Bohemian Brilliance in Prague

View of the castle from Petrin Park

I am not a morning person, or to be more precise I don't like getting out of bed until I am absolutely ready to. It's got to be on my terms. So as you can imagine I tried everything I could to secure a nice, comfy British Airways flight at a civilised hour, from nearby Heathrow, but try as I might to find a reasonably priced BA flight, those buggers at Easy Jet kept poking away at my conscience and being all showy off about their cheap prices. I begrudgingly gave in, reasoning that we'd be able to spend the money we'd saved on sampling more Czech beer. So that's how, after a mere cat-nap of just four hours, we dragged ourselves from the soft, warm bed (I was crying inside), and hurtled toward Gatwick in a zombie like state on a ghostly M25.

Strange babies on Kampa Island

Prague makes for a very convenient European city break, less than 2 hours flight from London, you can be supping your very own pint of pivo (beer) before lunch. I expected stark and practical architecture, a reminder of the city's Communist past, but what I got was fairytale with a Disney-Germanic twist. We opted to stay in the quieter Mala Strana district, on the same side of the river as the castle, and a pleasant 15 minute stroll through Kampa Island leading to the enormously popular Charles Bridge. The Hotel Residence Mala Strana was basic, clean and comfortable, with a fortifying breakfast buffet (perfect fuel for all that sightseeing) included in the bargain price of £53 per room, per night. You can also get kitchenette suites for a little extra price if you prefer to self cater. If you are looking for luxury, then look elsewhere, but if you aren't fussed about chocolates on pillows and don't mind a bit of walking then this fits the bill.

John Lennon Wall

Like all European cities Prague has a cheap and efficient metro and tram system but it is also a very walkable city, and so we took advantage of the warm spring weather and explored on foot. Kampa Island was just 5 minutes from our hotel, divided from the mainland by a canal (this is the Czech Republic's version of Venice...they even have gondolas) its southern tip is peaceful parkland and the northern section is built around a gorgeous cobbled square. Then it is just a few short hops up the steps to Charles Bridge (Karluv Most), which seems to be forever swarming with people. The pedestrianised bridge spans the river Vlatva, and is dotted at regular intervals with statues honouring the great and good of Prague. If you want peace and quiet to stroll and admire at leisure, then be prepared to get up early or have a very late night. Otherwise you just have to put up with the constant human traffic and souvenir sellers.

Charles Bridge in the distance

Prague's other major draw is its castle (Prasky Hrad), which sits regally upon a hill overlooking the city. This sprawling complex, contains architecture from virtually every century and is home to St.Vitus Cathedral, not to mention several other churches, palaces and halls, all built within the castle grounds. You could easily spend a day here exploring and probably still not have covered it all. Good job the tickets allow you entry for a second day. St.Vitus Cathedral (yes him of the funny jerky dance) looks like it has been crane lifted and dropped into the castle complex, and it dominates the place. The proximity of the walls surrounding it mean that you can't admire the outside from a far, but it is hard not to be impressed by this intimidating gothic building staring down on its onlookers. The skies were darkening quickly, threatening rain, so we ducked inside just in time. The inside is just as mesmerising as the outside, with a commanding central aisle and vibrant, mosaic style stained glass windows. There are of course plenty of tombs here, and the crypt is like a Who's Who of Bohemian royalty. The most famous resident is old Good King Wenceslas who has his own chapel. Turns out he really was quite a nice chap, but he met a nasty end, murdered by his not so nice brother Boleslav.

St.Vitus Cathedral

It's not on everyone's list, but if you have the time, then I definitely recommend visiting the Jewish Museum. The 300kc (about £10/$16US) entrance fee encompasses 4 different synagogues plus the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Ceremonial Hall. Prague's Jewish community was at one time one of the largest in the world. The museum not only chronicles their struggles throughout the centuries but is home to an impressive collection of artefacts. The Old Jewish Cemetery is like no graveyard I've ever seen before. It's like stepping onto the set of a Tim Burton movie. There are a staggering 12,000 tombstones, all jumbled on top of each other jostling for position, but they estimate that there could have been as many as 100,000 actual bodies buried since it first opened in 1439 to when it closed almost 350 years later in 1787. Of the four synagogues, Pinkas is the most sobering. It is a simple building that stands as a permanent memorial to all those who died as a result of the Nazi regime. Each wall has been painstakingly written upon with the names of every single victim. It is the most dignified tribute for reflection and remembrance.

The Old Jewish Cemetery

The final must-see for most visitors is the Old Town Square, home to the amusing Astronomical clock. The Old Town Square is a huge pedestrianised expanse bordered by grand buildings with peaches and cream exteriors, red tiled roofs and plenty of gold leaf. Typically there are plenty of cafes and bars, and you could do worse than take a seat, enjoy a great coffee or cold beer and people watch. The Astronomical Clock is the main draw and people start gathering in anticipation of the hourly chimes from about 15 minutes before to watch this zodiac style clock do its thing. The chimes begin with the skeleton tolling his bell and then the shutters open to reveal a parade of revolving saints, peering down on their audience below. I think they should re-name it the anamatronical clock, as there is something of a ghost-train feel to it. The chimes are then finished off with a ceremonial flourish with a trumpet salute from the clock tower roof.

With all that walking and the tough pace of sightseeing, you need to make sure you reward yourself at regular intervals with a cold Czech beer. There are so many to choose from, with both light and dark beers on offer. The main three are Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Budvar...which by the way has NOTHING to do with Budweiser from the US. Also worth a try are Gambrinus, Krusovice and Velkopopovicky Kozel. Czech wine on the other hand was miss rather than hit. To be absolutely fair to the Czech people, we only tried it once, a red from the Moravian region, and it was best described as thin and watery. It is possible I grant you that we tried a duff one (or maybe they watered it down for us stupid tourists), but based on that experience we opted for imported wines instead from then on.

Food wise, traditional Czech cuisine does not conjure up delicious gastronomic memories in the way that other European nations do. It's country cooking and heavy on the meat and potatoes. If you want good quality, innovative Czech food then search out the high end restaurants such as Kampa Park, or the slightly cheaper Hergetova Cihelna, where you'll pay on average £80-£90 for a 3 course meal for 2 with wine. We had a great value pub-grub Czech style lunch at the Staropramen brewery (Husa Na Verandach), where you can also do a tour. Club sandwiches and pork steaks with fresh horseradish and pickles were the order of the day, all washed down of course with an obligatory Staropramen direct from the brewery. Once you have had your fill of the local cuisine, Prague has an abundance of restaurants offering all kinds of international cuisine. Our best meal (and cheapest I might add) was at Cantina, a Mexican on Ujzed, about 3 blocks from our hotel. I knew this place would be good when we rocked up on a rainy Monday night at around 8pm without a reservation (because who needs those on Monday's right?) and the waiter ummed and aaahed for a good few minutes, working out if he could fit us in. He eventually said he would probably have a table for us in 30 minutes and that if we wanted to chance it, then we'd be welcome to wait at the bar. So we consoled our rumbling tummies at the bar with a beer and proper home fried, lightly salted tortilla chips and fresh tomato salsa. Cantina has really gone to town on the decor (that Disney guy seems to have been at it again) and the result is a really welcoming atmosphere. From outside it's the kind of place you peer into, and immediately wish you were the other side of the glass. The ceiling is covered with coffee bean sacks creating a canopy effect with washing lines draped in colourful Mexican textiles strung from wall to wall. The menu offers tacos, quesadillas, burritos and their flagship fajitas, and for those looking for a tortilla-free meal, there are plenty of salads, fish and steak options. I'm not in a self-assembly mood, so choose the pork quesadillas and Jerry tries out the surf and turf Cantina Buritto, and since I'm incapable of eating Mexican food without guacamole, we order a portion of that too. The portions are man-size, and my quesadilla is packed with well seasoned chunks of pork, whilst the buritto is brimming with prawns and steak strips. You could not accuse them of skimping on the ingredients. They magically refill our beers at the appropriate moment, and we are thankful that we don't have a long walk home as we ease our groaning bellies out of the door.

Prague was great value for money, perhaps not as cheap as it once was 10 years ago, but still cheaper than London, unless you are paying high-end prices at one of the swankier hotels or restaurants. Would I return, recommend it to friends? Yes and yes. There is plenty in this fairytale city to keep you entertained for a long weekend, and if avoid the weekends like we did, not only is it cheaper, but you avoid all traces of the great British stag party. We saw no evidence of those whatsover, and I think it was the Monday to Thursday stay that did the trick.

Stay

Hotel Residence Mala Strana

Eat
Cantina
Hergetova Cihlena
Husa Na Verandach