| Prague
Travel Guide, climate:
Best: April-June, Sept
Avoid: Easter, Christmas, July-Aug [massively crowded with tourists]
n.b. May, June for the Music Festival.
'Prague
won't let you go, the little mother has claws' Kafka
Festivals
guide:
May- June, Spring International Music Festival, with classical music
concerts in various venues; this is one of Europe's best musical
events, a must-see.
July- Sept, the city's Folklore Festival.
Aug-Sep, Verdi Festival.
Sept, St Wenceslas Sacred Music Festival, performed in many superb
local churches.
Sept, Mozart Festival, appropriate music played in the gorgeous
Bertramka Villa often visited by the M man himself.
Sept- Oct, Prague Autumn, international music festival, with classical
concerts in the Castle.
Oct, International Jazz Festival.
Oct, Musica Iudaica, a festival of Jewish music.
Nov, Festival of Cyberculture [Datatransfer], including digital
art, film, net and performance art.
For
some precise dates or more information see: European
Festivals or Arts
Festivals.
Arts/Culture
guide:
Museums: National Museum for natural history, Veletrzní Palác
[Modern & Contemporary Art], Frantisek Bílek Villa, Jewish
Museum.
Classical Music: Lichtenstein Palace, Church of St Simon
and St Jude for chamber music, Bertramka for Mozart.
Various churches hold classical concerts at least somewhere, everyday.
Fly sheets keep tourists informed.
Dance/Opera: State Opera, Estates Theatre, National Theatre, Duncan
Center, Ponec.
Theatre: Puppet Opera has a very popular long-run 'Don Giovanni'
at the National Marionette Theatre. Impressive and funny at first,
but too long.
English language shows are held at Black Box International Theatre
and Misery Loves Company.
Live Music & Clubs: Stare Mesto has loads of venues.
There are popular jazz spots between Old Town Square and Nove Mesto.
Check English language Prague Post 'Night and Day' section for event
info and listings.
Tickets can be bought from the venue or try ticket agencies: Bohemia
Ticket International, Ticketpro.
Prague
City Shopping guide:
Some popular travel souvenirs are;
Fine Bohemian crystal, ceramics, wooden toys, Easter eggs [Kraslice]
and puppets.
Touristy: Around the Old Town Square and en route to the Castle
[The Royal Way] are endless shops for puppets, Kafka or communist
T-shirts, Russian stuff, and matrioshka dolls.
Classy: Wenceslas Square, Parizska trida near the Old Town
Square, and Na Prikope area.
Wacky: Back streets in Stare Mesto and Mala Strana.
Taxis
beware:
Fix the price of all Prague journeys in advance as the meter rate
is fixed by the driver and often results in massive overcharging.
Cuisine
guide:
Meat [especially boiled beef] and heavy soups [chicken or potato]
are an essential part of old Czech culture and all available in
many pubs.
The good news for vegetarians in Prague is that many pub/restaurants
now serve vegetarian meals or dishes excluding dead animals, and
there are plenty of good pizzerias too.
Beer: Pilsner is the most popular local brew, but Budvar - the original/tastier
Budweiser - is Bugbog's choice! |
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Why
Travel to Prague?
This 'City of a Hundred Spires' - cobbled cruising ground for Kafka,
Mozart, and Soviet tanks - brims with aesthetic and architectural
treasures.
Despite the worst floods for two centuries in 2002, the city - a
UNESCO World Heritage Site - is in great shape.
It's clean, romantic, relaxed, walkable, and has lots of music entertainment.
Cuisine is surprisingly sophisticated, Czech beer is world famous
and it's good value - especially for opera and plastic surgery!
All in all this is one of the best short-stay tourist destinations
in Europe.
Downside:
- Where have all the locals gone? There are just too many tourists!
- Service people are not exactly friendly.
-Taxis have a VERY bad reputation, so take the excellent public
transport instead. It's worth getting an interchangeable transport
ticket.
Prague
attractions guide:
This city is loaded with Disneyesque sights, but for real:
Prague Castle [Prazsky Hrad], the city's
most magnificent landmark, includes the imposing Gothic St Vitus
Cathedral, with some fine stained-glass windows, the Royal Palace/garden,
and St Nicolas' Church [in Hradcany [castle district].
The Old Town Square [Staromestské
Námestí], includes the Old Town Hall/Astronomical
Clock and the Gothic T´yn Church, the Powder Tower, the medieval
Charles Bridge, and Josefov [the former Jewish
Town: with Europe's oldest synagogue in use in the Old Town
[Stare Mesto nb. this area closes on Saturdays].
The Fortress in Vysehrad.
Petrin Hill with its mock Eiffel Tower
for panoramic view of the city.
Other notable buildings: National theatre,
Estates Theatre, Dancing Building, Municipal House, Loreta and Kinsky
Palace.
Short
Trips out of Prague:
The province of Bohemia has many interesting travel possibilities.
e.g.
Karlstejn Castle, the prettiest castle in the area, superbly situated
above the River Berounka, 35 minutes [28 km] by train from Prague,
now commercial and touristy, though.
Kutna Hora, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, used be the second
most important town in Bohemia. It is a small version of Prague,
with the finest Gothic masterpiece in Europe, Santa Barbora [Barbara]
Cathedral, which is even more spectacular than St Vitus. 1 hour
train ride.
Visit Sedlec if you have some spare time, known for the 'Bone Chapel'
[Ossuary Chapel of All Saints] decorated with human bones.
Terezin, fortress town/ex-concentration camp, is 50 km north-west
of the capital.
Accommodation
guide:
This city is busy with tourists for most of the the year. Booking
ahead, especially from Easter to September and Christmas time, is
strongly recommended. [Internet booking is good value and efficient.]
Although public transport is decent and fast, staying in heart of
the city [preferably Stare Mesto or Mala Strana] is worthwhile since
walking is the best way to explore the place and taxis can be an
unpleasant experience.
And
if you plan to travel in Prague, how about adding another city
or two to your trip? Check these tourist guides:
Vienna
Travel Guide | Budapest
Travel Guide
Amsterdam
Travel Guide | Paris
Guide
Rome
Guide
| Prague Links
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