🇨🇿 Prague

📍 About Prague

The golden city in the heart of Europe: medieval castle, Charles Bridge and the best beer in the world. Prague's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best‑preserved in the whole European continent.

🗺️ What to do & see in Prague

• ✅Stroll across Charles Bridge at sunrise (5:00‑7:00): the only time it doesn’t feel like a theme‑park. Bring a thermos with Czech coffee (the street‑vendor brew tastes burnt, better buy beans at the Holešovice market and brew it yourself).
• ✅Have a beer at U Fleků: the oldest brewery in Prague (since 1499) and the only one that serves only its own thick, black lager, syrup‑like. Order a goulash on bread and be ready to pay 150 CZK for half a litre (yes, it’s pricey for what it is, but it’s part of the show).
• ✅Climb the Petřín lookout at sunset: less touristy than the Castle and offers 360‑degree views. Czechs go there to kiss, drink contraband beer or read. If you’re visiting in winter, bring gloves: the wind at the top cuts like a knife.
• ✅Alternative: Tour the Cold‑War bunkers in the Žižkov district. The guide, a guy who looks like he lived the era, tells how Czechs prepared nuclear shelters in the ’60s. There’s even a decontamination room with showers that were never used. Book in advance (only in Czech or English).
• ✅Alternative: Eat at a neighbourhood ‘hospoda’. Forget restaurants with menus in five languages. Look for places like U Magistra Kelly (in Holešovice) where they serve plain Czech dishes: meat‑filled knedlíky, garlic soup with poached egg, and barrel‑aged Pilsner Urquell. Order in Czech: ‘Jedno pivo, prosím’ (one beer, please) and you’ll see how they treat you better.
• ✅Alternative: Attend a concert at the Church of St. Nicholas in Malá Strana. Not the typical tourist show, but Czech classical music (Dvořák, Smetana) performed by local orchestras. Tickets cost 200‑300 CZK and the sound in that baroque church is breathtaking. Bring a sweater: winter is so cold even the musicians play with gloves.

🏛️ Must-see attractions in Prague

• ⭐Prague Castle
• ⭐Charles Bridge
• ⭐Astronomical Clock
• ⭐Malá Strana District
• ⭐Jewish Cemetery

💡 Travel tips for Prague

• 💡Public transport is cheap and efficient, but Czechs don’t validate tickets when leaving the metro. If a controller catches you without a ticket (or without validating it), the fine is 1,500 CZK (about €60) and they’ll stare at you like you robbed a bank. Buy tickets from the machines (they accept cards) and validate them in the yellow slots before boarding the metro or tram.
• 💡Czechs don’t smile at strangers, but they’re not unfriendly: it’s cultural. If you walk into a shop or bar and the staff doesn’t greet you, don’t take it personally. However, if you order something in Czech (‘Děkuji’ = thank you, ‘Prosím’ = please), you’ll see their attitude change. A trick: learn to say ‘Jedno pivo, prosím’ and you’ll earn points.
• 💡The historic centre is full of ‘money changers’ offering a ‘better rate’ on the street. They’re scammers: they either give you fake crowns or short‑change you. Exchange money at banks or official exchange offices (like ‘Exchange’ on Kaprova Street). And never agree to pay in euros: they’ll double‑charge you.
• 💡If you visit in winter, wear shoes with non‑slip soles. Prague’s cobblestones turn into skating rinks when it rains or snows. Moreover, many places don’t clear snow from the sidewalks, so be ready to walk on ice. A local tip: in bars and restaurants they ask for ‘sůl’ (salt) to sprinkle on the floor to prevent slipping.