Ahoj from Prague, Czechia!

Although only making a pit stop here on my way to Vienna, the last three days have been absolutely incredible! The city of hundred spires has some of the most incredible architecture I have seen so far, and there seems to be something for everyone! I stayed in Brix Hostel for about $20/night including taxes and fees, located in Prague 3. With clean and comfortable rooms, bathrooms, common areas, and close proximity to several public transport stops, this hostel was great for the price and my short stay. The staff were all extremely kind, and there were also free nightly music events offered, and free coffee and tea at all times. 

The public transport system here is smooth, easy, and honestly incredible. Some of the systems like the underground are very deep and old but run very well and there are at least four different transport options (bus, tram, metro, etc.) all pretty cheap. I purchased the 72-hour pass on the pid lítača app for 330 koruna (around $14). The buses/trams have ticket scanners for the paper tickets, but I was never asked to show my virtual ticket. Although a large city with a river splitting it up, there are many bridges and everything is easily reachable. Also as another very walkable city, it was extremely enjoyable to walk around and enjoy the architectural buildings and structures. 

Depending on your interests, there is a wide variety of parks, museums, walking/boat tours, restaurants, and clubs! Because I didn’t do a ton of research before I came to this city, I spent a good amount of time just riding the trams around different lines to see the buildings, and walking around the different districts and across the bridges. There are several popular viewpoints, the main probably being Prague Castle, a stunning view from a square of historical churches and buildings, free to visit but an additional fee is required to enter most of them (you can however purchase a ticket for entrance to the entire square which is pretty big). There are cafes and a historical information exhibit as well. I also went to the less populated point in the park next to The Villa Grébovka, which also continued to a larger park with old fountains, small waterfalls, and The Grotta, an old fountain and viewpoint of small caves! (the entire area is free to walk around and explore) Near my hostel, I also walked up to The National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill, with statues, another viewpoint, museum exhibits, and a cafe with another incredible view of the entire city. Many other hidden spots can be discovered yourself as well just by walking around and exploring! 

One museum exhibit I visited was at the Mumo Museum, and with my student discount, was only $2. The exhibits change out and I believe there is a larger museum close by as well. There are many castles, political buildings, and museums along the river and around the city, many taking hundreds of years to complete. Because Prague was not heavily bombed in the previous wars, much of the original architecture is still standing and extremely well preserved. Even apartment and office buildings are breathtaking, colorful, and clean. Towers are spread around the city as well, and a lot have free entrance to climb to the top for yet more viewpoints. 

My favorite area was Prague Old Town Square, where many popular tourist sights reside, including the Astronomical Clock (the oldest clock still in operation which can be climbed for a fee), St. Nicholas Church, Church of Our Lady before Tyne, and many other statues, columns, and monuments. There is a stage in the center as well which had an acrobatic school performance when I visited. It is surrounded by many other museums, shops, and restaurants. 

Restaurants are plentiful, and although I did not try Czech cuisine, it is on my list for when I return. I did however try Trdelnicks, a unique pastry made of yeast dough and baked over hot coals, coated in sugar mixed with cinnamon, and filled with caramel or chocolate, ice cream, and fruit! It was super sweet and delicious and my favorite thing I tried here by far. Typical restaurants charged between 150-500 koruna, or $6-20 depending on location. The food I did have was very fresh and flavorful.

On my last day, I decided to take a day boat tour, which I purchased on GetYourGuide for $15. The s 55 minute river cruise had an audio guide with historical information about the buildings. I also purchased a separate boat party ticket for that night, which included a two-hour boat ride and entrance to a club, for $19. I met a super sweet girl, Carolina, and we decided to go to Duplex Club after as well. The boat was fun and the view from the roof was amazing, and I would highly recommend Duplex Club for a younger crowd. It is slightly cheaper to buy tickets online, but we didn’t have to wait too long in line and it cost around $20 for entry. It is located on the building rooftop and has multiple rooms for different types of music, and was packed since it was a Friday night. We ended up staying until around 4:30 am and walked back with the sunrise. 

Coming with no expectations, Prague surprised me and I will definitely be returning at some point. Despite the city atmosphere and rather large homeless community, I felt very safe, especially with the amount of public transport and the city was extremely clean. Sbohem for now, and see you next in Austria!

xoxo,

Ang around the World 🙂