strana is nestled just under the Charles Bridge along the bank of the Vltava. A small man-made canal runs through this neighborhood to create a scene straight out of a fairy tale. I developed a penchant for this quaint little section of the city after our first day's tour. I was captivated by the winding cobblestone streets and quirky shops toting puppets, artworks, handmade glass, and even vintage and secondhand stores. On one end of this section is Alchemists Alley, in the center is the magnificent St. Nicholas baroque church, and you'll even find the Franz Kafka museum.
I've chosen to highlight this neighborhood as the subject of my special topics photo class, so any and all of my free time, both before and after classes, are often spent wandering the alleys of Mala Strana. Follow the progress of our class over on our blog, People & Places: Prague. And if you're ever in Prague, I'm emploring you to spend a day in Mala Strana.