Not just beer | Why Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world
Prague, a majestic, wonderful surprise of a city in the Czech Republic. Of all the trips we’ve taken over the last few years, Prague was one I knew very little about not only the city, but the food, the people, and truly the country as a whole. What I did know was that that the beer is cheap, and the architecture is old. Those two things alone were enough to sell me, so off we went for a long weekend in August.
It’s tough to describe unique “beauty” when it comes to many European cities as I feel many of them have similar “old world” charm and architecture. But, I have to say, that Prague has many of those cities beat! Think Paris, but even less modern. And maybe slightly less chic, but not in a bad way.
Prague is a city full of architectural marvels. If you’re looking to visit, the only thing you need to worry about doing is simply walking around. Between the cathedrals, castles, random alleyways, and even all the way down to the window structures, Prague has a way of making you feel like you’ve traveled back to the Medieval time period. After four full days of walking, there was not one street that wasn’t beautiful to me in someway.
And this isn’t just in one part of town, where all the tourists flock, it’s truly the entire city. We took a foodie tour on our last day, and our guide told us that there is no central business district like you find in other major cities, where modern skyscrapers dominate the skyline. In fact, you won’t find any skyscrapers in Prague as the tallest buildings are castles and churches.
We spent the entire four days exploring by foot as we found Prague to be extremely walk-able. Although word to the wise, wear comfortable shoes as most of the city is cobblestone.
As per usual with these posts, I thought it would be easier to digest by listing the activities we did, and the elaborating a bit below.
How we spent four days in Prague:
Walked the Charles Bridge (probably walked across this bad boy no less than 20 times on the trip)
Visited the nearby Prague Castle
Explored the Mala Strana (known as the Lesser Quarter)
Wandered through Josefov (Jewish Quarter)
Shopped around Wenceslas Square
Watched the hour change at the Astronomical Clock in Old Town (and found the hanging Sigmund Freud)
Walked through the Naplavka Farmers Market
Took a tour of the Czech Beer Museum, and bottled our own beer
Fought the crowds to get a photo at the Lennon Wall
Enjoyed a walking food tour across the city where we ate tons of sausage, pork knuckle and pickled cheese. And of course, beer.
The food in Prague totally surprised me. As I mentioned above, I knew very little about the Czech cuisine, and when I saw hearty dishes such as goulash, sausage and pork stew, I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting much. However, to my surprise and delight, my taste buds were on fire with flavor and I ended up eating some form of goulash everyday. Growing up my mom (so randomly) made goulash from time to time but I never remembered it being this delicious (sorry mom). It certainly isn’t a photographic dish, but what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in taste.
Other Czech delectables include pastries. WHO KNEW?! The most famous being Trdelnik, which means “hollowed out log” and is simply dough layered on a cylindrical spit, covered in sugar and baked over an open fire. If you follow me on the ‘gram, you can see a video of Trdelnik being prepared under my Prague highlight.
As I mentioned above, the beer is super cheap in Prague, in fact it’s cheaper than the water! You’re looking at spending about $2 USD for an entire liter. The Czechs do not mess around when it comes to their beer, as the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita than any other country in the world. You won’t find many ales here, but you’re sure to find some delicious lagers.
A visit to Prague is sure to leave you with a lifetime of memories. You’ve got great (cheap) food, walkable streets, friendly people (who mostly all speak English), and of course, beautiful scenery. I’m so happy we were able to experience this Central European gem. I would definitely come back!
