In late October 2005, we were trying to drive our rental Skoda to the hotel at which we had reservations. Due to geography and lots of one-way streets, we just couldn't get there, but parked in despair in a little square, we noticed a sign for the Questenberk Hotel. Nice accommodations in an old palace and a truly world-class breakfast buffet with delectable tiny pastries - not cheap, but good value.
Better still, very close to the Strahov Monastery, with its jaw-dropping library (including paintings of the place being burned to the ground at various times by peasants angry at the luxurious living of the Premonstratensian monks) and wonderful beer.
I also loved the Museum of Communism (logo at the time was a Russian nesting doll with teeth filed to points), which highlighted Russian Communism's Crimes Against Art and the stupid boosterism the Czechs were supposed to swallow.
We used our guidebook for a wonderful walking tour of the old coffeehouses, works of art themselves, serving delicious slabs of whipped-cream-laden cakes and good coffee.
Also, Convent of St. Agnes and Sternberg Palace were empty when the places all around them were filled w tourists. And check out the mid-century sculpture garden at Sternberg. Plus an astounding all-wood Carpathian Ruthenian Church of Saint Michael Archangel in the Kinsky Gardens. OMG. Which also has a Museum of Crafts. Empty. Astounding.
Seniors over 70 can travel for free on trains in Prague
Just show a passport to prove their age.
4
This smacks so much of American superiority! Why bother travelling, when you can enjoy Starbucks and Burger King at home!
For me, as a Prague patriot, this has been so much fun to read.
I feel cheated for not quite remembering the city in the early 90's before the tourist traps sprouted on every corner of the city centre (save for a few early memories), yet glad that we're moving forward and becoming more of a part of Europe instead of being a freakshow for the adventurous, an eastern bloc relic with tumble down houses and dirty windows.
5
Let's not forget that even this so-called cheap trip to Prague is unaffordable for many Americans.
2
@Peter Piper Why? Because of US tariffs on Chinese goods?!
I too went to Prague in the early 90’s. Beautiful and inexpensive, I will never forget the jazz band we found in a standing room only upstairs apartment. Commercialism was unknown to them. Concerts were held in apartments and advertised by paper fliers handed out on the street.
But this author should come back now as a paying customer (as I would). Eavesdropping on tour guides is rude and really takes advantage of people who are trying to make a living. If you’re writing for the MYT you can afford to pay for someone’s hard work and creativity.Walking tours are wonderful- don’t abuse the good souls who choose this line of work.
8
@L Mitch Prague is an absolute jewel and is well worth a paying visit. Save up and go!
For the record, Trdelniks are absolutely delicious. They are a rich vanilla pastry dough wrapped around iron rods, cooked over an open fire and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. It's like medieval carnival food. A funnel cake or a churro, but richer and smokier. You don't need the ice cream, they are delicious all on their own. Don't miss it.
5
@Jessica Couldn't agree more! As are the langos (deep fried dough covered with garlic butter and grated cheese). Although originating from Hungary, they are all over the streets of Prague.
2
Coincidentally I happen to be heading to Prague next month and regard this article as a gift from God and the NYT.
6
Prague is magical,
breathtakingly beautiful.
Go in the winter when it is less
crowded, best on weekdays
rather than the weekend.
Important to see Terezin
which is an hour outside of Prague.
It is accessible by bus, reasonably priced
admission includes a guided tour. Group
tours from Prague are available and are
well priced.
No mention of the Old Royal Palace? I've never been to Prague, but were I to go I'd make a beeline for the the palace Chancellery. Such is the impression made half a century ago by a history teacher's description of the (second) Defenestration of Prague.
1
@Karen And no mention of the Petrin Tower-that's what I wanna see.
1
Golden Lane was place where alchemists lived, trying to create gold for king Rudolph II, that's what it's famous for, not archers.
4
Prague is magnificent, both its castles and its dive bars. However, to even begin to know it, you have to learn Czech. I did, and it was worth my while. Did you?
2
All the text was overshadowed by the photo of the man eating in a cloud of stinking tobacco smoke. I suppose smoking is allowed in all places that sell food in Prague, which is a good reason to cross it off my list.
Actually it is now forbidden to smoke in pubs and restaurants-has been so for a few years. You can put Prague back on your list!
6
We were just there, and we encountered no smoking in any of the restaurants we went to. We noticed it outside on the sidewalks at times, but that's Europe. I wasn't bothered by the level of smoking at all. I really don't think you should worry about this.
6
The New Yorks Times does a disservice to its readers with its insistence on omitting the diacritical marks that are an integral part of knowing how to say the foreign words that pepper articles like this. Virtually every Czech person, place, and thing in this article is misspelled. The comments section here gives evidence that you have these accents at your disposal. Not using them promotes ignorance and insularism and stacks the deck against readers who would like at least a fighting chance at getting the names right. For the record, it's Staré Město, trdelník, Žižkov, Bleší Trhy Praha, Vinohradský Pivovar, Havelská Koruna, U Bansethů, Dejvické Nádražky/Nádraží, and Zelená.
39
I visited Praha in 2004 for about a week. I booked a room on a botel that included a breakfast buffet. I would stuff myself and proceed to wander all over town getting wonderfully lost in the process. Two memories that stand out. While lost in the Jewish Quarter an elderly lady helped me find a way to the middle city. The other was having a cup of coffee while waiting for a summer shower to pass and spotting a McDonalds colocated with a Museum to Communism. Lenin and Marx must have spun in their graves at the irony.
9
@Chuckw In English the name of the city is Prague. Praha is the name in Czech. Just like Rome is Rome in English and Roma in Italian.
I visited Prague in May of 1968 at the height of the Prague Spring that was crushed by the then USSR in August, 1968. I have often wanted to return but life got in the way. Many wonderful memories including the embarrassment of my local guide because my hotel was served by a wooden street car.
8
I think the author is confused about the difference between cheap and frugal! LOL! I enjoyed the article. In every city there are opportunities to be fleeced as well as find good deals. At least he had a colleague to help him (with both?)!
Havelska Koruna WAS the local gem and the last several times I've tried going there its been packed with tourists. Happy for the owners but wish people would stop mentioning it, especially if its just to say "tHeSe CzEchS wERe so ImPresSed by mE goInG thErE" /:
1
This is a bizarre article. When I am on vacation I spend considerably more per day than I earn. That's the point of saving for a vacation. The amount I spend will depend on my savings, my vacation goals and the local costs for tourists. I spent considerably less in Brno than I did in Prague. And I spent less in Prague than I did in München. And don't even think about London. My vacation expenses are completely unrelated to the daily income of the locals. People who vacation near where I live spend considerably more per day than the local residents earn. If they didn't, the tourist economy would not exist. I am happy to see tourists in my area. If any tourists contemplating a vacation in the Czech Republic feel guilty after reading this article, please come to Western Colorado.
11
It seems funny to hear people refer to the place as Czechia.
Czechia?
1
@Peter Piper That happens to be its informal name. It's like saying America when you mean the United States of America.
4
@Peter Piper The Czech government approved Czechia as the official short-form name for the country in 2016. But I can't bring myself to use it.
2
I lived in Prague back in the 90s. I've been wanting to go back but, based on some of these comments, I think I'll keep the memories I have instead.
Go back, Its great. This piece is absurd unless it is written for the youngest, most frugal traveler.
3
I was blessed to live and work in Prague from 1990 to 1992...I had a huge 1-bedroom apartment that was a block from Wenceslas Square and i went everywhere by tram and spent my nights at the opera hall down the street (29 Kčs....about $1 at the time) and I would have had trouble finding a way to spend $57.
I miss the soul of the city during those years and I've never visited again as I wouldn't want to see how it has changed.
11
Spent a couple of days there in December -- the stark beauty of the snow-dusted medieval city was incredible.
Don't miss the Alphonse Mucha museum if you go.
9
57 bucks a day doesn't sound like that much of a bargain.
2
@Peter Piper Try NYC on $57 a day. Some visitors have trouble with $570.
10
After the fascinating and cheap tram rides, the best value are the many simultaneous opera productions going on all the time. You can see some pretty good operas in magnificent theatres throughout the year at less than a quarter of the price in nearby Salzburg. Speaking of which, the crowds of visitors and the touristification of neighbourhoods have taken some of the soul out Prague- not so Salzburg. Mozart's birthplace is a gem of a city were people still live. It is what Prague must have been.
4
I hate to bear bad news, but Salzburg is also overrun with crowds, especially during high season - spring break, the opera festival, summer. The overwhelming crowds have become a problem all over Europe. So much of the magic of these places is being crushed to death by non-stop tourist busses.
@Jessica
Yes, I remember both Prague and Salzburg in 1967 before the world's population doubled and people in the West became much richer. Prague was communist and beautiful but lacking Cocacola __ food was a bit meagre. In those days one paid for hot water for a bath. What is the koruny - dollar exchange??
The only answer to summer crowds is go in the winter -- if you can. Florence in Decemeber is wonderful.
A wonderful city with incredible history. But if budget is not your primary concern, I suggest getting a guide for a walking tour of the city. Yes, most everything is in walking distance and a personal guide is not exactly prohibitive. One cannot say the same for many other European cities but in Prague, a personalized walking tour is well worth the extra expense.
3
@It Is Time! I agree. My first day in Prague was a private walking tour, and it was a bargain at 2,500 czk ($110) for an entire day. Best money I spent on the trip.
1
@Jason B my family and I are going to Prague in June. Where does one find and hire a guide? Thank you for your help!
Visited Prague in 1993. I exchanged about $60 for 1700Kp. On our way out of the train station we bought two bratwursts and cokes - which came to a total of 83Kp. That was my first experience with friendly exchange rates on the wrong side of the former Iron Curtain.
As we left for Munich, I still had a considerable stash. We stocked up on provisions in the station. There was no way we were going to be able to spend it all. I noticed the young son of the store clerk motioning to his father that he was overcharging us for the items, and the father shush his son. Had I the chance to do it over again, I would have given that kid the 1000 bill as a reward for being honest.
3
The Petrin Hill funicular is an amazing way to see Prague's many spires poking up, and the walk from down to Hradčany (the Castle district) is one of my favorite perspectives on the city. Best of all, it's a free transfer from tram or metro.
2
I doubt that my son and I spent any more than this (including lodging) and had a grand time, bear, boar, duck, and all.
2
All travel is simply a matter of setting realistic expectations. I guess you could say planning and logistics really. What do you want to do and how much money do you have? Pick one or two things to do well and leave everything else to chance. If things don't work out, you won't be disappointed; you weren't expecting anything.
Let's break this down a little bit. If you spend a week in Prauge on $57 a day, that's $400 after arriving in the city. 1,300 koruny to $57 means the exchange rate was about 23 koruny per dollar. Transportation costs 310 for 3 days or about $30 for the week. At 538 korurny, housing is about $170 a week. That leaves you with $200 to live 7 days in Prague.
If an $11 all-access museum ticket is your thing, do it. If you want to treat yourself out to a nice dinner, set aside some money for that. Generally speaking though, what will absolutely kill your budget is not planning food well enough.
If you're living in a hostel, they should have a shared kitchen as well as a shared bathroom. Use it. First thing I do when arriving in any foreign place is hit the grocery store. One night setting up a pantry can save you a week's worth of buying food out. Better still, you can buy booze on the cheap and socialize with other hostiliers at your leisure.
The cheapest way to enjoy any of course city is just walking around. Don't buy anything. Just walk around. Boston is great example here. You can basically walk the entire thing without hitting a single tourist trap.
5
One of my favorite cities, though very crowded with tourists in the good weather. Nearby Krakow has a similar vibe, but it's smaller, lower key and not as well known. I can't imagine a trip to Prague without also taking an overnight train to Krakow to spend a night or two.
5
Strictly as a first time tourist which we are use to we found the city even in November to be great fun, inexpensive, and interesting. We will be glad to visit again.
2
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Uhm, walking around Stare Mesto is free whether you bring a guidebook or not.
5
Pilsner Urquell is one of the best beers on the planet, and it's on tap EVERYWHERE in Prague.
8
@Slann
A bartender elsewhere in Europe sighed blissfully when I ordered it and said "Ah, the mother of all beers....."
Luckily I find it fairly easy to locate here in the US.
2
Important note: the daily wage is not the amount that a person can afford to spend. In reality, what they can afford to spend is probably about a third of that. So if the implication is to try to experience the city as a resident of Prague would, the real question is what you can do with $20.
8
Agreed, thought the same. But you already know when you travel that it will be more - rent is cheaper than a hotel and even hostel, cooking at home is possible, etc. The only way to avoid that is to travel as my family does - stay with family and friends, cook with them, do their dishes and babysit their kids in exchange for them doing the same. And we happily walk the grounds instead of paying to go in. But, I can’t really see us getting all the way to Prague and not spending more than we would usually, you know?
1
Seth, greetings from a fellow lodger at the Mary Stuart House in Litchfield who became a friend as a result of your 2011 stay.
Loved the article and you got me with “It was more or less how I would react coming across a group of Chinese tourists in Times Square unwrapping Ding Dongs.”
2
In 2000 I moved to Czech Republic on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange where I taught for a year. Two bits of advice I learned from my many Czech friends I made for would be tourists:
1. To truly experience the Czech Republic don't just visit Prague. There are plenty of buses and trains that can affordably allow you to get a better sense of the country than merely visiting Prague.
2. Don't refer to everything as "cheap." I'll never forget my first night out in Prague with some Czech teachers who declined my invitation to visit restaurants or bars because on their salaries, touristic Prague was simply not affordable. When another American retorted that everything was so "cheap," the look on the Czech's faces said it all.
I followed these two rules for my year there and had the most illuminating time of my life. The friends I made, the culture I immersed myself in and the humility I gained along the way made for a life-changing experience.
39
The Best money spent was taking a Foodie Tour with ATasteofPrague with Karolina. We walked, took the tram and metro, sat and learned about and tasted many different food at great restaurants, meat shops and bakeries, drank beer and Gin and Tonics all at the same time learned some history, got a local flavor and lots of laughs. I would go back to just take the tour again!
10
We were in Prague in 1992 and yes things were really cheap, which was appreciated by us, a young couple who had just bought a starter house and were on our honeymoon. We stayed in old town, in an apartment that was in a courtyard with an archway large enough to ride through on your horse, with a family who moved out of their master bedroom. The shower was in the kitchen, you had to climb up into a sink with a curtain ! I think the first 2 nights were $30 and then we paid $5 or $7 to stay another night. There were already tourist restaurants with expensive boring Euro food and plenty of glass shops, but we ate back a few blocks in restaurants without english menus, enjoying the colossal bread dumplings and meat with gravy.
Budapest was a bit more modern, but not much. East germany had just opened up to the west with cobblestone off ramps from the big interstate.
I am happy that Prague is no longer 3rd world. Tourists are part of being a resident of any of the great tourist cities of Europe. If you want cheaper, or less trampled or more ethnic, head further east .. Sibiu or Brasov in Romania and then into far eastern Europe. Also with AirBnB and Booking.com, you can find accomodations much easier than talking to a guy in a train station .. but it is tempting to get something really nice for say 80 euros too.
Spain is also surprisingly cheap.
Stay away from any place catering to tourists and you will save money and get better food ..
3
Eating in restaurants and drinking beers is definitely NOT traveling on the cheap ! I spend @ $10/day on food i cook for myself and @ $10 on tickets and transit. For accommodation I either couchsurf or do a home exchange. My budget is @ $30/day. Have been traveling since 1966. In the 60s i stayed in bnb’s but cannot find anything at a price i can afford now.
2
I was one of the 50,000 American college students there in ‘90-‘91. I remember my budget was 100 koruna a day, which was around $3, although I tried not to think about that as it inevitably led to splurging. Back then the restaurants were mostly government controlled, bad, and cheap. They also stopped serving at an ungodly early hour so if you didn’t plan on eating early you would go hungry. I quickly started cooking at home but it was confusing. I actually made a grilled cheese sandwich once fried in cheese with butter inside because I bought some “butter cheese” and some “cheese butter” both of which looked like they could be either and I guessed wrong.
7
Consider Bratislava, Prague's younger, prettier sister.
3
How hard can this be? What does a pint of Czech beer cost? Sheeez....
1
did you deduct rent, utilities and taxes from that $57?
3
Been to Prague about 4 times and really enjoy being there. It's a beautiful city with spectacular architecture. The beer is fantastic. Surprised the Golden Tiger wasn't mentioned.
3
As a Czech I have to say that I can count the number of times I've been to the city center this year on one hand.
There are so many tourists it is impossible to enjoy anything.
I would recommend you leave Prague. There are much nicer towns to visit in Czechia with very few tourists.
PS. A scoop of ice cream should cost no more than 30 crowns. If the place you're at is charging more, it's overpriced for tourists.
12
@Adam my family is visiting Prague this June--my husband and I our four daughters--we will have a car available to us. What would you recommend we see outside of Prague? Thank you for your help! We can't wait to visit your beautiful country!
The refusal of the author to give prices in US $ was annoying. Am I expected to read with a calculator in my hand throughout the entire article?
11
I was lucky enough to live in Prague for four years. I urge visitors interested in delicious and inexpensive ice cream to avoid the yucky, touristy trdelníky with soft-serve ice cream—and the huge lines. Instead, take a quick detour to Creme de la Creme, which is right around the corner from the Astronomical Clock. They make delicious gelato, and a huge portion only costs about 60 koruna. In my opinion this is a bargain second only to Prague’s beer!
18
I loved ducking in and out of all the Art Nouveau and Art Deco cafes, hotels, banks and other public buildings. The exteriors may be uncleaned dark stone but the surprises inside are astonishing. Gorgeous.
14
@ABaron
Yes. The tilework, Art Deco touches in the places we saw were lovely and so well-preserved.
2
This article leaves out one of the best strategies for getting to know the Czech Republic without shelling out the big bucks: leave Prague! Kugel is correct that spending less money allows you to get closer to seeing authentic Czech culture, but an even better approach is to hop on the train and get out of the capital. Tourists can save money (and spend less than $57 a day including nice accommodations!) by focusing on the whole country rather than just on Prague. I would recommend Olomouc, Valtice/Lednice, and Ostrava/the Beskydy Mountains - and that's just a start.
27
@MS
Do you have any idea how few people would be comfortable hopping a train/bus/etc and leaving the capital, or any main city, for more pleasure and adventure on the outskirts? Probably 10%. While we'd certainly look forward to it and appreciate your comments, your audience is, sadly, quite low.
2
@mark
Your comments to visit outlying towns are excellent. I would add Pardubice and Brno as well as several others. It is true that the language could be a slight problem but travel should take you out of your comfort zone, no?
(fine for me to say, since I speak Czech)
3
I've been to Prague twice, the first time in 1970 and the second time in 2015. I barely recognized it the second time around, except for the buildings. While I'm sure things have vastly improved for the citizens (most of whom stay outside of the perimeter of the old town), I felt the magic I experienced before was completely gone. And it's not because in 1970 I spent a total of $20 per day and on the recent visit more than $150. It's because you are part of a stampede of tour groups and individual tourists that extends all the way from the old town square through the Charles bridge all the way up and into the castle. On the way, every store sells the exact same knick-knacks. Sure, you could skip the old town and visit the outlying neighborhoods. But that would be like visiting New York without entering Manhattan below 96th.
13
@MF
We loved Prague despite the tourists. You can get a lot out of it by visiting the touristy areas once, then branching out to the rest of the city. We also went a bit off-season: late October.
2
Surprised that the Kafka Museum was not mentioned!
7
@Scampi to go
The Kafka Museum is a must-see attraction. We loved the way the exhibit is set up, from the lighting to the exhibit cases and the file cabinets at the end. So informative for such a small museum.
8
Lovely to have you back in this column Seth, and I really liked your book. Is this a one-off, or will you be frugal traveling for us again?
12
I hated Prague when I was there in 2017. Everything had a price tag and there wasn't a shred of everyday life to be found downtown. Touring the sites by bike was entertaining enough, but it felt like the entire place had been turned into a theme park for tourists of every nation.
We ended up spending most of our evenings out in Zizkov drinking with the locals in the endless series of bars which seem to be on very block of the Cold War-era apartment blocks. It seemed like it was on the cusp of being gentrified then. It also won the award for the smokiest bars I've ever been to in my life.
Can't see myself ever going back.
14
@Paul D
Go back, my fellow Vancouverite, go back! Now that you've seen the usual touristy-stuff, don't visit the downtown core at all. Get out to some of the other suburbs, Vinohrady is really nice, no tourists. There is architecture to be seen, some interesting churches and Edwardian apartment houses. Some graveyards out there too, you can see Vaclav Havel's memorial there, as well as the graves of writers and musicians.
Letna is also kind of neat, the stadium of Sparta Praha is up there. There is a huge park there where anti-communist rallies were held in the late 80s. It's also the site of the giant metronome.
You're right about the bars on almost every block, though, but I kind of liked that. It was like every couple of apartment houses had their own place. Kind of neat.
12
The simplicity of the Jewish Museum is something I will never forget. Ironically we stayed on American St.
A Stare Mesto stroll is a must as is a trip to Prague Castle, but all in all the highlight for me was a walk across the Charles Bridge (the worlds most beautiful bridge) in January in the snow.
13
Interesting article...however, I would prefer to hear more about cheap accommodations than about museums. Museums are after all up to the individual taste, but affordable hotels in Europe are always of great interest.
6
While the $57 indeed is the average net daily working day wage earned in Prague, it should be noted that a month on average ‘only’ has 21 working days bringing the actual amount closer to $40 per day. From that amount, not only rent and utilities have to be paid, but also basic needs such as mobile telephony, the latter being one of the most expensive in Europe.
That being said, even if I only had $40 a day to spend in Prague, I personally would prefer to walk around the city, through Vinoradhy, Letna, Holesovice and other less gritty areas than Zizkov, enjoy the architecture and in lieu of ‘expensive’ museums consult Wikipedia at any of the many small memorial plaques that adorn buildings, usually marked by a tiny wreath of flowers in the colors in the Czech flag. Many small coffee shops host local art exhibitions and while those artists are not famous (yet), they do depict the current state of Prague / Czech Republic quite well.
Also, I’d focus less on maximizing cheap beer intake and occasionally enjoy a glass of Czech wine, often available on the tap at very decent prices.
35
@Joel And don't forget the cheap slivovice. While we enjoyed the beer and wine at restaurants, in private homes it was slivovice,(plum brandy) that was very freely dispensed.
Please restraint yourself and do not come to Prague. There is so many tourists in here that it is becoming impossible to live in.
43
@IH
I've been to Prague several times and I simply adore the city. I do understand how awful it must be for you and anybody else who lives in Prague to deal with the tourists there. I think this must be considered by all people who visit there. I just stopped going because of my conviction that its totally unfair to the people of Prague. Not many understand what is was like there before it opened up. A totally different scene and attitude. Now its being stormed every year and its impossible to have a normal life experience in the city that was once closed.
Also, for me, that had been there when when it started to get "crazy" it pained me for the people of Prague and I myself felt it personally. It takes away everything that Prague has to offer and what makes it so very special. I really loved to go out at 5 in the morning or earlier just so I could have peace and quiet and walk on the Charles Bridge freely in silence---only the doves greeting me. The silence of those hours were golden and precious.
There are so many writers I love there. That's why I want to be there. Alas, I'll stay home because I understand the rights of people living there and what is being destroyed in this amazing city. And you do have rights but they are being destroyed, like in so many other cities across Europe.
The madness must END!
10
@IH
Why don't you move instead? I'm sure everyone involved in tourism there appreciate the business.
11
@Sparky This just encapsulates the problem so well: a resident of a city being told to move so that jet-setting foreigners can continue to enjoy it on their holiday travels. Of course tourism brings in dollars, but there needs to be a balance. That balance is being totally lost in many popular destinations. I would support the rights of the city-dwellers to their quality of life, over those of the tourists to their quality of vacation.
17
Very much enjoyed reading this. One full day at the zoo was good value along with a return river boat ride back to town afterwards. We bought a lot of beautiful breads and pastries at the markets. As well as beverages and fruit/cheese. That's always a great way to eat on the cheap. And we discovered the used clothing shops where all the items were priced similarly. Got some local football jerseys and t-shirts for about 2 bucks each. One fun thing and relatively inexpensive activity to do, especially with kids, is the paddle boats down near the bridge.
7
First visit to Prague in 2008 was a real homecoming for the Hubs (born there in 1968). Can't comment too much on the costs as we always stay with family, but I can comment on the beer. Excellent and cheaper than water!
See the Old Town, yes, but then get out and explore different areas. Vinohrady is wonderful, and it's a real slice of everyday life, no tourists up there. There is a wonderful modern church at Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station, and a great farmer's market there in a nice park. Also in that area is the original Pivo a párek location - translates to Beer and Sausages. Good beer, yummy sausages and a nice garden. We did visit Vinohradksy Pivovar; it's a bit hipster-y but the beer is excellent. Petřiny is another area to visit, it's up above the castle, lots of embassies up there. There's a monastery there with a brewery attached that is the oldest, continuously operating brewery in the Czech Republic.
Did the Museum of Communism back in 2008, when it was on Wenceslas Square. That evening, we went back to his aunt's place and started talking. She told us about her MIL and I asked what the MIL had done for work. His aunt says "oh, she was the secretary to Klement Gottwald". My jaw hit the floor and his aunt laughed herself silly at my expression - we'd just learned all about him that afternoon!
The Jewish Museum of Prague was very moving; the names of the Prague Jews who were deported to the camps are inscribed on the walls. Children's artwork too from Terezin.
22
As an American, but born and raised in Prague, I have now visited the city nine times (from 1991 to the present), and have experienced its renewal and popularity.
To get away from the crowds, and as Seth Kugel points out, there are up and coming sections within Prague ( Holesovice, Karlin, Smichov) which are well worth visiting.
I recommend highly booklets 1 and 2, each called "Five Prague Walks" off the beaten path. Written in English, with good maps and published by the Prague City Tourism Office. They are great walks.
14
FivePragueWalks
Book 1 https://www.prague.eu/file/edee/universal/download/brozury/pet-prazskych-prochazek/en.pdf
Booklet 2
https://www.prague.eu/file/edee/universal/download/brozury/pet-prazskych-prochazek-2/100x210-pet-prazskych-prochazek_en_web.pdf
1
@Phyllis
Thanks for scanning those booklets. Hope someone finds it helpful. I have done all 10 walks with my brother who lives there part of the year.
I really enjoy reading these articles, living like the locals, eating, experiencing and making an attempt to understand how all of us manage. This is the most egalitarian and democratic way to travel, at the street level, not shunning the experience behind a bus glass but in it. It has always left me richer and more grateful for having seen it.
16
@Nevdeep Gill Agree that this is the only way to get to know a place and it's culture. My son worked in Amsterdam for a while. He said always buy a second class ticket to meet the people of the country. Followed his advice in Italy and had a marvelous time meeting young college students who gave us tips on what to do in Rome. Riding around in a bus doesn't give you the privilege os saying I've been to that country. No, You RODE through!
5
My wife and I agree that Prague is our favorite city in Europe. We lived there for four months in 2015 and one month just last year, and we will go back again given the chance. It is a beautiful city perfect for walking, and filled with historic sites and world-class museums, plus the cost of living for us is hard to beat. We always get spoiled living there because groceries and restaurant food are one-third the cost of what they are in Chicago. A very good one is Restaurant Ananta in Prague 5, an all-you-can-eat vegetarian place where a very filling, delicious meal costs about $5. Some of our favorite things to do in Prague cost little or nothing at all. One is to visit Petrin, the large, hilly park south of the castle filled with trails that lead from the Mala Strana up to the castle and cathedral. From there you can go up to Letna Park across the river and north of Old Town. South of Old Town and east of the river is Vyšehrad fortress and park. There you can visit Saint Peter and Paul Basilica, the neo-Gothic basilica featuring elaborate frescoes, carvings & mosaics inside, for a couple of dollars, visit the adjacent cemetery, and finally eat one of the best kielbasas either of us have ever had at a nearby concession stand in the park.
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I live in Prague and the suggestions by Jerry Harris (above) are very good. I recommend them.
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@Jerry Harris - I agree entirely. If you're in Prague for the first time a stroll through Stare Mesto, over the Charles Bridge, and the castle are definitely worthwhile, despite the tourist mobs, but you'll find better food at lower prices, fewer tourists (and tourist traps), and a generally more pleasant atmosphere on a walk south through Mala Strana or in the quietly beautiful area of Vyšehrad. And if you're a 'senior citizen', public transport is free! We've been put off by the vast number of tourists on our recent trips to Prague, but it's still our favorite city in Europe.
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