One of the most stereotyped destinations I have ever visited in Europe!!
Rich in history, check! Ting of romance, check! Old townish, check! US type night-life, check! Nearby Germany, check! These checks are basically the trigger points to visit Prague, the most well-known destination of Czech Republic!! Praha was one of my first solo trip adventures outside my country, the city with not many English boards, non-English/German speakers. Praha taught me a lot as a traveler.
If you are not driving around the city, then one option is to take the day passes. There are various options available like 24, or 72 hours pass etc. A 24hour pass is valid from the time you stamp it first today until the same time tomorrow (24 hours) and so on. You can make use of this pass in any public mode of transport, bus, trams, and metros. Just be sure that you are not misplacing the ticket pass anywhere and carry it always with you while on the bus. I left it in my hostel the 2nd day of my travel (it was in the jeans that I wore on day 1) and had to pay a hefty fine! :( Also, make sure you know the direction of your connections and the tram/bus numbers that you should take. The boards are usually not in English, which is a big problem. I have gone in the exact opposite direction of my destination a lot of times :) Google maps help in this case.
There are plenty of hostels, Airbnb, and hotels to choose from for accommodation. If you are traveling solo like me or in a small group then the hostel is a budget-friendly and super worthy option! If you are in large groups then you can opt for Airbnb or hotels. The hostel I stayed at was Adam & Eva Hostel Prague. I personally recommend this place. It was really well-maintained, with all the basic facilities included and with card access entry for security. They even have card securitized locker facilities available at no extra charge. Hostels are also a good place to meet other tourists/students from different countries and backgrounds. Conversing with a random roommate can help discover few hidden places of the town, a nice eatery or just a better itinerary for your next day.
I loved a few cafes that are on the sub-roads of the city mainly for its ambiance and the various themes that they had. No meat options are again limited to only potato fries, customized vegetable wraps, sweets, cakes, coffee, hot chocolate and other drinks. There is a famous dessert which you will find in many places called trdelnik or the chimney cake. It is basically a street food with caramelized sugar and cinnamon topped with ice creams in different flavors. There are multiple Indian restaurants all over the city if you are looking for a proper "no meat" spicy (sometimes tasty) food.
People throng the city in thousands just to visit the astronomical tower with all hyped expectations! Yes, the tower is all medieval, beautiful (if you don't stare at the skeleton for a long time) and scientific and shows the time! Every one hour, there is a 15second show. A skeleton signifying death holding an hourglass rings a bell and 12 apostles pass by the window above the dial. There are 3 other sculptures which also move. If you really want to enjoy it more, read about the significance and history of astronomical tower prior to your visit to appreciate it more, else you are bound to be dissatisfied.
The other much-hyped place is the Charles Bridge (Karlův most)! The Gothic stone bridge which has survived through many floods over the ages and is now thronged by thousands of tourists, artists, and musicians. The bridge has many statues (of saints mostly) lined up on both sides and most of the original ones are now kept in the Prague museums. This is the place where artists line the bridge with their paintings and musicians folk to make some money. If you want to get yourself sketched, you are in the right place. If you are expecting calmness, less crowd, and a place for your own, you are not the right fit to the Charles Bridge area.
Next destination on your list would be the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad)! Well, if you are up for a lot of walking and are enthusiastic about finally going to a place where it is a bit less crowded compared to above 2 places (like I was), then go for it!! :) You will have to wait in long queues at the entrance for a thorough security check. During the wait, you can breathe in the panoramic views of the city at leisure as you climb the steps to reach the castle entrance. The views of the entire city beneath you are really breath-taking! You would see the expansive parks, the rivers, the bridges, old town buildings, and statues all as miniatures. The entire castle area is very vast and is divided into various sections, you can choose amongst them as per your interests. You will have to walk quite a lot inside the castle premises, be prepared.
The John Lennon Wall is also a famous landmark, again know the history behind the wall to appreciate it better. The tourists are allowed to write or paint on the wall. During the recent times, due to all this painting and overwriting, the original writings on the wall is not visible. Few of the huge parks are the Petrín and Letná Park. Just stroll around or lay back and rest for some time! The Old Town Square is also a good place to hang out watching all the various talent shows. A genie guy, A guy performing stunts, bagpipe player, drummer, etc. Just a way to relax after a lot of walking and touring the city. You will definitely find many museums, galleries, and cathedrals all over the city. Hop in, if it fancies you!
The walking tours are sometimes good to join. You will get to mingle with the locals of the place, tourists from other countries, and build connect. Few advises/tips which you will receive in these conversations can take you a long way sometimes. There are also cruise trips arranged by few of these tour guides which is also worth a try.
I really must mention about the nightlife! The city literally transforms itself into something different; seems a bit dangerous if you are alone or in a small group. There are not many well-lit roads except the main bus routes. All the big stores and shopping centers pave way to a basement or top floor nightclubs and casinos which come into existence only after 10 PM! If you are unaware of this timing and are standing at the exact same location of the club shown on the google map at say 6 or 8 PM, you will only see the shopping center or a restaurant and not the "night" club.
See is the link to my personal list of places to visit in Prague:
https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/1AlGweWr0Uxoe3DAWhgV8z2k5AWs?hl=en
Go for it, if you like it! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment