Prague, Don'ts and Don'ts

In this post I would like to enumerate some practical tips, which could be useful in case someone wants to visit Prague for the first time. I hope, this information will help to make the forthcoming trip much safer and more entertaining.

First of all, don't take the high heels with you. Instead, wear some comfortable shoes. Cobbled streets are not going to spare your foot.

Don't be afraid of the long stairs and, probably, the reward is expecting you at the end of the way. In my case it was the restaurant Zvonarka with a beautiful terrace and good kitchen.

Don't forget about purchasing a ticket for the bus or the underground using this machine. You may not see the conductors during your trip at all, but the fine is really huge (it is 800 crowns and more).

Don't miss this place on the Charles Bridge to make a wish by touching the figure on the iron framework.

Don't try to eat the pork knee alone. You will definitely need a partner to share this meal. Otherwise, you would need two hours and many pints of beer to finish this meal.

Don't put your head into the hole of the statue of Don Giovanni near the Estates Theatre. You obviously don't want to get stuck into this trap. Do you?

Don't pick the grapes behind the fencing. Especially, if there is a warning that it is poisoned or there is a fierce curse as it is in Vysehrad. However, I have to admit, that the apples from the Petrinske Zahrady were quite good.

Don't disturb the peacocks in the Wallenstein Palace Gardens and don't pluck out their feathers.

Don't hesitate entering a church if you are tired or feel hot. In most cases the entrance is free.

Don't drink beer in craft bars, because this type of beer is relatively expensive here. Instead, try such popular kinds of beer as Staropramen, Kozel or Bernard with excellent taste and moderate prices starting from 35 crowns.

Prague, Farewell to the city

This is the final morning of my staying in Prague. On the whole, it was the trip without any haste, and I took my time to enjoy the deliberate living in this marvelous city.

Tram-underground-bus, and in one hour I am at the Vaclav Havel airport (earlier known as Ruzyne airport).

In general, the flight was fine, if not to mention the unexplained delay while deplaning. Even the food on board was good, what is quite unusual for S7 in recent years. Probably, it was not about the quality of food, but about the quality of the trip, which was truly eventful and memorable.

Prague, Around the city

It has been raining all night and the whole morning. It is true, that I wanted some relief during my hot staying in Prague, but obviously not like this one and not on the final day. Nevertheless, the rain has stopped, and I set off for my regular morning coffee.

At this time I have stayed at Coffeepark near the Riegrovy sady. Croissant and cappuccino cost me 69 crowns here.

After having refreshed I stopped at the Riegrovy Sady enjoying a splendid view from the hill and thinking about my next plans.

Actually, I want to see as much of Prague as possible today, because tomorrow I have a return flight. So, it might become the busiest day of the whole trip.

I think, almost every tour starts from the Vaclavske Namesti, which in fact is one of the busiest place in Prague. I also have been an often visitor of this place. However, I am not impressed by this area at all, and I consider it as a convenient transport hub only. I hope, very soon they will modernize this square and will present the more attractive space.

Oasis of calm in Prague can be found on some of the numerous islands on Vltava river. One of these islands is Strelecky ostrov, a romantic place hidden among the branchy trees under the Bridge of the Legions.

Another great place for relaxation is the artificial island Kampa. It is not only a place for the picnics, but also a place, where various festivities and external exhibitions are frequently held. The today's examples of modern art include Babies from David Cerny and Yellow Penguins by the Cracking Art Group.

Of course, I could not miss opportunity to visit again the Charles Bridge, which actually starts above the northern tip of the island Kampa.

This is such a good start of the day and the rest will be not less interesting.

After a short break at home I headed for the Letninske Sady to spend there the rest of the day.

Notably, at the edge of the Letna park you will find the gigantic Metronome monument. Previously, a gigantic monument to Joseph Stalin overlooked the city from this spot, but it was demolished in 1962.

I have already mentioned, that Letna park is extremely popular among the tourists thanks to the picturesque view of the city, but it is also popular among the roller skates and runners. Moreover, this place is often chosen for holding some festivals and performances.

It was a good completion of my trip, and I am absolutely satisfied with all things I have seen and experienced during these days. I want to hope, that my next trip to the Czech Republic will occur less than in seven years. There are so many unexplored sites awaiting for me here. And I am looking forward to discovering them all.

Prague, The highest points

As a matter of fact, there are 5 big hills in Prague, which offer the beautiful views on the city. These are Letna, Prague Castle, Petrin, Vysehrad and Vitkov. And today I am going to visit two of them.

Vysehrad park is located only 2 kilometers away from my apartments. So, I am getting to this place on foot.

After forty minutes of strolling I finally entered this huge complex, which features many parks and narrow streets. By the way, Vysehrad means "upper castle" in Czech. And according to a legend, the castle was the first seat of Czech dukes. Nowadays it is a popular site for recreation and celebrations.

Among the numerous architectural gems of the Vysehrad fortress you may see the Neo-Gothic church called the “Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul”. Inside, you are expected to find the richly decorated interior with ornamental and figural wall paintings in the Art Nouveau style, but I did not get in. Unfortunately, the entrance to the cathedral is not free with the ticket's price of 50 crowns.

Next to the church you may discover a cemetery, where many famous Czech people are buried, including A. Dvorak, K. Capek, B. Nemcova, K. H. Macha, J. Neruda, A. Mucha, M. Ales, E. Destinnova, J. Heyrovsky, B. Smetana.

For me Vysehrad seemed to be boring, and I would prefer spend my leisure time in Letna park, for example. However, you should come to this place specifically because of the beautiful views of the Prague panorama.

Under the walls of Vysehrad I discovered the cafe Kavarna Cekarna at Vratislavova street. This coffee house has such an extremely cozy enclosed court, so you can't miss visiting it.

Later I had a long walking to the Vitkov National monument, located on the Vitkov hill. However, first, I could not but go under this impressive 43 metres high Nusle Bridge, which connects two parts of Prague and has the crucial importance for the Prague's transportation network.

So, Vitkov hill is a little bit off the beaten path, but it holds one of the most amazing views of Prague and its surroundings. It is quite close to the TV Tower, and you also can see the Prague Castle, the Petrin Tower, numerous churches, buildings and bridges from this only spot.

The hill is dominated by a bronze equestrian statue of Jan Zizka, one of the ten largest equestrian statues in the world. They say, that this monument symbolizes power and strong will of the Czech nation.

It was quite a long walking tour around the city, but all taken pictures from the height turned out to be excellent ones.