One story about holiday in Prague

After of couple of weeks of discussions about where to go for St. Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend and I decided on Prague.

We have got a friend living in Prague for already three years so we didn’t have to worry about anything more than just buying a flight ticket and packing the rucksack.

Landing and Prague Airport

Considering it was February and we had just left a rainy and quite warm England, we were surprised to find Prague freezing and snowy. Prague airport Ruzyne is located 10 km westward from the city centre. As we got to know later, the airport is serviced with two buses, No.: 119 and No.: 100, which take you almost to the town centre. Taking the bus is obviously the cheapest way to and from the airport. Additionally, there is an airport shuttle service, which will cost you about £ 15 each, and taxis.

Prague Underground

As our friend has been living far from the city centre and was studying full time, we had to explore Prague underground without any attendance and help. There are three underground lines in Prague, Line A (green), Line B (yellow), and Line C (red). Every day we started our journey at Černý most station and went to Můstek, which is in the very centre of Prague. The tubes start running at 5 a.m. and are open until 12 midnight.

First Day In Prague

Our first day plan was to become familiar with the transport and to see the city centre.

It was interesting to know that Prague is divided into Old Town and the New Town. The heart of Prague's historical centre is the Old Town Square. Always overcrowded with tourists the square amazes everyone with Gothic spires of the Týn Church and the Astronomical Clock. You will not regret a climb to the top of the Old Town Hall tower - the view of the square and beyond is really great. Melantrichova street leading off the square will take you to Wenceslas Square. It is an important place in the centre of Prague. It has been a place where many historical events occurred. It's also a traditional place for demonstrations, celebrations, and similar public gatherings.

Jewish Quarter is not far from the Old Town. Every house and place in the Jewish Quarter has its story, so we definitely recommend you to have a guide for this one. We were really impressed by the Old Jewish Cemetery as well as The Old-New Synagogue which is the oldest working synagogue in Central Europe.

Nothing can compare to walking across the Charles Bridge and its magnificent view of both parts of the town and the Prague Castle which is recorded to be the largest castle area in the world. The bridge is decorated with symbolic statues and is full of Czech artists, musicians and souvenir vendors whose stands line both sides of the bridge year-round.

The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Crown and it is the best and often the only possible currency to use. Although the Czech Republic is part of the European Union, the Euro is not widely accepted here yet.

Souvenirs

Czech crystal, glass, porcelain, and ceramics are most popular souvenirs to be brought back home from Prague. Wooden toys and Hand-painted Easter eggs (kraslice) are also very popular souvenirs among tourists. Another staple from Karlovy Vary is the herbal liquor Becherovka that is said to have medicinal properties (good for digestion). It can be an acquired taste, so try a bit first. Definitely, nothing can compare to Czech beer which is very tasty and cheap.

Food and Drinks

In terms of eating out, we would recommend to try national Czech food and drinks. Although Czech cuisine is not the best choice for vegetarians, everybody will most likely find at least a couple of meals "to die for". It may be the potato soup, the traditional roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, the fruit filled dumplings, or the apple strudel. A good dinner in a restaurant shouldn’t cost you more than £ 10 for each person. Serving staff is friendly and helpful.

Prague is stunning, the atmosphere is very relaxed and people are very polite and calm. There is plenty to see and do, wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes if travelling in winter, get yourself a good map and enjoy the city of Prague!