When I was mapping out travel destinations for this year, the Czech Republic wasn’t on my radar. Not by a long shot. Living in Santiago, our travel priorities were focused on seeing as much of Chile and South America as possible before our assignment here ended. But, when a work meeting popped up in Prague, we jumped at the chance to fly out a few days early and spend a weekend as tourists in this charming old city.
I had heard good things about Prague before, but wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when it first came onto my radar early this year. In my mind, it was a sort of gateway between Eastern and Western Europe. Historically, it was part of the Warsaw Pact, and behind the Iron Curtain from the end of WWII until the end of the Cold War. When the Cold War ended, though, Prague quickly became a popular tourist destination for it
s vibrant culture and beautiful historical architecture that remained comparatively undamaged throughout WWII.
Despite reading about the charming Old Town, the expansive Prague Castle, and the many beautiful bridges that run across the Vltava river to connect the two, I was completely unprepared for just how charming this old city actually was.
The architecture and historical areas themselves were relatively similar to how I had pictured them, but I had expected that these areas were somewhat confined. We have been to cities before where the typical pictures you find on google images or pinterest represent a few blocks at the center of the city, with the rest of the town being somewhat less remarkable. Prague, however, seems to have artfully retained its historical architecture and charm, while embracing the efficiencies of the modern world. It’s the kind of city you could spend hours, days or even months, just wandering through. Around every corner seems to be some new hidden gem, whether it be a beautiful building, a cozy cafe or a world class museum. Prague is teeming with art, history and music with many churches hosting live music every night of the week.
Another great thing about Prague is that it’s CHEAP. Despite all it has to offer, a trip to Prague won’t break the bank. You can find plentiful accommodations and high quality dining options at extremely reasonable prices. Not to mention, until very recently, Beer was quite literally cheaper than water. The people of Prague love their beer, especially their Pilsner. As the most common drink of choice with a meal, it was often also the cheapest item on the menu, until a law was passed that required restaurants to include at least one non-alcoholic beverage option that was priced below the cheapest beer. Nonetheless, it’s not hard to find a delicious, fairly priced Pilsner to wash down your meal.
The Czech diet does tend to be rather heavy, with various meats and dumplings making up a typical meal. We sampled (ok, stuffed our faces with) the local fare, but were also pleasantly surprised to find a mix of other cuisines available throughout the city as well. Apparently, there is quite a sizable Vietnamese community in Prague, and we were very happy to find several restaurants serving Pho, something we miss dearly since moving to South America.
Fortunately, after all that Pilsner and heavy food, Prague is a very walkable city. We spent most of the weekend exploring on foot. From our hotel in Wencesclas Square, we walked in all directions. From the famous Old Town, we made our way to the river front, walking along the Vltava and across the famous Charles Bridge to the Mala Strana, a beautiful historic quarter at the bottom of the hill that leads up to Prague Castle.
On the advice of a waiter, we made our way further down the river and climbed a large staircase to Letna Park (Letenské sady), a beautiful park positioned atop a hill, with stunning views back over the Vltava River toward the Castle. To get here from the Old Town side of the river, you will want to cross the bridge called Čechův most, which is 2 bridges north-east past the Charles bridge. Once across the bridge, you will see a large staircase, which will lead you to the park. Head east and you will find a large open-air beer garden. Head west, and you will find your way back to Mala Strana or Prague Castle.
We strolled through the park a bit, before heading back to the west, to the edge of Prague Castle. From here, we wandered back to the river front, where we found a large group of swans soaking up the sunny afternoon weather. The city seemed to have come alive with the spring weather. Restaurant’s outdoor patios overflowed, and we happened upon multiple outdoor concerts and festivals in the city’s numerous parks.
After sleeping off some of our jet lag, we returned the following day to make a proper visit to Prague Castle. On the way, we walked back through Mala Strana, making a stop at the John Lennon wall. Despite the fact that Lennon himself never once visited Prague, the memorial wall, which is a constantly changing work of art, was still impressive, tucked away in a small corner behind the Charles bridge.
Prague Castle itself is the largest ancient castle in the world, with the complex sprawling out across the hillside. Equally impressive, in my opinion, are the views back over the city from where the castle sits, as well as the view of the castle complex from the river front at night. It is such a commanding presence over the city, and transports you back in time as you wander through it and gaze up at it from below. The castle itself is so large and the buildings in the complex so tightly situated, that it is a well known nightmare for photographers to get a close up image of any of the castle buildings. Here is my best attempt, as well as a view of the castle grounds from below, as seen from the Charles Bridge.
The major downside of Prague was the crowds. Even in early April, before the high tourist season of summer, Old Town, Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge were absolutely bursting with tourists on the weekend. Fortunately for us, because we had a longer stay, we were able to experience them again at less busy times. For me, this meant early morning runs, where I was able to take in the city at sunrise before heading to work. If you have the opportunity to visit Prague during the work week, I would definitely recommend it. I also recommend trying to get to the Charles Bridge at or before sunrise. Not only is the sunrise over the city beautiful, but you can actually take in the Bridge without being completely overwhelmed by weaving through a crowd.
On Saturday evening, we had the pleasure of getting some pointers from a local. David, who we met 4 years earlier during our Inca Trail trek, is a Prague native, and living there at the moment between trips around the world as a photographer. As a brief aside, I have to just say how impressive his work is. He recently published his first photo book, Metropolight, which he shot during a year of travel through the world’s largest cities. If you’re so inclined, you can read more about the project and check out the book yourself.
David made us a reservation at a restaurant called Kantýna, which is new, but has been made to feel like a communist era butcher shop and canteen. You order your food at various counters, getting a card stamped at each one to mark the items you have received. First we selected from a huge cooler full of red meat and pork, then selected some side items (thick slices or rye bread, pickled vegetables, and giant potato pancakes), before making our way to pick up large mugs of pilsner to wash it down.
After dinner, we headed to the small and cozy Hemingway Bar, where we caught up over some delicious cocktails. The ambiance was great for a relaxing evening, but the place does seem popular, so it’s a good idea to call ahead for a reservation as they have a “no standing” policy in the bar.
At night, a different kind beauty comes to light as the streets are lit up with yellow lamplight, reflecting off the cobble stones. On the hillsides that climb up on either side of the river bank, the old buildings are lit from below, making them seem somehow even more majestic than during the daytime.
All in all, Prague exceeded every expectation we had, and is the perfect city to get lost in. Between its beautiful architecture, wealth of indoor arts and culture, affordability and safety it has so much to offer. We certainly hope to be back again, to dig deeper and uncover more of this city’s hidden corners.
Don’t miss: The Charles Bridge at sunrise, a stroll through Old Town Square, Prague Castle, the John Lennon Wall, Letna Park, Mala Strana, delicious Pilsner, meat and dumplings