Top 10 Things to do in Prague
Monday, June 25, 2018
When we landed in Prague, the city was covered in the thickest blanket of snow and we were welcomed with the news that three people had died overnight from cold. Weather woes aside, if I had to describe Prague in a word, it would be eccentric. The Czech, especially those inhabiting the capital, get a bad rep for being rude. Drawing on our experiences, to some extent this was true but giving them the benefit of the doubt, we're putting the odd moments down to culture.
So, here's all that we got up to in this quirky capital (with a few funny anecdotes thrown in).
1. Walking tour – Prague offers quite a few free walking tours to get a taste of the city's streets and its rich history. Led by our charismatic guide, we got the low down on the city's various invasions as well as its rich musical and cultural history. The tour was almost three hours but owing to the weather, we didn't complete the whole thing. Personally, we found this to be the perfect induction into the city so we recommend putting it at the start of your itinerary.
2. Views from Prague Castle and Prague Art Gallery: The 9th century castle complex is the largest ancient castle in the world. Boasting of this impressive title, the castle came with an unbelievably long queue that we weren't prepared to conquer during the day. Instead we walked up the winding, bustling streets and explored the area outside the castle. There were plenty of Christmas stalls surrounding the monumental walls, and the views from the surrounding lookouts were seriously impressive. The city's architecture is colourful, and the bright greens and vibrant reds stood out even from beneath all that snow. After we were done exploring the outside, we headed to the Prague Art Gallery. It isn't the best gallery out there but was perfect to escape the cold.
3. Explore the Castle complex at night: As we mentioned above, the castle is a popular spot among tourists and rightly so. But we weren't brave enough to stand in line in freezing temperatures. Instead, we beat the crowds and explored the castle at night. While the castle is bustling during the day, at night, the atmosphere is entirely different. With hardly anyone around, we walked through the warmly lit pathways to explore key sights like St. Vitus Cathedral, Powder Tower and the Golden Lane. And while the complex was beautiful from the inside, looking back as we walked home gave a view akin to something completely magical. While during the day, the colourful buildings stand out, at night the snow glowed above the lit-up castle and surrounding buildings.
4. Wenceslas Square: If you spend day 1 in Old Town and day 2 in Wenceslas Square, you'd be convinced they are two entirely different cities. Everything we had seen of Prague so far was as the polar opposite of this part of town. The popular Wenceslas Square is flanked with happening restaurants, bars and hotels. So, if you want a taste of Prague's night life, this is the spot to be at.
5. Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock: Prague's most impeccable architecture can be found in Old Town, the city's medieval settlement. It boasts of the Old Town Square, the astronomical clock, and the Old New Synagogue. Now, the clock is beautiful by all means but after eagerly waiting in chilly temperatures to see the clock strike and do its magic, it was...well a little underwhelming. So, if you temper your expectations and go in calmer weather, by all means add it to the bucket list. While you wait for the clock to strike, it's worth taking a visit to the nearby Jewish Quarter. As expected the historic area is full of beautiful Synagogues to explore. We got on the hop-on-hop-off bus to explore this whole leg of the trip and got a taste of what happens when you pick one seller over the others. The men selling tickets to the different buses are in some ways like a group of very persistent suitors. When I opted for one over the other, I was given a reaction that I can only liken to what I may receive if I dump a lover over a text. I sat on my chosen bus feeling equal parts shocked and guilty.
6. Mala Strana: The Mala Strana or 'Little Quarter' truly suits its name. The small-town charm of its narrow cobblestone streets, book-ended by iconic churches like the Church of St Nicholas, are incredibly fun to explore.
7. Try Trdelnik: When in town, be sure to try out Trdelnik, a spit cake made from rolled dough that is filled with toppings. We went for strawberries and cream which was delicious! Some words of caution though, the Czech can be well, quite stingy with their customer service, or atleast that was our experience. Try and avoid taking tissues or disposable spoons or anything else besides your food to get outta there.
8. Charles Bridge: As you walk past the numerous artists on Prague's streets, you're sure to notice a pattern. A majority of them feature the beautiful Charles Bridge in some way and it's easy to see why artists gravitate to the structure. The historic bridge crosses the Vltava river and is stunning both in the day and night. We grabbed some hot apple juice from a nearby café to keep us company as we crossed the bridge.
9. Vltava River Boat Cruise: If you want to see the Vltava River from a different perspective, check out the various boat cruises that run throughout the day. We escaped the winds after a day of exploring on foot to see the city on one of these cruises. We enjoyed the picturesque views over some hot chocolate and live music on board.
10. Marionette Show: "You must see a marionette show when you're in Prague," the tourism experts said, and obediently we listened. But, on this occasion we wished we hadn't. We thought since we're doing this, why not head to the best marionette show in town? So off we went to the National Marionette Theatre to catch a night show of Don Giovanni. Except, we didn't catch much at all. You see, the whole show was in French and our knowledge of the language is limited to "Bonjour" so as detailed and beautiful the show may have been, it simply didn't compute. And though we tried sticking through it just for the sake of it, we had no choice but to leave midway out of sheer boredom. But hey, at least we have a funny story to share.
3 comments
Prague is such an amazing and unique city! I didn't stay very long so I definitely want to go back, especially in the summer time. Love all your photos. You capture places very well.
ReplyDeleteShann Eileen | www.shanneileen.com
Wow, looks incredibly beautiful! The architecture is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your experience, and the tips you gave us along the way!
ReplyDeletexx,
Tania
https://inspiremyfancy.com/
Prague looks so magical and straight out of a fairy tale! I would love to visit one day! thanks for sharing!! xx
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