Prague- Fairy Tale or Modern Town?

A few weeks ago, the man and I took a short hop over to the mainland, and visited Prague, Czech Republic. We had a few places we were considering going, and it boiled down to which place cheaper, quicker to get to and from, and which place could provide internet in the hotel (not as common in Europe as in the states). That worked out to be Prague.

When we called to book the tickets, the woman from the website (lastminute.com, good prices and good service) told me one of every three calls she gets are for Prague. Everyone we talked to gave glowing recommendations of the city. One of my Russian students told me "It's like a fairy tale".  Needless to say, we were pretty excited.

It wasn't till after we booked that we realized that that same weekend was a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK. That just means everyone gets a day off work, making a 3 day weekend, and that any tourist places within a few hours flight of any airport would be overrun with tourists. Oh well, next time I guess we will have to do better research!

Anyway, we arrived in Prague after a short 2.5 flight on British Airways (an enjoyable flight, short, but long enough that we got food and drinks). The man arranged for us to be picked up from the airport- have you ever walked out of baggage and had a suited man carrying a sign with your name on it drive you to the hotel in an Audi? Not a bad start to the trip.

The drive into the city took about 45 minutes, but more on back city streets than highways. We passed huge houses which we were sure at one time were single family homes, but with the current economy in Europe, now apartments. Our first view of the inner city, I'm sad to saw, was not as pleasant as we hoped. Our hotel was quite nice, but the area we were in (despite the advertising of us being in the "city center") was dirty and graffiti'd. The architecture was nice, but the streets showed evidence of the hard days which have plagued the areas.

After we checked into our hotel (Golden Tulip Terminus) we decided to check out the city center. Now, this was a working vacation for me, which meant we had 3 hours to explore before I had to get back for my lesson. Looking at the map, we figured we would be able to get around the Old Town Square, and then have to make our way back. Luckily for us, we were comparing the size of the map to one of a normal sized city. What looked to us like a 30 minute walk was actually less than 10. Awesome news for us, we got to do a lot more than we planned!

Things to See

Prague Old Town- Staré Město

The center of the Old Town is an open square, surrounded by the beautiful architecture that defines the city. Tourist central, you can expect to be able to listen in on a passing tour guide's spiel.. though it might not be in English. There is the opportunity to rent the predict horse and carriage, but also the options to rent classic cars and segways.

The great thing about this square is that it is not just some place to walk through. Restaurants have taken over some of the spaces, providing wonderful views for a meal. If you don't want something sit down, there are small stands selling simple and classic Czech fare., mainly sausages and coarse brown bread.  A little garden sits adjacent to the square, providing shade while you enjoy some ham and a beer. Expect music, different spaces around the square are occupied by talented musicians. There is nothing quite like dancing to "It's a Wonderful Life" in the center of Prague.

The Astronomical Clock- Orloj

This clock was installed on the side of the Old Town City Hall in 1410.

"The clock mechanism itself is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures—notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months."

(thanks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock, didn't feel like retyping all that)

We saw several wedding parties as we wandered around, but this was the most impressive. Each car was filled with members of the party and guests. I did feel very sad for this couple though, people kept walking around the cars, and I doubt they got a tourist-free picture!

Charles Bridge- Karlův Most

The Charles Bridge is but one of many bridges that connects the two halves of Prague, dissected by the Vltava. It is undoubtedly the most famous though, and the most beautiful. They began building it in 1357, but didn't finish until the 15th century. 

Again, some help from Wikipedia: The bridge is 621 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side. The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700 but now all replaced by replicas.

The bridge serves as the most popular path between the most touristy parts of the city, and is constantly covered with kiosks for artists and vendors. 

The Lennon Wall

This wall is just over the bridge ( and down, and back a few alleyways.. message me if you are visiting, I can give you more precise directions). If you are a fan of The Beatles, graffiti, inspirational quotes, or just love vandalism in general, you will like this wall. creative and encouraging, the most interesting thing to me was who this wall belongs to, and how they feel about it.

The Love Lock Bridge

Apparently, these have become fashionable in different cities around the world. The idea is that you go to the bridge with your love. First, write your name/dates on the lock. Then, together you put the lock on the bridge and through the key into the water. The idea is that your love will last forever. We half-expected to see locks being sold near the bridge, but alas, there were none. Still, even if you have no lock (or no love) it is still interesting to see, and makes some cool artsy photos.

Prague Castle ( Pražský Hrad) and St. Vitus Cathedral ( Katedrála svatého Víta)

Across the river from Old Town is the Lesser Town, the second most touristy area in the city. Expect a bit of a hike if you want to walk up to the castle and the cathedral, as they are on the top of a cobblestone streeted hill. 

Unfortunately, I can share very little information about the castle with you. We decided not to go in (budget vacation, you know how it goes), and so only viewed a bit of it from afar. It is apparently the biggest ancient castle in the world, and houses the Czech Crown Jewels. I wish we had gone in to see it, but oh well, maybe another time. 

The cathedral is free to go into, so obviously we did. Probably the most gorgeous one I have ever seen, the black and gold exterior against the bright blue sky was an amazing thing to see. 

This was definitely worth the hike up the mountain (to someone from Florida, any hill is a mountain). 

Another great thing about going up was the view of the city. There is a higher hill in the city, with a tower you can go up into (for a fee of course). I think this provided just as good of a view, and for free.

Things To Do

Drinking

Ok, so you don't pay hundreds of dollars to go on vacation to sit around and booze it up. And I am not saying drinking in Prague is any different than anywhere else in the world. It is a large part of the culture though, and with great quality products to choose from it is a waste to do enjoy yourself a bit. 

Beer

We tried a variety of brews and enjoyed all that we tried. I'm no expert on beer, so I can't give much advice about what kind is better than others. The Pilsner was my favorite, which worked out well because it was everywhere. Don't expect to find too many international beers, most beers serve only Czech brews. Also important, the pricing isn't consistent at all when it comes to beers. We stopped in little rundown beer gardens, and paid more than we did in the nicer restaurants. One place, a beer may be 50 CZK, another 120. Good luck.

Wine

I wasn't aware of the Czech love for wine, though I can't say I am surprised. The Pinot Grigio was nothing compared to the quality of the Italians, but still light and enjoyable. The Rose was quite nice, though, some of the better I have had. 

This was one of the best moments of our trip- sitting, looking over the city, enjoying some chilled wine. This is a must (even if you are drinking a coke) for any visitor.

Absinthe

I learned a lot about Absinthe before I took this trip. We have all been deluded into thinking this alcohol leads to a crazy, fairy filled adventure. It having been banned in countries just makes people want it more, and the tales about it's effects grow. Here is the truth.

Absinthe is an alcohol that contains a chemical called thujone, which is supposed to be the cause of the psychedelic effects of the drink. Really, this idea was based on assumptions before modern science could have it's say, and it is still not known what the actual effects are. Absinthe is sold in many countries around the world now, and there is no such thing as "fake" or "real" absinthe. The differences between things sold in the US and the more liberal countries like Prague are in the alcohol percentage and the amount of thujone in the mix. The higher the thujone, the more likely you will see a fairy- but if you do, it is probably because of your imagination, not the drug. 

There is a bit more to it (like why they thought it was psychedelic), if you want more info you can ask me or check wikipedia. 

Anyway, back to Prague. Every shop sells absinthe, and there are bars particularly devoted to it. I think (if you drink alcohol) it is something to try once while you are there. My personally opinion? It's pretty nasty. If you like licorice, you might like it. Me? Not a fan.

Street Vendors

The street vendors are great if you are looking for a snack, a beer, or some knick-knacks. Prices are usually pretty decent, but beware- sometimes they are listed in CZK, and sometimes in Euros.. You could end up shelling out quite a bit of money without planning on it!

Ice Pub

I had always wanted to go to an Ice Pub, having seen them advertised in London, New York, Vegas, and Hong Kong. It was a hot day, so we decided to go for it. The pub itself was tiny, and you pay for 1 drink and 30 minutes in a room filled with ice, but I really enjoyed it. The prive was lower than any of the others I had seen, and it was a nice change of pace from the tourist filled streets.

Thai Massage

Eight Euros bought us a half hour neck and back Thai massage.. Thanks to my man having lived in Thailand, and him speaking Thai to our masseuses, we got full body for the same price. Oh yeah. 

If you have never had a Thai massage before, beware. It can be very painful. Thai massages are a lot of stretching (nice) and a lot of kneading with elbows (oww). If you can't take a little pain, you should stick with sitting in the chair and having the fishies nibble on your toes. 

Dinner in the Square

This was a crowded, but very enjoyable dinner. There are enough restaurants scattered around so that everyone can get a seat somewhere (and the food seemed to be the same most places). A bit noisy, and lots of smokers around, but still a romantic and delightful.

Souvenir Shopping

Prague shops are filled with Crystal jewelry, woven scarves, absinthe, and Matryoshka dolls (stacking dolls).My personal favorites were the stores with only dolls, because they made them to look like pop stars, athletes, politicians, you name it.

Bachelor/ Batchlorette Party

The city is increasingly popular with those looking to celebrate their impending nuptials. While the bars and restaurants in the Old Town area close around midnight, other areas of the city sport 254 hour entertainment. Get stuck in the wrong area, and you can expect to be in an Amsterdam-ish environment. 

Prague in a Nutshell

DON'T EAT THE PRETZELS!
You will get charged for them, even if they
don't say anything

So is Prague the beautiful, fairy tale town of our dreams? Minus the tourists, graffiti, and dirt, it's pretty close. The Old Town area is busy and interesting, but too worn to be amazing. The Lesser Town area, around the castle, is much more sensational, and a place where I wouldn't mind living.  Outside of those two areas, I get the feeling that it is similar to any other European city that has fallen on hard times. We only got to go to Prague for 2 days, but I think we saw the best things there were to see. If someone else was footing the bill, I would have no problem going again, but otherwise I am not taking out any loans to visit again in the next few years. All in all? Visit Prague if you can. Try to find a time to go when there are less tourists, and your enjoyment of the city will increase tenfold.