Prague has been number one on my bucket list for years.  I can’t even describe how excited I was to plan the trip, let alone set foot in the city.  It was a surprisingly emotional moment for me when we arrived, because it was something I had looked forward to for so long, and it was hard to believe I was actually there.  It’s a beautiful city, with so much to see and do.  We spent 4 and a half days there and saw tons, but I would still go back tomorrow.

Accommodation

We stayed in an Airbnb in Prague and it was far and away the best apartment I’ve ever stayed in.  The apartment was in a perfect location, less than a 10 minute walk from the both the train station and the city center.  We had 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms, with a washer and dryer, which was hugely helpful while we were there, and for going home with clean clothes.  It also has a large living room, kitchen and an amazing balcony.  Having the living room space and the balcony was great for relaxing and gave us a place to play cards each night.  If you are going to Prague, I honestly couldn’t recommend this apartment more.

Getting Around

We took the train from Salzburg to Prague.  The Czech trains are not as new and nice as the German and Austrian trains, but they were air conditioned and roomy.  We knew we had to change trains one time, but what we didn’t know was that a portion of the train tracks were down and we had to take a shuttle bus as well.  Thankfully the person who scanned our tickets on the first train spoke English, and was very helpful in explaining to us where to go and what to do.  After an hour or so bus ride, we were dropped back to another train station and on our way to Prague.  It added about an hour to our journey, but we were just happy to actually have successfully made it.

Once in Prague, we walked everywhere.  Our apartment location made it easy to do so, which was great.  I had wanted to do one of the double decker bus tours in Prague to learn more about the city.  Unfortunately, because the streets are so narrow, they actually don’t have double decker buses, but smaller van buses.  We skipped the tour, which I was okay with because I honestly felt wandering the streets is the best way to see the city.

For our day trip from Prague, we used Northern Hikes to see Bohemian Switzerland National Park.  They offer a few different hikes, based on distance and time, which was a nice option.  We chose the shorter hike, which was around 4 miles, but still with gorgeous scenery.  A day trip was a nice way to see another part of the country, with limited time overall.

Food and Drinks

Plzenska Restaurant
Our first dinner in Prague, before a concert at the Municipal House, was actually inside the Municipal House.  It’s huge, beautiful and super convenient if you plan on seeing a concert after dinner.  The restaurant is authentic Czech and we were excited to try a new cuisine.  The the food was great, specifically the goulash soup.  And bonus….they had Czech cider!!!!

Restaurace U Jindřišské věže
We walked past this restaurant daily, as it was on the corner near our apartment.  It seemed to be another fairly authentic Czech restaurant and not super touristy, so we were excited to try it.  The food here was excellent and like we found in Germany, they really know what they are doing in when it comes to fresh sour cream.

Pasta Fresca
Pasta Fresca was highly recommended to Ryan, so we figured it would be a good alternative to the heavy Czech food one night.  I have one word to describe this place….yum.  The pasta was so so good.  We left stuffed beyond belief, but it was well worth it.

Old Town Brewery
We stumbled upon the Old Town Brewery for dinner one night and had a delicious meal.  Robin was finally able to get her pork knuckle, which she loved.  Ryan and I shared a chicken caesar salad and a roasted chicken, which were also both great.  The best part of this place, though, was the cherry beer.  I first tried cherry beer in Belgium a few years ago, so I was excited to have it again.  Ryan and Robin also loved it, so much so that we stopped back another night for a round before dinner.

Modrý Zub
We decided on Thai food one night and settled on Modrý Zub because it was close to our apartment and had good reviews.  I’m so glad we went because it was maybe the best Thai food I’ve ever had.  And that’s saying something considering I’ve had amazing Thai food in Thailand.  It was spicy and flavorful and just delicious.  Highly recommended if you’re looking for a break from Czech food.

Letná Beer Garden
If you are looking for a way to get some exercise, have a drink and get an amazing view, look no further than that Letná Beer Garden.  We had super cheap ciders, while sitting at picnic tables in the beer garden, enjoying panoramic views of the city and the river below.

Secret Garden
We stopped in at the Secret Garden for afternoon cocktails.  It’s a hidden gem in Malá Strana neighborhood.  In addition to the bar/restaurant, the Secret Garden is also apartments you can rent while staying in Prague.  It was here that we tried the infamous Becherovka liqueur.  We read that it “tastes like Christmas,” and that is about the perfect description.  A portion of one shot was plenty for me, because it was strong, but I’m glad we tried it.  The other cocktails were great as well.

Angelato
We were on a search for the best gelato in Prague and ended up at Angelato.  It came very highly recommended, and no surprise, is super busy.  There are 2 locations, so my advice is go to the closest one and just get in line.  I’m not the biggest ice cream person, but I will say it was excellent.  Super creamy, light and flavorful.  Definitely worth the wait.

Cacao
We stopped at Cacao for breakfast on our last day in Prague.  Robin actually met a local friend there for coffee earlier in the morning, so we assumed if a local suggested it, it’s probably a good choice.  They have great outdoor seating and a simple menu, but tasty foods.

Trdelník
Although there isn’t a specific place I am going to recommend, you HAVE to have a trdelník in Prague.  A trdelník is rolled dough covered with cinnamon sugar, then filled with either nutella or ice cream.  Just as you would imagine, it’s heavenly.  There are shops selling them everywhere you go, so at some point treat yourself.  It’s worth the calories.

General Tips

1 – The Czech Republic uses the Czech Koruna.  The conversion was not super easy because it’s something like 1 Koruna to 5 cents USD, but we found everything to be very inexpensive.  This is one place where you definitely want to have some cash in addition to your credit card, as many places are cash only.

2 – I didn’t mention it above because we didn’t use it, but Prague does have a Metro system to get around the city.  We didn’t even consider using it, because the city is so easily walkable.  However, if you aren’t able to walk everywhere, it may be a good option.

3 – The world famous astronomical clock in Old Town Square is currently under construction and is expected to re-open in fall 2018.  Something to consider for trip timing if it’s something you really want to see.  I was super disappointed we didn’t get to see it, but now I have another reason to go back some day.

4 – The Czech language is super hard.  I always try to learn at least a few words of the native language for wherever I am visiting (hello, goodbye, thank you, etc), but I just couldn’t figure it out in Prague.  Thankfully most people spoke English, so it made communication do-able.

Also fun fact, most people don’t speak both Czech and Slovakian, like I had assumed, which I learned from our tour guide on the hike.  Apparently when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it was pretty seamless transition because they were kind of living as different states, speaking different languages to begin with.

 

Prague lived up to my high expectations and I feel so grateful to finally have taken my dream vacation.  And to be able to go with Ryan and Robin was just icing on the cake.  This trip was another reminder of how lucky I am to be able to travel the world and keep “czech-ing” places off my bucket list.