I love Prague. It is the capital city of the Czech Republic, which is located in central Europe and borders countries such as Germany and Austria. Prague escaped World War II with much less damage than many other European cities, so many of the buildings, bridges, and monuments are still in their original form. The authentic medieval feel that the city radiates adds to the countless other marvels that make it my favorite capital in Europe (and the world for that matter).
In order to get acquainted with Prague, I would recommend simply walking the city. It is quite compact and easy to navigate your way through the streets. Just go explore. Get lost. I promise you won’t be disappointed. One of the best things about Prague is discovering for yourself all the fantastic smaller stuff you won’t find on a map. You’ll find great restaurants, bars, shops, and many other statues, monuments, and buildings almost everywhere you look.
Don’t forget, of course, to see the famous sights. Take a promenade across the Charles Bridgeseveral times, at different times of the day, and glance at all the intricate statues that line both sides. Make sure to head up the hill to Prague Castle and the St. Vitus Cathedral to overlook the Vltava River and the old town. It is worth paying to go inside the cathedral and also to stroll down Golden Lane and go inside all the tiny houses and shops crammed together (on a side note, I do not think it is worth it to pay to climb the south tower; there are many other places around to get just as good a view for free). One thing of which I will never tire in Prague is emerging from a quaint side street into the Old Town Square. It’s as if I’ve just entered another time period. Sure, there are plenty of people and restaurants that could take away from it, but it’s so easy to look past them. Just focusing on the old buildings and architecture, the Old Town Hall Tower, fires from the food stands, and the eerie statues makes it seem like a different era. Walking through the square at dusk, with the sweet scents coming from the fires, and the towers and churches jutting up into the dwindling skylight, is my favorite memory of Prague.
The food and beer in Prague are by themselves worth the trip. I live on goulash, dumplings, potato pancakes, and beer when I visit the city. Where else can you get beer for half the price of water? Meats (especially pork and duck), potatoes, and soups are also quite common and delicious, and they are well known for their wines, too. A great meal complete with drinks, appetizers, and entrees can be commonly found for under $25 for two people.
One of the other reasons Prague is my favorite city is because the Czech Republic has their own currency; they do not use the Euro. One American dollar equals about 6 Czech Korunas which makes it one of the cheapest places to go in Europe. As if you needed another reason to go there.
If arriving to Prague by plane, the cheapest way to get into the city is to take bus 119 from right outside the terminal to the last stop "Dejvicka." Here you can connect to the metro which will get you just about anywhere in the city. The public transportation in Prague is fantastic, with buses, old-style trams, and an underground metro that are very conveniently connected. In my opinion there is no need to rent a car here unless you plan on leaving the city (in which case you could just use the inexpensive train network).
The official website for Prague tourism can be found here.
I feel as if I’m doing a severe injustice to Prague with just one article, but feel free to ask me for more information or any questions you may have. I will be posting many, many pictures and descriptions of Prague’s allure very soon, so keep Czeching (yep, I did it) back.
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