Prague – Praha
Prague is commonly known as the heart of Europe or “city of a hundred spires” and I can understand why after visiting the city at the end of July 2015. My first impression of Prague was that it feels very romantic. Many couples, local or foreign pick Prague as their wedding venue! There are spikes in the sky everywhere you look and these spires creates the feel of a fairytale city.
I used Air B&B for Prague. I chose a location that was near to the city centre and a cheap and cheerful price range. I knew in Prague that I’d be out all day so I wasn’t expecting luxury with my accommodation. I had a good wi-fi signal, a comfy bed and that is all I needed.
Sight Seeing in Prague
Prague is the sightseers dream. Every corner you take there is something else to admire. It’s the city that keeps on giving even when you think it could give you no more. My biggest advice; get lost. You won’t regret it!
Charles Bridge Prague
A bridge swarmed with tourists morning, noon and night. Prague most beautiful bridge crossing over the Vltava river. Lined with musicians, stalls, statues and people, you’re going to get a feel for the city and its nice to look at the bridge from a distance too..
Prague’s Astronomical Clock
Every hour the clock strikes a production. There seems to be quite a bit of mystery associate with the clock, and a difficulty understanding its meaning.
Prague Bell Tower
after you have taken in the magnificent performance of the Astronomical clock, you can go inside to the top of the bell tower and take in the view of the Old Town Square. As you are going up, you can see the inside mechanics of the clock and the view on top is amazing.
This area of Prague is huge. Follow the signs for Prague castle located around the city and be prepared for the uphill climb. There are many cathedrals, beautiful gardens and magnificent views to take in around Prague Castle so give yourself plenty of time for exploring this area!
Other Sight Seeing in Prague
If you’re like me, and love to take photos, you’ll find so much inspiration in this city. When I got home I realised i took so many random photos, an amateur photographers dream!
you’ll find musicians everywhere. Here are a few that I captured.
Pretty Streets and Buildings..
The Smaller Details..
And This Lonely Piano.. <3
Food & Drink in Prague
Prague is a beer-drinkers dream! Czechs consume the most beer in the world (about 160 litres per head per year) and I can understand why.. it is SO cheap! Apparently it is nice beer too, I didn’t taste any, an experience completely wasted on me, what a shame!
There are plenty of places to go for other drinks. Weather you’re a wine drinker or a party hard absinth lover there’s something to suit every one.
Cocktails- Hemmingway Bar. Be sure to make a reservation as this place has a limit and is very popular!
Wine- Monarch. Wine and Tapas, what more could you want!
Absinth- Absintherie. Be sure to wear green!
Something Different Bed Lounge. Kick those shoes off and relax on a super comfy bed with drink service! Try not to fall asleep!
While you’re in Prague you may as well check out the Czech cuisine. Goulash and dumplings are local dishes advertised everywhere and you’ll find other bemusing items on barely readable menus. Many tourists find Chech cuisine quite stodgy. Many dishes consist of lots of tasty dense white bread and thick sauces to warm the belly.
I went to a restaurant called U Modrého Hroznu that has the “best goulash in town” so of course advertising won me over and I went in to get the goulash (believe it or not) and it was lovely! I never had goulash before so I didn’t have anything to compare it to. It tasted like a dense oxtail stew with white bread (dumplings), and it was delicious! Rabbit is also a very common dish served in Czech restaurants. I tried it for the first time and rabbit is nice but while eating I couldn’t stop thinking of Steve, my nephews pet rabbit..
For more Czech food try Rainer Maria Rilke and U Medvidku.
Where I was staying in Prague i was lucky enough to be surrounded by some fantastic restaurants.
Indian– K The Two Brothers I had a fantastic indian meal. I highly recommend the Prawn Curry. The wait staff will ask what level spicy would you like your dish to be, 10 being super spicy! I went for 7 which was pretty good and not too spicy!
Contemporary– School Restaurant for good tasty food and wine
Cafe– Cafe Louvre I cannot stress enough how you need to go here. An absolute must! The building and setting are simply magnificent! The food and coffee is lovely too.. A little hidden gem, so keep your eyes peeled!
Modern Asian– Sansho A “whole animal” restaurant. I recommend the dinner tasting menu. Best meal I had in Prague!
Irish– James Joyce of course I had to mention my roots at some stage throughout this post! And in any big city there are always Irish pubs! I went here one morning for breakfast and it was phenomenal to say the least!
My Top Tips for Visiting Prague
- Wear comfortable shoes. don’t even bother bringing heels. if you need a bit of height make sure they are wedges. Most of the streets in Prague are cobble stones and you walk everywhere.
- public transport. If you prefer not to walk there are trams, busses and metro. You can get a 3day ticket from a news agent for 100cz. If you’re getting the train out of Prague, book a private booth. You get a luxury train ride with everything you need and it doesn’t cost too much extra.
- Airport transfers. When I got to Prague there’s nothing worse than trying to figure out the trains and busses (especially in a different language), so upon arrival I usually book a transfer. I booked Prague Airport Shuttle. On the way back to the airport I got the bus which was so much cheaper but absolutely packed.
- Don’t take notice of the bad customer service! the people serving at the check out tills can be very rude so be ready for that lol.
- Shopping is pretty good so keep some compartments free in your luggage for new items.
- Pick pockets are everywhere so have your wits about you.
A big shout out to Aoife Coughlan who LOVES Prague (I can understand why), before I went away she gave me many of the tips and recommendations mentioned here. Thanks Aoife! You star! :)
Have you ever been to the City of a Hundred Spired? Or are you planning a trip soon? Feel free to leave comments below if you enjoyed my post or if you have any questions, I’m always more than happy to help.
At the moment I don’t have any trip away planned for the future. Hopefully next year will be very exciting! Stay tuned to my social media to see where I’ll be going next!