Wednesday 12 June 2013

Magical Prague :))) - Part I

at the time i'm writing this, i'm SO GLAD i escaped from prague on the day the floods started. i hope it clears up soon though! :( it's such an amazingly beautiful place! it would be so wasted if it got destroyed :'( i loveeeed prague. utterly romantic, and irresistibly attractive and it's almost like the city was stuck in time and never moved forward with its classic baroque architecture. an absolutely charming place :'))
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What to see in Prague
the must go-to place is definitely the old town of prague. i suppose it's the city centre where all the activities are ongoing. take the Sandelman's free walking tour if you're interested (just need to give tips)! it gives a pretty comprehensive overview of the city and tells you a bit about its history too. the old town has a beautiful square bordered by little streets with hidden gems EVERYWHERE. take the time to explore it! (:

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there is this market down one of the corners of the Old Town that sells fruit, vegetables and random knick-knacks. Prague seems to be famous for puppets and you can see this everywhere in shops and also in the market. (and yes it was POURING the day i was there >.<)

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the Astronomical Clock is at the centre of the Old Town Square, and it's famous for this puppet show that goes on every hour on the hour from 10am-9pm if i'm not wrong. haha and it's really lame. apparently ranked the most disappointing tourist attraction after the Mona Lisa :p but hoards of tourists still gather to see it. even in the rain, and i'm guilty of that :p haha.

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the new area of prague is where Wenceslas Square is. it's a street with lots of shopping areas (H&M and New Yorker!!!!). they accept euros too! but they'll return you change in czech currency. anyway, there is this long food street selling all sorts of Prague specialties so do try it out if you're interested!!!! looks absolutely delicious! (: and they have stalls selling humongous hot dogs as well, which was pretty darn awesome ^^

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so that was one side of Prague, and if you cross Charles Bridge, you'll get to the other half of the attractions in Prague! (:

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pretty near Charles Bridge, you'll find the John Lennon Wall. this super colour-splashed graffiti-ed wall, which i'm not entirely sure why it's there (oops), but it was quite good for numerous photo opportunities with its quotes and song lyrics etc :)

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the Prague Castle is probably the most famous attraction on this side of the river. it's HUGE! apparently it can fit like 50 White Houses in there or something. every day at 12pm, they have the changing of the guards parade, which attracts quite a huge crowd. only the main cathedral has free entry, while there is a fee for the rest.
oh yes, and i've heard raving reviews about the Petrin Hill & Tower, which you can see from the Prague Castle, and if you climb up, you'll have a gorgeous view of the whole of Prague! (: but it's kinda far away, and it was unfortunately raining that day, so we didn't go there :p haha.

What else to do in Prague

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watch a ballet!!!! ^^ or opera :))) it is SO affordable here! i bought the most expensive ticket for less than €40 when this ticket would have cost me a few hundred euros in the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. you can check out their schedule for the shows here.

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go for a bar crawl! this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you should not miss, if you drink alcohol, even if you're not really into it. pretty fun i have to say! and since prague is known to be the city which drinks the MOST beer, it's a good way to experience their culture a little this way ;) there are loads of companies offering this bar crawl thing, which goes on almost every night, which you can choose from. the one i went for was the clock tower bar crawl and if you book online, there is usually a discounted price. it included 2 hours of open bar, where you can have free flow of wine, beer, sangria and shots (their wine tasted a little strange, and the sangria seemed like fruit juice haha but i guess with free flow you can't expect much), and they then bring you to 4-5 clubs after. we gave up after a couple of clubs (not really night animals :p) but if you have the stamina you can probably stay till morning ;)

Hostel Recommendation

we stayed in Equity Point Prague which is a relatively new hostel, that is quite clean and with a good location near to Charles Bridge (10min walk) and Old Town Square (15min walk)! (: breakfast is included and it cost about €12/person/night! wifi was good in the dining room and reception area, and up to the second floor of the hostel perhaps. so if your room is on any of the higher floors, you probably can't get the wifi signal.

check it out on hostelbookers here: http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/czech-republic/prague/94094/ (tip: this website has no booking fees, whereas hostelworld does! but i think hostelworld seems easier to navigate and has a more comprehensive listing of hostels so you can check that out first before proceeding to book on hostelbookers!)

prague was gorgeous :) and fun too! it's pretty small, so you can explore it in about 3 days comfortably. the food is great too!!!! meat fix!!!! :D wait up for the next post ;)

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