In the beginning of June, Justin and I took a parents-only vacation for our anniversary and checked a top destination off of our travel bucket list. Neither of us had ever been to the Czech Republic before and exploring this beautiful country together was such a fun way to celebrate ten years of marriage. We spent four days in Prague and two in a small, quiet town named Kutná Hora and the whole trip was just incredible. (Psst – scroll to the end for a few specific recs!)
I’ve shared before that I’m always drawing inspiration from our travels and this trip was no different. I found myself so energized by the architecture, the colors, and the culture! There was one unusual aspect though: I realized early on in our trip that I was very drawn to one thing in particular over and over and over again. Can you guess what it was?
Yep. It was the doors.
I sure didn’t have “fall in love with doors” on my European vacation bingo card, but that’s exactly what happened. I took pictures of doors. I took pictures with doors. I stopped and admired and took mental notes about doors. I. Loved. The. Doors.
I think part of the reason doors were on my mind is because replacing our front door is quickly rising to the top of our home project list. We need to prioritize this sooner rather than later because the outside door frame is damaged and falling into disrepair; it not only looks terrible but it’s inviting critters to make their homes in the hole around the door frame (obviously problematic for many reasons).
It felt like everywhere I looked, doors were giving so much personality. Each one was unique and beautiful and full of character. Doors weren’t just a functional means to an end, they were thoughtfully crafted to fit the story of the building and I really want that to be the case for our home too. Obviously we’re not going to have enormous handcrafted doors made for our home, but the more I saw, the more I realized there are a few things I was particularly drawn to and want to think about as we begin the process of replacing our front door. Today I’m sharing a bunch of pictures of the doors I loved and the takeaways I’m keeping in mind when we shop for our doors.
Double Doors
If it’s possible, I absolutely want to use a set of double doors! There is something about double doors at an entrance that feels so special and elevated. Our current front door is a single door but it has a fixed pane on either side, so if we take the whole thing out I believe we would have enough room for double doors.
Window Panes
I loved the doors with windowpanes! They feel both classic and modern, which fits right into the aesthetic of the rest of our home. Right now our front door’s glass is frosted so it’s nearly impossible to see who is at our front door and I would love to have something with clear glass windowpanes. If double doors are not ultimately an option for us, I like the idea of fixed panes with lots of windows on the side like the above photo.
Historic Hardware
There were wrought iron details on so many of the doors and I found that so charming! While an elaborately decorated door wouldn’t really fit the rest of our home, I love the idea of using antique hardware – I snapped this pic to show how an old door handle was retrofitted for modern keys and would love to do something similar if we can!
Wooden Doors
There were some fun statement doors, but I was overwhelmingly drawn to wooden doors. Doors with some character, some nicks, some scuffs, and a nice worn-in stain. Right now our front door is painted to match the trim but I absolutely want to have wooden front doors when we replace!
Fun fact: I loved these doors in Kutná Hora and as we were taking the picture, the homeowner came home! I just explained that we really liked the doors and he invited us in to see the whole home (we politely declined but it was a funny interaction!)
Check out these babies I found on our last full day in Prague! Wooden double doors with clear glass windowpanes and historic detail – are these my dream front doors!?
I have a feeling this search for the perfect front doors will not be quick and easy, but I’m planning to scour antique shops, salvage shops, and also look at newer options to find our Goldilocks – not too big, not too small, not too ornate, not too plain, just right for our home. Let the search commence!
Traveling to Czechia? Here are a few things we loved!
Prague
*Jewish Quarter. Touring this area and the synagogues and buildings was an incredibly moving experience and an important education on Jewish history in Prague (and Europe in general). We chose to add the audio guide to our tickets which gave a lot of additional information and context. I would recommend dedicating a full morning at minimum for the tour, and make sure to give yourself time in the afternoon to process and reflect on everything. It’s a lot to take in and the information is really difficult at times (I cried multiple times, especially through the Terezín Children’s art exhibit in the Pinkas synagogue).
*New Town + Old Town. Any guidebook or travel itinerary will have specific places to go in both New Town and Old Town and my suggestion is to pick a few that you really want to do and then spend the rest of the time wandering the sections. You will likely stumble upon more of the suggested tourist spots, but you will also have so much fun just walking and exploring. There is truly SO much to see and do and it is hard to actually get lost since there are so many large historic landmarks. I also recommend exploring both at day and night, as the vibes are different and each is uniquely fun!
*Castle Quarter. I absolutely recommend spending a half day exploring Prague castle + St Vitus Cathedral. You can access the grounds and see the outsides and a small section inside the cathedral for free but we found it to be well worth buying tickets + audio guides to get the full experience.
*Use the public transportation! We used trains, metros, trams, and buses and all were fairly easy to navigate once you got the hang of the system. All public transportation uses the same ticketing system which is helpful! English is very widely spoken so you can always ask a question to a staff member or bus driver and they’re happy to help. It’s a fun way to broaden your scope of exploration and see more of the city/country in an authentic way.
Kutna Hora
I absolutely adored this charming small town and highly recommend making it a priority to visit. We spent just under two days there and while you can make it in a day trip from Prague, we were glad to have some time to just relax, explore, and enjoy a slower pace in a town that wasn’t overrun with tourists.
*St. Barbara’s Cathedral is gorgeous!! Well worth a visit. We also saw the Bone Church and St Mary’s Cathedral and both were interesting (the bone church is pretty chilling though, I’m not sure we’d ever want to go again).
*We stayed in this bed and breakfast and loved it. Great location, delicious breakfast, warm and gracious host. We would definitely recommend it!
*This is the perfect town to just wander and explore. We lingered at restaurants and popped into thrift stores, cathedrals, tiny museums, a Vietnamese market, parks, overlooks . . . it was the perfect little getaway in the middle of our vacation.
Those are the highlights of our trip but I’m always happy to give more information or specific recommendations if you want so feel free to ask away in the comments!
simplify the chaos 
Cool photos.
Thank you!