Nov 20, 20163 min read

Prague and Useful Czech Phrases

Day 2 and 3

As we departed Germany it slowly became apparent that our Satnav didn't have Czech road maps (nor would they have them for Poland and Hungary). Thankfully Shannon used his google maps on his phone as well as map.me so we were okay.

It was my turn to drive as we were entering Prague and it was a little stressful trying to find the right way. We did manage to find our AirBnB which was above our expectations, it was £108 for 2 nights, it was a studio with the bedroom on a mezzanine level looking down over the pretty living area. The owner had equipped the kitchen with coffee machine, beer, local treats, and milk. The apartment was located in the area of Poldolska and the tram was a one minute walk away and the line was about 10 minutes straight into the centre. The tram was 110kc return (£3.40 as of 12/16). https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14108051

Throughout our stay in Prague we went in and out of town easily, we visited all the famous sights, walking across the Charles Bridge multiple times, even in the fog which lingered for a lot of our time, which gave it some an atmospheric feel. The weather for November was actually mild, it was around 4 degrees, it was cold but not chilly. The fog is renowned at this time of year, and in the weeks leading up to our trip there was even snow.

We visited the sights on foot, walking everywhere, we climbed the steps to Pražskyhrad- Prague Castle where we couldn't see much views of the city below us, as there was a blanket of fog covering the land. We explored the castle grounds and even caught the changing of the guards. You can pay to go up the spire to gaze at the views, but as there were no views we decided to skip that.

On our walk back down the fog started to lift and we were treated to a sea of red roofed buildings and the bridges dotted along the river.

For food we didn't go hungry, the first night we found a pizzeria which was warm and cosy, the pizzas yummy and good beer. A friend and colleague of mine is from Prague and gave me a few recommendations, he said to try a chain restaurant called Potrefena Husa, it was a lovely place, in the old town and I simply loved my Beef Goulash. Other local foods to try are Svíčkova which is beef dumplings in creamy sauce, and Knedlo zeló vepro which is pork and potato dumplings with sweet cabbage.

Throughout Europe the Chimney cake or Trdelník as its known in Prague is very popular, it is a sweet pastry filled with cream/ ice cream or chocolate, although as popularity grows it seems the choice of filling is endless. We enjoyed a number of Chimney's whilst there.

Mulled wine is widely available, either in restaurants and cafés or even at stalls, selling them in a polystyrene cup for under a £1. We tried it a few times whilst away and have tried in the past, but its not our taste.

On the same block as our AirBnB apartment, we had been recommended by our host to visit Cheecup. A bakery which specialised in cupcakes, we loved them but were most impressed with their hot sandwiches and choice of fillings. The staff didn't speak English too well, but it gave us a great opportunity to use our newly learned Czech. www.cheecup.cz

Beer (Plzen) is widely available and there's many scrummy local varieties. Also Prague is renown as a great place to celebrate Stag Do's, one of the reasons being, that beer is so cheap. The best value we got in Prague and indeed the whole trip was at Restaurace U Mecenase, which was a gorgeous setting and the beer was only 90p a pint. www.restauraceumenase.com

My friend also recommended that we try Řezané Pivo which is what the locals drink- a mix of dark and light beer together. It tasted good as well.

More sightseeing followed between the beer stops, we visited the Astronomical clock, the Lady Before Tyn church, Wenceslas Square and Staré Mesto- The Old Town.

This was my second time in Prague, I had been with my parents to celebrate my 18th Birthday and had my first legal drink there. We found the area and bars which I went to then, and it brought back many happy memories.