'Czeching out Prague'

It seems like forever since my long weekend mini-break to Prague. Part of me is really wishing I wrote this post back in February straight after returning, but I'm also loving being able to look back at photos and relive the memories by writing it now!

Sometimes known as 'The City of a Thousand Spires', Prague has so much to offer for a mini-break and I'm not just talking about the cheap drink prices... I'm talking an abundance of history and stunning architecture! Not to mention what is apparently the largest castle in the world!

My bestie Meg and I had a fabulous few days exploring the city, and we're both planners (which makes travelling together a dream!) so here's a little highlights reel :)

Free Walking Tour!

On our first afternoon in Prague, having survived a plane full of Stag Dos, we booked a free walking tour. The tour was great and I'd highly recommend them for city visits. It was about an hour and a half and gave us a great overview of the city. Having done the tour, we were able to decide which sites we felt we'd seen enough of and which ones we wanted to explore further. It's also a great chance to ask a local lots of questions and learn lots of fun facts!

The Old Town Square

As with most European Cities, the Old Town Square is THE place to be if you're a tourist and Prague is no different! Like most streets and squares in the city it's home to lots of stunning architecture and churches! I especially remember our tour guide telling us lots about the 'defenestrations' of Prague (something to do with lots of people being thrown out of high windows during the Hussite Wars?) which became a continuous theme when looking at buildings and reading our Burlitz Guide.

Of course there's also the Astronomical Clock. Check it out on the hour for a special display (Whilst it's probably an incredibly complicated and therefore impressive piece of engineering for its day, these days its regarded as one of the most disappointing sites in Europe...don't let that dissuade you though, make sure you tick it off your list!)

The Castle District

A whole day can easily be spent on the north-western side of the Vltava River, exploring the area surrounding the castle. It's a short walk up hill but the views are so worth it! You can walk around the castle grounds without paying a penny, but you can buy different tickets to access the inside. It's fairly cheap (about £4.50) to buy a basic ticket that lets you in the basilica, Golden Row, some of the castle outbuildings and the cathedral. It's definitely worth doing, the windows in the basilica alone were stunning! Plus the tiny buildings in Golden Row are like something out of a movie and there's a super cool medieval armoury and torture chamber!

Food glorious food!

My favourite way to experience a culture is usually by trying the food. In Prague though the traditional dish is Pork Knuckles...think I'll give that one a miss! That being said our tour guide was quick to console us and recommend a Goulash Bread Bowl (despite being traditionally Hungarian, apparently the Czechs "perfected the recipe"...) I wasn't disappointed and after a chilly day of site seeing it was the perfect way to warm up! My favourite delicassy, (possibly ever!) though has to be the 'Trdlo'! Don't ask me how to pronounce it, just know it's yummyyy and can be filled with pretty much anything! You should honestly just try one for yourself, but if I had to describe it, it would be a hot pastry / bready dough filled with various forms of sugar (ice cream, whipped cream, fruit...). What's not to love?

If like us, your ideal way to warm up after site-seeing is with a hot chocolate, be warned! Hot Chocolate in Prague is basically just a cup full of melted chocolate! Not that we're complaining, but make sure you order some extra milk if you actually want to make it through the whole cup... That being said we loved the 'Choco' cafe where you can build your own hot chocolate from the pages of chocolate bar options they have to offer!

As for our accommodation, I promised Meg I'd mention the infamous 'Botel' we stayed in. I can't say that I'll be rushing back to the floating hotel again, but our Prague adventure definitely wouldn't have been the same without it! It was reasonably priced and had breakfast included which was a huge help in preparing for a cold day's sightseeing, but it did sound like they were pulling the boat apart and hammering it back together again every night...the riverside views were pretty great though!

So there's my little guide to Prague! There's so much more I could write about, including a super fun UV Mini Golf place that's Prague themed and great to shelter from the rain and the posh SkyBar with great views and a funky lift, but I want to keep this post fairly quick. As with any city, the best way to experience it is in person and I can definitely recommend Prague! There's so much to do and food, drink and accommodation is pretty cheap (especially if you like beer!). If you have more time, don't forget to check out the Dancing Houses, John Lennon Wall and of course take a stroll over the famous George Bridge!

Fancy experiencing Prague for yourself? Contact me today to book your trip.