Vacationing in Prague, Czech Republic - A Foreigners Review
I’m hot off the plane back from Prague with my girlfriend and I must say it was a stupendous trip. Even though it could be considered relatively short as we only stayed for 5 days, it felt like I was there for a month.
Check out my Prague pics on Flickr
City
The city itself was pretty big, though if you’re from a place like New York it might not seem so. I found that there was SO MUCH to do. Each part of the city is broken into numbered quadrants.
We mainly went to discover the “Old Prague” as well as the “New Prague”. What is great when discovering the city is that the streets are pretty random in how they were mapped out originally. By that I mean it isn’t like many of the newer major cities where all the streets are laid out in a grid pattern. It might annoy some, but I think it adds a sense of discovery and serendipity to walking around the city.
Of course there are common tourist attractions such as the Charles Bridge, the Castle and the many historic landmarks. One place I would recommend going is the tourture museum, it is at the beginning of the Charles Bridge. There is some pretty crazy stuff in there to say the least.
If your into shopping you’ll be pleasantly surprised I think, though the city takes a two-faced approach to the shopping plaza’s there. On one hand you have the newer shopping areas such as the main strip in “New Prague”, here you will find the department stores you’re used to seeing.
However… There are atleast 3 other “major” malls are in one word, eerie, downright creepy even. I don’t have the names on hand but if you step in one you’ll realize it. You’ll instantly feel like you’re in the 80’s again. They are like giant sears department stores except each “department” is sub-let to different merchant and they all put metal detectors at the entrances. You’ll also probably see most of the things in there look like they came from the “saved by the bell” era. To top it off the escalator navigation looks like it was planned out by Picasso or taking from one of those 4th Dimensional pictures.
I also saw most places had some sign on the outside saying “Air Conditioned”, I soon learned the real meaning was “We have one air conditioner, in the basement, from which a breeze occasionally comes up when the janitor opens the door.”. If you’re in one of the older shopping stores, you’ll notice the difference big time when going up the levels.
Hotel – Corinthia Panorama (Now Ramada)
We stayed at the Corinthia and overall it was fairly pleasant. I got it as a packaged deal and picked it due to its “Four Star” status. It is located near the “Prankrac” (spelling?) metro station so you can easily get to/from the city. The metro ride is about 5 stops and they come every 3 minutes. Be sure to get a 3-day pass if you can, much cheaper.
Be aware, they advertise their fitness area, pool, sauna’s and spa’s at the top of the 24 story hotel, but you have to PAY TO GET IN. Even if you’re a guest and even if you just want to go to the pool. :-
They have breakfast every morning on the 2nd floor and it is pretty good, much better than a regular continental breakfast. It includes an unlimited buffet with eggs, sausage, potatoes and lots of chopped up fruit and veggies.
There is also a “comfortable limo” service as they call it, which transports you from the airport directly to the hotel. I recommend using it both ways. Though they are Mercedes and not really limo’s, the ride is comfy and the total cost is about 30 EURO’s (5 more than a taxi).
Transit
The transit system is pretty good, there are 3 main lines: Orange, Yellow and Green. They all intersect with each other in the city which makes transitioning seamless. At each station there are also clear signs which tell you which side you need to take in order to get where you need to go on that line.
We got the 3-day metro pass which made things a non-issue. There are also busses and trams on the street tops which go all around the city. The bad thing is the metro’s stop at 12, but if you’re clubbing then you can take a night bus or a taxi. Be sure to negotiate your trip price with the driver BEFORE you leave.
Weather
It rained pretty much the whole time we were there, but it didn’t seem to bother us or anyone else. Everyone came packing an umbrella wherever they went.
Eating
The food is DELICIOUS! There are so many good places to eat even though I only got to a few of them. Two places I could recommend:
- Buffalo Bills: It is some good ol’ fashioned American food. Lots of it, and at a great price.
- El Gaucho Steak House: Excellent Argentinean steakhouse in the center.
There is even a T.G.I Friday’s if you want ☺
The People
The people seemed pretty cool. I was expecting much different with it being “East Europe”. I felt it was very easy going and relaxed, I didn’t see any “hoodlums” my entire time there. There you go places with lots of graffiti, I didn’t see anyone who really looked like a thug.
There are plenty of homeless people but they are no harm. Overall I found them polite and interesting.
Night Life
Just with the restaurants, there are plenty of options here. Many in old Prague and in new Prague. A few places I liked:
- Duplex: Kind of gimmicky, but it is a nice venue that overlooks the city on the 6th floor.
- BomBay Lounge: They have amazing martini’s
- Zero: Down the street from BomBay, nice vibe and atmosphere.
Relaxation
I used to be a Hawaiian massage therapist and I can now say that I’ve had the best massage EVER in Prague. If you’re looking to get some real kinks worked out, you need to go to the Thai Ambassadors Wellness Center in the Center of Prague. It is right after Sephora on the main strip and right after the El Guacho Steak House. I got a “Back Special” which was supposed to be 55min but felt like 3 hours. This tiny Asian lady went to work on me and all I can say is “Wow”. I came out in another world and about 5 inches taller. Highly recommended, though do note if you can’t take pain this particular massage isn’t for you.
Verdict
I give it a high 8 out of 10. I will definitely be back and I can say Prague, for me at least, it somewhere I could see myself in for longer stays.
Tags: Czech Republic, Prague, Prague Review, Review, Vacation.
Posted on September 17, 2007
Filed Under Art & Design, Business, Daily Thoughts, Entertainment, General, Health & Food, Quotes, Ranting, Tech, Travel, Web
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I'm Marston and here you'll find my rantings, rhetoric and other useful info. I dig tech, photography, quantum physics and organic food. I'm the founder of SugarStats.com and thats my days developing.
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This makes me feel like going back!
Nicely written, boo!