The beauty of Prague

Main square in Prague

Prague is everything people say it is and more. When I visited it, I didn’t expect it to be so modern and trendy. In the James Bond film, “Casino Royale,” the shots with their red carpets and old hotels, made the city feel like it was stuck in time in the 1940s. But you'll find its a trendy and sophisticated mix of the classics and modern architecture, food and style. 

Photo crashing a wedding. She was so beautiful in the early morning in her gown.

Prague has somehow managed to take the best of the modern world while still keeping its charming old world appeal, which made it even better than what I expected.

It was also safer, cleaner and friendlier - although the taxi drivers will pretend their credit card machines don't work, but that also happens in Miami and Paris.

John Lennon's wall

Random wanderer or guided tour?

So do you need a tour guide? No…not really. You can wonder the streets, the old Square and most of the sights quite easily.   As mentioned earlier, it's also pretty safe.  However, in the Old Square, you will find a lot of restaurants geared toward tourists and shops full of souvenirs.  Not much else.

One of the many arched streets in Prague

But you will also find amazing architecture.

I recommend going early in the morning (before 9am) if you want to get good photos and have the Charles Bridge to yourself. After 9am, the square and the popular tourist sights are packed – really packed.

Notice the lack of people. I was up at 7am and had the place to myself.  Also note the English on the wall. You know this is going to be tourist haven.

That being said, Prague has a lot of history and that is where a tour guide can come in handy. Unless you read up on your own beforehand, you’ll miss details and the importance of some of the buildings and statues. 

The medieval astronomical clock located in Prague's Old Square. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating.

 

Getting a tour is easy. There are two free walking tours a day (the guides are paid in tips) that start in the Old Square, and then there are numerous other tours – from Segways and bicycles to bus tours.

Food and beer in Prague

Speaking of tours…there are a number of beer tours available. These can range from pub crawls to visiting and beer-tastings in nearby breweries. There is even a monastery that makes its own beer.

Potato pancakes

 

Unfortunately, I’m not a beer drinker so these were wasted on me. I did try local wine and must admit, it was not fantastic (the server did warn me, but still I had to try). 

What I did try and what was fantastic were potato pancakes with sauerkraut. These were soooo incredible. I normally don’t like potato pancakes. My mom used to make them for us when we were kids and I always felt like we were being punished for something when they appeared on my plate. I ate them, but they sucked. I now know that not all potato pancakes are the same. They can be great. (sorry, Mom.)

Prague at night

Prague transforms into a different city in the evening.

The castle, which looks like so many other castles during the day, becomes magical. It in the moonlight it could be home of Dracula…or a Disney Princess. It dominates the square and sets the mood that you are in for an amazing evening.

 

The streets are still full of people at night, but the vibe is different and less crowded. There are a lot of jazz venues and live music places. The bars come alive and the people - local and tourists open up to conversation.

With a castle like this and the moonlight, you know it can only lead to a night to remember.