Day 1 – Arrival in beautiful Prague
The start of my Interrail journey led me to Prague. Packed up to the max, big camping bag on the back, small carry bag on the front. Paris airport put my bag on a separate route because it was an odd size. A bit like me.
Quick flight to the Czech Republic, preparing for my first extended trip alone. I was embarking on what many call a “life-changing” experience, I was ready. Camera ready, notebook ready, and eager to discover more of Central Europe.
Landed in Prague, picked up my bag and direction town centre. There, I was going to meet Marcel, my couchsurfing host. You can find out more on the system in my budget article. Arriving a little earlier than expected, Marcel needed a bit more time to finish up his opera play, giving me the chance to walk around the main Wenceslas… Square? More like a long avenue, leading up to the big statue of Saint Wenceslas on a horse. He guarded the entrance to the Náradní Museum, full of historical exhibits. Being still fully packed up with my bags, I didn’t adventure inside.
Stopped at what looked the most local, yet touristy, restaurant on the avenue. The evening breeze was good, I was able to relax, watch from a faraway screen Manchester United kick off their 2018-2019 campaign with a win against Leicester. More importantly, as I put in my diary, I tried “beef goulash and it is delicious”. I did however try the Hungarian way of cooking the dish rather than the Czech, which I only found out later. But both cuisines are very intertwined, and I still remember it three years on. Obviously accompanied with a local Pilsner beer, an essential part of my European adventure.
Eventually met up with Marcel and we took the tube back to the close suburbs of Prague, where he lived with his housemate Kamilla. Settled down on the couch in the lounge, I was quite happy to snooze off and get a good night’s sleep before attacking a heavy day the next morning.
Day 2 – Time to walk!
Rise and shine buddy, pack your bags and let’s get exploring! A slow rise first with the beautiful August sun hitting the multi-coloured roofs of the area. Quaint, quiet, peaceful. Just what I need before starting my adventure in packed out Prague.
Stopping just before the tube station, I walk around the local market, fully of families and friends just enjoying their Sunday. Purchased a quick sandwich and two slices of quiche. I know, very local. But these were going to be useful when I get too deep into touristy areas and that it costs the price of my flight to have lunch.
Tube straight into the Old Quarter. On the way, I go through some of the notes I took on my guide last night, in addition to my host’s map. Everything feels like it will be at walking distance, but it will definitely be a few kilometres’ walk.
First stop, by the opera. Without necessarily getting inside, this was a good place to start, close to the bridges which connect both sides of Prague, separated by the Vltava river. First glimpse of the castle, one of my highlights of the city. Walking on the other side of the river meant I was far from the central square, where all the tourists were. St Nicholas’ Church was gorgeous, but the baroque Vrtba Gardens next door were even better. Giving you a viewpoint of the quarter, I was also able to take a few pictures with both the Church and the Castle together, was worth it. And the red roofs, always the red roofs.
From there, I ventured towards the Castle. A steep hill, where tourists and gift shops became more and more prominent. Tired and a little hungry, I sat on the square at the top, opposite the entrance of the Castle. A quiche and sandwich later, I was on the move again.
Now a small advice here: be ready for queues here, or be very tactical about what time you come. Just after lunch was a bit difficult but definitely seen worse, but with the temperatures rising, I was seeing more people sitting in the shade for the snack break. Still, along with the main square, the castle is probably the main monument of Prague.
After getting through security, you walk through a few low arches and then boom. This central cathedral just stands up in front of you. Out of nowhere, a similar experience to going round the corner and discovering the Eiffel Tower or the Pisa Tower. As you can tell in the picture, it was huge and very steep, but a piece of art for sure.
The walk through the main square in the Castle continues and leads to this lovely red building, St George’s Basilica. Yes, there are quite a few religious buildings in Prague, and the adventure doesn’t stop there. Most I did not explore inside, unless a huge amass of people were going. I do follow crowds, but also my guidebooks and they are (often) right about how amazing some buildings are. I definitely enjoyed taking pictures of the Castle from outside, some of my best early work on camera; inside was very impressive and just… HUMENGOUS.
Leaving the top of the hill, I gradually worked my way down through a different route and smaller streets, back to the river. There, I was able to admire the facades of the buildings and bridges. While not being as colourful as Copenhagen, the style of architecture here is fascinating and continues through the city. First site of the iconic Charles Bridge.
My next stop was the House of Music, a very original visit. A very large number of instruments, lots of stories from Central/Eastern Europe musicians and how they have impacted current Czech music. Probably not the most insightful museum in my life, but the lobby makes it worth it and the quantity of very original instruments does make up for a few things.
My walk brought me to the local park, where I encountered this… specimens. Huge babies, these were created by David Cerny in bronze. Arty. Located on Kampa Island on the West bank of Prague, these babies are part of the general art installations on the island, which feels more like a park than anything. More can be found in the local modern art museum. Fully recommended by guides, so although it isn’t my type of art, may be worth a shot.
My long loop around Prague led me to further bridges but also one of the most interesting buildings in the city. Built in 1992, Prague’s dancing house is one of a kind. Bombed during WWII by the Americans, it has been rebuilt with a glass exterior. The new-baroque architecture stands out in a neighbourhood mostly covered in Art Nouveau, like the rest of the city. The southern part however is developing, a part which suffered a lot through various wars, but is now the up-and-coming neighbourhood. It could see more postmodern buildings spring in years to come. Dancing House has numerous offices inside but also a tourist elevator to get a view of Prague (probably not the best one, and rather expensive), in addition to the chic restaurant on the 9th Floor. Also includes a hotel and a bar. Brings a lot of tourists, would recommend just admiring from outside or simply getting into the lobby.
Before going into the main Old Town Centre Square, I had a quick (well, pretty slow actually) walk on Charles Bridge. Being packed by people, the pace was pretty slow but it enabled me to fully take in my surroundings. The smaller streets around the Old Quarter definitely make up for the quantity of people in the hypocentre of the city. Getting lost in Prague, admiring how beautiful every building is and just enjoying the peace and quiet far away from the crowds is something I would fully recommend.
The Old Town Square does however remain an essential of the trip. You will find a lot of people but also the beauty of Czech architecture. The Old Town Hall, the Gothic Church of Mother God before Tyn, baroque Church of St Nicholas (yes, a second one) as well as memorials of iconic figures in local history such as Jan Hus Memorial, celebrating past war victories. However, the main attraction is the Prague Orloj, an astrological clock. Unfortunately for me, it was being renovated, but google images can give you a good idea of how big and impressive this clock is.
A large amount of people was packed up in a corner of the square, listening to a band play famous pop songs with trumpets. There was a real groove to the band. Turns out, they were all from Rouen University, trying to sell their albums of covers of popular songs. It is a small world.
An extended beer break was needed after so much walking. This underground bar, right off the Square, offered more local Pilsners and swayed me in. Tired, I slowly walked back to the riverbank to enjoy the sunset, which fled behind the silhouette of the castle. If you can, stick around for those sunsets and more importantly, stick around for dinner to enjoy the nightlights of Prague, particularly Charles Bridge. Very tired, but happy, I took the tube back to Marcel’s for the night, ready to explore more of the Jewish quarter the next day. Last thought I could pick up from my diary of the day is that “the Old Town Square’s architecture reminds me of Lille”, interesting. On that note, good night.
Day 3 – Jewish Quarter and rest
For my third day in Prague, I went into the Jewish quarter of the city. The beauty of the buildings was already prominent throughout the city, but this completely new architecture was fascinating to look at as well. I visited the Maisel Synagogue and passed by more historic monuments such as the Pinkas Synagogue. Many areas were difficult to access as it was Sunday, but getting a feel for the area and being able to admire the architecture really made the trip worth it.
My shoes took me to the other side of town later in the day to climb up the steps to Letna Park. The view on the bridge to get there but more importantly the view from the top was incredible. A landscape view of the Vltava river and the bridges that crosses it was spectacular. The aerial view of the city enabled me to get a better understanding of its disposition and just take in all its beauty.
A part of me regretted starting Interrail with such an incredible city, fearing the rest of the trip would be dull compared to this. But I was happily surprised at every destination I went to for the following 4 weeks, so no regret there. Still, Prague was one of my highlights of the trip and starting so strongly was great.
The afternoon stroll through city centre led me eventually back to the suburbs, where I was able to out to the local part with my two hosts. Enjoy a drink and some food with a faraway view of Prague. A lovely way to finish off my trip, in good company, before moving on to Vienna. I fully enjoyed Prague, its architecture, its history and the general feel for this relaxing city.
My top 5 things to do/try in Prague
Like anywhere you travel to, I’d recommend trying local food. Beef goulash was by far my favourite meal, and the local Pilsner was also great
Strolling through the less crowded parts of Prague to get a better understanding of its architecture, really taking in its beauty
Reaching heights such as Letna Park or the Vrtba gardens next to St Nicolas Church to get an incredible view of the city and its monuments
Going to the castle! As crowded as it may be, it is really special and it is a must visit
While city centre and its Old Square are obviously going to stand out (I would still recommend it), I also feel like walks in the gardens and the barges of the river make the overall experience even better
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