TL;DR: Beautiful, historic, and friendly city. Very affordable. Take public transportation everywhere. Very walkable too. Get to the Charles Bridge early in the morning, followed by a visit to the Castle. Must see the Museum of Communism
Introduction
Prague is one of the most beautiful and very tourist-friendly cities I have been to. The whole city is very walkable and unlike some other European cities, will not bite into your wallet. The Czech Republic is a part of the European Union, but they did not adopt the Euro as their currency. The local currency is the Czech Koruna and when I visited in April 2018, $1 was worth about 20 Koruna. Prague is a curious concoction of old-world European charm and communist-style architecture, so you will regularly find cobbled streets and red-roofed buildings right next to communist-style building blocks.
Charles Bridge
You can start exploring the city by going to the Charles Bridge, a very centrally located historic bridge on the Vltava (Vol-ta-va) river. The bridge itself is quite fascinating and historic. I would advise you to get there early in the morning if possible before all the tourists arrive, so you can enjoy the beauty of the structure itself along with the views of the river and the buildings along the river. We stayed at an Airbnb that was within walking distance, so getting there early was easy.
Jewish Quarter
A short walk will lead you to the fascinating old Jewish section of town. Here you will find a lot of interesting sites, including a Jewish cemetery and a historic synagogue.
Giant Metronome
As you’re walking away from the bridge, look up to the hill on your left. You will see an interesting structure that looks like a gigantic metronome. At one time this location had a gigantic monument to Stalin and the Soviet Union by the Czech people. Eventually, it was blown up and replaced with the current display. The Stalin Monument has a very interesting history, which you can see in detail at the Museum of Communism. Don’t miss this museum.
Easter Traditions
If you’re in Prague around Easter, like I was, you will find yourself in a position to view some of the celebrations. We got to see Polish parishioners take their Easter baskets to the church for a blessing. Very interesting custom and brought a lot of festive spirit to the old town section.
Transportation
Prague is a very walkable town and also boasts a really fantastic metro system. A system built by the Russians for the Czech people. And it has evolved to a point where it’s the most convenient way to get around the city. Also, the companion trolley system is wonderful and you can take it to reach almost any destination in town – like the historic Prague Castle.
Prague Castle
Inside the Prague Castle, you can visit the famous Saint Vitus Cathedral and walk around the castle area to visit the little market that they have on the grounds.
Historic, beautiful, affordable, walkable, and a unique cultural treasure – Prague is a fantastic place to visit. As you wind your way down from the castle through the narrow alleys, the charming streets and shops echoing with footsteps, you’ll realize the magic of Prague. Enjoy your visit! Be sure to let me know if you liked the blog – Happy roaming the planet!