Prague is one of my favourite cities in Europe for many reasons. It has the beauty of a western European capital with the culture to match but with the prices of eastern Europe. There is enough to do for a 3-5 day trip, but you could easily spend longer here, should your heart desire.
Getting to Prague is easy enough by either train or plane, and accommodation is cheap to come by. I stayed at the Old Square Hostel both times I have visited. It is right in the heart of the city, it’s clean and decent enough but not much of a 'bar' atmosphere if that’s what you’re looking for.
Getting to Prague is easy enough by either train or plane, and accommodation is cheap to come by. I stayed at the Old Square Hostel both times I have visited. It is right in the heart of the city, it’s clean and decent enough but not much of a 'bar' atmosphere if that’s what you’re looking for.
Top Spots
Charles Bridge – not just any old bridge. Can’t tell you the history behind the main bridge in the city but during the day you’ll find artists, old men and guitars, show performers and a golden dog which you need to rub for good luck. Always packed full of tourists, but packed for good reason.
Astronomical Clock – you will find crowds gather round this clock in the Old Square every hour. Once I saw a man with a snake there, but that’s a different story. Every hour the clock chimes (shocking) and some kind of figurine comes out of a door in the clock. And every hour there will be a big crowd to watch it happen. See it at least once then move on and avoid the snakes.
Vyšehrad Citadel – a big set of buildings on top of the hill over Charles Bridge. It’s a nice walk up the hill and you’ll find more cafes and bars over the bridge so it’s worth the trek. Once you make the mammoth climb (it really isn't that big) you can spend a day just exploring the buildings and dining spots. Or you could spend a day bar crawling at the base of the hill, climb up, and then climb down and find the nice wine bars on the walk down which overlook the city. I’d recommend going up to top, not only to see the great views of the city but the wine is also worth the walk.
Cultural Lark
I’d say these are the 3 main hotspots in Prague but of course there is so much more to do. For the cultural sort you can buy a Prague Card from the tourist info centre at Charles Bridge. This £25ish card allows you access to certain sights in the city. Expect places such as the Toy Museum, St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Old Town Hall, Powder Tower, National Museum and the Observatory, and many more places that I didn't visit. If you are cultural then this card is great to fill time and see the history behind Prague. If you are visiting Prague with friends for drinking and a bit of culture then this card may not be worth the buy.
Low Brow Jaunt
Moving away from the Prague Card then moves you to the clubs, bars and what else there is to do in this capital. Bar crawling isn't tough as beer is as cheap as water. Clubs are also pretty cheap. I've only tried the one club in the city, Cross Club, but I heard it was the biggest in Europe, still not really sure if that's true. It features a number of different floors with a mix of music, great dance floors and cheap-ish drinks. It wasn't expensive to get in and wasn't too packed when I went. Apart from drinking there is still some low brow culture to enjoy. Near the Old Town Square and right next door to the Old Town Hostel where I stayed you will find the Sex Machine Museum. A few pennies to get in and worth a few laughs, plus a machine which shows how horny you are. The final must-see recommendation that I have to offer is the John Lennon Wall. A large wall dedicated to graffiti and messages to John Lennon. By that I mean cultural messages and messages that inspire. Feel free to leave your own imprint on the wall; it’s more than worth a visit even if you don’t.
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