Perfect Prague (Prague)

Member Name: nicki--martin

Product:	Prague
Date:	29/06/08 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful buildings, wonderful city

Disadvantages: None

Prague is my favourite European destination. The weather always seems to be hotter than the UK in the summer, although sometimes in mid August it can be quite stiflingly hot. In winter it is pretty cold (minus 12 degrees on one occasion I visited) but usually with blue skies. So be certain to choose a hotel with air con if you are visiting in the summer months.

Transport links with the UK are very good with numerous flights from all the London and regional airports to Prague. Prague airport is very easy to negotiate and is spacious and well organised when compared with our favourite (NOT) London airports. You can take a taxi to the city centre from the airport and this will cost you about £25 - taxis can be prebooked from UK. I used Prague experience to prebook and they were excellent; even though my flight was 3 hours late and arrived at after mid-night they were still there waiting and charged no extra. I've also used the bus service and metro which also works well and takes about 45 minutes and costs less than £1.

The people are very friendly and helpful although possibly getting a little bit fed up with english tourists who can't speak any words of their language. The city itself is so full of tourist attractions it is hard to know where to start. The Old Town Square and Astrological clock are major attractions and are always busy. If you can, go up the Town Hall tower as there are fantastic views and photo opportunities. There is a lift and ramps for less mobile visitors. The Church of St Nicholas on the Old Town Square is also worth a visit for a very impressive chandelier and the church is used as a venue for concerts sometimes. The Tyn Church is very beautiful but is currently shut for restoration work although I imagine it can still be visited if you attend a service. If you walk down the alley at the side of the church you come to a very picturesque square and just across the road from that is the Church of St Jakub. This is worth a visit if only to see the dessicated arm of a thief strung up as a warning to other would be thieves! The Jewish quarter is a worthwhile place to visit (although obviously not on a Saturday).
I don't think it can be classed as a tourist attraction as some bits of it are much too poignant - in particular the Pinchas Synagogue.

On the other side of the Charles Bridge is the Mala Strana or Little Town which again is full places of interest. My favourite church in all of Prague is St Nicholas Church which is a baroque extraveganza with lavish statues of the various saints and a gloriously decorated ceiling.The walk up to the castle is steep but full of attractive buildings and the view from the castle down over the town is well worth the climb. The castle itself is vast. St Vitus Cathedral is beautiful and contains relics of various saints, beautiful stained glass windows old and modern and the Czech crown jewels. Another place which is less well known is Vysehrad back on the other side of the river. It has fabulous views out over the river and was reputed to be the site of early Prague settlement. The graveyard is the most beautiful I have ever seen with art nouveau decorated tombs and is the final resting place of Czech heroes.

There are plenty of good cafes and restaurants especially if you want to try authentic Czech specialities. I can recommend the Pilsner Restaurant at the Municipal House, the Cafe Slavia (opposite the National Theatre) and the Pivovarsky Dum (near IP Pavlova metro station).

There are always classical concerts going in the various churches of Prague and they are generally of a high standard. The opera is cheaper than in the UK and the Czech State Opera House has a beautiful interior. The standard of performance is variable but in performances of the Czech composers such as Dvorak and Smetana they are excellent.

This is just a very brief resume of some of the wonderful things that one can see in Prague. It is a fantastic place to visit and every time I go I still find new things to enjoy.

Summary: All round great city to visit