Prague is a magical city with something to offer for everyone. We had heard so many good things about it and we were excited to check this city out for ourselves!
It was a dreary first night in Praha, but that didn't slow us down one bit.
We enjoyed a traditional Czech dinner and beer brewed at U Fleku Beer Hall
We sat next to complete strangers & locals and enjoyed live music. It was kinda crazy to realize we were sitting in a beer hall that was founded in 1499 and older than our country!
After 3 nights in small pubs and family owned bars in Germany, we were ready for some real nightlife! We checked out Karlovy Lazne, a 5 story disco club and the largest club in Central Europe. Here we are at the Ice Bar which was just a neat concept with everything being made out of ice. Checking that bad boy off the bucket list. Have a drink in an Ice Bar
We planned to start our first full day in Prague by 8:00 am. We didn't walk out of our hotel until noon. All the late nights and early mornings in Germany, along with the "We will sleep when we are dead" attitude and the time change finally caught up to us and we were completely exhausted. By noon, we were well rested and ready to take on this magical city!
Lunch view in Old Town Square
Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and Vltava River in the background
Walking across Charles Bridge
Our walk to the castle (we walked everywhere, never used public transportation!)
View of the city from the Prague Castle
Our first stop was the Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle complex in the world, built in 880. We spent about 3 hours on the castle ground and honestly we were disappointed. We should have purchased a guided tour or at least an audio tour so we knew the significance of what we were looking at. I just felt like we spent a lot of time and didn't get much out of it. I began to have a mild panic attack considering we slept/wasted almost a day in Prague!
We decided to enjoy happy hour at Lokal and figure out exactly what we wanted to do over the next 48 hours. Czechs are the first in the world in consumption of beer and pub etiquette involves placing a coaster before the waiter brings you the beer. Amount of beers were counted on a small strip of paper left on the table. The cost of a beer was around ONE DOLLAR and our average price for dinner ran around 15-20$ with 2 entrees and 2-3 drinks per person. Another reason to visit Prague-completely affordable and good for those travelers (like us!) on a budget.
This is the first beer I ordered and immediately thought Wow. What a rookie working behind the bar! Turns out this was no mistake and indeed a beer, not a cappuccino! Czech beer can be served like this, with 1/2 foam and without foam- which we learned protects the beer from oxidation It was actually quite good, the foam had a lot of flavor.
We met an older couple at this pub who we really enjoyed getting to know. We saw our future in them as they had traveled the world, had a wonderful family and seemed happy together. They saw in us a young, naive, and full of life couple and they said to us "You remind us of ourselves, about 25 years ago ." Turns out this couple was from Raleigh, North Carolina as well-and actually live in a neighborhood not too far from us! Here we were enjoying a beer in Prague together, talk about a small world.
After feeling guilty about the Prague Castle and not getting out of it what we had thought we would, we were determined to get the most out of the remainder of our stay. Some people are opposed to tours, and I used to be one of them. Maybe it's the negative stigma associated with tour buses and crowds of people. Maybe there is something to be said about solo travel and self discovery, figuring things out on your own as you go. People take a lot of pride in this approach; however, we realized this was the only time we were in Prague and we wanted to get the most out of this city! The next two guided tours actually made our experience in Prague.
World War II tour was recommended by the Raleigh couple we met at Lokal, and we were intrigued from the beginning as this is something we are both interested in. It was a phenomenal tour and we learned so much!! These are a few fascinating facts were learned about the city through this guided tour...
The Jewish Cemetery, built 12 layers deep on top of each other. Many Jews were sent to Terezin concentration camp nearby. During a 1944 Red Cross visit, Terezin was used as Nazi propaganda where children were shown coloring, families were happy and cared for...before actually being sent off to other concentration camps.
Here's the place where the Germans first marched into Prague, the bank. The people in Prague used to drive on the left side of the road, until Hitler made it a law to drive on the right side of the road, which is how it stands today.
Albert Einstein's home for a short period
The Nazis occupied this yellow building in Old Town for a period of time.
We were amazed to find out below where we stood in present day Old town, there is an entire city underground. During the 13th century, the original streets of Prague were buried using the dirt, trash, and leftover building materials after construction of present day Old Town. This process increased the level of the street to prevent flooding by a much wider Vltava River at that time. We had a completely different view of Prague after WWII Tour, we were fascinated.
I'm a fan of guided tours now for many reasons, but one of them being there is a tour for everyone. Architecture tour, war tour, history tour, beer tour, Segway tours, night tour, riverboat tour....the list goes on and there is something for everyone. The next tour we came across on Trip Advisor, and it happened to be one of my favorite parts of our entire Europe trip. There's not a better way to submerge yourself in one's culture than through food!
"Taste of Prague" tour was the perfect way for us to go beyond the sights and tourism and experience Prague through the eyes of a local. We walked to a local sandwich shop, a butcher shop, wine bar, steakhouse, and ended the 4 hour tour with some pastries at a bakery/cafe. With each bite we had a better understanding of the people, history, economy, and the environment of Prague and the Czech Republic.
The food was delicious and unique, who knew I loved escargot? The best part of the tour wasn't even the food. Our tour guide, Jan, was informative, personal, and open to discussing anything and everything you wanted to talk about. It was fascinating to hear what life was like under communism, discuss healthcare, cost of rent, politics, and religion (the Czech Republic has one of the least religious populations in the world). We learned fun facts including after communism, McDonalds was introduced into the city and it was a fancy dinner occasion in which people wore suits and dresses!! Throughout childhood and as part of high school curriculum, dance classes were required. At prom, it is custom for teens to have a special dance with their parents and this is seen as "entry into adulthood" as the first night they can drink with their parents. Apparently the parents leave early, and there is a HUGE party that is open to the public. So if you ever go to Prague in the spring, be sure to do some "Prom Crashing", as there is a prom every weekend downtown.
A true experience and the #1 thing I would recommend doing in Prague, check it out! http://www.tasteofprague.com/
The cost of the tour, at first, seemed like a lot. I think we paid around $125 per person and it was worth every penny. You really can't put a price tag on this one, folks! Book as far in advance as you can as it is only Jan and his fiance Zuzi and they like small groups, 4-6 people. Great communication prior to the tour and they also give you plenty of maps, printable tips and walking tours. Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274707-d2276288-Reviews-Taste_Of_Prague-Prague_Bohemia.html
Stunning views everywhere, a rich history, cheap food and beer, friendly folks, legalized gay marriage & marijuana, 5 weeks vacation & 3 years paid maternity leave, no speed limit, no open container, extremely low crime. What's not to love about this city??? Through our experience with the guided tours, we walked away knowing more about this city than we would have otherwise. Just when we were at the peak of our enjoyment with this city, it was time to leave. We were Venice, Italy bound in the am!
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