This time last year I was bouncing around Europe with my love. I am SAD. We visited England, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Seeing as Prague was one of my favourite places of the whole trip (and we were in Prague exactly one year ago today), I thought I would compile a list of must-sees if you’re planning a trip there yourself!
Now, you already know I’m all about vacationing on a budget ’cause student loans and rent don’t pay themselves, babes! So, I will start out by saying that Prague/the Czech republic in general is so EASY to travel without spending bucket loads. Their currency blows my mind a little bit because $1 is equal to about 10000 crown or something ridiculous, but once you get past that, you realize how bloody cheap it is.
Much like many places in Europe, you can buy a 3 day transit pass which gives you unlimited travel on all forms of transportation throughout the city for the 72 hours that you have the pass. To be honest, I don’t think one single transit driver checked our tickets the entire time we were there – but better to be safe than sorry!
One thing I did notice about the Czech Republic is how NICE the people are. They are sweet as can be. When we first arrived at the train station, I got a little panicky because I could not understand a single thing. You know how when you go to France or Germany, you can get a general jist of what the written language is saying, or at least you recognize the letters and can somewhat pronounce the words. Well in the Czech Republic, some of their letters don’t look like ours do and that sent me into a mini panic thinking that we wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone while we were there. Turns out, just like most of Europe, many people in Prague speak English, so no worries there!
Ok, here are my top 5 must-dos while in Prague:
Kulaťák
Eat the duck – I’m not kidding. This is my number one because not going to lie this was probably the highlight of the whole dang city visit. While prepping for our trip, I searched the web for hours to find things to do and places to eat in each city we went too and I stumbled upon this blog. Now, I wish I could find it again so I could give this girl some credit, but in the post she suggests visiting this restaurant called Kulaťák. She didn’t mention any other dish there except this duck, so I figured it had to be good. I was wrong. It wasn’t just “good”, it was the best food I had put in my mouth since like… ever. If I was on death row and was asked what I wanted my last meal to be, I would say the quarter duck meal from Kulaťák. The sounds coming from our mouths as we demolished this dish were nothing more than groans of taste bud pleasure. Literally every single bite was magic. I don’t care if you think I’m being dramatic. It was that good. So, when you make your way to Kulaťák, don’t even look at the menu, just get the duck.
Astronomical Clock
To get to the top of the clock tower, it isn’t free.. maybe equivalent to about $5 though so really inexpensive. The view is definitely worth it – you can see all the burnt red rooftops of the surrounding building down below, which look great in contrast to a blue sky on a sunny day. The clock is located in Old Town Square which is also worth a visit – so you’re killing two birds with one stone! Keep in mind though that the actual clock itself is undergoing construction until August 2018.
Restaurant Michael
Another food one… I’m sorry, but I have too. Restaurant Michael is a must-do. A three course meal plus unlimited alcohol, as well as a traditional Czech folk dance performance with dancers and singers to entertain you during your meal. At first glance, this experience looks a little pricey, but when you take into consideration everything that you’re getting with this meal, the price is sooo, worth it. You get a choice of two or three menus from what I can remember, I had the fish menu… and let’s talk about the unlimited booze. I asked for rosé, expecting them to bring me out a glass of rosé. No. Not a glass… the whole freaking bottle. If I was the kind of person that didn’t get drunk after two glasses of wine I would have pounded that bottle back so fast. The dancing and singing was incredible too, and such a neat way to learn a little bit about the culture of the place you’re visiting!
Petřín Lookout Tower
If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a huge fan of good food, and high lookout points that allow me to see the city from above. The Petřín Lookout Tower is located on a hill and stands at 63.5 metres tall, so you can imagine the kind of views you get from the top! You can see the strong resemblance between this and the Eiffel Tower, which was built just 2 years prior to the Petřín Lookout Tower in 1889. Again, you do have to pay to get up to the top, but if I remember correctly, you can get a student rate if you bring your student card and a valid piece of ID stating that you’re under a certain age – and if not, it really isn’t too pricey to get to the top, especially if you choose to take the stairs.
Charles Bridge
This is an obvious one, especially being one of the main “landmarks” of Prague. A great place to visit any time of day. There are street vendors and artists that set up along the sides of the bridge and plenty of people stopping for photo-ops. Not really much else to say about it other than it’s a big, majestic bridge that you probably should go and see if you’re in Prague!
Bonus: Letná Beer Garden – this garden is open from the first sunny days of spring, until the last sunny days of autumn. It sits on top of an escarpment, overlooking the Old Town below. Basically, it’s a few stationary food and beer dispensaries, surrounded by hundreds of picnic benches for people to sit and enjoy their Pilsner & deep fried mozzarella. We went one evening, and then decided to take a jaunt down one of the many pathways that lead away from the beer gardens. One path in particular lead us past this like… outdoor young peoples club/dance party. There was a DJ set up there, a couple of porta-potties, a free standing bar… and lots of young people just there to hang out, dance, and have a good time. When looking on Google Maps street view, it also seems as though they host little movie nights with a screen and projector set up. It’s located near/at Pražský metronome (or Prague metronome).
An amazing place that I would absolutely return too. Friendly people, good food, and inexpensive experiences make for the perfect budget-friendly holiday!
Until next time
xx