July 2-9, 2019

I took the 4-hour bus from Vienna Erdberg (VIB) to Prague Main Railway Station on Flixbus for four hours (€17.90). There’s a lot of joy that comes from getting your remote work done on a bus.

You can walk from the main train station to Old Town Square in around 10 minutes. And, as weird as it is to cross the train tracks, you can do it, if you are headed away from old town, like where I stayed.

Brix Hostel was 528.57 CZK (currently $23.28 USD) a night. Public transportation is easy to take, but I only walked and took Ubers around town. Each ride cost me Kč102.20 - Kč211.78.

The past of Prague with its artistic and architectural heritage is fascinating, as well as its small museums, lively restaurants, bars, and cheap prices. The seasonal legions of tourists can be tiring -especially the British bachelor and bachelorette parties- but a quiet walk at dawn or glass of Bohemian lager outside of Old Town is worth the trip. And, I was so lucky to have my friend, Johanna, visiting from Ireland at the same time as me! I could easily spend another week here.

Things to see:

• The elegant Charles Bridge was built in 1357 and is ordained by 30 statues dating from the 18th century. Try and visit at dawn before the hordes arrive. It’s an unavoidable people nightmare during the day.
• Check out the clock tower of the Old Town Hall, where the astronomical clock (from 1410!) entertains crowds on the hour (from 9am-9pm) with its parade of apostles and a bell-ringing skeleton. 
• Josefov was once the city’s Jewish Quarter, and its fascinating monuments now comprise the Prague’s Jewish Museum. Highlights are the Old-New Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue, Maisel Synagogue, and Old Jewish Cemetery. 
• Go to New Town (Nové Město), founded in 1348. The broad, sloping avenue of Wenceslas Square is lined with shops, banks, and restaurants. Beneath is a shrine to the victims of communism, including students Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc, both of who burned themselves alive in 1969 in protest at the Soviet invasion.
• Take a picnic and the metro to Vyšehrad, on the southern edge of New Town. This ancient hilltop fortress has superb views and a cemetery with some surprise finds.
• Traditional Czech cuisine is strong on meat, dumplings, and gravy. Bohemian beer is one of the world’s best. The most famous brands are Budvar, Plzeňský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell), and Prague’s own Staropramen. Have a drink at BeerGeek Bar, Lokal, Letna Beer Garden, Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant, U Veverky, and Klasterni pivovar Strahov. Cocktails are great at Hemingway Bar, Tiki Taky Bar, and Cash Only.
• I had so much fun playing video games late night at Joystick Arcade Bar.
• Couldn’t keep me away from the Korean food at Bibimbap.
• Walk up Vitkov Hill for the views and walk under it to visit Eska Restaurant.
• There is a lot of fun art around Prague, but none quite as mesmerizing as the Head of Franz Kafka. I stood and watched that one for a bit.
• I enjoyed visiting the Apple Museum, for a walk down memory lane with all the devices of my childhood.
• Go up to Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral.
• Honestly, Lennon Wall and Lovers’ Bridge were a miss for me, but I just walked through to check it out. 
• Prague is really into trdelník, a doughnut style ice cream cone, which I found a big mess and just alright tasting. The street sausages are tasty, though.
• We took an Uber (€25-50 one way) to Kutná Hora, but be careful as you might need to take a train back if you can’t get an Uber trip back to Prague. It’s famous for its Sedlec Ossuary, Kamenna kasna stone fountain, and Cathedral of St. Barbara.
• I had a shellac manicure (300 CZK), shellac pedicure (500 CZK), and lash extensions (850 CZK) at Victoria Nails & Lashes. Another place to go is Chic & Grace for a shellac manicure (299 CZK) and shellac pedicure (549 CZK).
• Mozart had the premiere of his opera, Don Giovanni, at the Estates Theater in 1787, and I think you can still see it performed there.