By week two we’d settled into our new routine in Prague and felt like we knew the city quite well. Prague has so many different things to see and do, in-fact the entire city centre feels as though it was designed for tourists. We love doing the typical touristy things just as much as the next person, but I also like to mix in a few activities that are off the beaten track. It helps to have friends in a city like we did who can show you how the locals do it, or give you different ideas on what to see or do that might not be listed on the hundreds of ‘What to see in Prague” tourist websites. These are a few of my favourite things we did in the city, both popular sites and a few not so touristy activities.
Hire peddle boats on the Vtava! Okay, so it’s probably the cheesiest most touristy thing one could do…. but we had so much fun riding these boats around on the river for the afternoon! Renting one is about CZK 150 – 200 for an hour, which is totally reasonable and so worth it.
See some live music. During our four weeks in Prague we watched four bands play! A few were local Czech bands, one Spanish, Danish and Against Me, one of Martin’s favourites just happened to be playing in Prague while we were living there. I find listing to live music very grounding when I’m travelling, it’s nice to feel normal when life is feeling very surreal. While watching Against Me play I felt like we were home again, as we had seen them play in Australia many times before. But this time the crowd was alive! It was one of the most empowering gigs I’ve ever been to. I swear more girls were stage diving than boys, the mosh was actually about dancing (not hurting one another!) and to be in a room filled with people who speak different languages, all connecting through emotional lyrics about gender dysphoria was really moving.
Eating lunch everyday at Moment Cafe. Seriously, I found my favourite cafe in the whole world in Prague. I’m not much of a cafe goer either, I mean.. I lived in Melbourne which is famous for it’s cafe culture and I probably only went out to one a handful of times. But I could live here! The food is SO good, it’s all Vegan which was amazing for me as I am Vegetarian and allergic to dairy, so I could eat ANYTHING on the menu which never happens to me. It’s insanely cheap, we paid $5 for fresh and big lunches, and only $2-$3 for slices of the best dairy free cake I have ever tasted. The vibe was relaxed, local and very friendly. We may just have eaten here ten or more times… I would completely recommend it! Afterwards we would relax in the beautiful park across the road to rest our full bellies and people watch as locals strolled by.
The Havelske trziste market is a permanent collection of small stalls sitting in the centre of Old Town. Yes they’re a little touristy being in the centre, but still worth a look around. I saw these incredible punnets of the freshest looking berries I’d ever seen! And I also found a Czech glass bead stall where I bought a pretty glass bracelet for $2. I’d been dying to find some glass beads in Prague and this was the only place I saw them!
See the spectacular view of Prague from the grounds of the Castle. It’s a bit of a hike up to see this but it will take your breath away. We spent a sunny afternoon exploring with our friend Mat who took us to see the Prague Castle, pretty much the most famous tourist attraction in Prague. The Castle was beautiful but I was much more taken by the never ending red roofs stretching out before me with not a single modern building in sight. Prague has incredible charm, I was besotted with it’s beauty. We came back a second time at dusk one evening to watch the city catch alight with street lamps. This view is equally beautiful during day and night.
My favourite streets to explore in Prague were those leading down from the castle in Mala Strana just off one of the busy tourist streets. Colourful, filled with cute shops and cafes and the perfect place to get lost. They were also deserted and there wasn’t a car in sight, the perfect place for taking photographs of the incredible Czech architecture.
Make a wish on Charles Bridge. The Charles bridge dates back to medieval times, as it has always been the main foot bridge connecting the two parts of town over the river. There is an urban legend that if you touch the St. John of Nepomuk statue a certain way and make a wish, it will most certainly come true. John was a priest who received the confessions of the Queen. The King had him executed by throwing him into the river after he would not reveal the Queens secrets to him. The legend is that five stars rose up out of the water where the Priest was thrown, and that if you now make a wish he’ll grant it for you.
Watch the sunset from Riegrovy park. We sat on the cool grass surrounded by locals drinking beers and watching their dogs wrestle and play together. The view was beautiful, but as the sun set it became something I can’t find the words to describe. My camera won’t do the colours justice, I’m not ever sure we have words for these shades. With the city stretched out before me, the castle a tiny spec on the horizon, it was here that I finally realised why I was on this crazy journey. Why I sold everything, dismantled my life and threw myself into the unknown. It’s for moments like these when I’m watching the sun set on just another day, from just another city, but everything has changed, especially me.
