THE CITY OF PRAGUE

INTRODUCTION

My husband and I wanted a short break sans kids, having 'done' Paris so many times we decided to try somewhere completely new to us - that place was Prague.
We knew little about the Czech Republic before we went, only of its political history and 'Good' King Wenceslas.

Wedged in between Germany and Austria the Czech Republic is one of the most comfortable and easy to get around countries of the former Warsaw pact. Since the fall of the iron curtain in 1989, Prague has become one of the most popular destinations in Europe - and it's easy to see why!

We took the flight, early October, from Manchester to Prague (just over two hours) not knowing what to expect during our five day tour there - and we weren't disappointed.

GENERAL IMPRESSION

The city is absolutely dazzling, with spires and statues and historical landmarks everywhere you turn. There are remnants of communism situated next to beauty everywhere you look.
Prague is an undeniably beautiful city, the mainly cobble stoned streets in this city are laid out higgledy-piggledy; and you'll defiantly need a map to get around the central tourist areas, at least until you get used to it .The moment you pass through the curved streets into the Old Town you will feel that you are truly in somewhere really special.

Prague is divided into five main areas, and divided by the River Vltava. On the right bank of the river lies the Old Town, New Town, and Jewish Quarters. (On the left bank, there is the "Little Quarter" (where our hotel was) and the Prague Castle and Hradcany area.

The best way to explore the city is by foot, do make sure that .you have good walking shoes - you will need them!!

Our five day (Mon - Fri) stay gave us plenty of time to explore the lovely city as well as some time, to relax and sample the local restaurants.
There is certainly plenty of opportunity to view the sights - there are tour operators offering coach and boating tours, there are tours by horse drawn carriage, or by a vintage Skoda and also walking tours
We did everything our selves with the exception of an evening boat and dinner cruise.
The three hour cruise (790 czk - about £27 each ) which gave us some beautiful evening views of Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Prague Parliament, Malá Strana, the National Theatre and Vysehrad Fortress, included a hot and cold buffet type dinner and entertainment by a jazz band.
The trip is not of the standard of the dinner cruises on the Seine but they are about a quarter of the price and very enjoyable. Be warned though to take cash as credit/debit cards are not taken on board)

Prague is like no other city I've ever seen. I couldn't say it seemed like a fairy tale city. Prague's age has carried through in its architecture and provides a graceful air to modern city that I've never felt anywhere else. Maybe it's to do with the architectural details, or the pride taken in its appearance. I loved the old battlement-style doors and wrought iron doorknobs that seemed to be on most of the properties over central Prague. There are seemingly thousands of spires of varying designs on the buildings of Prague.

I have heard of people complaining about loutish tourists ( unfortunately usually British) on hen and stag visits, we must have been lucky, perhaps because we had a mid week break, as we didn't witness any such behaviour.

The central tourist areas were also surprisingly clean, it seemed to me that the Czechs share the Germans' approach to hygiene, which is hard to find fault with. The city is also surprisingly friendly to pedestrians.
To the casual observer, Prague also seemed like a lively arts town. There were quite a lot of bookstores in the old town area and we saw people lined up outside one of them on a cold day for a book signing. There are also a large number of musical halls, and everywhere you walk, you are given leaflets advertising classical music events.

Prague is known for its wooden dolls and puppets and you can find them everywhere. Do take my advise and walk around first though and compare prices. Then return to the shop with the lowest price. Don't buy the first ones you see. Of course, good luck finding the shop again!!
Another item you may want to buy is some of the world famous Czech crystal.. Prague crystal shops, particularly the fancier ones, offer thousands of pieces that are true works of art. Prices for a single piece start very low but go VERY high!!

One obvious worry before travelling to Prague is the Czech language .At the airport the signs were in Czech and English, but at the train station and in the subway everything was just in Czech. I would recommend getting a simple Czech phrase book.
We did though soon realise that you can easily get by as an English speaker. You will come across people who do not speak a word of English, but generally it is just the older people. Honestly, there is no need to worry. Even at the train station ticket counters you can find someone who speaks English. A lot of people know German, I found my meagre knowledge of German handy at times. But a knowledge of Czech is not necessary, but please remember that its nice to know the politeness words. They do appreciate it.

Here is a little start -

Yes - Ano (often shortened to 'No')
No - Ne
Hello - Dobrý den
Goodbye - Na shledanou
Please - Prosím
Thank you - Dekuji
Open - Otevreno
Closed - Zavreno
Toilets - Záchod / WC
Doctor - Lékar
Hotel - Hotel
Restaurant - Restaurace
Beer - Pivo
Wine - Víno

Prague is a magical city. It has romantic little passages, elegant spires, crooked cobbled streets, medieval houses rising around Gothic cathedrals, fine crystal shops, great food and beer, and t amazing crafts. But as much as I enjoyed my brief time in Prague, I have to admit that I got very little sense of how the average Prague resident lives, I found it to be very much geared to tourists, more so than any other capital city I've visited

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

As for what to do - I could easily spend a day quickly listing sights that you MUST see and not scratch the surface, I'll try to list some of the more important (in my humble opinion) 'must see' attractions.

The famous "Charles Bridge", over the Vltava River, is a truly stunning sight. It is like the Eiffel Tower to Paris, the Tower to London etc. The beautiful Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Malá Strana. It was actually called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) during the first several centuries. Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357.
There is a tower standing on each end of the bridge. Both the Staromv on the Old Town end and the Malostranská on the Malá Strana end can be climbed for a view of Prague and the bridge from above.
Thirty Baroque statues stand either side of Charles Bridge. They started to be put there in the 17th century. Now many of them are copies and the originals can be seen in the Lapidarium Museum The most popular statue is probably the one of St. John of Nepomuk, a Czech martyr saint who was executed during the reign of Wenceslas IV by being thrown into the Vltava from the bridge. The plaque on the statue has been polished to a shine by the countless people having touched it over the centuries. Touching the statue is supposed to bring good luck and ensure your return to Prague - I'm still waiting for my return trip!

As well as being VERY popular with tourist it is also very popular with Czech artists, musicians and souvenir vendors whose stands line both sides of the bridge all year-round. I picked up some lovely little watercolours very cheaply. The bridge is now a pedestrian zone (although both tram and car traffic were allowed there in the past) and is almost constantly filled with people.

The eastward view from the Charles Bridge, approaching Mala Strana definitely qualifies as the single most beautiful cityscape I've ever seen in my life.

Staromestske Namesti

(Old Town Square) is another place that you must visit.
Since the early Middle Ages Prague's oldest marketplace has been situated in the very centre of the cityand has seen a lot of the city's dark and tragic history taking place in it.
On June 21, 1621, it was here that 27 representatives of the anti-Habsburg insurrection were executed; the Old Town Hall was nearly destroyed at the end of World War Two when the Nazis set fire to it; and in February 1948, from the balcony of the Golz-Kinsky Palace, Klement Gottwald announced the Communist Party's successful coup.
It is though a highly photogenic part of the "old town" to wander around in, framed as it is by some of the most beautiful old buildings in the city. Here, on the outside of the Old Town Hall (Staromestska Radnice), you can find the famous Prague Astronomical Clock (Prazsky Orloj) one of the central features in this area. The astronomical clock of Prague's town hall was built in 1410 by royal clockmaker Mikulas of Kadan and the rector of Prague University Master Jan Sindel. This was the first time in Central Europe that such a large astronomical clock was placed on the facade of a secular building. Fitted with an astronomical dial, it was enhanced with a calendar dial at the end of the 15th century by Jan Ruze. The clock has a very complicated face that shows the positions of the sun and moon, as well as the stars of the zodiac. It will also tell you the time of day, of course. It also has the distinction of having been in continuous operation for nearly the last 600 years. On the hour, the clock chimes and a procession of apostles and other mechanical figures appears.
There are also two allegories of Vice (Avarice and Vanity) that shake their heads in disapproval, as well as a Turk, which is a reminder of the Turkish invasion of Central Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the windows at the top of the astronomical clock, the twelve apostles gradually make an appearance. After the departure of the last one, the windows close once again. Then the cock at the peak flaps its wings and crows, and the bells resound as the clock strikes the hour
Make sure you see the clock, even if your schedule doesn't allow you to hang around for one of the hourly displays.

If you are lucky enough to visit Prague then you a trip up the hill to the "Prague Castle" it was enough to leave me breathless (and that was nothing to do with the climb up the hill)
The first problem to tackle in visiting the Castle is getting up there. There's a tram that goes up to the castle, or you can take either of two staircases. I climbed up the old castle stairs; the view from them was incredible.
When you get ther the first thing that hits you is just how large Prague Castle complex is. According to the Guinness book of records it is the largest continuous castle complex in the world.
When we visited the castle we were lucky enough to see the noontime changing of the guards.

There are in fact five churches within this area, as well as several palaces and historic buildings, museums and galleries - there is just SO much to see.
The "St Vitus Cathedral" is situated inside the walls of Prague Castle, and while there may look like there is a long queue it is worth joining as it soon goes down. You must also visit Golden Lane and its quaint 16th century cottages; to do so you have to buy a ticket, which also allows access to St George's Basilica, the macabre Dalibor Tower and other attractions.
The all-area tickets for the Castle are good for two days

The self-guided History of the Castle tour is well worth doing. This section of the castle is basically equivalent to a medium-sized museum. I especially enjoyed seeing the original and reproduction clothing dating from as early as the 14th century. There were a few nice pieces of jewellery as well. Some of these pieces were taken out of graves in the cathedral and other parts of the castle. The architecture in this part of the castle is pretty impressive as well, and you get some views out of windows here that you can't get from any public part of the castle.
St Vitus Cathedral is spectacular. The cathedral reminded me strongly of Notre Dame from the inside. Although St. Vitus' was narrower, it had the same Gothic stone sweeping form. The cathedral closes for mass each Sunday morning until 12pm. The all-area ticket for the castle allows you to go to an area in the back of the cathedral.

Be warned though, as with a lot of Prague, this is a tiring visit. Unless you pay to sit in one of the cafés within the castle walls, there aren't many places to rest. One option is in the non-paid portion of the cathedral, where there is a long line of chairs facing the back of the church.

I would also advise you not to bother visiting the Castle's gift shop. Most of the stuff sold there is cheap tourist rubbish that is well overpriced. Some other areas within the Castle have stores run by outside businesses. I found more of interest in these other shops, and better value.

If you are still not completely worn out you must make a visit to "Petrin Park".
This is the largest park in Prague and a walk up here gives you great views over the city as well as a chance to take a breather from all the architecture watching in the town. The wall around it is known as Hunger Wall as the workers were not paid in money to build it but food instead. It is a fantastic place to relax, read a book, and look down upon the city and river. The park itself is extremely steep, hence the reason for the 1891 Funicular Railway which carries visitors to the Observation Tower, the false "Eiffel Tower" that is clearly visible on the city skyline. Just 299 steps, and one spiral staircase will get you to the top of the tower, from which you can see for miles around, and the entrance fee is minimal
To get there take the funicular train or enjoy the hike through some of Prague's finest countryside Don't forget that the train fare is covered by the public transportation pass.
One of the most famous aspects of Petrin Park is At situated at the bottom of Petrin Hill is this a very unusual sculpture - a memorial to the victims of Communism. Created by the Czech sculptor Olbram Zoubek in May 2002 it features a series of seven life-sized human figures, 'walking' down a flight of concrete steps. The bronze figures -are in various states of destruction -the worst ones on the farthest steps.

Another VERY interesting place to visit is the "Museum of Communism". Situated in the New Town, just off Narodni, Prague's Museum of Communism is a small museum built around the theme of "Dream, Reality, and Nightmare," and focuses on Communism as it affected the Czech Republic/the former Czechoslovakia. While its location (between a McDonald's and a casino) might seem to indicate that it's simply another one of Prague's many commercialised entertainment venues, the Museum of Communism is really well worth visiting.
Opened in 2001, the museum provides visitors the chance to relive the communist era, secret-police interrogations and all, with a unique and vivid experience of the totalitarian regime's affect on all areas of life in Czechoslovakia from the time of its conception in the February coup in 1948 until its collapse as a result of the Velvet Revolution in November of 1989

A very moving place to visit is the "Jewish Quarter".
This was once the flourishing centre of Prague's Jewish population, but now it is just a sad reminder of a population that was wiped out during WWII.
The synagogues now house many relics and a moving monument to the Czech Jews who were deported and/or killed during the Holocaust. One exhibit shows drawings by Jewish children who were sent to Terezin, a nearby concentration camp. Another synagogue's walls are covered with the names of ALL of the Jews from Prague who never made it back

Perhaps the place that I was most disappointed in was "Wenceslas Square" (Vaclavske Namesti),
I was really expecting more than was there, probably because of the Christmas carol!!) . It is one of two main squares in the city centre (the Old Town Square is the other, 5 minutes walk away).

This is basically

the place for nightlife and entertainment all around, and hosts an array of international shops. Prague's main shopping area begins here.
But lots of history has happened in this now commercialized square - many demonstrations haven taken place here and of course it's where the Soviets brought in their tanks in Prague Spring 1968.
At the top of Wenceslas Square, the statue of St. Wenceslas on his horse strikes an arresting figure. This is good King Wenceslas (Vaclav), murdered over a thousand years ago by his brother, and now a Czech national hero.
In front of St. Wenceslas are two plaques in memory of those killed during the Communist era. One is dedicated to Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest at the Soviet invasion.

The last tourist attraction I will mention is the less know, but stunning "St. Nicholas' Church" (Chram sv.Mikulase), situated in the Lesser Town near Prague Castle. It is an incredible building and well worth a visit, Ggant statues of the church fathers tower over the hall and a massive copper statue of St. Nicholas hangs imposingly over the altar. Mozart played the pipe organ here in the 18th century, so it also has a lot of history.

FOOD AND DINING

"Dobrou chu;" is what Czechs say to each other before they begin a meal. It means "Bon appetit" or "Hope it tastes good!"

Dining is very cheap in Prague. Here is a little tip to save you a bit more money - the restaurants in St. Wenceslas' Square have leather-bound menus in seven languages. Sometimes, prices are lower on part of the menu that's in Czech. So if you point to things on the Czech menu, you might save more money.
For the less adventurous tourist, fast food sope are plentiful - McDonalds seem to be everywhere!

Traditional Czech food is not exactly what one would call low calorie. It mostly consists of pork or beef meat with sauce and a side dish, the most common being dumplings.
Dumplings ("knedliky") are the Czech traditional side dish made from wheat or potato flour, boiled in water as a roll and then sliced and served hot.

Czech people love Sviková or Rajská which are a somehow interesting combination of meat with sauce and whipped cream.
Chicken, duck, turkey, fish, rabbit and lamb are also used in some very tasteful Czech dishes. If you are in a restaurant and you aren't really in the mood to spent hours studying the menu, you can chose another Czech classical, that is Fried Cheese (Smazený Sýr,) garnished with potatoes (I recommend baked potatoe
The specialty of Prague is goulash (Gulás). Czech goulash is completely different from the Hungarian dish of the same name. Czech goulash is beef stew in dark, rich sauce, served with white dumplings.

Coffee and deserts are fabulous. In Prague, they serve espressos by the triple dose - my idea of coffee heaven!!
Below are some of the restaurants we visited on our trip and what they were like.

Café Kaficko was a tiny little place we visited for a snack and drink. It served great hot chocolate and good beer in a relaxing non-smoking room. The deliciously thick hot chocolate was wonderfulon a chilly October morning. The Café is located on the right near the Mala Strana side of the Charles Bridge on a quiet little street offers It had a lovely nice laid-back atmosphere with gentle music playing, clean bathrooms, great service and some delicious Czech Pancakes (Palačinky)

The Novomecky Pivovar has a non-smoking section and beautiful "Gothic" dining rooms. This is an enormous underground labyrinthine complex with several non-smoking areas. Menus are available in about eight different languages, and the food was fantastic. We had a huge platter of roasted pork, duck, dumplings, bacon bits, sweet & sour cabbage and potato pancakes - thank goodness for al the walking we did to get rid of some of those calories!!!

U Provaznice - Staroprazsky hostinec was in the Old Town. It was painted inside beautifully and it was here that I ate the most beautiful garlic soup I have ever had, Mmmm I can taste it now!!

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Prague has one of the best public transportation systems in Europe. The metro, trams and buses are used by two-thirds of Prague's population and cover the majority of the city and outskirts

Metro
The Prague Metro network is made up of 3 lines marked with different letters and colours: green (Depo Hostiva; - Dejvická), yellow erný Most - Zli) and red (Ládví - Háje) with the possibility of changing lines at Muzeum (lines A and C), stek (lines Aand B) and Florenc (lines B and C).

The Metro operates daily from 5.00 am until midnight. The time interval between train departures at peak times is approximately 2-3 minutes and 4-10 minutes off peak.

Trams
Daily operation from 4.30 am until midnight; the night service between midnight and 4.30 am is ensured by lines no. 51 - 59 at an interval of 30 minutes. The central stop for changing between night services is Lazarská. Tram timetables are located at individual stops.

Buses
Daily operation from 4.30 am until 00.30 am; the night service between 00.30 am and 4.30 am is ensured by lines no. 501 - 514 and 601 - 604. Bus timetables are located at individual stops.

Cable car
The cable car to the top of Petín hill runs along the route Újezd - Nebozízek - Pet;ín. It is operated daily from 9.00 am until 23.30 pm (April - October) and 9.00 am - 23.20 pm (November - March) and runs at intervals of 10 and 15 minutes respectively.
You can buy a pass (cost about£10) and use it on all the transport (including the cable car)

It is also possible to buy your ticket simply by sending an SMS. You can find this service very useful when you are waiting on some bus or tram stop, where is no place to buy a ticket nearby. Or also when you catch your bus or tram at the last moment and have got no time to buy a ticket. The SMS ticket is sent to your phone, so when you meet a controller, you would just show him your display. This ticket costs you 26 Czk, and is valid for 90 minutes in whole Prague. The ticket is transferable, the number is the same for an adult, child, or dog.

IN CONCLUSION

Prague is a fantastic place for a short break.
I thought that it had the most beautiful buildings in Europe (including Paris) breathtaking The people were friendly, the prices were very reasonable, the food was good and varied, we had free beer in oiur hotel (!!!), the public transport was very efficient and the wholw city was 'tourist-friendly'.

Summary: This is a destination that I would definitely recommended.