It’s been two whole months since I visited Europe and I’m back with the last travel blog post on my Europe’19 series (see: travel post on Poland | see: travel post on Vienna, Austria). After packing my luggage to Poland and spending my birthday weekend in Vienna, I got a mini beer belly in Prague, Czech Republic!
Known as “the City of a Hundred Spires,” Prague is a historic core with its Old Town Square, colourful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and more.
Want to stay in Singapore instead and be a tourist in the city? Why not spend a weekend on an island getaway?
5 Fun Facts
- It has the largest castle in the world – the Prague Castle.
- The locals drink more beer per capita than any other nation in the world – well, it’s home of the Pilsner – and that’s how I got my beer belly hahaha.
- Prague’s most famous landmark is the Astronomical Clock in which at every hour, a procession of moving sculptures appears from the clock’s sides – you’ll never miss this because of the crazy crowd.
- The Charles Bridge’s first stone was laid at 5:31 am on July 9, 1357. As Charles was a numerology nut, this date and time was carefully chosen to reflect: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 (year, day, month, time).
- There is a dancing house amidst the baroque buildings
Sights to See
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Old Town Prague (or Staré Město Pražské)
Old Town Prague is a beautiful medieval settlement in Prague, and is where all the buzz is, especially for tourists. The ancient lanes of cobblestones lead you to endless rows and rows of shops – food, trinkets, souvenirs – anything, just name it! This place is like a maze so be careful and don’t get lost! There are many sights within Old Town Prague, including the famous Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, churches and more.
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Astronomical Clock
As mentioned, the most famous landmark in Prague is the Astronomical Clock. You will not miss this because of the crazy crowd that gathers at every hour to witness the procession of moving sculptures that appear from the clock’s sides. There’s even a Skeleton among all the other sculptures and rumour has it that it has special powers (read history here).
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Charles Bridge (or Karlův most)
The Charles Bridge is a gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town, commissioned to build by the Czech King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1357. It overlooks the Vltava river and is also a popular spot to many Czech artists, musicians and souvenir vendors. Try visiting the bridge at 8am in the morning to avoid tourists.
The Prague Castle is a must-go if you’re visiting Prague for the first time. It is the largest coherent castle complex in the world with sights such as Old Royal Palace, The Story of the Prague Castle, St. George’s Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral and many more. There are many OOTD spots here too so consider spending perhaps the morning to explore this place. The view at the entrance is amazing though – it overlooks the entire city.
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The Dancing House (or Tančící dům)
The Prague Dancing House is a highly original building inspired by two dancers – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The house is also known as “Fred and Ginger”, and is home to offices, a restaurant, gallery and a conference centre.
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Spanish Synagogue (or Španělská Synagoga)
The Spanish Synagogue is one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe. Take a trip down history as you discover a couple of synagogues within walking distance on a Jewish Museum tour. As we were previously in Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, the Jewish history tour came as a perfect addition to what we’ve already learnt in the concentration camps. If you’re up for a little history class, I say go for it!
Food/Food Places to Try
Prague is the world’s capital for beer, and the Czech Beer Museum shows you exactly how beer brewing started in this city. The museum part of this place isn’t fantastic as it is a self-guided tour, but the beer tasting after the tour was superb. The 4 beers provided for tasting were really good, and you can also get to bottle your own beer at the end of your trip!
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Prague Beer Museum (Gastropub)
Yes, in Prague, the thing you do most is drink beer! We stumbled onto this place while looking for a bar and my, they serve 30 beers on tap! From pale ales to lagers, and even pilsners, this is a must-visit if you love beers!
I never thought I would be getting a good Asian fix in Europe, but I was proven wrong at Banh-Mi-Ba! Seriously hands down THE BEST Vietnamese spring rolls I’ve ever eaten here. They were so stuffed and full of flavour every bite was a complete delight! We tried the Pho but wasn’t that fantastic. Well, it’s a Banh-Mi place and we really should have tried a Banh Mi at least, haha!
When in a foreign country, try something local! We had the opportunity to try very authentic local dishes at Lokal U Bile Kuzelky, a restaurant & bar located at the foot of Charles Bridge. Think meats, potatoes and gravy for breakfast/lunch, paired with local Czech beer!
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Trdelník
Trdelník is a kind of spit cake made from rolled dough. You can find this snack everywhere in Prague but is not unique to Czech Republic. It’s similar to the Baumkuchen we ate in Vienna, except that the Czech version includes fruits, nuts and whipped cream as toppings.
Airbnb
There are many Airbnb listings in Prague, but this caught my attention, as it was located only 2 minutes (by foot) away from Charles Bridge: Spacious Apartment in the heart of Prague. The apartment is fully furnished with 2 big beds (great for families), a fully functional kitchen, washing machine, dryer etc. It even had a gramophone that actually works and some records for us to select from.
The host Sébastien is a Superhost, and his stepdaughter, Veronika, was super friendly when we met her. She gave many great recommendations while we were in Prague. I highly recommend staying here if you’re travelling to Prague.
Have you been to Czech Republic? Share your thoughts/recommendations with me in the comments below!
Create yourself and be gorgeous!
XOXO, Roanna.
